The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-12-21
BILL ARP.
Arp Says Times are Brighter Since the
Election.
atlanta Constitution.

Our cotton buyers say that go per cent
of the crop in this country has been sold,
and it has averaged 81 cents pound.
That does pretty we'll. said in for
mer letter that the great staple went up
2 cents just as soon as Cleveland was
elected. Several men and one woman
have taken ohfense at this and write me
rather malignantly about the sin OF de-
ception, and the good woman says she
had always esteemed me to be a gentle
man and Christian until now. She
says that unless I am an idiot I must
know that it was the short crop that
made the price advance.
Well that is 80. take it all back. /
was just jubilanting. That's all. Her
party jubilated so much before the elec-
tion that We coulden't keep from crow
ing little afterwards. 1t did us so
much good. am just as sorry for my
Republican friends as the circumstances
will admit of, especially for the women,
and I remember them in my prayers and
hope they may receive an abundance of
resignation and take comfort in that
Scripture which says, "The Lord loveth
whom he chasteneth." Let us rejoice
with those who rejoice and weep with
those who weep. Sometimes the good
things ne haven't got are more comfort
ing than those we have. 1t is sorter like
our preache: who had to get up away in
the night and nurse his little colicky boy
for two long hours, and when at last he
had sobbed himself to sleep the fond
father patted him gently and whispered
"you dear little suffering darliugl Papa
woulden't take million dollars for you /;
no he woulden't-but he woulden't give
a nickel for another"
Eight cents is fair price for cotton in
Texas-just as fair as 8 cents is here in
Georgia. 1t is pity that the price
couldn't be regulated by the cost of pro.
duction and let every man make so per
cent. Some farmers right here in Bar
tow County swear they can't make it for
less than cents, but I talking to
Mr.. Shedaker, who is a small farmer
near our Gown, aud always has little
money to lend. he had made nine and
a half bales on Ten acres this year and
did it with hired labor, for be has no
children and he says he keeps strict
account of every cent, and knows exactly
what be is doing and that the crop cost
him 81 cents pound. He sold it for 81
and is satisfied. he has something to
sell all the year Troublesome corn, or
hay, or COW or some potatoes. He came
here poor aud has improved his little
farm and built a new house out of the
profits of farming. He envies nobody,
troubles nobody, and is good citizen.
Another farmer who sold few bales
at 8 cents told Mr.. Milan that he diden't
know what it cost him, for his little chaps
1t out and picked the most of it,
and if they haden't done that they
woulden't have done anything else.
fair wages for the children he
said he reckoned his cotton cost him
about centa, but not counting the chill
dren it cost about cents.
A sorry farmer on sorry farm is
very poor spectacle, aud if it wasen't for
his wife he wonld perish, but somehow,
in the dispensation of Providence, most
every no account, or unlucky man is tied
onto bustling, hustIiDg woman who
never surreuders and manages somehow
to maintain the family. This is not
fancy, but it is a fact that the more
triAiug or uulucky the man the more dill.
igent is the woman. From time to time
had various tenants when l was farm.
ing aud I noticed that the most indiifer-
ent men had the emartest women tied
onto them.
Farming with diligence and good man.
agement is the best business I know of,
and l am glad to say our farmers are
in their methods and their
industry. I heard au observing farmer
say to-day that, as class, they were 25
per cent better off in this country than
they we're three years ago. They are
generally out of debt aud own good stock
and good implements. If a healthy man
with healthy wife has good little farm
that is paid for he has as good chance
for happiness and success as anybody. l
shall never cease to cherish the memory
Of my farming life. And now when the
children gather around the 6reside they
love to recall and relate the trials and
the pleasures and delights
of the ten years they lived upon the
farm. They worked hard and made good
crops and mixed little sport with their
labors and kept everything lively and
cheerful. Almost every night we had
music and neigbbors would drop in to
epioy it. l li.,eued to them last night
as they alternated with each other in re-
fresbing memuries.
'Dou't you remember when Old Bess
kicked me over backwards and put her
foot square down iu the milk bucket?"
"Yes, aud you mauled her with the hoe
handle and broke it aud you used to
make me set upon the fence while you
were milking and hold Old Bess's tail to
keep her from switching you in the face
with il, and the way you pulled the milk
from her with both baDdu was a sight.
She was COW, she was. Do you reckon
YOU could milk one now or have you lost
the lick since you've got stuck up 30 fine
in New York? 2"
"And don't you remember when old
Meg fell on that stub and made q hole in
her breast that you could hide rabbit