Middletown transcript., 1892-03-10
CORN huskING FoR LOVE.

CORN HUsKNG FOR LOVE.
A Novel Match in which Pretty Girl
Was the Prize.
A discussion of corn husking, an
cient customs in general and the
vaunted superiority Of the old boys
over the rising generation led to a
most interesting match last week.
The scene was laid ten miles north OF
Crawfordsville, Ind, on the farm OF
DR.. Wilkes, where it had been an
nounced there would occur grand
husking match, not exactly an old
fashioned one, for the corn was still
on the stalk.
The young men of that section
were out in force to participate or
back favorite, but when the spot
was reached it was found that Grant
Layton and Charles Parker were the
favorites, and all declared that one
of them must surely win. As the
others did not care to suffer defeat
it was mutually agreed to withdraw,
and the race was between the favor
ties. The young men, who are lead
ers in the social Four Hundred there
abouts, were raised on adjoining
farms and for years bitter rivalry
has existed between them.
Grant leads the choir and Tit the sing
ing school, but Charley is generally
the last man down at a spelling
match. Grant dances divinely and
Charley is not to be sneezed at in
that line. Besides no dance can be a
success without the latter acting as
prompter. Grant can break any
colt in Indiana, and Charley is be-
yond the range of ordinary vision at
a shooting match. Both are athletes
and both are proud possessors of
very swell outfits in the horse and
buggy line. In word, their accom-
plishments are about equal and their
leadership in social circles is undis-
puted.
But, strange to relate, both have
hankering ''for the same"-a bright,
black eyed little charmer, the reign
ing belle of the neighborhood and
still in her teens. Heretofore it had
been nip and tuck between them,
but there seemed to be an under
standing between the three that
marked preference would be shown
to the winner of the husking match,
so the boys were only the more anx-
ious to meet on the sands of DR..
Wilkes forty acre cornfeld.
At z o'clock the contestants, each
accompanied by a wagon, two horses
and a driver, entered the arena and
few minutes later time was called.
Grant, with much .composure, sailed
off down the long rows of that big
cornfeld, husking the golden ears
with as great avidity as Samson slew
the Philistines with the jawbone of
an ass. Charley, the champion, was
fairly wild and husked as he had
never husked before.
At one end Of the field the boys al
ways cast their eyes toward a certain
spot where stood the little charmer,
between father and big brother,
but smile or a nod would send them
back to the next row with renewed
energy. During the afternoon there
was no perceptible vantage. It is
what in dice parlance is termed
'shorse and horse, " and money was
going up all the while. Butts length
the sun declined to shed more light,
and all hands, bowling and cheering
Like mad, gathered to hear the count.
The supreme moment arrived, and
the Layton faction fairly split the
blue canopy Of heaven when the
official counter, from the bottom of
an inverted sorghum barrel, an
1ounced that Grant Layton was the
winner, having husked ISL bushels
and 68 pounds to Charley Parker's
149 bushels and 48 pounds. To add
to the discomfort of the Parker fac
ton, Layton also broke the short
time record by husking thirty-one
ears in one minute and throwing
thirty of them in the wagon.
When the cheering had subsided
and the Stockholders had distributed
the cash, the conquering hero was
hoisted by some half dozen of his
enthusiastic hackers and carried to
the supper table, the head of which,
as seat of honor, had been reserved
for the winner. The tired but happy
husker bore the tremendous honors
very modestly, while the pair of
black eyes that had acted as the
great incentive and were now spar
king with no less intensity than his
own hovered about that end of the
table and loaded it with all the deli
cacies that the house afforded. A
free and easy, good old fashioned
dance followed, in which Layton,
who was too weary to navigate, did
not participate. Neither did
stakes" but as they sat there smil-
ing and happy and the center of at
traction, there was more than one
who "lowed they would make a
spanky team"
Parker, the vanquished, bore his
defeat with good grace and received
many compliments on the good fight
he had made, even though victory
had not perched upon his banner
Chicago Herald.
Two Kansas Cities.
There are two Kansas Cities, one
in Missouri and one across the river