The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1893-05-09

when was boy, they used tC
/ ask preacher TO come and deliver q
sample sermon, and If they liked him
they kept him. Well, once preacher
came and delivered very fiowery
sermon on the text, Feed my Lambs.
1t was full of long words, and the
Young people thought that it was
beautiful. The wisest old deacon
however, remarked that il was good
enough, but the fodder was so high he
reckoned that most of the sheep could
not taste it." This story, Mr.. Morton
thinks applies to the agricultural SER
mons sent by the department to the
farmer.
HIS PRACTICAL IDEAS.
Concerning rain-making expert
ments, Mr.. Morton declared that the
firing of guns in the air to bring
down water should not go on If he
had his way about it. He believed
that five or six thousand dollars of
the money appropriated for rain-mak-
ing experiments was still unexpended
and if its use for rain-making pur-
poses was mandatory, it would have
to be fired of. He, however, did not
believe in shooting at the rain. This
story illustrates his views on rain
making.
II first went to Nebraska in 1854 ;
/ was then twenty-five years old. /
went to the American Company's
trading post. A crowd of Indians
had gathered, and in the centre there
stood an old Indian who was blind.
All those around him handed him
their guns, loaded, and he stood
straight up, firing the guns into the
air. This old blind man was the
medicine man of the tribe. In a tepee
prominent savag, was lying in a
trance. The medicine man, said that
the air was full of good and bad
spirits, fighting for the soul of the
prominent sick Indian. He was fir
ing the guns at the bad spirits. I
think that he had just as much chance
of bringing them tumbling around
him as the modern agricultural man
has of bringing down rain.
A man named Powers published
book in which he names 200 battles
followed by rain. 1 thought that
was pretty strong in favor of the
rain-shooting idea until 1 read an ar
ticle by another man who mentioned
1000 battles after which no rain fell.
On the question of irrigating the
waste lands of the Republic Mr.. Nor
tons position is also negative one.
He is no broad-minded prophet look
ing forward to the day which will
find us with a thousand millions of
inhabitants, requiring the product of
every foot of soil. Mr.. Morton owns
farm and raises apples which he
sells at good profit. He sold six
thousand bushels last year. His sym
pathies are with the individual far
mer whose lands are IRRIGATED and
who does not want desert lands made
to blossom and compete with his val
liable acres.
Mr.. Morton says: |
81 see no propriety in taxing good
productive land to irrigate bad land.
Farmers are already complaining of
ovcrproduction. 1t would be unjust
to tax them and use their taxes to
create fresh productive acres that
would enter into competition with
them. The Government might as
well spend money to revive the aban-
doned New England farms with
guano as spend money for water to
give life to Western DESERTS"
THE THOUGHTS THAT EMBITTER HIM.
Mr.. Morton's soul is full of bitter
ness because of the Government rein.
deer in Alaska. For their presence
there the agricultural Department is
1t fills Mr.. Morton with
grief to think that the United States
has spent $4,000 to put herd of rein
deer in Alaska, and is paying q man
81 800 or $4,000 year to look after
them.
Mr.. Morton's tone leads to the be-
lief that the 800 man herding the
reindeer will soon lose his head and
the reindeer their shepherd.
Mr.. Morton denounces the irriga-
ton end of the Agricultural Depart
ment, on the authority of Senator
of Nevada. Three hundred
thOusand dollars was anpronriated nv