The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-06
"TUSCUMBIA" AGAIN.
A SeriO-COmic Glance Mt Features of
Farm Life.


Farm Life.
Dear Howards-On this auspicous oc-
casion. when / see so many before me
who are cultivatOrs of cabbages. onions.
turnips. cucumbers and artichokes. ii is
a particular pleasure to talk congenially
to you. for 1 have a fellow-feeling for
every one who ever raised a cabbage.
No one has taken agriculture more to
heart or made il so much of a study
as 1 have; I have spent my whole life in
reading agricultural reports and have
driven out into the country two or three
times; l have always fully believed in
my own mind that there was nothing
like agriculture. and many of you will
agree with me. Even when a boy, in
climbing over the rear fence of the fair
grounds. 1 said there was never any
thing like an agricultural fair, and the
only objection then which 1 could raise
was the price of admission. Such was
my zeal for glorious agriculture that 1
frequently got myself into trouble in
that way. When / look round me and
behold the evidences of a farmers life,
| say, God bless him. 1 tell you / would
rather borrow 800 of a good old honest
farmer than any other man. / would
rather eat at a farmers table than eat
at my own. What better sign Of agri-
cultural thrift can be found than those
beautiful quilts, always a feature of
every fair, each one made of several
thousand pieces. / tell you they are the
finest products that can be cultivated
on a farm. When a good old farmer
wraps one of those around him and lies
down to pleasant dreams, the mortgages
on his farm and the taxes vanish into
thin air. The agricultural display even
here is unusually large.
I am overjoyed to look around and
see so many good looking girls. The
crop is splendid.s 1t shows that they
were raised on good farms. and 1 think
they deserve the premium. I am sure
that no one having the products of
farmers vocation at heart could
go to n fair and not be overwhelmed
with pleasure at the contemplation of
the candy-stands on every hand, and
nothing could be more inspiring to the
agricultural eye than the wooden horses
swinging around in a circle at 5 cents
a ride. l invested a nickle in that pure
ly rural exercise. but my head got to
going around faster than my body, and
1 was compelled TO fall off and take a
nap in the grass.
Speaking of grass reminds me that I
never saw a better display of
grass widows than l saw at
the last fair, although Ii
might mint at bad husbandry. I am
pleased to see that every year farming
becomes more advanced as a profession,
the waxed flowers and crocheted ferns
show just how it is improving, and the
sewing machines are so finely adjusted
that they will sew anything from a
calico dress to a field of oats.
When / was a boyish child we did all
our sowing by hand. and ] may add that
some boys were raised by hand. with a
switch in il. Perhaps there is nothing
that shows the progress of the agricul-
tural interests better than the horse
races, which are always a feature of
every well regulated agricultural show
When / look at those feats of speed 1
want TO be a farmer. / once became so
enthusiastic that 1 invested so the
white horse for a purely agricultural
purpose; but / had forgotten 10 state
that / had bet on the horse that came
in last. and the fellow went away with
my money and his fingers pulling down
his left eye. Nevertheless agriculture as
exhibited in a horse race is a good thing
AS l was walking through the grounds
at the late fair l observed a lonesome
fellow tossing three solitary cards. 1
paused and asked the reason. He said
he was agriculturally inclined to think
/ couldn't follow the ace of spades which
he showed me. Said 1:
MY young farmer friend, I have just
IS which says that 1 can just do that
very thing"
He said all right. and I put my finger
right down on it and 1t didn't happen
to be IT. He observed as he rolled up
the money and put it in his pocket that
the best farmers sometimes make a mis-
take.
The occupation of a farmer is In my
mind one of the most pleasant of recrea-
tions What is more delightful than to
see the patient OK hitched up to the
sickle going through a field reaping
potatoes from the potato stalks? What
is more cheerful than to be in bed and
knew that your corn is coming up,
whether you are there or not, or to sit
back and drink cider and be aware that
every stalk of wheat Is growing without
you being compelled to be out there and
put head on IL. while the corn puts it's
ears out and listens to the beakfast bell.
In the occupation of an honest farmer
can imagine nothing more noble and
exhilarating than eating ham and egg
breakfasts
II were farmer how delightful II
would be TO rcll up my sleeves and go
forth when the sun Is warm and efful-
gent and eat apples, or hitch up my
team early to a spanker and go down
the road like breeze with another
ent. Indeed, they are the most
know OF; and when fair time comes
around with what pride does the farmer
gather together the produce OF his farm
for exhibition to the astonished world
He brings in his premium thistles which
show how much pains have been taken
to cultivate them; and his champion
mince pies which only grow to perfec-