The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-01-30
SARGE PLUNKETT.
THE OLD MIN IS WATCHING THE
MOVEMENTS or THE FARMER.
The Bluebirds Say Spring is Here Talk with
Mechanics the Evils of Labor Saw
ing ImplemenGs-Other Matters.

Written for The Constitution.
The voice of the plowman is heard in the
land, the mellow stubble is being turned,
and the bluebrds are counting and building
of homes.
I guess that never before in this section
did the birds begin to mate and build their
nests SO early they have this year. A
month ago the bluebirds were chipping and
carrying the straWs to build their little
nests These birds may be fooled, DCt eny-
how all thank the Lord for the
mildest winter we have ever had True,
we have had a few mighty cold days, but
not a bit of real severe weather has come
upon us as yet The cold days nave been
bright with sunshine and calm as to Wind
no snow has come upon us, not lEllch rain,
and so it is no wonder that the farmers are
going to work with springtime vim
1t makes me wonder, though as l watch
these farmers bringing out their implements
for the years work and l see how little has
been the advance in this line, when COM
pared with the progress in other lines of
work The same little pillow stock ana
humped-back mule go together with the
scanty harness which were in vogue forty
years ago. This is not so in any other line
of work. Agriculture. the very thing thftt
should advance in the saving of labor by
inventions and improvements, has Jagged
while the mechanics have run clear away.
One mechanic does the work that It
used to take four or five men to 90, ana no
night is known if the work is plentiful ! his
should be reversed to make the country
prosperous. The whirr of machinery should
be heard in the fields instead of in the
workshops and if night is to be turned INTO
day for the purpose of labor, it is the fields
that should sparkle with the electric ll&htS
and hustle with mans best energy L Woulu
like to the carpenters again pushing
their jackplanes, mortisinS their tenants
busy over the fancy Scolloping OF bulldlhSS,
while in the fields great machines turned
the sods, planted and harvested the crops
and turned the night into day at the pr oduc~
ton of bread, meat and other lndlspehSapie
needs of life. Then you would see pros
perity Then there would be no hoWllnSS
in the land. That there is too much labor
saving in other things and not enough IN
agriculture, is plain as the nose on your
face What we want is to go slow N other
things and find ways to have one man 90
the work of four or five men III the IcIdS
as well, or better. than it is done To-Day.
Do this and your genius benefits the "orld'
do this and you have solved a greater Ifop-
lem than 1.-The negro problem, the Ha-
Waian muddle or any other muddie. An
OVerproductOn of meat and bread iiSllI
hurt the world. but / don't believe It,
Me and Brown We're standing down at
the Central crossing looking at the big mo
Sul' engine yesterday, an Owe We're plum
carried away with its immensely. Brown
mentioned that we could remember when Ut
tie bits of engines that three or tour STOUT
fellows could have throWed off the track,
were used on this same road. At that time
ten and twelve freight boxes We're d good
train and the boxes were not halI what they
are now These big ''moguS' carry forty
mammoth freight boxes in comparison to
ld-tme boxes, but as we talked and ad-
mired an old railroader walked up to where
we were and told us we were wicked TO
admire such a machine. THAT engine
said the railroader, lis death to the railroad
workingman. That engine cuts fifty
men out of work" This may be a little e%-
aggerated, but we all know that 1t IS true
to a great extent, and yet the railroads are
going into bankruptcy every day. Whatever
lessons he employment OF rairoaders 81, hliT re
the railroad, is what this old man tola Us
and he saws that the principle will hod
z lod through all the industries OF tie word
There must be workers and work TO make
the world prosperous, is this old mans no
ton No one railroad company can get a
monopoly these great improvements
and so competition evens the thing up
with the disadvantage of putting loa1ers on
the world
Me and Brown were glad to get away
from this old man, but we didn't better II
much when we went up to timber con-
FERN and watched the machines fiXlnS up Il
house complete right there in their shop
There were a lot of loatinS carpenters
around there and they sang a more doleLui
song than the railroader, if anything a
talkative one of these loaf;nS carpenters
saws that once these loafers spent money
with the merchant. They bought food from
the grocer and clothing from the dry goods
men, and the money went flying around TO
give cheer There has nothing been gained
bv these machine owners, for competitors
kept I'D with them in the great improve
nents'' and the profits were no greater
than under the old system. Shoemakers
tailors ironWorkers-all Workmen, sing TINS
same doIeful tune of being cut out of work
bv these labor-saving implements. and yet
such things steer clear of agricultural pur-
suits to a distressing extent. In the heldS
is where this labor saving genius must
oct or else let rust his labor in other lines
The balance of the world can't keep so far
In advance of the farmer and keep healthy
we must all go along sorter together
and remember that the poor are with US al
ways .
While know that the farmers should stir
10 keep up and ahead of the balance OF the
world in cheap production, yet it always
makes me feel like an old friend had died
TO see the old things cast aside Brown Is
the same way and this morning when we
r,ln across an old spinning wheel and loom
piled away with other plumber l could not
keep him from reciting the following ode
of his own:
Neglected old wheel-a. victim to progress
Piled away with the loom you are left to
decay;
How strange does it seem to find you
humble
pair of companions who had such
sway.
Old wheel! How I've watched a dear one
who twired you!
Seeming 1 see her. and see as it slips
The soft roll of cotton wool she is hold
ing
Out into thread from her deft finger tips.
Nor must forget your sad old companion!