Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-09-22
Things in Their Places.

One winter morning a farmers
milk farmer living near large city,
went to the barn to milk. There was
aclock in his milk room leading from
the stable, where the milk was strain.
ed, placed to cool aud prepared for
market. Holding up the lantern to
the face OF the clock, he was sur
prised to see that it was only half
past three. 1t was an hour earlier
than usual. There we're sixteen cows
10 milk. With his son and the hired
man, they could be MIXED in time if
they began to milk at half past four,
the usual time of beginning. The
farmer was very methodical and reg.
ular in all that he did. He stood
staring at the clock, wondering lift
was right, and If it was, what had
brought him to the barn an hour
earlier than usual, when there was a
crash. followed by dozen bellows
and groaning and choking sounds
that made his blood run cold. Rush
ing into the space in front of the
stalls, he saw that the floor of the
stable had fell into the cellor below.
The COWS were held by the old-fash-
Toned wooden stanchions. Eleven of
the COWS were freed by their weight,
that Is, the stanchions broke and let
them down in the cellar, where they
fell in the soft manure; but five hung
straight down by their necks. He
tried to loosen the pins that held
the stanchions, but having nothing
at hand to drive them could not
move them. Not a minute was to
be lost. The cows were hanging
with their Threats against the beam
at the foot of the stanchions, and
would be strangled in short timc.
He knew where the axe was he
could find it in the dark, and with
out his lantern ran for it, cut away
the stanchions, and the five COWS
dropped into the cellar, and were not
apparently any the worse for their
suspension. Now, If this farmer had
been obliged to look tor his axe, ~
some farmers have to look for tools,
the cows might have hung there i'm
definitely, for the axe was the only
instrument that would release them.
1t pays to have place for every
thing-for every tool-and TO have
the tools in them. How much time
is lost in looking for tools Hours
creep into days, weeks in the year,
perhaps, if they were counted. A
farmer had decided to begin haying
the next day. In the morning be
told "the boys" to harness the horses
while he got out the mower and oiled
1t. Up TO this moment he had given
no thought as to where the mower
might be, for he had no particular
place for it. 1t might be under
shed here or there, under the barn,
where it was most convenient 10
leave it when the haying season
closed. He thought it was ''somc-
where 'roundn with other farm gear.
"Zoundsl" he exclaimed, after lie
had looked in every place where it
was likely to be, where's the mowerln
He did not begin to NOW that day,
for it was three days and half be-
fore he found the mower where lie
left tin corner of the lot where
he moved last the year before, in q
clump of bushes. There it had
stood, the knives in the cutter bar,
just as left. He had no thought of
it till the time to use it again. Ora
farm, method system, regularity is a
part Of the capitsl, MS IT is in any
business anywhere, AMI whon it is
lacking there is great waste of all
factors employed.