The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-16
THEY COUNTED Up.
Farm That Contained Even More Thar
q Liar's Estimate.

tor of Texas paper were seated on the
veranda of San Antonio hotel. The
conversation was tagged. Whether it
was tagged on account of a washout,
cattle On the track, or broken rail we
are not at liberty to state. At any rate
it was tagged, and something like a red
lantern was hung out in the vicinity of
the nose of one of the drummers. Bit
ing off the home end of fresh cigar,
one of the party said:
"Diggory, are you any relation of
Oliver Dalrymple, the owner of the big
wheat farms in Minnesota and Dakota?''
Am I?'' said Diggory. well, no.
He's no kin of mine, but I've been there
and seen his farns''
''They are on pretty extensive scale,
I suppose?"
you see it's this way, - replied Dig
CORY, beginning. ''The Dakota farm is
cut up like checkerboard into just 81
squares, and they commence on each
square on a certain day, and you see the
whole thing is being done at once. There
are 1872 self feeding reapers on each
square, and each square is about the size
Of an ordinary county"
One of the drummers here did lit
tie figuring on an old envelope and said:
"Then there would be 62,91 self
binding reapers all going at once. :"
''Guess that's about it, >" replied Dig
CORY placidly. 81 never figured it. -
Chow many men to a machine does
it take to put the grain to the thrasher?"
'AbOut three.
''That makes 1873, 736 men besides
the drivers.
g Bout that, reckon. -
cor Pol, 649 men in all?'
81 reckon so. You see. gentlemen, I
never figured the thing up. I'm only
tellin what saw
Glow many of them are nlarried?''
Bout half, reckon. never
ciphered that out either -
about half. That would make 1885,
742 souls?'
g Bout that -
''Of course there are children?''
81 s Pect so. I never figured on 'em,
though. -
shall we say three to family?"
Bout that. "
f'Three is under the census estimate,
but We will call it three That gives us
754, 944 on one farm, to say nothing CT
ing machines are there to reaper?"
! ''There are two reapers to one thrash
err
''That is 81 1856 thrashers?"
g Bout that. -
Glow many hands to thrasher?'
.'Ten. -
"314, 56O:'
g Bout that?"
Making in all 1,O6s, 5O4 people on
the farm?''
90 Bout that. There may be half
dozen more or less. I tell you, never
figured the thing down fine
"Some of these thrashing men are
married."
81 s'pect 500
"Half?"
&c Bout that
tMaking 157, $50 more?"
81 reckon -
cor l, 541, 344 souls i'll ALPS
''Just about I think heard Oliver
say about that many
'fThen these 157, 2SO families have
children?''
81 believe did hear Oliver say some
thing about some kids runnin around
the farm. -
''shall 1 call it three to family?"
81 reckon you better.
''That's All. $40 more, or 2,O93, 1S4
souls on the place."
"Wel didn't I tell you it was
big scheme ON the start. Besides that,
you haven't figured in the Oliver fam
lily. You haven't figured in the cooks,
nor the walters, nor the chambermaids
Won haven said :, daTued word ahOnt
the station keepers, nor the hostlers, nor
the train dispatchers. You haven t even
mentioned the grainhouse men, nor the
weighers, nor the baggers, nor the
overseers. I reckon 5000, 0C0 wouldn
be far out of the way, but as I said
afore, never fggered on it. Oliver,
though, has got the thing down fine. "
Texas Siftings