Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-06-13

there before.
All" said he, there you are mis-
taken-what you take for groves are
fields of corn. This is a small portion
of the results of the Hoisington irriga-
| tion scheme. This corn was planted
under very different circumstances
from what you saw me trying to list in
when you were here year ago.
Again asked him to explain to me
the cause of the strange appearance of
small field on the other side of the
ditch. 1t seemed to have such an un-
even surface, looking like it was COW
cred over with little mounds.
THAT, said he; sis cabbage patch
and what appears to you to be mounds
are the heads"
Then l said that just before us were
other small fields covered with lux
uriant growth of green, intermingled
with bright flowers, and asked what it
was.
Those" said he, ''are potato fields
just in bloom"
AS we came nearer L frequently
noticed something like balls jumping
out of the ground. l asked my friend
what that meant. He said they were
potatoes; that under this new system
of farming the potatoes grew so fast.
and became so crowded in the hill that
if one of smaller size happened to get
between two larger ones, the pressure
became so great they would jump out
like cherry seed from between your
, fingers.
AS we walked on 1 noticed quite a
number of men On either side of the
ditch, some sitting on the fence to keep
out of the water. and all apparently
contented and happy. Among the
, number noticed Tom Brewer, sitting
, on the fence, with a handsaw in one
, hand, saving off wheat heads, and re-
! latingt to those around him one of his
! old campaign stories about the mother
and her little son having such time
, determining the ownership of an old
= tom cat.
Farther on down noticed Commits
sioner Bruce sitting on the bank of
7 the ditch with his boots off, holding
!, his feet in the water. He said he was
, hot, and was trying to cool his blood.
= He had been very busy collecting few
= carloads of provisions, clothing, ETC.,
for the destitute people of Indiana.
Ohio and Pennsylvania.
! Passing on 1 soon found my good,
jolly republican friend McGreevey,
sitting on a big yellow pumpkin,
= trimming his toenails with corn knife,
after soaking them well in the water.
!. I remarked that his selection of the
yellow indicated his preference for the
= yellow metal.
I also noticed that all kinds Of in
sects and creeping things that inhab-
tied wet countries were there in
abundance. Frogs were very numer-
Gus and very noisy. My attention
- was particularly attracted to one
species differing very materially from
the balance. Their eyes were very
prominent, which gave them a wise ap-
: pearance, mouths large and freely used
Around each ones neck was yellow
!. stripe, very much resembling a gold
. band. noticed that they seemed to
70 have an extra outside skin, or cover
ing, that, by opening their mouth,
they could initiate to enormous proper
tions. I noticed that these outside
!, coverings werevery rnsightly, having :
" merky, scaly, scabby appearance
= though they had evidently not always
been SO, as neticed few had retained
= their original beauty. Among those
= peculiar frogs 1 noticed two that par
- ticularly attracted my attention
1e Their position in the sssemblsge indi
he Gated that they we're the acknowledge
"a rulers. One had the dignity of ag
- and the solemnity Of Sabbath schoo
% teacher OF long standing, the other DIFF
e ferent, inasmuch as ne was provides
I'd with long tail, paddle-shaped at tn
Id end. upon which was engraved artist
n. cally, sc. L." which I Interpreted 3
be 'tClever Liar" I noticed he KEEP
al constantly in motion, agitatinR tn
as water, producing q sound very muc
in like a woman beating batter with
,s- spoon. He appeared to be very ag
- gressiye and ambitious to make tn
impression that he was the bigges
ng toad in the puddle.