The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-11
WAS APRIL FOOLED
KANSAS FARMER Has AN EXPERT
ENoE WITH NATURE.

Something Queer Happened on His EARN
On the Last Night OF March Which He
Could See But Could Not Fathom, But
Which. wthaI, Left Him With the Con-
viction That Kansas 10 the Best State
In the Union-Encouragement offered
to Irrigation Students-Other News OF
Kansas.
Augusta, KaE.. April 10-Uncle Jim
Wlsnard. a farmer of this (Butler) coun-
| ". had AT experience witG Dame Ma
| ture April 1 which he will cever forget
II is rot otter that man IS treated
| TO an April Fool joke and is not able
70 detect ard anathematiza the fooler
| This is easily accomplished when the
fccler baprens TO be human and a fel-
| low citizen. But in Uncle Jim's case
the tricky sprite was not human and he
had to submit.
As is rne won't and habit of Kansas far
mars, Uncle Jim arose April /, 1897,
1
ing with the palpitating fingers which
fore-run TIE advancing sun. He want
down to the kitchen and dashed his face
with cooi Walnut river aqua pura,
wiped his face and strolled out to the
stock. He hadn't gone far before he
knew that something had happened. II
| crept n on his mind slowly at first and
then suddenly realizing what was up,
he shot for the COW pen.
| He was rather surprised to see four
calves webbing weakly about MS three
| cows. I. struck him as rather marvel
GUS that al these calves should strike
on The same night. and that 10 increase
| the coincideEt. one COW should be the
! proud mother CT tMins
| But ~ was very proud Of the increase
| and stood ard admired them at length
| detecting their sex and feeling that ne
| was several dollars richer, but still puZ-
| zled over the Simultaneous birth OF the
four
He went into the harm 20 feed his nor
ses. He SCR. Of stumbled back against
the side OF the barn and gasped. He
| could stand the cows, and their stimuli
famous offspring. but he was not pre-
| pared to find tha: old mare Bess with
a knob -kneed colt frisking about her.
Uncle Jim feI; his head and rushed
cut of doors. Every thing was as it was
| on the night before. The barn stood
just as ii Gid: the house was still on
its foundations
cts coincidence" said Uncle Jim,
But"
He paused snd listened.
Family from another part of the barn
came the ''cluck, cluck,' OF a hen, and
the "chirp. chirp,' of new chickens.
'Wellr' he fairly yelled, Chickens.
too! That does beat-all'
Then ne stupped and considered.
He wasn't suspicious. but this thing
hal stretched his credulity too far. He
made up MS mind, then and there, that
every SOW ia the pens was entertaining
a new litter OF pigs.
of course they a1e," he SAID firmly.
THE whole faim's caught it Of course
these four SONS have got pigs. I'd bet
my last dollar. 1 wouldn't have thought
it Il &c only saen the calves, or the colt
but with chickens towel, III go and
see I'm. They're sure there
He Ne1c over the pens. Each SOW
had sevc.ai little pigs nudging at her.
Thy had been born that night.
Uncle Jim just packed out of that pen
and fed for the house.
But Newfoundland followed him, out
from under the barn, whining at his
heels.
What's the matter with you, Nelly?"
he asked, turning and looking at the
canine
AT the same moment his hands went up
in the air and he yelled:
Pups
He went right on for the house. He
hoped that medicine might put him on
his feet again
AS he neared the porch, his little grand
daughter came out of the house with a
basket on her arm
He knew at once what was the matter
and felt his knees giving away beneath
him.
Grandpa" said the little girl, "See
Pussy's funny little babies
Uncle Jim fell over in a chair. The
folks famed him for awhile and then
ne opened his eyes and said feebly:
''Kansas-it's the best state in the
Union
TO ENCOURAGE EMIGRATION.
Topeka, Kan, April 10.-The coming
meeting OF the national irrigation con-
vention at Lincoln. Neb., promises 20 be
the most practical in the associations
history. The effort will be TO secure re-
turns on actual work accomplished, and
10 this end the executive committee, with
headquarters at Great Bend, this state,
has determined TO offer prizes for papers
or essays devoted to the reclamation
Of arid lands. The prizes are 10 be
awarded by the chairman of the COM
mittee and two other experts and are
as follows:
For the best paper. 500: for the second
s75: for the third $50. The competition
Is open TO persons from all parts of the |
United States. east or west. The sub |
ject of the essays shall pertain 10 any
matter intimately connected with srri- |
CATION practice o. engineering. The fol- |
lowing topics are suggested. but others |
may be selected:
Methods OF applying water.
Irrigation OF garden. orchard and field 1
crops.
Irrigation by means OF wind mills.
Cost Of pumping water for irrigation. |
Canal and ditch construction. cost and |
values
Water storage, construction Of 7eser-
voirs and sale OF stored waters
Underground waters. their development
and sue.
Measurement and division OF water by