The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-07
Stories of an Inland State.

Riggs, Superintendent Of the Hastings
Farm and Improvement Company, stood
with his back against the big house smok-
ing his cigar. He said:
This is the biggest fake that was ever
sprung in this vale of tears. It's down.
right theft, too. That scheme of Watson's
Of producing 100000 hogs in FIVE years
would have made horse laugh, but those
English people bit at ii. jus. as they've bit
at some Of these wildcat railroads that
start in at North Nowhere and end at
South Nothing. / can see now how they
can bite, but for the life of me can't
| figure out what's the matter with these
young fellows. 1 can't control 'em and I
don't believe an army could make 'em
farm. Now look at the watermelon patch
over there. One hundred acres of water
melonsi Great bowling Jupiter, there is
| enough melons there to irrigate Arizona.
Yon can't sell 'em if you could ever get 'em
| to market The farmers in the whole town.
ship are laughing at me for allowing EN-
to be planted. But couldn't help myself"
He looked at the immense field of melons
again and continued:
| Il proposed in the first place that we
plant ten acres of melons and 100 acres OF
corn. The boys got their cussed directory
| together and reversed me. This is nice
farming, amt it? A president and a vice
president, a treasurer, an auditor, a solicit
tor and Lord knows what running little
old farm like this and charging a salary
like a Philadelphia lawyer? They've got
| the directory. That's where the trouble
| comes in. Now it's time some of those hogs
I; were sent to market but the directory will
| vote IT down. They vote everything down
| except voting bonds and things like that.
| I'd like to know what the whole thing
| means any how? Think of a farm issuing
bonds, just like railroad. Why they'd
have traffic manager if they had any,
| thing to traffic.
He went on putting his cigar in silence.
| Then with his cigar Embedded among his
back teeth he said:
Now I sent young Browning out to plow
| that corn today and the other fellows have
| gone fishing. / wonder what that Brown
ing is doing. Flowing that corn? Not bit
of it. He's doing something ridiculous, as
| sure as I'm alive
Having arrived at this conclusion Riggs
decided to verify it. so he started out to
| the corn field. He found that one row of
corn had been plowed and he found the
| horse munching the young corn stalks and
| young Browning studying a white. milky
| ear of corn.
What said Riggs. Have you quit
plowing?"
Eyes sir''
| I'm surprised at you. Don't you see the
| weeds are taking it?'
Say, Mr.. Riggs" said the young man
| studying the young ear. Isn't nature a
| wonderful thing?''
dash naturer snapped Riggs.
| Don't be irreverent" said Browning.
"Aint you going to plow that corn?'
| "Why?"
why, why-say don't you know that It
won't amount to shucks if you don't pillow
It."
| That didn't concern me, Mr.. Riggs"
said the young man coolly. 81 was study
| ing this ear of corn. How admirably ma
ture does everything. Did you ever think
Of that?"
NO" said Riggs sullenly.
| Look at that silken covering there; see
| that beautiful sheath; behold the even, reg
| ular, orderly rows. Is it not indeed Won
derful?"
! BAH" said Riggs. "That isn't farming"
May be it isn't your kind of farming,
| Mr.. Riggs, but it's farming
| May be It is under this new corporation
| style. But weeds don't respect corpora
| ton
LET the weeds alone. Here nature gives
| US something to study. What an orderly,
| tidy old dame she is to be sure. See how
| carefully she constructs her hand;work
Think how she places in every grain the
1 little germ of life. When she holds this
| object before our eyes shall We be blind?"
Riggs had farmed. 1t had been his Gus
| tom to tell a hand to go and do something
and if the hand didn't do 1t TO discharge
| him. He felt the pressure on him now to
| order this young philosopher to drop his
philosophy and take up the pillow. Bit
| strong as his impulse was he knew that an
| order would be futile. Repuls;ve as 1t was,
| he accepted the other tack and said:
Mature is wonderful, Browning, but she
is best when she makes man her partner
These weeds you see growing here absorb
| the strength of the land, as well as the
! moisture. Nature can not take these nox-
| ious weeds away to protect her beautiful
| corn
! ''Oh dash it air. thought Riggs. Think
| Of having to argue this way with a farmer"
80 man." he continued, must help ma
| ture out and take these weeds away from
the corn himself so that natures corn will
| grow high and strong and yield perfect
grain
| do you really think that, Mr.. Riggs?"
murmured Browning.
IT'S the truth IL I ever spoke II. For
heavens sake go and plow-go and assist
nature, Browning"
| why don't you always talk that way,
| Risgs?" asked Browning. IT'S so inter-
| esting'
''WiIl you go and plow?"
Eyes on those grounds advanced By you"
said the young man.
| Riggs watched Browning get the plow In
| line and start down between the rows of
| the high stalks.
| Think of it." thought Riggs angrily as
| he went back 10 the house Think of a
| man having 10 use logic on a hand to get
him 10 plow corn. At this rate II we ever
sold the corn these young ducks wouldn't
take the money until the purchaser had sat
| isfiei him that it is the right OF the gov
| eminent TO issue money. Lord. but they
/, make me tired
He sat down on the grass and began to
white soft pine stick.
| He had not been at this occupation long
| when Browning came up to him, very red
and putting.
| 'Well?" asked Riggs.
"Well. I don't piow any more So there"
| What about nature?'
| Virgins said / wasn't assisting her
that l was violating her and Virgins Is
| right I'm awfully sorrow for Virgins
Virgins? What's Virgins got 10 do
with it?''
Wei I went or blowing up and down
| those rows. Virgins had been fishing or
something all afternoon. Don't you think
| Virgins is a clever chap?''
Yes"
"wen he'd been fishing You know he