Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-07-24
~ Yankee Farmer @
Gee in FLORIDA.
aaGae@eaGeeeeae@e@@@ese
BY z. G. ROBINSON.

EN The pioneer days of South Florida
there came from Boston a man
named Dave, with his wife and two
children.
He came, he said, primarily for his
health, and incidentally to better his
fortune, which, never having been
great, had been wrecked in the financial
Cyclone of '73.
In those days homesteads donated by
n paternal government to actual set
Tiers were plenty, and Dave soon found
one to his liking, on which he built
n cabin and cleared land for small
orange grove.
With fine disregard for convention
-.Iities and Boston prejudices, and with
81 determination to be "of the Romans
81 Roman" he discarded shoes, stock
ings, and all superhuties of dress, and
commenced work with magnificent
pluck and Yankee energy.
Looking to bread supply for the
immediate future, he rented few
acres of arabic land from an "old resi-
,denter" to plant in corn and potatoes,
his new land being sour and unfit;
and he invested the remnant of his
funds in a horse, plow and harness.
Tine horse was an importation from
the broad plains of Texas, small, an
;g1liAr, slender of limb and wild of eye.
An animal with better training or an
-cestors or habits of thought ought to
have been selected, for Dave had never
owned n horse in his life, nor had he
ever mounted one or put his hands to
"A plow."
He knew it was all quite easy, though.
Did ever man come from Boosting"
who couldn't do anything that any
other man had ever done?
The day after the purchase, in the
early, dewy morn, he took the horse,
plow and harness to the rented field
TO begin operations, and his wife and
Ehildren went along to see the incep-
ton of that happy occupation called
farming"
Never having harnessed horse, Dave
omitted that useful article, collar,
and buckled on the names upside down;
but otherwise he got the gearing fixed
in pretty fair shape.
Then, taking the lines and grasping
the plow handles with a grip of deter
and deep bass voice, formula he'd
read-in the encyclopedia, perhaps
@'Gee! Whoa! Haw! Git up thar!"
The formula was all right, and his
rendering perfect; but he hadn't taken
into account the moods and lenses, past
and present, of Texas pony. That sa-
gacious animal, having taken a slight
tug against the bare, upside-down
hames, stood gazing in silent wonder
and expectancy.
'Come up, there, tell you'll" said
the farmer. Cant you gee haw?"
The only answer was a slight bob
bing of the head.
''Come up, 1 tell you'll" again said
Dave, and at the same time raising his
right hand, he brought the heavy rope
Nine down along the pony's back with
a rrsounding thwack.
His answer was quart or so of earth
fun in the face, thrown by the pony's
nind feet as they went slkyward. That
little performance ended, the pony re-
sumed his original position and look
of inquiry, while Dave took seat on
the ground to review the situation.
81 don't exactly know what's the
matter, Sadie" he said. "The man
got this beast from said he was an
elegant plow animal and would go
straight along"
We'll, Dave" said Sadie, "I don't
know, but seems to me horses may have
their regular habits just like people,
and maybe this horse amt used to
starting so early in the morning; you
know the people round here don't start
to work near so early as this. Let's
wit a bit, and maybe he'll CO."
Sadie" said Dave "if we're going to
make crop this year We'll have to
start early in the mornings. All good
farmers do, and this horse had just as
well begin now as another time. tell
you what l expect is the matter: He's
used 20 having a boy lead him when
drawing plow; that's the way lots
OF piowing is done. You try leading
him, Sadie, and I'll hold the plow."
"Oh, Dave" she said, 81 really
couldn't. I'm afraid he'd bite me, he
hooks SO mad"
"Shucks!" said Dave. "He couldn't
bite YOU if he wanted to- for the traces
and plow will hold him back. You
really must, Sadie. Just try it till we
get him started, then maybe he'll go
sru right"
Thus urged, Sadie took the bridle-
reins as far in front as she could, and
Dave resumed the handles of the pillow.
-'Now pull, Sadie" said Dave, "and
we'll start. Get up there, you beastl"
IN response the beast gave a snort
and tug that made Sadie jump ten feet
'csr more and dragged the plow perhaps
: six inches; then he stopped resoluteiy.
TIL tell you what's the matter,
@ssadie " said Dave; "he amt used to your