St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1898-02-19
AN AMERICAN IN FRANCE.
CuItfyatcs q Farm for Five Years, and
= lis Svindled by Natives.

CuIttvatcs a Farm for Five Years. and
LIS Syvindled by Natives.
II expect am the only American citi.
zen who ever cultivated q farm in
France, which I did for five years with
someprofit and much pleasure" said the
scholarly and eloquent Judge Mackey,
of South Carolina.
"Some years ago went to Europe
for my health. In, Paris ], met 8. wealthy
New Yorker, Mr.. Baker, to whom ]
had extended some kindness during our
civil war. He was glad to see me. and
we recalled old, times In our native
country. After a few days he seemed
loath to separate from me, and begged
me to live with him. He couldn't speak
the language, and as his two daughters
were In a French school, time. hung
heavy on his hands. I consented, and
Baker leased beautiful old chateau
five miles out of Paris, on, the Seine.
It had beautiful grounds, and % acres
of good, arabic land. The farm he
turned over to me for five years for the
sum of one dollar and my company,
and I at once proceeded to put 1t in
cultivation.
s.First, I took In Frenchman as o
farmer, and found him to understand
agriculture admirably, but he was the
most unconscionable rascal that ever
aevaded prison. He would cheat me In
every little transaction. When straw
berries, which we raised under glass
for the Paris market, were worth six
farncs a quart, he came back from town
with the proceeds, declaring that he
had only received three francs. OF
course. found the rascal out eventual
ly, but never was quite able to check
mate his crookedness.
"Early in our partnership I had q
serious quarrel with him. Under our
contract I was to furnish two horses
and he was to provide two oxen. He
came up with one little scrub OK, and
shitched in with 1t was his own daugh-
ter, a girl of 20 years. This was the
team with which he proposed to do
plowlng. The idea OF a woman being
driven alongside an OF to- break up
groundl 1t made me angry, and gave
Mr.. Frenchman piece Of my mind. !
told him that women were not put on o
level with beasts in America, and at the
same time unfastened the harness from
about the girl. He shrugged his shout
ders and said this was France, and re-
minded me- Of the French flag flying
over my house. I called his attention
to the fact that above was the Ameri-
can flag, and the controversy ended, the
girl being given hoe instead Of having
70 help draw the plow.
eve raised peas, beans, potatoes, end
every sort of vegetable for which q
ready sale was found in the city. Prod
ucts OF the farm are dear In France.
A good-sized chicken is worth $3.50,
and ham retails for 40 cents pound.
I tried raising Indian corn, but the
climate didn't suit, ii. being too far
north, and SO we were able to gather.
only four bushels from, one acre. Even
with my thieving coadjutor ! cleared
about $1,000 per year, while he must
have made at least twice that snm.
"The French are not to be relied on
when It comes to selling food products.
One day went to market and took a;
notion to buy e. dressed hare. Our cook
served 1t In the most dainty style Inn.
aginable, and our whole party enjoyed
It tremendously. Not long afterward,
in conferring. with the cook about the
details Of dinner, she told me that it
might be well to buy another cat, as we
seemed much pleased with the other:
one Then knew the horrible truth,
and remembered. that, I bad bought
the animal dressed and minus itshead." !"
Washington Post. 8 3.