Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-08-26
VACATION MONTH.

1t seems shame for commercial traveller
TO 60 from one town to another at this time
of the year, arousing people from their
peaceful slumbers. Now is the season when
you find the merchant asleep in front of the
store Some one has sprinkled the sidewalk
80 as to cool the dead summer air. You can
see the puddies of water, otherwise you
would not believe that anyone had rallied
sufficiently to perform all the heavy labor
connected with filling up sprinkler and
moistening the front sidewalk.
don't blame anyone for resting this
month. Only the real slaves are kept at work
during this hot weather. Commercial travel
ers and harvest hand are hard at it, but the
storekeepers, SO far as my observation goes,
are taking quiet maps most of the time.
When approach business man these days
l expect him to open his eyes drowsily and
look at me in doubt. Probably he has seen
me before, but so long as he is half asleep he
can't remember me. 7 say: "Well, anything
this trip?'
He rel plies: '*Huh-u l." and closes his eyes,
have to arouse him again. Usually, however,
I give up, because this bake-oven weather
takes even drummer's energy.
I must say that don't blame the store
keepers. They are entitled to rest and a
vacation once in awhile, and they get it in
harvest time, when the farmers are busiest.
The man who doesn't live on a farm at
present is missing great deal. Unless he
has arisen at four a. m. to milk mlscel-
laneous assortment of COWS and curry few
horses and then, after a hurried breakfast,
gone forth to frolic in the new-mown hay or
catch the ripe fragrance of the golden grain,
he cannot say that he knows anything about
the glad and free life Of the country.
At five a. m. a forzful of timothy hay
weighs Is pounds, and the hay rack is less
than five feet above the ground. At eight
a. IN. the amount of hay which can be gath.
cred with an ordinary three-tined fork
weighs IS pounds and must be lifted IA feet
At 1880 the weight of the hay is 200 pounds
or Whereabouts; distance, 80 feet.
It is likewise true that a sheaf of oats con-
tanning several stalks of wild mustard and g
large thistle and 60 mussed up in the binding
that you cannot find the Irvine and have to
pull it along by the loose tops, just as you
would drag a man by the hair of his head,
weighs no more than II pounds, but after
1000 sheaves have been handled the average
weight is IS pounds.
Let us suppose that the farmland gets to
the field at five o'clock in the morning. He
follows the self-blnder around the field and
stumbles through the rough stubble and be-
gins to bake under the morning sun and COM
plain because the tall hedge cuts of the only
breath of air, and finally when he has that
empty feeling and approaches sheai OF oats
in slow, humped-oyer and weary manner,
and takes drink of water every fourth
shock, be yells to the man on the self-binder
and wants to know what time it is.
The man on the machine consults a silver
watch which is fastened ~ leather strap to
a cast iron button on his never-rip overalls,
and then le shouts back: ''Well, it's purity
late-it's % minutes past eight.
Could anything be more cheering? The
sturdy yeoman knows that in three and one
half hours he viii stop long enough to get
something to eat. 1t seems to him that he
has spent lifetime in the field already that
morning Yet he may jolly himself with the
reflection that in Chicago great many peo-
pie are just getting ready to turn over tie
last time preparatory to crawling cut and
having nice cantaloupe stuffed with cracked
ice. -. ? ~
Also, the husbandman, with the wet spots
on his hickory shirt and the rough shod
is always happier when he remembers that
over at the county seat the auditor and the
superintendent Of public instruction have
Just finished their first game of checkers
after breakfast, and are now on their way
over to Browne]ls drug store to get two
glasses of ice cream soda.
If at this particular stage Of the harvest
hands reflections q sewing machine agent
drives past under white umbrella and
smoking cigar, that settles it! The harvest
hand becomes a populist. "* f..
My theory is that the third party rebel
lion did NOT result from the gold standard or
the spread of monopolies, or any other of the
causes commonly assigned. 1t was a natural
and spontaneous kick from men who had
to work IA hours day and remember all the
time that a good many of their countrymen
were lying in"hammocks and ordering up
lemonade every little while.
Why, in Chicago have met fat and benev-
olent gentlemen, who sit by electric fans and
dictate correspondence, who expressed hor-
ror and modification because the farming
element in our country seemed to dislike and
distrust the classes which enjoy more leisure
and come in for few luxuries. These gen.
tlemen have advanced the theory that the
farmers prejudice is due to ignorance. The
farmer does not read the proper books and
he is too much "isolated," and there are
other reasons.
Give me your attention, oh, you with the
electric fan chasing the cool breezes along
your spine, and will make for you pic
turc.
Imagine large red barn with a shingled
roof blistering in the sun. Under the sloping
roof is long, dark NOV, stuffed with red
hot hay. At one end of the NOW there is a
square hole into which two men are stufing
hay. Cooped inside is gasping man, wet
with sweat. Not perspiration-sweat!
The dust arises from the hay in choking
clouds. 1t settles on his flesh, it Sits within
his garments. Every part of his body itches
and stings. Not breath of air comes to him
through the hole. He sees for moment the
square picture of the pleasant world outside
and perhaps passing breeze may shake the
leaves. Then the hole is closed by huge
mass of hay and be is there in the burning
darkness, grunting and grooming to clear
away the cumbersome load before another
one comes.
His head aches. His eyes are smarting. A
feeling of dizziness SEXES him. He staggers
about on his soft footing, and yet with an
animal stubbornness-a logged determine
ton not to give out"-he works, and works,
and works At last there comes to his dead