The age-herald., 1898-01-01
AN AMERICAN IN FRANCE.
CuItvates a Farm for Five Years and Is Swim
 died by Natives.

From the Washington Post
 expect am the only American citi- gen who ever cultivated a farm in France, which did for five years with some profit and much pleasure" said the scholarly and eloquent Judge Mackey of South Carolina.
 'Some years ago I went to Europe for my health. In Paris met a wealthy New Yorker, MT. Baker, to whom I had ex- tended some kindness during our civil war He was glad to see me, and We recalled old times in our native country. After Q 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 French school time hung heavy on his hands. I consent ed, and Baker leased a beautiful old chat eau five miles out of Paris, on the Seine. It had beautiful grounds, and twenty-two acres of good, arable land. The farm he turned over to me for five years for the sum of S and my company, and I at once proceeded to put 1t in cultivation
 First, took in Frenchman as a farm CT, and found him to understand agricul- ture admirably, but he was the most un- considerable rascal that ever eyaded pris- on. He would cheat me in every little transaction. When strawberries which we raised under glass for the Paris market, were worth francs a quart he came back from town with the proceeds, declaring tndt ue Idu Only TecelVeQ 3 francs. UT course. found the rascal out eventually, but never was quite able to checkmate his crookedness.
 Early in our partnership had a 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 hitched in with it was his own daughter, a girl of 20 years. This was the team with which he proposed to do blowing The idea of woman being ttiven sler gside an OK to break up ground, It made me angry, and gave MT. French man a piece of my mind. I tod him that N omen were not put on ev.l ' tn be ,sts in America, and at the sape time unfaSt- ened the harness from about the girl. He shrugged his shoulders and said this was France, and reminded me of the French flag flying over my house. called his at- tentioh to the fact that above was the American flag, and the controversy ended, the girl being given a hoe instead of having to help draw the blow.
 "We raised peas, beans, potatoes, and every sort of vegetable for which ready sale was found In the city. Products of the farm are dear in France. A good sized chicken is worth $1.50 and ham retails for 70 cents a. pound. I tried raising Indian corn but the climate didn't suit. it being too far north, and so were able to gather only four bushels from one acre. Even with my thieving coadjutor cleared about $1,OO0 per year. while he must have made nt least twice that sum.
 s'The French are not to be relied on when 1t comes to selhng foo1 products. One day went to market and took a notion to buy dressed hare. Our cook served it in the most dainty style imaginable and our whole party enjoyed 1t tremendously. Not long afterward, in comforting with the cook about the details of dinner. she told me that 1t 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 had bought the animal dressed and minus its head"