Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-08
ON A FARM.
Jinkerson Tried a Vacation in a
Wayback Town.
Ne Found that Things Amt Always wha'
They Seem.

Many persons, inhabitants of the pulls
| ing city, know not of the delight of a
short season spent on a farm. However,
Jnkerson does. He tried it. last sum-
mer. Jinkerson is well past middle
age and holds a position in bank.
He receives a months vacation an
nually. and, last year. decided to spend
it down on a farm.
Think" said Jinkerson to his wife,
think of the delight of homemade
eggs, And doubtless the farmer will
oft have an over-supply of butter and
then dear. he will drop pound or so
in a can of fresh milk. and 10. we shall
have fresh buttermilk."
Jinkerson asked several of his friends
as to selecting a farm on which to
board. but they We're city men and
knew not of farms. One of them stat
ed that he had often noticed in the
newspapers accounts of balloon ascen-
sions. that the aeronaut invariably de-
scended with his parachute on a farm
in an adjoining county. and advised
Jinkerson to try parachute jump.
But the little man needed not his
SCOTS He simply procured a railroad
time table and selected a flag station,
where a train usually stopped about
once year, and then only in the event
of head-on collision with another
train coming from an opposite direc-
ton. He wrote to the nearest postmas-
ter and stated that he wished to OBJ
tain board on farm near his flag sta
ton. 1t was we'll that Jinkerson stated
emphatically that he wished to obtain
ter himself, who kept a little cross
roads store. was in the habit of en-
tertaining guests for monetary con-
sideration. and. of course. wished to
board the Jinkerson family.
A reply was at length received which
gave Jinkerson the choice of every
farm in the county. Selecting one
which from it's description seemed de
sira Bile. the family made the prepare
tons for departure and left early one
morning. reaching the little flag station
at II A. NJ. A more desolate spot jim
kerson thought could not have been
imagined.
No telegraph operator was assigned
to the place. and nothing greeted the
eye except lot of peanut hulls scat
tered about and Il reg flag lying fold
ed upon chair. The trunks stood in a
| row upon the station platform. and
Jinkerson fumed and perspired Fin
ally. he espied a small. Snub- nosed.
| freckle- faced boy. fast asleep under a
tree. short distance down the road
side The boy was awakened and ask
| ed as to the whereabouts of Mr.. Wasp
er's farm.
"Oh. you're the summer boarders. are
YOU" replied the lad?" Well dad
sent me over to fetch you. You'll have
| to walk. as all the bosses is Workin
It's only four miles, Them trunks II
have to stay here until Sunday"
With many misgivings JinkerSon
| hustled the trunks into the station.
and. accompanied by his wife. daugh-
| ters and son. started on their four
mile walk.
rs them your daughters" asked the
| boy. My Wait till my big brother
RUDE and the hired man. Lafe Bately,
| sees EN-, Mabbe them fellers won't
| flirt, M-m-m,"
| Mr. Jinkerson resisted an o'crWeen-
! ing desire to kick the small boy into
the creek by the roadside and proceed
| ed At length. thoroughly tired out,
greeted with effusion by the mother
and daughters. a dinner of fried ham.
| fried potatoes. fried eggs and coffee
| literally seasoned with grounds. was
disposed of. and the farmer then enter
| ed from the field and extended an in
vitation to Mr.. Jinkerson and his son
| to view the gathering of the harvest.
| They gazed with admiration upon the
| - ..,,lt
they loaded the grain upon the wagons
with long forks.
Bet you cyant stand emmy such work
| ez that" exclaimed the farmer Bet
| you seegar you cyant,'
Jinkerson accepted the bet. grasped
long fork and manfully went to work.
| In the meantime his son had made
| bet of the same nature with the hired
man, and when the sun went down and
| toll was suspended Jinkerson realized
that they had won two very bad cigars,
and that the farmer was ahead one
half days work for two men. AMI he
fervently blessed the memory of the
man that invented gold bricks.
Upon arriving at the house the hired
man and the farmers son washed Their
faces in the horse trough and began to
do the agreeable to his two daughters
But Jinkerson didn't kick. He We'll
knew that either the farmers son or
the hired man could easily lick him
with one hand, and. knowing the per-
versity of the female sex, feared that i
he demonstrated his daughters would
make love to the farmers.
The trunks arrived at the farm ear
w on the following morning. not be-
cause the Jinkerson wanted them. but
because the female farmers wished to
see what was in them. Jinkerson soon
learned to wait for his newspaper I'M
til the postmaster at the crossroads
store had thoroughly read and clipped
out all the news that interested him.
When the paper at last arrived lie then
handed it TO his host. well knowing
| ! ! ;sl.