The record-union., 1899-03-23

unlikely calamity Of a protracted north
wind be visited upon the farmers in
grim mockery Of the hope that now
inspires them. If an additional two
inches of rain falls before the end OF
April the crop will be one of the largest
and best ever harvested in this Sec
ton of.the state. 1t will be the largest
because the farmers have seeded to
grain every acre available; they have
invested every dollar they possess ana
all they could borrow in this last effort
to retrieve fortunes irnperiled by the
drought of last season; they have
staked their all on the hazard of the
weather. The crop will be of fine quail
ity, because the land has lain fallow
during the past year. Out of the
drought of last year the farmers of San
Luis Obispo County expect to pluck a
few flowers of rosperity-enough to
adorn and beautify their homes until
another fruitful season enables them TO
wipe out a few figures of that mort
gage and give them dollar or two
for additional comforts in their living
and the living of their families.
While the cutters of Monterey street
in San Luis Obispo were gurgling bank
full on that never to, be forgotten night
of the 10th, a tall, massive shouldered
man stood under the awning apostro-
phizing the storm for the edification of
a group of men about town.
Comm down right smart, now, ain't
it?' he said, throwing the brim of his
gray hat upward the better to observe
the glistening drops as they slanted
through the flare Of the light streaming
from the cigar store. Reminds me Of
the last time it rained in '94. Only that
wet didn't save the crops, an l reckon
this one'll do more than that. It's
rainin' shoes an stockin's for the young
ones; it's rainin' summer duds for the
girls; it's rainin' a brand new dress for
the old woman; an it's rainin' the pros
pect of more schoolin' for the boys;
maybe BilPll git to college after all
Bill wants to git away an grow up
with some other country-thur amt
room enough for him in these yer hills
kinder thinks he'd like to be law
yer in some bigger TOWN. San Luis.
Well, it's rainin' all these things for the
| rest of the family wonder what it s
rafnin' for the old man? A good crop
| sure. A slice off O. the mortgage
| maybe; less interest to pay to those
busted banks over yonder; another
years credit at Sinsheimer's-Ben's all
right an he's treated US square from
| fust to last It's rainin' somethin' with
pickin' up for the old man. but ez sure s
yer foot high it's rainin hard work
for him this year, just as the dry spell
| last year sweated the sap out of him
putin in the crop that didn't come
back. It's rainin' the same old worry
an care; the same up before daylight
an IN from the barn to supper by can
Ole light that he's been used to since he
struck the fust furrow in this land O.
promise; 1t isn't rainin' any spike tails
an tan shoes for the old man-not this
season; it isn't rainin' any trips to
Yurrup, or sprees in Frisco, or tickets
| to the opera; an eff he wants ANYTHING
extra he'll have to hustle for it on the
| outside-it isn't comm down in this yer
shower. But I reckon it's all the old
| man deserves-the Lord isn't sendin,
good luck to damned fools, though I
reckon He's originally responsible for
the breed. An what's the odds after
AHA man who digs in the dirt's UP
against it for lifetime, with the hope
that he'll be long time dead, as Bill
Nye says, so he might as well make
the best of it as long as he makes even
on MS grain an pays the interest on his
mortgage
Saying which the Diogenes of San
LUIS walked away, in search. perhaps.
OF tub in which to pass the remainder
OF the night
Ii IS estimated by County Assessor C.
u King that the rain of the 10Th saved
at least 30 per cent. of the grain crop Of
san Luis Obispo County, and will in
Guide in the same proportion the ex-
IRENE southern portion of Monterey
and the northern section of Santa Bar
bara County. This region covers an
area of about 125 miles in length by
forty miles wide, nearly every acre Of
which has been seeded to wheat and
barley. The 10 per cent. of grain that
may have been sown on land of in
sufficient vitality will be cut for hay
Mr. King has just returned from the
southern part of the county, extending
his observation as far as Guadalupe, in
Santa Barbara County. He says that
the grain of all the ranches along his
route was in good condition resultant
from the rains of last January. The
farmers, however, were apprehensive
of another dry season.; they told Mr..
King that unless rain fell in quantity
before the end of March their crops
would be utterly destroyed The aver
age rainfall in San Luis Obispo County
and the country contiguous to tina.
watershed is about fifteen inches; at
the time of Mr.. Kings observation only
half that quantity had fallen
This land has not produced an aver
age crop but once Ok twice during the
past six years, and it happened that
when the grain did average the mar
ket price was low and the farmers were
not profited greatly for their labor.
Those who We're in debt could not re-
trieve themselves, and those who had
managed to keep clear We're forced to
involve themselves, beginning with the
merchant to whom they mortgaged
their land for credit to secure supplies
for their families and implements or
mahinery for the cultivation of their
ranches Those who had money on de-
nOSif N he ha MI hao To xx-;fy, "a o,t-