The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
TO CURE A D0NKEY'S BRAY.
RATs'S SCHEME TO RESTORE PEACE
IN LANCASTER KNOLL.

80 |" NaN " ~ .
testing NeiEhbors, and thus Keep y
Donkey for His Children-Liternry Work
reveals It - His Agricultural Study,
Ten dnys before the regular monthly meet
ing in January OF the Lancaster Knoll Tenn
perance and Debating Society, each member
will receive a notice somewhat as follows:
Whereas, Our beautiful village has thrived
until corner lots are now worth $50 n front
foot. despite the fact that Long Island City is
the gateway for our commuters; and
Whereas, Our growth has not been due TO
ephemeral booming. but to the honest belief
on the part OF homeseekers that Lancaster
Knoll's Environments are the best on Long
Island: and recognizing. as we do. the value Of
our villages good name: therefore
"Resolred. That the announced intention Of
our literary fellow townsman. Jacob Rays. to
purchase for the entertainment of his children
a donkey which in it's hours Of leisure shall
be confined in the Rays's barn be and hereby
is discouraged for the good Of Lancaster
Knoll"
Lancaster Knoll has its proper place on
every Rood-sized map OF Long Island under a
dlferentname which sounds no better. and for
the sake OF accuracy It may be said also that
the books and short stories written by the
only literary citizen Of the Knoll do not bear
the name Jacob Rays. but In other respects
no qualifications Of the debating society's no.
toes need be made. Mr.. Rays is theoretically
a farmer, and in his mind he is OF the earth
earthly in an agricultural sense. but circum-
stances over which he had little control cast
him for a literary part. It has been necessary
for him to spend every week dav for many
years In New York. and as a recompense for
this hardship he bought a lot and built a house
at Lancaster Knoll several years before the
trolley reached town.
NOV nv proniouab he said 70 his frienda.
It'll be something OF a farmer anyway. for I
love TO see things grow. and IL It were not for
that important question OF ways and means I
would move to some vast Wilderness and
never go near acity. The more / gee Of. men
the better opinion I have OF vegetables. beets
and potatoes and things like that"
Ever tried to raise them7" asked one Of
his friends.
Not exactly" replied Mr.. RAYS, but I have
thought it out very carefully. and I have seen
them grow In my mind, sir, and. by gra-
cious. IL was exhilaratlng."
BY way Of explanation OF the donkey It may
be said that each season. since Mr.. Rays be-
came a Knollite. taught him its own sad agri-
cultural lesson. Potatoes came first because
Mr.. Rays said that anybody could grow them
and that the potato blossom. In It's season add
ed more local color to q country house than
many roses. During the planting season Mr..
Rays's literary output: fell of in quality and
quantity.
Just you wait until my potato vines stick
their little green noses above ground and I
will have Inspiration for lots of work. he said.
The oldest farmer in Lancaster Knoll as
serted on the authority OF his almanac that
this was the dampest season in forty years
and Mr.. Rays's potatoes rotted in the ground.
They persisted miserably the next year be-
cause OF a big worm that worked under cover
and undermined them until the vines wilted.
1t wasn't an ordinary potato bug. but 1t was a
worm which dug down into the ground. and
VIII lie Mr.. Rays's neighbors sympathized with
him they rejoiced that this worm did not get
into their potato patches. At the end Of the
second season Mr.. Rays said:
MY soil is not right for potatoes and next
year I am going to try corn. Ia there any
thing In nature more beautiful in its shades OF
green than young corn2 II there is. I don't
know IT,"
Mr.. Rays's corn shot up In the air In due
season.and the prospect for a!large crop was go
good that Mr.. Rays bought a lot Of cans in
which to stow away the surplus corn for the
winter. The total output OF that corn crop.
however. was one small ear. and Mr.. Rays as
serted that the other ears had been eaten by
a corn worm. He tried sweet peas and beets
the next summer with no better results. and
80 It has gone from summer to summer. |
Houses have been erected near Mr.. Rays and
his property has increased in value. but these
things have not brought complete happiness.
1T is the most curious thing. by gracious"
he remarked last fall. that there is a worm or
my garden. and what I want to know is. where |
do they keep themselves when l haven't
them. Ty yee tried IrI i and I'i Know to1 Three 6ra years. sa1s
ago ! planted, potatoes. again. thinking that
muQf hnVa grown tiFnd waiting for Annthar |
and taken themselves to some other garden.
As soon as the potatoes began to spIout along
along &C Comes the special worm or bug Which
OF years7 When / look at that little patch Il
garden and realize how q destrpcttiys
to. see things grow. and Il / caa't grow vegec
tables. grow animals; think will Sst a
ESsgPs h0rss to f see TI e r fo11d Gp!s and 1t will be
The word was passed around the Knoll that
dns1, ana nsys a G dsaisT c a lEiSGpe oR fGEae Tor his chill
p. "aSY ~ yG S.Psd a horse do you want MI.
say. az a EeEtound!and dog; MY children
sa5ss. D'S FEas VIII YIN f e s&f fsa Sitssss anu O,ss'.
q SS Sosas D SSis sa SPq sh sps 3 he sass Sss & ssP g. 1 Ss5Ss
'll!H s5S y sl SeSa H' l L S's s s5R &"l. that /.
why don't you get a Grown-up horsop 1t
won't cost you any more. to keep"
less I should raise one myself. 1 know that q
horse raised By some one else would run ava
Theoretically I know a lot about horses; bit
that II / could buy a email horse that was Just
sproHting. You knew; 1 might study his char:
acts Of Eindness;, No. would not attempt a
full horse"
gestion that he buy q donkey. Mr.. Rays
stopped three commuters in succession as
they were hurryinR for their trains the next
morning to ask each:
What do you know about donkeys3"
Humor and profanity were 80 mixed In their
replies that the total information collected did
not amount to much, Mr.. Rays was persist
sewing eirole in town held an extra meeting
nominally to mako Toollen underolothes for
the Qubaps and really to discuss tho report
that Mr.. Rays intended to, buy a donkey,
MY husband tells me" sal the President
bray at night but that when they do tho noise