Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-01
PIERCE'S SALE.
A Brief Countryside Study.

Montgomery county farmers will meet
week. but it is doubtful If they will enjoy
as those representative scores of them
who attended "Pierce's sale last Thurs
day. 1t IL a question, indeed. IL a sale
Is not dearer to the heart Of the wheat
and cattle and corn grower than a fair or
any other event, not excluding barn rails
ings and barbecues. There are no "hoss
races" to be sure, at q sale like Pierce !;
there are no lovers and sweethearts, no
side shows or catch nickel contrivances Of
the cane or hit-the-nigger's-h variety,
perhaps. but there are ample recompenses
for these shortcomings, and not a man at
'Pierce's sale" missed any Of them. No
indeed ''Pierce's" is In Montgomery and
near Rockville. about three miles distant
on the Jamestown road. The euphonious-
ly named town of Featherbed is not far
distant "Pierces" was the Bailey place"
before Pierce became its purchaser. and 1t
was transformed by its new owner into a
veritable show place as a model farm, and
1t Is we'll worthy of the name.
Naturally sale on such place. where
the Jamestown road boundary fence was of
wire, not barbed. but many stranded and
strong, and not only "hoss' and COW. but
hog proof as well, was something out of
the ordinary, and every farmer within a
fifteen-mile radius or more made up his
mind to be there when the sale began, and
they carried out that intention
The roads leading into the Jamestown
road crowded the latter with an assortment
of vehicles and animals as varied and as
representative Of conditions the men who
owned and drove them. There were the
sleek and the prosperous, the gaunt and
the unfortunate. and the numerous types
between the two extremes who were sorry,
perhaps. because they were not as we'll off
as the first, but glad. and therefore were
ccntented with their present state. because
they were not as bad of as the last. and
so they gathered under the big trees and
around the house and barn and outbuildings
after their horses had been tied up and
critically examined Pierce's things.
"On'y Pierce's pussonal propty is a-goin'
to be SOLE" said one, who evidently knew,
IAN reck'n that he'll not let ennythin' go
too dog cheap, cause he's buyed John
Longs place next to th.s'n an Johns goin'
for to fahm 'em both under Pierce's 500,
p'vishun. So 1 reckn Pierce amt goin'
for to Civ I'D farnin' emmy more'n ole
Doc Pratt give up Ticker las time he swo'
off,
mo, don't s'pose Pierce is going to al
low anything to be sacrificed" said the
thoughtful man to whom this loquacity
was addressed. Hes a keerfui man, got
good jedgmen. an all he's got here he's
paid good prices for an it's good stuff. l
reckon what we get will be what We are
willin' to pay decent for"
81 don't blame Pierce durn bit fur givtn'
up farmin'," INTERCEPTED horsey-looking
man. who has been watching the horses ex-
ercise each morning at the Rockville fair
track; there amt no money in farmin' no
longer"
people," returned the thoughtful man. THE
kind O. people I mean Is them whose land
is good deal better than they air farmers;
and there's a mighty sort Of such fellers in
ole Montgom'ry. mos tn pity
The other moved off with a sniff, and a
slender young man remarked:
You hit Jack right in tn short ribs that
time, Hennery.".
well. 1 wasn't mentionin no names, but
1t does make pe hot as a waffle to hear
some fel!ers cryln' about tn Misty Of farm
in. Now, look at Cholly over there" he
continued. pointing to blue-eyed, flor!d-
faced warm-ha!red young man, who was
carefully examining a corn planter Of the
sulky sort There's farmer that's as
good his Ian, and better, cause he keeps
the upper han Of 1t and don't let 1t git the
best O. him. He puts himself into his work
an the hans just have TO do the same
thing. or It's settle and quit. He started
without a cent. Now. look at that farm O.
his'n an that house an that barn an all O
that. His. every burned bit Of 1t, and
n'onav In bank. Don't hear the likes O. him
sayin' farm.n' don't pay"
world OF true philosophy in those homeiy
remarks, and he wondered If 1t wasn't true
in many other lines of industry besides agri-
culture that "the land was better than the
farmers"
But there was too much else, to observe
and overhear to permit much moralizing.
The thrashing Of the whea, crops of most
OF those present had been finished and there
was an interchange Of yields.
II made. 2100 bushels" said one. with
considerable pride. 81 got % an acre on
that near barn field and 40 on that old
rock spring piece: I'll make, I reckon, nigh
MT htSh he'll
The uninitiated wanted to know how 1t
was $500 bushels could "be made when
2, 100. bushel had been made He was
but politely informed.
you see, sir" said the farmer that
when wheat is thrashed by the machine it
is measured by the bushel measure. When
we sell 1t we sell 1t by weight. Now. I
sent 80 measured bushels to Georgetown
the other day and 1t weighed over 100 by
about a peck
Simply explained. practically illustrated
and another dense piece of ignorance became
illuminated at "Pierces sale" Auctions
could have little fascination for a stranger
among such surroundings in such gather
ing. but the auctioneer's voice was sonor-
Gus, and his keen vision instantly told him
how long to keep 1t going when two or
more prospective purchasers wanted the
same indictment or animal.
1t was careful, yet a generous. group
and withal a good-natured one. and this
was shown when dinner was served and
the Joke and laugh went round with the
chicken and ham and lamb and corn on the
ear, and-but why recount a country din
ner at country sale. There was politics,
too. No one seemed to know who would
largely democratic gathering Jack. the
horsey man. nudged the thoughtful one
"Bryanll be elected sure as cats have
kittens"
'Mebbe," responded the thoughtful man,