Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-10-23

- hSIWy WkAANA1 dAEA3a - .hU HAtVA~
Hl0ng; for be had been cutting brush
wood along a brook which ran at
the base Of the mountain, and had
evidently beer up to his knees in
water.
The farmer and l rode across the
neldu, the wiry horse p1unging into
hollows and turmounting hillocks
with an energy that was admirable,
from a moral point Of view, but pain
Iful to the occupants Of the wagon.
sat ON the farmer, and he sat on
me, rather oftener, l believe, than
| sat ON him. 1t is still wonder to
me that the harness held together.
Finally we reached place where the
way was impossible for wagon, and
the horse looked around ut us as if
it expected us now to do NC work.
We got out Of the wagon, and the
farmer's man. coming up at that In
stant, took bag from under the seat.
The farmer took the board and the
spring balances, and we entered the
wood by a narrow path which led
up h6s mountain. This path was al
most oblitsrated in places by masses
Of ferns, which here and there caught
the sunlight with splsndor such as
is seen to tho greatest advantage in
openings in the forest, where the
brilliant light is contrasted with the
gloom Of the deep woods.
My companions did not reply to
my calculations Of delight at the
beauty Of the path, and strobe on with
serious countenances, as if ferns and
underbrush were much in the way.
The path presently sldrted an open
pasture, and ] Immediately discerned
the purpose Of the bag which the
farmers man carried. 1t contained
salt, which he strewed upon some
ledges in the pasture. He then ut
tered peculiar call, and herd of
cattle rushed down the slopes.
The man hastily regained the path
Just in time, for fierce bull, with
bloodshot eyes, was close upon him.
The farmer looked over his herd with
apparent satisfaction, and remarked
that sailing cattle was apt to be a
dangerous business-he had a man
once who was almost killed by the
rushing herd.
We Left the cattle in possession Of
the field, followed the path again
into the woods, and finally reached
the wood-lot. l Immediately set
about measuring the sides of the field,
with the aid Of the farmers man. He
went ahead with one end of the chain,
while l held the other. Thus we pro-
ceeded around the lot; and then we
measured the distance from one cor
ner to an opposite corner. Moth
ing then remained but to compute
the area of the field. promised the
farmer, who had watched me from
seat on stump, that I would make
the computation that evening with
the aid of my table Of logarithms.
The farmer arose, as if it were time
to assert himself; he told me that it
was essential that he should know
Immediately about how many acres
there we're in the lot, and be proposed
to make an estimate upon the spot
l felt that the word logarithms had
convinced him that l was theoreti-
cal man, and that lacked the power
of getting quickly at results.
l earnestly set my wits to work to
think of some rough method of get
ting the number of acres in the lot.
/ set up my instruments and meas
ured of perpendiculars, and got into
a state of hopeless confusion, for I
had not accustomed myself to take
what is called common-sense view
Of such an undertaking. I was in
somewhat the position Of the sculptor
who should seek to polish statue
before he had completely rough
hewn it.
The farmer began with great so
lomnity 10 pace along the boundaries
Of the field, pausing at each corner
and writing down with a stump of
a pencil the number of PAGES in the
sides of the field. Having paced
completely around the lot, which was
a four-sided one, he paced across it
from one corner to an opposite cor
4 4 4