The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1902-07-28
PlUnk8ft' SLetf0r

| Copyright, 1902. by The Atlanta Constitution
1t may not be so Widespread, but In
this neck of the woods 1t has been almost
as dry and hot as was tho year of 1850.
The year of 1860 brought tho first west
ern corn ever known into Georgia. This
was owing TO the drought of 80 In which
year l doubt II there was fat grain
| of corn made on the uplands OF this
state. The drought of 30 was "A calamity.
but there was almost as great calamity
In 1860 from the people using this west
ern corn as seed. 1t was given the name
OF Lincoln corn because II tasseled
out at knee high and hardly made nub-
bing. We had the drought OF 80. then
the failure of using the western corn as
seed. then the war-yet We howl about
hard times now.
The year of 1859 was n strange year on
weather lines. just as the year 1902 has
been a strange year In that year the
most angry clouds ever seen would come
rolling from the northwest. bringing the
heaviest winds ever known up to that
tme-we had never heard of a cyclone
then. The school books had a few pic
lures of what they called hurricanes out
In Africa. and we thought the stories
about these hurricanes the most wonder
ful stories; but IN 1853 there came storms
the nearest approach 10 what we thought
of these hurricanes of anything we had
ever imagined. But these great black
clouds only brought wind. not a drop of
rain. and so those storms were called dry
storms, and any old person can tell you
about the dry storms of SO.
1t is not going To be so bad this year
as 1t was in SO. and the. people know
now to not use Lincoln corn" for seed.
but IT has been a most peculiar year. 1t
has not only been dry I'm an unusual way.
but II has been hot. whitening. and all
signs fail I'm Judging the weather
| see Brown coming up the spring path
now. lie IS all of 100 yards off. but l
can see the hot weather grin upon his
face as plain as I can see the hoe upon
his shoulder. He is taking his time and
walks with measured tread and a most
gloomy look. He will strike the shade Of
a big oak tree directly. and then he will
rest and blow and puff as he leans heav-
lily upon his hoe handle. At the yard
fence is another shade and this will urge
there and there he will sit and fan
with his straw hat just as though it
were just as comfortable to sit on
rail- fence as to recliue on the finest sofa
IN Georgia. After SO long a time he will
arrive at the porch from where ! write.
and then he Will do just what he has done
every day for a month. pull off his shoes.
frail his socks over the banister. roll IN
his pants 10 his knees and then saunter |
back to a bench IN the yard. where he !
will find a tub OF water to battle his al /
most blistered feet.
Brown does hate this hot weather and I
he hates the drought. but II is the fan /
lre in the blackberry crop that grieves I
him most. All the old mans credit is 4
based upon a crop OF berries. and this 4
year they are not worth gathering They
are withered. shrunk up and not many
of them at that. It is not only his credit
n the financial world that my old friend /
oses by the berry failure. but the conf
ience Of his family is disturb.d. He !
l.oes which he promised again and again
md which always brought streaks OF
unshine into his cabin home. these Wis
ons have scattered. there have been no
berries and there can be none Of these
Promises fulfilled
But II the blackberries had not failed,
Brown would have been grieving anyhow
He would have complained OF snakes If
the berries had been abundant. and he
would have made these snakes an excuse !
for taking along at least a quart OF /
corn a day. and this would have eat 1
into his profits So that he would be I
gloomy anyhow. and would grin his hot 4
weather grin just the same.
But my old friend does have "a better !
right to be- gloomy now than I ever knew ,
him to have before. outside of the !
weather ana the failure this brought. the
old man has had a hard time. He has
been really sick. and the "retormers'
have made this an opportunity TO give
him more attention than heretofore
and. besides, he broke out all over. and
SOM. of the old neighbOr women vowed
that he had the itch. and Tor the itch
he went to doctoring. l helped him, and.
10 directions of the best old
woman doctor / ever knew, We soon
had a washpot fun Of polk root aud boil
ed IL down till It was strong enough 10
stand alone. The directions said apply
the stuff as warm As the patient could
stand il. ana 10 this end we kept II on
rho IRE till Brown had his clothes OF
and give the word. when / was 10 pour
II ON him while he rubbed. He got al
ready and stood up In a tub. while !
dipped mn gourdful. stepped up on
block and began to pour
..Jeewhillikins, I didn't pour long ! ne
stuff was entirely too hot, and as the