The suburban citizen., 1902-05-31

'facers" placed stem up In concen'
trio circles just beneath the head,
without thinking with somewhat bit
ter amusement Of the two seasons,
nearly score Of years ago, when
Cousin Henry Reynolds and 1 worked
Grandfather Putnam's farm on shares,
We had been graduated from the
Parkerstown High School the preced-
ing June and while we looked for
ward 20 q professional career, both of
us were short of money. As so many
others have done in similar circum-
stances, we taught school the first
winter, Henry in District No IL,
Springbrook, and 1 in the adjoining
township Of Hickory Ridge. He
boarded with Deacon Salathiel Put
nam, our maternal grandfather.
The old gentleman had leased his
farm for a number of years to man
named Moses Lynch, a plausible fell
low, but one Of questionable honesty.
Grandfather had determined to get
rid of him, and when he learned how
eager Henry and were to earn money
with which TO complete our education,
he offered us the rental of his farm for
TWO seasons. He agreed to furnish
everything-stock, tools and seed
and we were to do the work for two
hfths Of the gross receipts.
All our friends advised us to accept
the offer, as the terms were more lib
eral than those accorded most farm
tenants unprovided with an outfit
The old farm comprised one hundred
and five acres, Of which not quite one
half was under the plow. There was
a large pasture, ten acres Of forest, a
two-acre sugar-bush Of huge hard
maple trees, a chestnut grove on the
hillside overlooking Spring Brook,
from which the township takes its
name, and four and a half acres COW
cred with apple and peach orchards
The soil was a deep clay loan, fertile
but hilly, and hard to cultivate. The
two orchards were esteemed moro
valuable than the plow land of ten
times their area.
The old orchard consisted of trees
my great-grandfather had set out, the
seeds having been brought from Con-
necticut in a packet at the bottom Of
t-grandmother's handbag. She
had carefully soved them in little
nursery bed, from which the tender
apple seedlings had been transplanted
far and wide. Half Of the original
orchards in the county trace their de-
scent from that hand bag, which thus
became a sort OF fairy godmother TO
what is now the greatest apple-pro-
ducing region OF its area in the State.
OF course these seedlings, not being
budded, bore natural fruit Of no par
ticular variety and most OF the ap-
pies were unfit for sale.
Five years before We took the farm
grandfather had had all except q half
dozen of the trees grated with
Greetings, Baldwlns, Northern Spys,
Pipplns and Tompkins County Kings.
This new wood was just beginning 10
bear, and in May the young orchard,
with the shorter lived peach trees mid
way between the rows. was covered
with a wealth Of pinky white blossoms.
We hoped to net at least 5000 from the
apples.
Soon it was apparent that we should
need 10 have an abundant harvest IL
we were to recei7e a suitable reward
for our hard labor, for i'll luck pursued
us almost from the beginning. Per-
haps i'll luck is hardly the name for our
mlsfortunes, for the hand Of a human
enemy was plainly apparent in every
disaster Of which we were the victims.
Early in April the mold boards,
points and land sides Of two Of our
plows, left IN the furrow over night,
were found smashed the following
morning. The head Of an axe or a
sledge hammer had been used upon
them. 1t cost US SO 10 replace the
broken parts, and we felt morally
bound TO repair any damage done to
using them.
Eight weeks later two of the best
milch cows in our herd sicEened and
died. loss Of $40. Arsenic was found
In their stomachs, but how admins
tered we could not discover.
We took extraordinary precautions
thereafter to hCrle all stock and ma
chlnery, and to keep our outbuildings
locked at night, but when our wheat
was ripe and We drew out the reaper
grandfather had bought the year before
we found it practically ruined. Many
Of the smaller working parts were
missing ana the driving chain had been
filed nearly In two IN several places
So far rs We knew the machine had
been under lock and key ever since We
took the place. The cost Of repairing
it would exceed 500, and the grain
could not wait. Grandfather insisted
upor assuming the whole Of this loss
while We hired a ncighDor to cut oul
grain.
Boys" the old gentleman said, hi.
voice trembling and his face twitchine
with grief and anger, until this sea
son did not believe that had an en
emy on earth; at least, not one witt
such bitter hatred in his heart as thi
work shows. The thought Of that hurt
mo zvopgo tbon Ella, GpayciaI Ipcq