New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-27

farmer is we'll stocked with tales Of the incom-
potency of this type Of hired man
zone wheat raiser in Barton County employed
ten men. of whom could put collar on a
horse; another in Ellis County had man from
New-York who insisted upon calling a reaper the
lawn mower Many who left clerkships In
the Atlantic States. being suspicious OF the wild
West and determined not to be included In the
tenderfoot class, came into the homes Of peace
full folk armed the teeth. few towns were
almost terrorized by this offensive display. but
of the farmers. not lacking in humor. soon
made these bloodthirsty gentlemen from the East
subjects of ridicule
whats that you've got there. my boyg asked
lanky old Kansan. pointing at a six-inch dirk
knife in the youths belt. You ought to have fork
to go with it
These green immigrants were. in general. a
sorry looking lot. Among them were college men.
with Drawn and grit. and hardy ANNALS from
everywhere. who brought up manual labor;
but In the main the understood with soft.
sas days stood on the platform at Topeka when
party of fifty arrived to SEE the State Employ
brittle looking. commented the old statesman; my
boy is having hard time 10 stand the harvest
pace. and reckon he could lick this whole crowd
SO came this untried host; needless they went
and. the Kansans say. a hired mans keep or
found is free. Communieations were received
reau pleading with the director to send no more
fragile loafers.' These reports made Kansas
laugh; ridicuIe was poured upon the enete East.
Yet among the men who came were college pitch
eXpreSsTen that learned to turn pitchfOrk with
the best men that ever sweated on Kansas field.
When the blsterS came they grtnned wnen their
shoulders they laughed. when the harvest
over they went away with cinkiug dollars in
their pocket.
of course. the work hard. II IS hot in Kan
sas: sometimes the wind blows up pOwdery.
burning dust, and the wheat to be cut, blessed BY
the tie that binds and thrashed, hopeless IN
its eXtent-yellOw top for acres and acres in front
and bristing stubble for acres and acres behind
There is the hot singing reaper: the onslaught
of the Kansas flies. the cooling whistle OF the Wild
doves that follow the harvest the persPtration
that rolls into your smarting eyes and the bsters
your hands, trained only to hold a pen or book
At first your head swims with the drudgery; your
heart bounds with joy when the farmers wife
waves a tablecloth from the piazza roof to call
you dinner. You 10 bed stiff of limb to wake
up at by the farmers luSty caH-stirer!
But the reCOmpenSe comes. The sunburn be-
comes a rudy tan. and when you strip at night
YOU begin TO notice that your stomach muscles are
getting hard a WashbOard. that your mind Is
clearer and that you will be glad to stretch out,
sigh once and sleep This IS healthi
Your fellow workers are a curious and motley
band There is the Ianky Kansas and the stOcky
Michigan lumberman. who came TO Great Bend on
the trucks of a freight train; the college sOpho-
more from Iowa, who insists upon wearing white
shirts at dinner because there two pretty girls
in the family; the New-YOrk drygOOds clerk. who
has more real sand than any of them but dyspepu-
CalIy pale and consumptivey thin. Is a constant