Mower County transcript., 1904-06-29
FARMER BEN'S COLUMN

I thought when l saw the floods COM
in down Saturday mornin' that it was
just about in keepin' with old settlers
weather. As I look back goin'o on fifty
years to early days on these prairies it
seems like all the mean bad weather in
the universe was concentrated rite here
We sOwed in vain for season after sea-
son and there was little to reap. There
was floods and hail and torrents and
windstorms to beat everythin' and it
made it nifty hard pullin' thro. Lots
OF the early settlers were too poor to
get away and stuck to the starvation
diet. Itell you when we had to poke a
hundred miles for corn meal and flour
it was no fun in all kinds of weather
We didn't liv in big mansions then
but were nifty glad to hav a good COM
Portable log house with plenty of room
on the floor for our shakedowns for beds
and with a shake roof to keep out the
rain. We parched corn for coffee and
our store was reduced sometimes so
that burr oak gravy tasted awful good
and we felt rich when we had enoug gh
molasses and meal to- last us thro win
ter. There is nothin' I enjoy more
than to swap talk with the pioneers.
Wife, and I was down to the old farm
The other day and we started d=up the
cunningest little flock of Bob Whites
you ever saw. I never had the heart
to shoot at these innocent little quails
and kill 'em. see by the reports that
they are about the best ravagers of bugs
that we've got. In Virginia alone they
destroy. six hundred tons of noxious
weed seeds every year. They are just
death on potato beetles and chinch bugs
and they do more good than we can
calkerlate in fggers. They ought to be
raised same as hens and turkeys so as
to pick up bugs and save our crops.
1 like to hear 'em whistle. and coo on
the prairie and they are so inoffensive
and tame and gentle that it looks like
they trusted people as if they was all
their friends. It's a rank pity when
their confidence is abused and they are
scared and killed and abused. They
are one of the very few old timers that
amt deserted the country when the SET
tiers came in. The buffalo, deer and
most of the others hav left these haunts
but the quails are just as much at home
as they were when the Indians roamed
hereabouts.
l amt bit afeered on the imagina-
ton about this country and the whole
world bein run over and swamped by
the yellow race if the little Japs win
out with Russia. it's only scarecrow
set up to draw off our sympathy from
Japan. I'd rather take my chances
with the progressin' Japs than with
the hog Russia. Japan amt goin' to
get across the Pacific to fite us in big
armies and as to commercial competin'
it's up to us to say whether they can
lick us out in fair competin' or not. If
the Japs win out I'm satisfied they will
tote fair with the world. China will be
open to all and if the Japs are the best
at coverin' the Chinese commerce we
can't kick very successfully. I'd like
to know why we amt got good deal
better chance of havin' extensive deal
in's with China under Japan than under
the Bear. calkerlate that those fel:
lows over in Europe are a good. deal
more concerned about all the Japs get
tin onto the trans Siberian railroad
some night and landin' secretly in the
nayborhoed Of Moscow and Vienna
and Paris and givin' EN- the scare Of
their lives. But who's afraid Of the
Japs over here? +. . ],
Next Monday is the glorious Fourth
and | see there amt goin' to be an old
time celebration up to Austin. It's
probably justias well if it was to be
like they've been havin' late years.
It's got so folks don't think Of any thin
but noise and fun on independence
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