The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-10-15
A PUMPKIN STORY M
THAT SOUNDS GOOD
TO The FELLOW WHO TOLD IT.
HE CAME FROM RUSSIA IN
A WAGON.

]
} tIowal Hawk Eye:
Andy Fiialkowski. who lives near
the poor farm, was In town yesterday
viewing the pumpkin show. He was
sad Tears were in his voice when
he called at The Hawk Eye office yes
terday afternoon TO Tell his little tale
OF woe. He was accompanied by his
friend ana neighhor. J. C. Werte.
Werte also had a grievance concern
ing the pumpkin show, but was calm
or about it than Fiialkowski He
placidIy smoked a cigar and nodded
approval as his companion related the
things that had prevented them both
from winning the prize
we had bad luck" began Fiiaikn-
wski. '.Iim here and | were counting
on winning a prize in tho pumpkin
show planted two hills of seeds ane
the vines spread over two acres
\ gathered seven wagon loads Of pump
kins from these vines. Some OF them
were immense. The one | was to on
ter for Tho contest weighed 202
pounds. With considerable difficulty
I / gnf il loaded IN a hay wagon ana
\ started to town with four horses. The
roads were bad and in striking a rut
4 The front axle-tree broke. wrecklng
nv wagon | hal To abandon the load
\ iii the road there and come 10 the
city without H. will ask the com
mittee to 60 ont and view the pump
kin, and while do not expect the
prize because it did not get entered,
/ / hope for honorable mention But
Jim here had worse luck. His prize
weighed over three hundred pounds
and was so big he could not get help
enough to put il on wagon. so he
( had TO leave it in the field.
Il take a good deal OF pride in my
/ pumpkins. continued Mr. Fiialkows-
Xxi. We began raising them in 1893.
/ My father came to this country in that
4 year from Russia. He was a Polish
reyolutionist. and had to serve five
years as a convict in Siberia. as a pen
ally. | hope the laps win win. We
crossed the Mississippi in the NOV
er's wagon drawn by six oxen The
river was but small stream in these
days. and was easily forded Il has
grown bigger since, and is quite re-
spectacle river now. as you know.
Wen. we broke ground that fall
and as 1t was TOO late to plant corn
we put the ground TO pumpkin seed.
The crop was a good one. A stranger
came along one day and asked for a
nights lodging. We put up bis team
ana gave him room He seemed
pleased with the outlook. You must
have a fine grain country here he
said. why do You think SOP my
father asked him Because | see so
many barns about here Why, man
replied my father, 'those are not
barns. those are pumpkins. That will
give you an idea of the size we raised |
IN those days.
"One day my mother told me TO go !
out and get some pumpkin, as she
wished to make pics took the axe
and the ladder and went out to the |
family pumpkin. which we had been /
using all fall climbed up on it and |
began cutting out a slice from the hole /
already made when the axe slipped /
out Of my hand and fell into the pump |
kin hauled up the ladder and put /
il down in the pumpkin and descend /
ed to hunt for the missing Implement, /
when was suddenly startled by a /
mans voice, exclaiming What are
you doing down here? ! dropped my
axe and am looking for f., ! replied
We'll, you noedn be worried If you
don't find it. said he. I have been IN 4
here two days looking for team Of
horses and a wagon which fell in and
I haven't found them yet.
THE seeds which we used then are
the ancestors OF the leeds which am
now using. We always gathered seeds
from each years crop and planted
them the next year, and each season
they grew larger.
Mr. FiialkowsN has also raised
some good corn He was in town the
other day looking for tifty-foot lad.
Ter to harvest the topmost ears. He
lad TO give up the search as no such
adder could be foanl on sale. He
viii have to chop down the corn stalks
II order 10 harvest the crop. unless
he can make arrangements with the
ity ere department TO loan him its
Ierial ladder.
Nj FiialkowsM brought three cars
II his corn to town recently. They /
made comfortable wagon load held
N by a chain. as heavy logs are trans
,orted. 4 photograph was taken Of
Ir. Fiialkowsld seated on his loai
or a metropolitan daily. Ne. Fiialko
yksi has promised the Hawk Eye @ /
opy Of fAis remarkable photograph.
lie is widely and wen known in his
0caiify. and those who are acquainted
With MIN say scme OF the things nc /
las done and had are the most r.
larkaii- tacy have heard him tell 81
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