Mower County transcript., 1904-11-23
farmer BEN'S COLUMN.


per said about the dude customs down
at the New York horse show. Its not
good form for the dudes to sit down
this year and the reason is that their
britches is so tight that they look like
the feshin's of circus performer and
the experiment mite prove disastrous.
So they strut from box to box and drag
their weary feet and fear to bend their
knees. This costume is the thing this
year and of course there is plenty of
fools to don 'em even if they look like
scarecroWs. I've alwus claimed that
the limit amt yet reached in fashionable
sassiety and I reckon that if lots of
things they do in their parties and lots
OF costumes they wear was brought out
to Austin and showed on the streets
folks would mob 'em and there would
be a genuine panic. just know that
Fashion is most despotic and the dudes
and sassiety goddesses hav to get down
on theirImarrowbones and worship the
tyrant. If Fashion should order dudes
to wear Injin blankets insted of over
coats, you bet they'd do it abjectly and
obediently. Look at the outrageous re-
collect styles the women wear in
fashionable parties. They ought to be
arrested and run in for such exhibi-
tions. But it's the orders of Fashion
and lots of men and women amt got
grit enough to keep decent and defy
the despot. I'm glad those New York
dudes with the awful tight britches hav
to keep on the move. wouldn't care
if they had to tramp night and day for
six weeks, if they are such fools in out
landish styles.
Farmer Ben can't help think of old
times alwus about the Thanksgivin'
day when folks is gettin' together in
their family meetin's and roundups for
the year. It used to be a big day with
us down in old Jefferson county when
was lad. The turkeys had to suffer
then same as nowadays and the table
just groaned once year anyhow with
good victuals. My mouth just waters
now when I think of those chicken pies
mother used to make with the pastry
roosters stickin up in the top crust and
the roast turkey steamin' hot out of the
old brick oven and the punkin pies and
the plum puddin' and all the accom-
paniments of full dinner. We had to
take recess and hav a game of tag
round the house for a short while to
make room for the final fixin's. That
was the day when we all got together
and swapped experiences, In the even
in we got round the old brick fireplace
and cracked hickories on the big flat
hearthstone and popped corn and ate
apples and cider and watched the fan
tastic tongues of flame dart up chimney
from behind the big backlog. The old
settle was drawed up for the older folks
to sit on and the circle was complete.
1t was an awful nice day for us and
how can we forget it?
Speakin' of those old times, every.
thin is differin' nowadays. Us boys
never knew what overshoes was. W.
had good, honest cowhide boots tc
wear with high legs on 'em and in deel
SHOWS We tucked our britches into the
tops. We kept 'em water tight by
greasin' 'em from the old skillet about
once a week and rubbin' the talloW
we'll in when it was hot. We never haC
such things as drawers on but we haC
our britches we'll lined and that made
'em just as comfortable. We never hac
fires in our sleepin' rooms but in awfu
cold nights mother used to put live
Goals into the old warmin' pan with tht
long handle and work it round in ou]
beds and take off the chllls. Winters
we had to break roads out with OF
teams when the snow was level across
between the stone walls. We had hill'
down there and they made good sleddin
all winter and the ice down on Whip
pies pond was an attraction for boy
and girls. We used to hav spellin
schools in those days. I've gone mile
and miles on a winter night with
champion load of spoilers to help ski
out another set Of champions at givin
the correct photography of jawbreaker
out of old Webster's spellin' book
And the old singin' schools, whe1
Benoni Whipple led the bass ant
Amasa Angel sawed his fiddle to lea'
and we had to be called down SO oftel
by the singin' teacher for snickerin
with the girls.
r. ." o q . .,
There amt no such girls nowadays a
there was in them days. They ha'
real compilations that was painted b,
Natur's most skillful touches and kiss
ed by the country sun and breezes AM
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