The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-07-29
1Copyright, 1904, by T. c. Mcclure, |

wa ser decided to make Il garden, |
~ but after the experience of |
former years he did not at
tempt anything Oh gigantic scale. He |
simply aimed at something to give the |
back yard homelike look and remind
him Of the dear old summer times Of
his boyhood. He therefore spaded up
space only about ten feet long by six
feet wide, and, having removed the
buried brickbats, fruit cans. clothes
pins, beer bottles and old coffeepots to
the alley, he proceeded to SOW and
plant-that Is, he procured an onion
set and carefully deposited it in the
middle Of the bed.
The idea was to give that onion
room-lOts of roOm-room to stretch out
its tired legs and not hit the foOtbourd.
He had seen the fallacy Of crowding
onions, potatoes, beets, carrots and
parsnips into the same contracted
space, like four or five DRINKS at po-
lice station. He wisely reasoned that
a growing vegetable was like Il sitting
hen-lt must have room to spread itself.
And when more barrels of water
were let loose up above and other heaps
Of sunshine came to make the car horse
sweat under its collar Mr. Bowsers
onion was seized with an ambition. 1t
got chesty 1t swelled up and walked
around on its ear 1t began to realize
that life was worth the living and to
have aspirations. 1t had already Its
green top an inch or two above the sur
face and was waiting for thunder
storm to give it Il fresh start when a
tomcat with the collie came along and
nipped the tender shoots as remedy.
Mr.. Bowser discovered his loss early
next morning and swore.
An onion can be Jared, butt it takes
deal to kill it. Mr.. Bowser's onion
laid down" for week, and then Its
energy and ambition returned, and the
sprouts of green appeared. The cook
was given orders to watch 1t us she
would a sick child. Mrs. Bowser
was told that if that onion was de-
stroyed while she was gadding down
town no apology or excuse would be
deemed sufficient.
Mr., Bowser himself took look nj
it the last thing in the morning and
the first thing in the evening. and be
fore retiring for the night he stalked
up and down the alley with brickba'
In either hand and made cats hump
themselves and flee far away.
One night, when the onion rs al
onion was striking q gait and getting
beyond the period when any one coulc
mistake 1t for sunfower or ounce
tree, feeling came over Mr.. Bowsel
as he slept 1t was shivery, colt
hearted feeling-a feeling that all OF
earth he loved was in deadly peril ant
calling on him for salvation. He WOKE
up in a cold sweat with his teeth click
ing. Leaping out Of bed, he passet
down to the hail and looked out OF
back window.
What he saw almost paralyZed hin
for the moment lowering over an'
around that onion were four mongre
dogs of various sizes and shapes ant
each one prepared to spring FORWARD
and annihilate it at the signal MI
Bowser Numbered at them. He roal
ed. He used language. He indulge
in blood curdling threats In briel
the four dogs We're wilted and withel
ed and panic stricken, and they ha
;sped two blocks before they hattie
ito look back and wonder how the
had escaped instant death.
On another occasion, when Mr.. Bow
ser was away, the cook had becom
curious as to the laws Of nature. 81
knew that things grew in the soil, b,
why was it so? Was there sprin
lcoil under that onion? Did the towe
hanging on the clothesline above 1t e;
Iercise coaxing influence? She wei
out to study the situation. Why M
give pull and help things along? WI
not reach forth friendly hand ar
help struggling onion to-
Then Mr.. Bowser unexpectedly a
.peared on the scene. He was in Il
nick of time. When he realized tn
in three seconds more the fate OF tn
onion would have been something a.
full, to contemplate, he postured hi1
self and made speech. 1t was II
of exclamation points and dashes.
was full of fire and vim. 1t turned
cooks face as white as plaster
paris, and it bumped against her kn
FONTS until she wabbled with wea
ness as she headed for tde Kitchen.
Other things menaced the welfa
of that onion, but it lodged and twis
ed and continued to grow. When {
onion has made up its mind to "g
there and has guardian angel
keep cats and cooks at proper d
lance, 1t becomes hardened to dang
and will strive bravely for maturity.
AS Mr.. Bowser came home from Il
pf1sce and went out and hung hoYe