Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-02-16
CHAPTER xxx.
FARMING FOR PROFIT.


The end of the year had found John,
after selling his cotton at a good price,
with a round sum in hand, but there
was large acreage of open land on the
place which was threatening to revert
back to the wilderness. He calculated
that he could buy up a lot of cheap po-
MES, and by doubling them up bring
the whole under cultivation. After
much thought he abandoned the idea
and took heroic resolution. He laid
in full supply of groceries and planta-
tion tools and paid the taxes. He then
found that he could buy twenty good
mules, pay half cash and still have a
little money for emergencies. He had
a horror of debt, but reasoning that
cotton would bring a good price for two
or three seasons he concluded to risk it.
His mind made up, he acted promptly,
and the wet January days found him
grubbing bushes, resetting fences, burn
ing brush and getting ready for a big
crop. He worked early and late, SO that
the home people saw but little Of him,
and SO absorbed did he seem to be that
Janet finally began to think he had
concluded to do as she had asked him,
and the bare idea that he had taken her
advice made her sick for day. Such is
the inconsistency of human nature.
John had gathered a good force of
hands, and planted four hundred acres
of cotton and ten acres of corn. One
warm May day, as he was standing by
the fence in the field watching twenty
plows. as they ran up and down the
long, straight rowsof sheeny dark green
corn, u deputatiop Of ncighbors rode up,
and called him.
A friendly, quaint humor, together
with his army record, his known
probity and his ability as farmer had
made him n marked man in the com
munity, though his lack of vanity was
such that he was not conscious of it;
hence he WAS utterly taken absck when
the visiting gentlemen announced that
his friends had concluded that he must
become candidate for the state senate.
He refused. point blank. They argued
the point insisted that it was his duty.
''No, my duty is here" said John, as
he pointed to the fields of waving corn
and cotton. They still insisted, but he
told them his first duty was To his fam
lily. They laughed at that, which made
John indignant. and he lowered up
over them in righteous wrath, as he
said:
Gentlemen, everything am in this
world owe to that family. lam now
their sole dependence, and may God,
who has been so good to me, desert me
utterly. if ever leave them for any
thing in this world. | thank you FOR
your kindness, which far exceeds my
merit. but must decline absolutely
| The leader OF the delegation. griz-
zled veteran of fifty, himself man of
| mark. looked at the strong, resolus,,
| young man with the indignant flush on
his face. and barring his head. reached
| cut his hand:
Col. Hcwson, beg your pardon. /
honor your sentiments and your resolu.
| ton. Good-day. sir
When John mentioned the bare fact
! Of the invitation ard the declination at
the house. beth Mrs. Gregory ard Janet
exclaimed against his decision, but he
turned them off laughingly. declaring
that he would not ''spoil good
farmer by turning him into poor poll
| tician."
Some little time after this, Mrs. Greg
Dry meeting with Judge Rudisill 1.-THE
spokesman of the aelegption). that gen
sleman congratulated her on having