The San Francisco call., 1906-10-28
RABR'
A SIDE LIGHT ON TT
PROBLEM OF HARVES
ING A BUMPER CROP

AN0 "a ~ox k4 ~
tens 10 couple OF .jaybirds IN a near
tree and remembers it is Friday. their
day for carrying sand to a warmer
place. He has always heard jaybirds
were addicted to that habit. There is
a convenient rock. and he tries to kill
one Of the sand carriers. but misses it
and the rock lodges in large. thick
grapevine.
SHINING the Cat"
The grapevine reminds Gabrl Of
something. for he slouches over to it
and begins TO try the strength of the
largest vine. and from that soiemnly
commences TO skin the cat, first for
ward and then backward. all done very
leisurely and with no apparent pleas
ure. for 1t is too quiet and lonely. not
a soul in sight except the noisy. inso-
lent bluejays.
After skinnlng the cat until his slim
arms ache and are almost out of joint,
he remembers something else and
stands on his wooliy head right in the
warm sand and then turns somersaults
and throws himself around on his hands
after the fashion Of the man in the cir
Gus ring.
He expects sound thrashing from
his mother that night when he goes
home and she finds out how he has
spent the day. Yes. he knows she will
learn all about this mother asks him
"sich sarchin Questions" he complains.
In the fall Gabr1 has just as much
pleasure when he joins the ranks of
the cotton pickers.
He leaves home with the crocus sack
strung around his neck and dangling
from his side like a straw colored.
weather beaten pouch.
Usually he goes with bare feet and
his splayed toes make distinct marks
on the dew wet ground and his bare
legs are slashed with the moisture from
the dank grasses.
His trousers are pulled up quite near
the armpits and are frequently held
firmly in place by means Of little pegs
OF wood or thorns that are thrust
through the cheap. homemade gal
luses." The collar of his shirt is rarely
ever buttoned and is thrown back to
give his throat the full benefit OF the,
winds and the rays of the sun that VIII
soon pour on his head. His hat has
reached the stage where IL might be
said to have gone to seed. Gabr'l was
never IN a hurry in his happy life He
takes apparent pleasure in stopping
some time before he begins his days
work. He needs to do little tighten
ing on the white homespun suspenders
and to that end leans one side with
craned neck looking down al his waist
band and working diligently with the
little wooden peg.
He swings the cotton bag from side
to side, and often ends that part of the
performance by throwing it over his
sugsr-loaf hat much as he would
tambourine.
All this is done before he leaves the
old horse lot. and then some time is
consumed in getting 70 the white field
There are so many things to delay
him There are the flaming sumac
berries-he must taste: he sticks out
his tongue and touches them and walks
on.
There are poke berries that can be
mashed until the bloodlike juice trio
kles in CORY sire m on the ground.
He comes across the nest of his moth
er's old dominecker hen It's the first
time he knew where it was. Well. he
intends to have eggs to eat that night.
he says. "ef de Lawd spare ..rrn an
NANNY don keep de eggs fur settip.
Haw bushes have TO be sampled and
occasionally a long ftring made of
them and wound around his neck,
where they can be easily had during
the day. Frog stools can be stepped
on. picked up and examined. There
are sensitive plants with pink boiled
flowers that can and must be seen and
touched. else why are they sensitive
Their shrinking caves must be stroked
until there are no more to close before
he hies on to the scene of labor.
He tests his voice until the welkin