Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-06-01
HIS STORY IS A TRAGEDY.
SAD LIFE STORY OF WISCONSIN
FARMER WHO HITCHED HIS
CHILDREN TO A PLOW.
LOVE VERSUS INHU MANITY
August bundles Arm Broken, His Wife
and Horse Sick and Family
Poverty Stricken.

OSHKOSH, Wis, May 26.-Four
children, one Of them girl, stood around
August bundle, their father, yesterday,
offering bulwark Of loyal flesh and
blood to the wrath Of neighbors who
branded the man cruel, inhuman and
brute.
bundle was seen, first by neighobrs,
then by an officer Of the Humane socIe-
ty driving Il plow to which several OF
the children were hitched. The little
ones were harnesSed 10 the plow, ana
they dragged it like horses. At first
sight it seemed aonstrouS. and the neigh
bors arose in cutlery against the farmer $
inhumanity.
But they did not know Farmer Dunn
dies story, and. not caring, dad not ask
II. Ills story does not reveal cruelty
Tt is the story Of life tragedy on which
even President Roosevelt and all cham
piOns Of race increase might ponder.
Farmers Story Is a Tragedy.
Reduced 10 its lowest terms, this is
bundles story. explanation and defense
nil in one, as he gave il to a reporter:
Il have worked hard on this farm I'll
my life. / have been getting poorer and
poorer every year, and more children
kept coming until the house is run over
with them. But ] love them anyway.
Things have come to Il pretty pass If
4 have been sick and so has my wife.
! broke my arm and could not work. /
kept them home from school during the
planting season for ten days. What of
it? Have any of these men around here
raised as many children as | have:
IF n man has got to raise so many
children, what is he gong TO do with
them if lie is poorf"
bundle lives near Wooden Shoe alley,
FIVE miles north of here. For years stor-
les Of his misery have gone round the
neghborhood. The tumble down cot
tag", which he calls home, is avoided by
children. 1t stands in a secluded cor
ner Of the Lake country. The farm is a
patch Of black soil backed against Il
scattering growth of timber and sur
rounded by prosperous farms.
Misery Reigns in Home.
Al the gate a crippled dog met the re-
porter, and, finding no energy to bark,
crept back to a pile of old bones by the
barn. 4 woman came to the door, her
arms dripping with soapsuds, for Mrs.
bundle has TO take i'll washing to help
things along.
She began to cry, and looked nervous
~ across the fields, where bundle was
working Behind the woman two chill
dren played on the floor. The room be-
trayod hopeless poverty. A tiny tow
headed baby crept from the shelter of
the Woodpile. The woman gathered this
smallest candidate for field work into her
arms and sobbed out her troubles There
was no word Of reproach against her
husband, however.
The children like to work with the
plow," she said. 1T is light, and my
husband pushes it hard
After some cudgeling of her memory
for ages she gave the following list
Jonathan, l year.
Edna, years.
Helen, years.
otto, years.
Henry, years.
Freda, Q years
Fred, Ill yparS.
Elsie, II years
Hetty, IA years
Man Broken by Adversely.
1t was Otto and Henry and Freda
and Fred who We're utilized at the pillow,
Mrs. bundle confessed finally The two
oldest girls work OUT on neighboring
farms. Those Of school age got to school
when convenient.
Farmer bundle was willing to sit on
the pillow and talk. lie is a shaggy man
with discouraged expression and q look
Of sullen defiance in his eyes. Life has
dealt unkindly with him.
At mention of the plow he led the
way without q word to q barn overflow
ing with broken down farm implements
1t showed the same poverty as the
mousse. Inc man pointed TO wooden
pillow made of rough tree limbs with
long tongue and four proLgs.
There it is" he said in tired way
rs that too much for my boys and girls
to pull2 They like it. / push hard on
the handle and it's easy. 1t is not u
pillow, anyway. 1t is a cabbage rake"
The reporter pointed at the horse
What's the matter with the horse
pulling it?' he asked.
No Inhumanity; Sheer Necessity.
THE horse was sick" he said, suIlen-
IT, Then his eyes flashed What bust
ness is it of the neighbors, anyway?
love my children. | would not mistrcat
them. Ask any of them if l ever was
cruel to them"
Then came the children. Four, too
young to go to school, toddled and scram-
hlcd to meet four just returning from
the district school. A great hubbub
arose at the presence of stranger
Otto, and Henry. and Freda. and Fred
who had taken the place of the old white
horse, We're harefooted. ragged. and shy.
DO You like to pull the plow?" they
were asked.
Sure said Fred, stoutly, glancing
Mt his father, then away to where the
lake shone through the trees, where
came the sound of other boys shouting
in the "old swimmin' hole
The others hid behind the mother
who stood in the doorway, holding in
her thin arms the sturdy baby, whose
blue eyes and pink toes knew not 9
of all the problems of Wooden Shoe -.
ley.