The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-01-15

Dr. II. FL. Whitaker.
what a man said in my hearing the
other day. Talking to another gentle
man. he remarked: woods wood,
now. in my section; but the trouble is
we can't get it."
Have you no old field pines?"
PLENTY Of them; but, like blamed
fools, we sold our mill timber to the
lumber men, thinking that we sold
nothing but the big timber; but now
they claim all the saplings; won't even
let us cut a stack pole, because they
claim that in fifteen years that stack
pole would be Il saw log; so there We
are
"Wha are you going t. DO about
it," asked the other man.
DO? The only thing we can do is
to pick UP lghtwood knots and burn
the dead timber"
Il tell YOU what I'd do said the
other man: I'D manage to put the
bugs to work in the old fields. among
the sapling pines. They'd Kill each
summer enough pines for your winter
fire wood
thing of the kind I'll AVE to stop rails
ing tobacco"
Having heard the conversation. |
asked Il gentleman, if ii were true that
the timber contracts. which people
b We entered INTO with mill mon, were
- Co.'s -" ~ ~ WIZ ~ BlD -
+ said. from What he had heard. there
were but few old farmers who were
not waking up to the fact that they
had sold a part of their timber very
cheap, n had given away the bal
ancc.
There's a nightly log-roIling going
on now: it is the rolling of the South
ern timber into the pockets of north
crn capitalists, while precious little
money is rolling into the pockets Of
the landowners who sold. too hastily,
the best part of their prDerty.
/ am sorry | have not the time to
answer all the Chain" letters that
come to me. am sure that those
who write to me mean we'll, and. hav-
ing formed Il good opinion Of me,
they very naturally suppose it would
be a pleasure to me to become q link
in an endless rayer chain; and
appreciate, more than / can express it,
that good opinion,
But. | must assure my dear friends
that. it would be too heavy a tax on
my time to become a link in all the
chains that are being stretched over
the country; therefore, as much rs I
hate to break one of those chains.
am obliged to do it. If the request
was for me to add one link 1 might do
that; but. when | am asked 20 write
nine letters, to nine different person
| must bee to be excused.
These remarks are called forth by
my recently having received the fol-
lowing:
Prayer Chain"
80 Lord esus Christ we implore
Thee, Oh Eternal God, to nave mercy
on all mankind: keep me from sin. by
Thy precious blood, and take US to be
with Thee eternally-Amen."
This prayer was sent by Bishop
Lawrence, recommending it to be writ
a ~ Ipnt 30 in ~ En,. nr- g
One person who paid no attention to
it met with a dreadful misfortune. He
who re-Writes this prayer for nine
days, and distributes it to nine other
persons. commencing h day it is re-
ceiVed, and sending one each day, will,
on, or after the ninth day, experience
a great joy. At Jerusalem, at the Holy
Feast, it was said. He who re-writes
this prayer will be delivered from
every calamity Please don't break
his chain."
The above i. the letter | am asked
to write nine times.
Now. the question is, h is Bishop
Lawrence? And another Isl by what
authority does he assume to say. thar
If | write min letters, TO nine differ
ent persons-one a day for nine days
that. for SO doing, I Will experience
a great JOY. on the ninth day; and to
intimate that if | fail to so write l
shall meet with some terrible mis-
fortune? And does he suppose he can
make intelligent people believe that,
"At Jerusalem. at the Holy Feast, it
was said. he that re-Writes this pray
er shall be delivered from every
calamity" The Bishop must think
the world is mighty green.
A lacy wrote the prayer and sent
it to me, and I appreciate the fact
that she did, for / think she likes me,
as she says in her letter: Il have been
reading your letters in 'The Farmer
and Mechanic, for some time and |
assure you | enjoy them very much
and have been benefited by them
OF course | like her, for what she
says of my letters. and, more especial
ly. for saying she would like very
much to know me personally. If l
ever go into her vicinity [ shall be
sure TO make her acquaintance.
I have a mott question, now. which
a lady asks me to answer. If | knew
whether she is married or single. |
could. perhaps, write an opinion that
would be more acceptable. h ques~
ton she asks is: "Do you think there
is lottery in marriage?'
Now, isn't that a poser? To tell the
truth. / don't know what think about
it; but. if the lad means to ask. is
marriage a. matter of chance, [ un-
hesitatingly answer no. for most of th@
young people. I have known. and the
old ones as we'll. have married because
the women were Courted by the mef.
or the men were shared by the II
and having gotten into love scrapes,
thew married to end the affair. They
brought it on themselves. and lottery
had nothing to do with it.
AS to how they do after they are
married. that depends upon what they
were beforehand: and that opens the
way for me to say. if there be any lot
terry in marriage. it is in the Grab-baS
way choices are sometimes made.
Some girls. are like the one we used to
heal of. who prayed for a husband,
and While praying. heard an owl boot
ing. "Whoo, WHO'D, w~hoo-ah!' and
supposing the owl was the Lord ask
ing her who she wanted, answered.:
"Any BODY, Lord, so it's a mani"
Such girls. may, very likely, find at