Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-17

eermg. .'One- day just before noon she /
drew up to wheat field where twenty /
men were harvesting. She was the |
center of interest at once, and the men |
gathered around her.
81 want all you men to vote for me-" |
she began.
what are you goin' to do for US" |
called out one of the men.
'I'll be n good official" she replied.
THAT amt enough. Kin you COOKE"
came back from the group.
yes can cook"
well, we've been liyin' on mems |
cookin' for two weeks out here in har-
vest, and if you want us to vote for
you cook rs woman's meal"
I'll do it. Where's your cook
shack" she declared and alighted from
her buggy. She prepared hearty,
well cooked meal for the harvest crew.
and when she went away they gave
three cheers and promised her their
votes. She was elected by majority
of eighteen, so that meal was not cook
ed in vain.
The college boys are of benefit to the
communities in which they work in
that they interest the young folks in
college life.
Il am going to send my boy to col
lege," said one farmer who had a half
dozen college boys in his harvest field.
My boy used 70 think it was all right
to get along without college education,
but those college boys told him of the
fun at school and of the prospects they
have for business life when they come
out. and he has the fever so bad that
really | think he will make something
of himself yet. 1t will cost something.
but if what those boys say is so there
is little chance for loss. rs he will have
] better salary when he comes out
than he can get any other way"
That kind Of spirit excited on the
farms of the west is sending large
numbers of boys from the prairie
states to seek education in the east.
Probably 1t is Il good investment even
if the boys with the football hair are
not such hard workers as some of the
western farm hands.
From the tendcrfoot's point of view
! the harvest period is Il serious one, and
he is likely to be very much surprised
| by some of the experience he meets.
| One of these said concerning his work
Il was quite ignorant of farming and
| kept the farmers amused by asking
| foolish questions. While | was green
I enough to he refreshing. l could net
! acquire that western breeZineSS and
| that matter of fact way of treating
! people that seems so easy to the west
| erners. l laughed when l saw cows
| covered with blankets to keep off the
! flies, ana | presumed that pantalOOnS
| would be used to equip the other sex.
In Kansas neither the farmers nor
! the horses know the meaning OF
| whoa The ten hour system seems To
| he in regular uSe-ten hours before
/ dinner and ten hours after dinner,
! without any more time for meals than
| is absolutely needed for the gulping
! down of the food.
Il am tired of the job and will not he
! back next year"
, 1t is always Il task to get the right
amount of laborers at the right time il
| tine harvest belt. The wheat ripcns SO
! fast over so large Il territory that the
| farmers are not able to care for ii
| without Il lot of outside assistance
! Take some of the western counties
They have only 1000 population, but
| they raise half million bushels of
| wheat. How can they gather it unless
! there are outside workers willing tC
help in the harvest? They are now
calling for help, though the crop this
year is admitted to be less than it was
last season by many million bushels.
Whether the college boys come OF
not. there are many others who vii
he in Kansas and are arriving on every
train. Some of them have been work
ers in factories, some are tramps, some
are farmers of Illinois and Indiana
seeking Il look at the west. All arr
welcome.