The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-30
BOWsER's STRAWBERRIES.
They May Be on the Market Next
Season.


Mr.. Bowser had made poor show Of
hanging on to himself during the din
ner hour. It had been apparent to Mrs
Bowser from the first that he had some
thing to communicate, but he wanted
| to be questioned about It, She had
asked for no information. and when
| the sitting room had been reached he
could stand it no longer. He fused
around for a few minutes and then
finally said:
Mrs. Bowser. of course women don't
pay much attention to those things, but
presume you have read or heard of
the strawberry"
II have even eaten them,'' she re-
piled.
Then you know that it is one of the
most luscious of our small fruits and
finds a ready market at a high price.
In glancing at the boxes of strawberries
in front of a grocery did it ever occur
to you how they were grown, where
they came from and the profit there
was in the business ?"
"It has, Mr.. Bowser. I have never
seen one of the berries vet without
thinking of the tremendous profits. 1
think 1 have read somewhere that
thousands and thousands of persons
have become millionaires from growing
Strawberries"
Mr. Bowser looked at her for a min
ute to see If she was in earnest and as
she kept her face straight he concluded
that she was and said:
IT wish to have little talk with you
this evening. Something happened to-
day that wish to discuss calmly and
coldly and in a business way. You
have long known that I am afflicted
with lumbago, rheumatism and heart
disease"
Certainly You have got 'em bad. I
was just wondering to myself this af
ternoon how much longer you could
stand it. You have lived now three
years longer than thought you could"
Mr.. Bowser opened his mouth to yell
woman at her, but closed it again.
1t was possible that she was not speak
ing in sarcsam. After a glare he said:
THE doctors all tell me that I shall
be no better until I get out into the
country. That's matter we have gone
over before. You have contended that
I was not strong enough to do heavy
farm work, and I have let it go at
that"
But you think you are physically
able to grow Strawberries? ?" she demure-
ly suggested.
"Ah, now we come to our subject.
Did you ever hear of man named
Scruggings?'
1T never did"
"Too busy attending bargain sales. Of
course. Well Scruggings is a fruit
grower. He gave us the Scruggings'
strawberry which leads in lusciousness
and sale all others in market. He was
in the office today, and hearing that I
wanted to get out into the country he |
made me an offer to take the berry off |
his hands. He doesn't think the name |
of Scruggings fits 1T. There is no eu-
phony about it. When you hear the |
name Scruggings you at once think of |
a red-headed, squint-eyed man with red |
whiskers."
but If it was called the Bowser
strawberry@?
That's it, You have hit 1t exactly. |
There's your euphony. There's the |
name for the public to roll under it's 1
tongue Here's your Bowser strawber-
ries! Nothing like 'eni Fresh, sweet |
and luscious! Scruggings wants 1t to be |
the Bowser strawberry instead of the |
"Wen?"
"well, we sell this house and lot this |
the country to grow the Bowser straw
berry and make ten thousand dollars |
the very first season. That's what he |
was getting around to say to you. Ten
thousand dollars the first season. and |
my health is restored besides. It won't |
be six weeks before I'll be holding the
plow behind a yoke of oxen.
ct see," replied Mrs. Bowser. land /
now for details. How extensively do
->,u intend to go into the business?''
well, the more berries the more |
money, you know. Scruggings thought |
I ought to begin with at least a hun
bred acres I can double the acreage
going to DOR
81 want to figure a little" replied |
Mrs. Bowser as she got pencil and pa
per.
But what's the use? Scruggings and
I went over the figures three different
times to be sure about them"
Yes. but we'll go over them once