Mower County transcript., 1907-11-27
FARMER bEN'S
COLUMN

can't get over that recent sale OF
state timber to the lumber trusts at
reduced price of several dollars thou
sand while the trust still holds to the
same old price for lumber to the con"
sumer or stltfens up some. The tim
Der which the state owns is good pro-
perty and the public ought to haV the
profit on holdin' it a leetle longer.
There amt any too much of it LETT Dy
the big thieves who hav ben maxim un'
told millions profit out of it, buyln' Tor
nominal and ridiculous low tiggers and
then slappip' on the profits with their
ewes shut. Who ever is responsible for
this outrage on the commonwealth OF
Minnesota ought to be kicked out OF
ottis and shot. There aintt one OF
these state officials that would let 60 if
they themselves owned these valuable
timber lands. Every last one OF EN-
would hang on and make good bargain
for fair prices if they sold at all. But
the idee of sellin' now at reduced prices
what is CROWN worth more every TICK
of the clock is simply playln' the trail
tor act on the people and their highest
concerns
Well. here comes Thanksgivin' day
agen and it don't seem so very long
since we had turkey a whole year
ago. | can't help thinkin' of the ola
DAYS down in old Jefferson county be-
fore the war when we used to make so
much of the day. 1t was better to us
for a reunion time than Christmas or
any other date and we alwus figgered
to be home then if no other time. One
of the furIoughs from the war brought
us home on Thanksgivin' and it it
want whooper then Pm liar. In
the old boy times we used to get busy
for days before in gettin' ready. Mother
had the good old brick oven side OF the
big fireplace to cook the fixin's in. We
boys had to start early and heat up the
brick oven until it would make things
sizzle and then after the Goals was rak-
ed and brushed out the turkey ana
chicken pies and pumpkin pies and
pastry was all put In for the long steady
roast while the vegetables were craned
in pots over the fire place. 1t was
hungry time to walt for dinner but the
waitin paid. Why, we used to haV to
run round the house twice to make
room for more inside of us. l just
hope that young folks today hav half
as good time as they did fifty years
ago way down east.
! wonder how much there is of real
truth in the Englishman's travelln' ob-
servation on the women in Uncle Sans
domain that their mouths are often
twisted out OF shape and crooked from
chewin' gum. He says that in his trav.
els in our country he has seen few
American women who hav we'll formed
mouths. Ain'tit a shame that they amt
cot more sense? I'd ruther see man
chew tobaccer and spit and drool than
to see a girl or woman chaWln' and
chawin' gum. It's a vile digustln'
habit and L don't reckon goes along
with good breedin' and lady like ap-
pearance in public. If l was woman
and couldn't get along without my gum
chewin' I'd hire a second hand salt
barrel and put it behind the door and
when had to do it I'd stick my head
in the barrel and hav it out where no.
body would see it and be disgusted.
I'd hate to make my mouth twisted
and crooked by such a habit. II | was
a gal I'd bank more on hayin' pretty
and shapely and symmetrical mouth as
a leadin' star in the constellation Of my
facial beauty.
Some folks think that Farmer Ben
is gettin' to be regular old box Of
nervous agitation and can't stand any
of the up. to. date innovations. l spose
that's true but he's kind of outside the
ring and maybe can get difterin'
point of vision to see things from.
Now I've got another kick comm and
tell you it bothers awful. It's this
fool disturbin' of folks at concerts and
lectures and sermons and camp fires
and all that by lot of folks that keep
gigglin' and whisperin' and .movin' and
comm and goin' and interferin' gener-
ally with the attention and interest and
concentratin' Of the sensible folks that
come to hear and profit. There's a
whole lot of such goin' on and it both
ers lots from gettin' the good of an en-
tertainment and it looks like the very
gigg,ers couldn't tell what they was
gigglin' and titterin' at. What do folks
90 to public entertainments for if t
amt to get the good of 'em? If they