The Florida agriculturist., 1908-02-01


pushed his plate away from him. eye
beat mel" he said. IF that's a Boston
appetite I amt wonderin' that produce
fetches sech prices as you say it does.
What's this bout yer not goin' back?
Amt lost yer job, hev YEP"
mot muchr' I replied. "But the
Jobs going to lose me-. I'm figuring
on going into business here.
Both the old folks looked at me in
surprise, and ( went on: IF you
slice up a carrot diagonally-on the
bias, you know, Mother, you get oval
slices, don't you?"
What ye meanderin' about now"
asked Dad
"Ive got a contract to deliver a
hundred thousand Of such slices, in
Boston; only, instead of being cut out
Of carrots, they're to be cut out OF
oak boughs, or beech or birch"
''Fer the lands sake" exclaimed
Mother
''In the shop where I've been work
ing," I continued, eve used to get out
lot Of woodwork for Dietz & Sib-
ley. They made fancy articles, toys,
picture frames and such like. Now,
they're using these oval sections for
inkStands and match-safes and photo
graph frames. They are cut a half
inch thick, and anywhere from three
to six inches WIDE The bark is left
on and they smooth them up and pol
ish them, and then fit them up for
anything they want"
"What'l1 them city folks git at next"
exclaimed Dad, with chuckle. Cut
tin up slivers of cord-wood ter hang
in their par1ors Dye spose ye kin
git a price for sections Of them old
hoss- blankets, Henry? Mebbe ye kin
turn them old ox-bows into merchant
able product Mrs. Huckins sold her
old spinnin' wheel fer fifteen dollars.
Pears as if ox-bows oughter fetch as
much"
"I'l1 pull in more than fifteen dol
lars on this job, Dad! I can get $3.50
a thousand for these sections; that
makes $3.50 for the lot"
He looked at me obviously. The
whole matter seemed a little beyond
his comprehension "How're ye goin'
ter git 'em out?" he asked "That
old buck-saw amt in very good shape,
an, moreover an likewise, I remem-
Der ye didn't take kindly to buck-saws
afore ye went away"
eve learn how to do things easier,
in the city, Dad. I'll rig up a gasoline
engine and a circular saw"
"Meanin' one of them puffy things
that runs them autOs?'
eyes, one of that kind. I can get
one that's been used in a boat, six
horse. It's a good one, too, but the
fellow wants to put in bigger one.
| get this for about half price"
"Six horse, eh? S'pose ye kin rig
it on to the axle of that big wagon?
Ole Blazeface is gettin' purity stiff!
Guess he'd be glad ter have six horse
power back Of him, over these peSky
hills. Seems as if t would be a purity
easy matter to rig Ye wouldn't need
no steerin' gear. Jest hitch Blazetace
III an let him do the steern' while the
engine does the work? Well, I'll go
an lock up"
''Henry, my DEAR" said Mother,
when Dad had gone 'What does it
all mean? We want you back, my
boy-it's been pretty lonely; but you'll
be throwing your life away! This is
no place for young man, drudging
away among these stones and rocks,
barely making living, never getting
a dollar ahead. Oh, my boy! [ can't
bear to think of it. There's no pros
pect here; no soil to raise stuff, no
prices for the stuff if you do raise it.
Everything is going to ruin, Henry.
There's no money to buy anything
with"
"But it's old New Hampshire,
Mother and Iowa r. T'r71 oOirU +O