Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-03-13

80 to 100 acres the city man. who lCEIHEO/
was wont to ask: why, that fellow CG0ZZ-
loafs all day long that
field the crows and the farmers wife are sorry
And they have reasons, too. The romancer who
mentally yards and yards of poetry about the
pathetic plight of the guardian of the chicken coop
and oat crop, must wend his way about the plan
tatfon of his country cousins in constant fear of
touching live wire and he has more such
lifelike themes for his alleged poetic ability.
The small farmer is sorry see his brother
of larger worldly goods take step forward by
proclaiming the scarecrow extinct.
The city may longer wonder the art
of putting the sham together and his suggestions
about giving it touch of decoration is positive
ly obsolete.
AS for the crows 1t is the duty of every
mother crow, well as the father crow, to teach
its young that the scarecrow is the friend of all
crows Hence, the silent friend of winter and
summer longer be perched upon by the
young crows in learning fly and the figure
which was intended to be the crows god of i'll
omen, but which in the eyes of the dark-hued
minions of the air indication of the
whereabouts of edibles in the shape of corn
ally. is to be swept into oblivion
The farmers wife hates to see the scarecrow
because of pleasant associations. During
long summer days while she is alone the men
and boys being off in the fields the silent stiff
armed policeman carries a silent conversation
with her, and she has surprised city people by in
sorting corn husk in the scarecrow's upper left
hand pocket tribute to the vanity of the
nanimate farmland. Always absolutely safe
talk to, never answering surlily, always silent
under the most scathing arraignment is it any
wonder that the scarecrow will be missed by the
women folks?
Thus score of years may it extinct Amid
gnashing of teeth by the oldtme agriculturist.
tears by fair conversationalists, caw-caws by
crows seeking the of the vogue, mourn
ing by the city folks and others, the curtain is
to be drawn over this pteous individual
The word scarecrow signifies its realm of
fulness which is to scare crows hawks, rabbits,
squirrels-in fact most anything being which
is liable to infict grievous wrong upon Mr.
Farmer.
While the scarecrow itself may become extinct,
the art of making scarecrows will always live,
agricultural experts declare The realistic scare
crow is a work of art A touch of realism here
and there will often chase away tramps in the
summer ume-nearsighted tramps especially
The scarecrow is purely American institu-
ton, invented for the purpose of helping the
farmer protect his grains but reversed by thieves
and made ever-present food indicator. No
body knows who invented it and nobody cares
much
One story which has found SO much credeEce is
that told by a New England farmer, who remem-
bers the times before the At that time he
knew farm hand in Maine who by natural
instinct a shirker of work. His employer learned
this after the had been in his employ three
hours. Seeing that he practically useless in
general farm work, he set him to watching prize
corneld hopi--g that by this method he might uti
ize the mans services and his corn. for the
crows were hungry and there were lots of them
For two days this suited the of rest fine for
he could lie down and doze the mere sight of
him soaring the crows for miles around
The shirker. whose name cannot be divulged