The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-03-10

o. 10 lOU acres, the city man. VINO
was went to ask: why. that fellow CzSSz
loafs all day long that corn
field" the crows and the farmers wife are sorry.
And they have reasons. too The romancer who
mentally tore of yards yards Of poetry about the
pathetic plight of the guardian of the chicken COOP
and cat CROP must wend his way about the plan
tation of his country cousins in constant fear of
touching a live wire and he has no more such
lifelike themes for his alleged poetic ability.
The small farmer is sorry to see his brother
of larger worldly goods take a step forward by
proclairiEg the scarecrow extinct
The city man may no longer wonder at 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, as well as the father crow to teach
its young that the scarecrow is the friend of all
crows Hence the silent friend CT winter and
summer can no longer be perched upon by the
young crows in learning to fly and the figure
which was intended to be the crows god of ILL
omen. but which in the eyes of the dark-hued
miniOns of the air was an indication of the
whereabouts of edibles in the shape of eorn usu-
ally. is to be swept into oblivion
The farmers wife hates to see the scarecrow
go because of pleasant associations. During the
long summer days while she is alone the men
and boys being of in the fields the silent stiff
armed policeman carries on silent conversation
with her. and she has surprised city people by in
sorting corn husk in the scarecrOw's upper left
hand pocket a tribute to the vanity of the
inanimate farmland. Always absolutely safe to
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 a score of years may see it extinct Amid
gnashing Of teeth by the Old-time agriculturist
tears by fair conversatioHaists, cawcaws by
crows seeking the cause OF the new vogue mourn
ing by the city folks and Others the curtain is
to be drawn over this piteous individual
The word scarecrow signifies its realm of use
funess which is to scare crows. hawks. rabbits
squrrels-in fact. most anything being which
is liable to inf1ict 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 work OF art. touch of realism here
and there will often chase away tramps in the
summer time-near-sighted tramps especially.
., The scarecrow is purely an American institu-
ton. invented for the purpose of helping the
farmer protect his grains but reversed by thieves
and made an everpresent food indicator. No
body knows who invented it and nobody cares
much.
One story which has found SO much credence is
that told by New England farmer. who remem-
bers the times before the war. At that time he
knew farm hand In Maine who was by natural
instinct shirker of work. His employer learned
this after the man had been in his employ three
hours. Seeing that he practically useless in
general farm work, he set him to watching prize
corneld. hoping that by this method he might util-
ice the mans services and his corn, for the
crows We're 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
h.. soaring the crows for miles around.
The shirker. whose name cannot be oivulged