Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-06-25
OLD DUFF'S
M ETHOD
He Never Had Occasion TO Find Fault
with HE Hired Man.


sortin' the apples?" demanded the
storekeeper. why in sin don't you
do sutnin sides loaf around with
that feather duster? Daggone If ever
seen sech a wuthless, no-account boy
in all my time!"
The new boy shuffied away grum-
bling, and the storekeeper turned to
the group. He does beat all for
orneriness, he said. Seems like he
jest nachally hated to move his feet
He hain't with his salt, let alone
wages"
When you pay a boy a dollar'n a
hat week you nachally expect him
to do suthin to earn it, don't We,
Rufe?" said Sol Baker, sarcastically.
He needs watchin',' said Marvin
Parsons. I've been keepin my eye
on him while I've been a-settin' here
an he's trifed away four or five min
its O. the time Rufe's a-payin' him for
dustin off them shelves, sence he
piled them sacks o. -four"
Tell ye,' said Washington Han
Rufe. You'd git a right smart more
work outen him If you'd crack him up
std O. bullyraggin him. There's a
heap In that If hired help I'd do like
old man Duff allus done with his help
My cousin Jake hired out to him one
time, an Jake almost got inter the
habit o workin' hard when he quit
Jake couldn't pick an choose the
way | could, not bein' extry an havin'
poor health-'s specially about plantin'
an harvestin times" went on Han
cock. But Jake TUX a likin to the
old man the fust time he seen him.
liked his white whiskers an his cheer,
full manners. Then everybody didn't
erpreshate Jake, an old man Duff did.
reckon I've done a good days
work gittin' YOU says the old man to
Jake, as he wuZ takin' him home in
the Vaughn. 4 don't make no mistakes
about folks an as soon as | seen you
| knowed you wuz the man | wanted.
There's a worker" | says to myself.
There's good, Study, sober young
Teller that's a-goin to make things
hum, an he's huskier, too, than he
looks to be. bet he's wuth ten o.
the trash I've ben a-hirin'." I'm right
glad to git you, Jake
Jake felt some uneasy, but he did
not let on, an all the way along the
| old man KEEP a-crackin him up an
soft-soapin' him the same way. Bime-
nv fhnU n tho hnuCn an hn told
| Jake to put the team up while he
went an got the pals for the milkin'
Jake suttenly did hustle around with
| that team an he wuz a-waitin' when
Duff come with the pals.
g. hat did tell YET says the old
man, GRIMM Got the harness off an
| the oats In the feedboxes an the man
gers filled an the beGdin shook down
Already Why, there's some men
would "a TUX the best part of an hour
to have done what you've done in ten
minutes You're a daisy Jake, a
daisy Les go milk now. bet you're
the champeen mixer, too
Jake wuz jest about a fair-to-mid-
| dim mixer, but he pitched right in
an done the best he could AS fast
as he'd stripped one COW he stepped
up lively an spry to the next an there
wuz IL O. them to milk. When they'd
got through he'd MIXED seven to the
old mans five.
81 knowed It, says Duff. I haint
never mistook in man. | knowed
when | fust seen you that you wuz a
worker; still, | didn't s'pose you wuz
! quite as good as what you are. When
| you git used to them cows you'll do it
| faster yit. Now, while me an the
woman is takin' care o. the milk, I'll
let you be sawin up some O. them old
white oak rails by the wood pile into
stove len'ths, SOS not to waste no time
an give you a appetite for supper.
He wuz gone a tol'able long time,
an when he come back he stood an
watched Jake sawin'.
"'Gosh ALL he says. 'Hain't you
lightnin slicked with axel grease!
You keep right on. | want mother to
see you. It's a sight wuth seem.
ulster think | could saw wood when
wuz a young Teller, but I've had to
knuckle under to you. I'll go tell
mother
He toddles off, an after while the
old woman come to the door, an Jake
cd hear the old man Dragging on him.
| He was dead lame when they called
him to supper, but he couldn't help
feelin' good when old man Duff KEEP
right on through the meal tellin' about
how spry he'd put up the horses an
what time he'd made milkin' an the
pile o. wood he'd cut
1T was the same way with
| everythin' that Jake done. Old man
Duff told everybody that came around
what a Jim dandy of man he'd got
an how he'd back him agin anythin'
| In Atchison county-when Jake was
around to hear-an' he'd crack aim up
to himself between times till Jake got
swelled up like a mad hop toad an
come nigh to KILN himself tryin' to
keep up with the repatriation the old
man give him.
"Finerly, when the fust month wus
up he told Duff that he thought he
L Ill