The Ordway new era., 1909-02-26
OLD DUFFS
METHOD
Ne Never Mad Occasion TO Find Fsuit
with His Hired Msn.

that feather duster? Daggone II | ever
| seen sech a wuthless, no-account boy
in all my time!"
The new boy shuhled away grum'
bling, and the storekeeper turned TO
the group He does beat all for
ornerlness.' he said. Seems like he
| Jest nachally hated to move his feet.
| He hain't wuth his salt. let alone
wages"
When you pay n boy dollar'n
| hat a week you nachally expect MN
to do suthin' to earn II, don't ye'
Rufe?" said Sol Baker. sarcastically.
He needs watchin'." said Marvin
Parsons "lve be an keep!n' 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 of them shelves, sence he
piled them sacks c. -four"
Tell ye.' said Washington Han
cock You don't handle him right.
Rufe. You'd git a right smart more
work outen him II you'd crack him up
std o. bullyraggin him. There's a
heap In that. II hired help Id 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. workln' hard when he quit.
Jake couldn't pick an choose the
way could not bein' eXtry an havin
poor health-'specIally about plantin
an haryestin' tin es," went on Han
cock But Jake TUX likin' TO the
old man the fust time he seen him.
liked his white whiskers an his cheer
.ul manners. Then everybody didn't
erpreshate Jake. an old man Dun did.
"I reckon I've done good days
work gIttin you says the old man to
Jake. as he wuZ takin' him home In
the waggin. I don't make no mistakes
about folks an as soon as | seen you
| knowed you wuz the man | wanted.
There's n worker" says to myself.
There's n good. stlddy. sober young
feller that's a-goin' to make things
hum. an he's huskier. too. than he
looks to be- be. 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 dia
not let on. an all the way along the
old man KEEP a.crackin him up an
soft-soapIn' him the same way. Bime-
by they got to the house an he 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.
What did tell ye! says the old
man. GRIMM. Got the harness of an
the oats In the feedboxes an the man
gers filled an the beddin' 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 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.
"I knowed It,, says Duff. I hain't
never mistook in a man. I knowed
when l fust seen you that you wuz a
worker; still. l 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. III
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 appertite for supper
He wuz gone tol'able long time,
an when he come back he stood an
watched Jake sawin.
"'Gosh ALL he sAys. 'Haint you
lightnin' slicked with axel grease!
You keep right on. I want mother to
see you. It's a sight wuth seem. |
ulster think l could saw wood when |
wuz a young feller, but I've had to
knuckle under to you. I'll go tell
mother
He toddles off, an after a 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 him up
to himself between times till Jake go
swelled up like mad hop toad an
come nigh to killin' himself tryin' tt
keep up with the repertation the ole
man give him.
"F'inerly, when the fust month WI,
up he told Duff that he thought h,
WIS wuth five dollars more'n he WI,