Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-05-19
More About 1.-The System

| around. the world, leaving anotner &c
look after his profits, rent and interest,
who soon became known as Captain
and was even harder on them than the
old Colonel, as he is under strict or
ders and has to see that they are car
ried out in accordance with the laws
of business. The scratchers are
failing to meet their due notes, also
their accounts, and the Captain must
collect or lose his job. If he loses his
job he must become a scratcher, and
he. by this time, abhors the idea of
coming down among the scratchers.
He has been leader in church and
presented many subscription lists to
the scratchers for worms for the
preacher who has labored so hard to
help him to keep the scratchers good,
and send worms to the charitable insti-
tuition erected by the old Colonel,
where many of the scratchers because
of overwork and not enough worms,
have incurred diseases, which have ut
terly disabled them for scratching.
The Captain sees the distress and tells
them, You are going to have good
time soon. 3" 81 know you will find
more worms and better ones. "Where
there is will there is always way"
They are going to roost hungry. The
fence is rotting down around the hen
houses. The roofs are all fast decay
ing and they see no relief. Many of
them are becoming desperate They
begin to talk of what large pile of
worms they have scratched for the old
Colonel, that they have never missed
day scratching when the Captain
said scratch, and here we are starv-
ing. What will we do? Up came the
young rooster whom the old rooster
had robbed of his intended pullet and
says, Lets catch the Captain and
throw him out of the yard"
Agreed, they all said in one voice.
"We are starving and if die we must,
let's die fighting for our birthright to
the yard.
They all started for the old Captain
and he went to running and the last
that was seen of him he was running
to find the old Colonel to relate what
had happened. The chickens went to
scratching on new conditions and soon
all were happy and contented because
they could scratch all the worms they
could eat in about two hours. The
balance of the day was spent in leis-
ure or to improve their minds, etc.
The scratchers now, like their former
Captains, Majors and Colonies, had
time to read and study political econo-
my and they learned faster than the
old Colonel. He had hit them hard in
the stomach, and they had learned a
lesson they will never forget.
They announced that there would be |
a meeting down at the spring and ev-
cry scratcher must be there. At the |
appointed time they were all present,
when up popped the disappointed |
young rooster and said, II move that |
TO the scratcher belongs all the bugs
and worms he may scratch without |
paying profit, rent or interest. II
second that motion, they all exclaim-
I'D in one voice. 'But that is Socia-
ISM" ''All right let it be whatever
you please to call it, we are for it.
The Captain notified the old Colonel
that the scratchers had all turned
Anarchists and would have killed
him but brother So-and-so of the
,hurch notified him in time to make
lis escape, and 81 am sorry to tell
'ou, but the scratchers seized the yard
md swear they will never pay any
more rent, interest or profit
The scratchers agree that everyone
who lives in the yard must scratch for
lis own living, or, at least, be useful
o those who scratch. "We remember
he old Colonel telling us that we were
he pillows of society and that we had
made the yard what it was, ETC., and
hat he could not see us starve. Now
We are going to treat him right We
will allow HIN all the land in the yard
Which he can scratch, but none for
roht, rent, or interest -
"Well," said the young rooster,
that is not SO bad That gives every
ne an equal opportunity to produce
onest living. feel like this is the
randest thing ever heard of. Why,
lr in all yards l ever knew, you had
ask some captain to allow you to
'ratch and many times | have been
nrned away and forced to tramp and
ften went to roost hungry. Oh the
nought of starving I could not Danish
'om my mind. could not sleep for
linking of the poverty and misery
aused by the system adopted by the
ID captains. Now that the scratchers
ave taken charge, I know that every
ling will be done right which did not ,
sgin with the scratchers. -
About this time the old Col. Rooster
'turned and began to try to get pay ,
II his yard. Many cried Arrest him !
nd let's put him in prison We should 7
1T him to death and should he be ]
ade to suffer a thousand deaths it !
ould not repay those whom he has so |
ljustly robbed by taking profit rent ,