The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-06
WOES OF PRINCETON YOUTH
IN KANSAS HARVEST FEEL
Country, But Never

I II see by the papers, as Mr.. Dooles
says. that a Kansas City magistrate
suspended sentence in some xagrancy
cases on condition that the culprits de-
part to labor in the Kansas wheat
fields,S said young Princeton man.
III those men who thus escape the
penalty of the law knew what they
were going into when they entered
the service Of a Kansas farmer at har-
vest time they would welcome six
IN onths at hard labor on the highways
or rock pile instead of a month In the
golden fields OF Kansas, / know ]
would I've been there and for me
( Ii IL never again"
The memory of it makes me all the
more sore. because j want driven TO
| 1t by any necessity. | had plenty of
money and I had several opportuni-
| ties Of congenial employment with
pleasant surroundings and liberal com
pensation. But no, nothing would do
me but the wheat fields of Kansas, far
away,
1t WAS along about the time the
farmer fret began to employ college
boys to help out through harvest The
papers were full OF their appeals. Ev-
erybody was talking about 1t. II took
brave youth to resist the appeal
| with all his friends commenting upon
his tdleness and the great need in the
West for able bodied men.
Ills Patriotic Duty.
1t looked like matter OF patriotism
and good citizenship for a lad to roll
up his sleeves and sail in to help save
the crops of his country.
so Joined band of boys who had
been corraiied by Philadelphia agent
Some wore from Princeton. some from
/ the University OF Pennsylvania and
elsewhere. We were bundled into a
day car and rushed to kansas City.
1t was a roasting. sitting trip, and we
were all ready to quit, but we hadn't
the courage TO do so. Besides, some
in the party really needed the money.
AT Kansas City we found other
bands OF students from colleges in In
diana. Illinois and other States. We
were herded in cheap hotel for a.
day and then divided into parties to
be shipped out over the various rail-
road lines leading into Kansas. None
OF us knew where We were going.
Where do | get orr" | asked the
lowbrow' who was leading my party
around.
See here. young Teller he said
Don't get gay. You'll find out soon
enough
i did. We reached a station about
one hundred miles from Kansas civ
half dozen farmers were there. They
looked us over. and one red-faced.
corn-fed-looking agriculturtst picked
me and couple of others as likely
assistants. ! was feeling pretty good
when we We're in the farm wagon Jolt
ing along to the ranch. which was six
teen miles from the railroad station.
about the splendid weather. which
was as hot as the hinges Of Texas; the
hne crops and. incidentally, about
chicken dinners, watermelons, the cool
nights and other tempting things /
was glad ! was among those present
We had arrived at the station nj
nine O'Clock In the morning. We
reached the barn house at one O'Clock
IA the afternoon. and our flrst
thoughts We're OF a chicken dinner
with watermelon trimmings. Nothing
doing.
Wen. boys said westcott pitch
In and get q smack now and then
we'll get right TO work
Chicken dinner I never saw q
chicken dinner the whole time I was
there. That first dinner consisted OF
cold corned beet, cold boiled potatoes
and coffee that was an insult to the
palate. We were all but starving, so
we more than did It justice, anyway.
Then, laying aside our GOATS, we were
driven into thu fields
FL Il