Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-01-25


but the actual living is the same in
all essential particulars. One of
the chief sources of income at Hyde
Farm was it's fruit products, apples,
pears, plums and especially cherries,
never have / seen such quantities
and such varieties of cherries. Well
do remember with what interest
we children looked forward to the
time when they would be ripe and
ready for market. Baskets shaped
like a half bushel measure were
= de of willow twigs and lined with
II ferns. In these baskets the
chg were carefully packed and
when Y were filled the top was
covered. n ferns, and sticks as
large as Us finger were crossed
over the baskets and fastened in
the sides; in this manner the cher
ries kept fresh and cool, were car
ried up to London and marketed.
At that time there were no railroads
in that immediate vicinity, so that
everything had to be hauled to
market in wagons and that gave me
an opportunity to make good
many trips to London and see the
city.
1t was my fathers custom to take
load of baled hay and cherries in
their season, at the same time, for
baled hay was always in demand
at the London hay market. We US
ually left the farm in the evening
and travelling all night reached the
city next morning in time for the
opening of the market.
Those English farm wagons were
heavy, wide tired affairs, not unlike
the Pennsylvania wagon; much
larger and more cumbersome than
those used on an Iowa farm, and
inasmuch as all public roads were
macadamized and kept in thorough
repair, immense loads could be
hauled to market. The horses were
hitched one in front of the other
and driyen tandem. generally three
Cr four OF them, while the driver
found a seat on the thills close up
to the front wheel of the wagon,
on the nigh side. For this reason
teams always turned to the left in
stead Of the right in passing each
other. Seated on the thills my
father rode with his long driving
whip in his hand, while was made
secure on the of side, till / would
get too sleepy, in which event both
of us would drop off our perches
and trudge along beside the horses
until wearied out 1 would hail with
much rejoicing the suburbs Of the
city, where we stopped for rest
and a breakfast of mutton chops,
hot cross buns and coffee.
Out of school hours or during
vacation days my chief occupation
was spudding thistles, a game at
which l became quite proficient, not
because it was enjoyable work, but
because much practice through
many days made me familiar with
all the finer points of the game, so
I could, under discouraging circum.
stances, like Mark Tapley, be quite
jolly. If l had had a companion to
share my burdens occasionally, and
to talk to as the days went By it
might have been different; but ]
was alone and every thistle in the
field was my mortal enemy, for ev-
cry one of them stood for French
man, and at that period, so soon
after the battle of Waterloo, every
English boy regarded with naughty
scorn the people across the channel
who had been their enemies, most
of the time ever since the days OF
the Black Prince. An Ensllshman
was equal to three Frenchmen any
day. Let them come on, who cared
those thistles were Frenchmen, and
this intrepid spudder warrior was
ready for them. He made nothing
of attacking them as they stood
there segregated from each other
scattered over the field of battle, as
in single file, or in serried ranks
they stood before him; no matter
they were his prey, and right royal
ly did he wade into them with al
a Briton's Drawn, for just little
while at time. The largest ant
fiercest of them were colonels ant
line officers but they all fell, ont
after another, ingloriously before
the prowess of that sturdy Briton'!
good right arm, gallantly assisted
by his left. o, 1t was glorious II
imagination, but hardly so in fact
for the nationality of those con
temptible thistles with their uttel
destruction furnished the opposing