The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1911-03-30
A TRAMP
PARTNERSHIP
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

One summers day US lone widow
was driving all emigrant wagon along
the dusty highways Of Colfax county
bound ''for Kansas or bust" she was
met by Deacon Pegram. farmer. He
ascertained that she had few hun
dred dollars in cash and knew little
about agriculture or soils. and after in
viting her to his home for u stay of
week he sold her the very poorest
farm III all that country, noted for its
fertile soil.
One sunny day in March as she stood
at her gate tramp came slowly UP
the road and paused before her.
Things looked poverty poor to him, and
he had no thought of asking for any.
| thing to eat. He looked at the widow,
and she looked ut him, and he present
| ~ said:
IF you We're man you could turn
tramp and do better than farming
passed here last summer. and | saw
you were having hard time Of it."
did you stop ON purpose to tell me
that:" was queried in reply.
"Oh. no. l just felt like Ginning Il
little. You didn't know much about
land when you bought this. guess"
"And what do you know about the
land YOURSELF"
well. 4 little bit. Mebbe l wasn't
always tramp. This farm was being
worked Il hundred years ago. The soil
, is exhausted and dead. 1t wants bring
| ing back. Lere's Il ten acre lot that
would raise near Thousand bushels
of tate,s If treated right"
An the tarnel bugs would cat w
every vine as soon rs it showed above
the ground" replied the grouchy wild
| ow.
! I'm. I'm! Woman. let's talk. Let's
talk business. Let's talk of thou
sand bushels Of taters."
They talked for an hour. The widow
had been coZened once and was very
chary. but the tramp talked straight.
and she finally became Interested
From that she came to believe. There
must be some money raised for work.
ing capital. She mortgaged the team
of old horses and agreed to board the
tramp for his work and divide any
profits with him in the fall. 1t was to
be ten acres Of potatoes and nothing
else but little garden truck.
AS soon as spring opened the ground
was prepared. The tramp had a silver
watch he had picked up somewhere
1t went toward getting the field ready.
The last Of the widows money went
for seed. There were u great deal Of
laughter and ridicule over that part
nership. That soil would grow null
leins and thistles. but as for potatoes.
nix, SO all the passing farmers said.
The potato bugs came along in due
time. 1t was the seventh year Some
farmers had forgotten the date. while
others had laid in proper store Of
paris green. The tramp had said that
none would be needed on the ten acres
Not pound was bought. Dire disaster
was predicted. The bugs We're number
less. They swept over half the state.
and they hit ColfaX county worst Of
all. Farmers drew the green powder
for ten miles. and their women and
children soved it OH to the vines by
daylight and by moonlight. but the
six inches above the ground.
When the word went forth that the
tramp farmer was not using single
ounce of preventive and that not a
dozen bugs could be found in his big
field there were callers in plenty. He
was offered as high as $50 for his
secret. but he smiled and kept on with
his work. When he made any reply
at all it was that luck happened to be
with him. With a hoe in her hand, the
widow worked beside him, finishing
her row at the same time he did.
Sometimes they talked as they worked:
again they had nothing to say for half
day at time. They had said it was
to be business partnership. and they
stuck to it.
In time that ten acre field attracted
more public attention than the new
county courthouse. Potatoes were
only 30 cents bushel before the bugs
came. Then they went to SO. When
the first We're fit for market they sold
for IS cents. When it was known
that the state crop was a failure the
price jumped to 81. Then one day a
Spectator came along and offered 4
price for the tubers in the ground. 1t
was accepted. 1t was greater sum
than any farmer in the state had made
from all his crops put together. The
widow could lift the chattel mortgage
on the horses. renew and repair and no
longer scrape the bottom of the -four
barrel.
There was an even divide of the
money ut the kitchen table. The
tramp took the $50 and put it away
and laid the balance ON the widows
pile.
Fifty will last me for hundred
years to come" he said.
But you must take your hail." was
protested.
"You can be my banker till I come
this way again. Just wanted to see
II I had become entirely worthless te