The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-05
LIFE AT POTATO HILL
AND OTHER MATTERS

(From Howe's Magazine for July.)
In my retirement at Potato Hill
farm, am pretty shiftless, after more
than forty years of activity. Some
days, l do not get out of bed until
afternoon. l read a great deal, and
not one book, newspaper or magazine
entirely meets with my vagrant APP
proval. If the writer's knew how l
skim" their work, and growl, and
say, We'll, in the name of high
heaven, how did that fellow get a
reputation" they would not feel so
big; although have noted that many
people get along surprisingly we'll
without my approval
One morning, two young girls came
out from town to spend the day with
Adelaide and Edna. When dinner
was ready, l patched myself up sui.
ficiently to appear at the table. And
how l roared like lion at the young
girls! ct was a joke; l greatly ad.
mired them ALL l said women had
always imposed on me, but that 1
was now getting my rights. Once,
had them all up from the table at
the same time, waiting on me, and CIV
ing me my rights. And they enjoyed
it as much as l did, unless he is her
husband, a woman is always good
natured with a man.
The young girls from town are sing
ers, and l made them sing duets for
me, as well as wait on me, and we
had quite a shiftless and enjoyable
time until their old horse was hitcheu
to the old family buggy, and they
started home.
l like living at the farm; except one
thing. We have natural gas, carried
from the main a mile away; but we
are too far removed from city water
to get it, so we have a tank in the
cellar. Into this tank we pump water
from big cistern, against air. When
the plumber put in this tank, he saiG
few strokes on the pump, applied in
the spring, would afford a bountiful
supply of water until fall. But the
plumber over-estimated the advant.
ages Of the system. We have a boy
who comes once a day to pump, ana
he usually keeps up sufficient pres
sure for our own use, but when we
have company the boy is gone, ana
when the water pressure begins to go
down, am compelled to pump. Frank
MACEDONIAN, a friend of mine at To
peka, frequently visits me, with his
family. ! think so much of him thar
gave him my own room, with private
bath. He greatly enjoys bathing in
the soft water from the big cistern,
and when l hear him splashing around
in the tub, am glad he is enjoying
himself; until l think of the water
pressure going down steadily Then 1
go into the basement, and pump.
don't like to say anything to
Frank; he is an official of the Asso-
ciated Press, and his name is on it's
Iletter-heads. And, in our business, an
official of the Associated Press is as
great a man as a Bishop is to a
church member. He is one of the
best fellows l know, but how he uses
water! All visitors are nearly as bad.
Most people like to use plenty of wa
ter, to get even with the water com:
pany; but, in this case, am the wa
ter company.
Still, it's pleasant at the farm. When
l become hungry, Adelaide and l go
out into the field to pick sugar peas,
and, within an hour, we have them for
dinner. You don't know how good
fresh peas are unless you have eaten
them an hour after they are picked. /
sometimes think Uncle Bruce should
be arrested for selling some of the
things he subsequently,, radishes,
spinach, lettuce, beets, carrots, and
turnips,-but peas are fine, if eaten an
hour after they are picked. / usually
assist in hulling the peas, too, but /
am not henpecked; l do it because |
want to. And every morning, lately,
| have gone into the patch and picked
select and fully ripe strawberries for
breakfast. That's another luxury your
town people know nothing about.
A distinguished Frenchman has COM
piled list Of what he calls Fool Be
liefs." He declares that the people
.of the world have more than two
thousand beliefs that are as foolish as
the notion that water will run up hill.
Some of these beliefs do more harm
than others, but all are harmful. Some
.of them injure health; some of them
make their adherents narrow and sell
fish. Look yourself over.