Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-12-22

short time till | read the news.
Well, | have cleaned over the pa,
pers, don't find much that | call
good news, except the prospect fol
good crops but that Charleston
Convention. l am really vexed at
its result. But l hope all things
will work out for the best. Jesse's
letter of 21st and 2Sth April had
quite a number of news items in it.
He must have been doing some
work from what he reports of him
self; Il am not limiting that this
was news) and I ain really glad
that he is become able to labor.
He must be much stouter than he
was last year. I will answer his
letter before he quits looking fol
one from me. Tell hin. not tc
taunt me again with his buckwheat
cakes and molasses, unless be
throws some at me; as to molasses
we have plenty, but the buckwheat
cakes where are they? And echo
answers. "Where are they? Am
glad to hear that the people are
generally we'll. Father speaks in
his letters of his and mothers good
health and pleasant situation. This
is really good news. Perhaps they
will conclude that they can get
along without much work and be
contented too.
June 1st. The weather for the
last few days had begun ito look as
though a dry spell was upon u.s.
The grass was about ripe, and the
gummy, resinous weeds began to
smell like California, - when, 10! on
yesterday, the cool south wind be-
gan to blow, and by evening the
clouds gathered up from the South
and had an old-fashioned thunder
shower. | have not seen it rain fas-
ter since | came here. The light
ming came in at the windows and
over the floor, and there were a
few genuine peals of thunder, while
the rain poured down in torrents
until it measured in the rain guage
nearly three-fourths of an inch
Such a shower was scarcely ever
known here at this season. 1t has
caught many of the farmers in a
fix. Their hay is not all yet hauled
and what is, is in great, broad, un-
ricks, and this morning it is in 6
"sweet pickle". Today the sky is
quite ovcrclouded and the prospect
looks rainy. Such an unreasonable
rain is not within the recollection OF
"oldest inhabitants, and snch
thunder is remarkable. The Indian
blames the white man for all these
doings.
You might infer, from what
have said about the high price Of
! hay, &c, that a farmer here ought tc
get rich, but there are so many
leaks to his purse that it has to bt
often and literally replenished, OF
it will get empty in spite of him
Many farmers make but little, be-
cause they are often compelled tc
sell soon after harvest, when prices
are down. Farm products to bt
profitable must be kept till winter
at least in this neighborhood. Ont
of our most successful farmers ha:
told me that to make farming prof
liable here, a man mutt make every
thing count. | know this is the wa
he does. When his work is on han,
he drives ahead, late and early
breakfast by daylight, if he has t.
cook it himself, and push from day
light till dark and then he keep
his products till there is goo'
price if it is till the last of winter
and hauls it to the mountain him
self. He says a man must hav
money enough not to be compelled
to sell when the market is full, 0
he. will "go UNDER. This sam
man also keeps cattle, and mad
money by it, and perhaps that
the way he made the most that h
is worth. | have been told her
that it is the cattle men who hav
made the money. But that tim
in a great degree has passed by
Two cattle dealers in this neigh
borhood have quit the business
One of them has gone south to fol
low the same business there. TIL