The herald., 1911-04-13
The Blue Ribbon
Pumpkin
By NJ QUAD
.,xb, 1910. by Associated Lit
| COPY erary Press.

,,ont. 1t was only Wheh tle III
pu .ts got to number 200 that trou
sap 70 him. 4 church was want
" - course. For two or three years
= = ~eople gathered in barn when a
p ,, nreacher came that way. but
D ~ came when Moses Smith said
p savout must be ready to make per
.ocrifices. Not a family in the
d. Int agreed with him. Each
sssribed all. and in some cases more
NO could really afford. Lumber
houeht and piled against the day
I'D he wanted, and things were
.'s along placldly and peacefully
- the county decided TO hold its
lair It was to mean much TO all
DTS and villagers, for each family
!. me latter had a big garden and
MA compete for prizes.
NJ" Tho soil around Unity was fine for
n sorts of vegetables, but paricu-
.,,r pumpkins. Pumpkins had been
- there that had been the won
Z, AZ four counties. As soon as the
"a, vas announced every head Of
su,,v in the village at once mentally
s.,,aed to grow prize pumpkin for
Ae blue ribbon to be given. They car
"a tbis decision to the public meet
!. called. and at which Moses Smith
rsided and said:
syr,ends, have sorter planned this
,,,ps out for all of us. Aaron Temp
vns will grow the prize squash; Felix
White viii grow prize cucumbers; Sam
II Davis will grow prize tomatoes;
"A Mrs. Tompkins will grow prize
h.etsp and he read the list to the end
and announced that he would grow a
vi,e pumpkin as big as -four barrel.
There was row at once. Each was
m prize pumpkin, and no one was
Wing to give way. Moses argued
,,d protested. but it was pumpkins or
pcthing.
Noses Smith couldn't positively for
"a the others to grow pumpkins,
bvever he might discourage, and the
rult was pumpkins on every hill and
b every hollow.
One day it was reported that at night
one one was to make a raid on
Wery pumpkin patch in the village
md wreak his spite. That night a
score of men sat up all night prepared
b cell their lives and their pumpkins
Il any cost. After that the situation
bcame more tense. The circuit rid
q came again and again, but to find
Tat the church interest had been
erenhadowed by the pumpkin inter
Ct and that most Of those who
should have formed his congregation
were In the fields or gardens. He
vent to Moses Smith, as the head and
'front.' to see how the church building
yfogressed and was met by the reply:
Nothing doing, elder, and may not
h for two or three years to come. I'm
sorry to say that the town seems to
hye backslid, and I shouldn't be a
BIT surprised to see lightnin' strikin'
tround rs any time"
By the date of the fair a stranger
eoming into the village would have
ftund everybody down on everybody
-. he would also have learned that
fufg-one families we're growing prize
punpkils and that each family fully
0pected to get that bit Of blue ribbon.
The show pumpkins must be got to
he county seat ten miles away. Two
wagons could have conveyed them,
but no! Each pumpkin must be got
mere by itself. 1t was carried there
D q sheet, on a stretcher, in a buggy,
y q team. When they We're on ex-
hbition at last they all looked to be
obouf the same size and weight, and
q matter Of fact they were. Each
Me had been nursed and encouraged
% DO Its best. OF course a row could
y looked for. The pumpkin commit
- had heard about the trouble at
Onl0 and did not wish to add to it.
me contest was so close that they
wuld very well bring In report Of no
eecision, but that was far from salts
vhg the exhibitors. The upshot was
a almost complete failure of the
whole show.
Inc fair over and the pumpkins re-
uned home to be made into pies, the
ommon sense way would have been to
eop the whole matter and let unity
s5M In spirit as well as name.
~nmon sense had nothing to do with
however. The exhibitors blamed
- Judges as well as each other, and
' kept the quarrel alive for another
I Meanwhile nothing more was
os nward a church. and the sorrow
- circuit rider got the people together
last sermon and said:
where pumpkins prevail instead OF
'eachlngs Of the gospel there is no
eyard and no work for a pilgrim
many OF you as will pledge your.
~ ~ not to grow pumpkins for ex'
s'uon another year please stand up"
wy a person arose, and the good
closed his Bible and put on his
sno rode away. Oh, no, he didn't
me town with him. It's there
~ Inc name Of Difficulty has been
s1ututed for Unity, and I've simply
'eiiing you how it came about. ]
curiosity to inquire and 1 didn't
OUT you had some as well. Right
sAe one Of the half dozen saloons
ne place under the new state OF
Is the church lumber rotting
v. and Moses Smith will answer
seer Inquiries with:
- SIR; those plaguey stiff necks
~" l'gnt at 1t and split the prettiest