Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-02-02
The Blue Ribbon
Pumpkin
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

western state. Moses was the head
and front 1t was only when the in
habitants got to number 200 that trou-
BILE came to him. A church was want
ed, of course. For two or three years
the people gathered in a barn when a
circuit preacher came that way, but
the day came when Moses Smith said
the devout must be ready to make per-
sonal sacrifices Not a family in the
village but agreed with him. Each
subscribed all. and in some cases more
than he could really afford. Lumber
was bought and piled against the day
it would be wanted, and things were
going along placidly and peacefully
when the county decided to hold its
first fair. 1t was to mean much to all
farmers and villagers, for each family
of the latter had a big garden and
could compete for prizes.
The soil around Unity was fine for
all sorts Of vegetables, but particu-
larly pumpkins. Pumpkins had been
grown there that had been the won
der of four counties. AS soon as the
fair was announced every head Of
family in the village at once mentally
decided to grow prize pumpkin for
the blue ribbon to be given. They car
ried this decision to the public meet
presided and said:
''FriendS. | have sorter planned this
thing out for all of us. Aaron Temp
kinS will grow the prize SQUASH Felix
White will grow prize cucumbers; Sam
uel Davis will grow prize tomatoes {;
old Mrs. Tompkins will grow prize
beets." and he read the list to the end
and announced that he would grow a
prize pumpkin as big as -four barrel.
There was Il row at once. Each was
for prize pumpkin, and no one was
willing to give way. Moses argued
and protested. but it was pumpkins or
nothing.
Moses Smith couldn't positively for
bid the others to grow pumpkins
however he might discourage. and the
result was pumpkins on every hill and
in every hollow.
One day it was reported that al night
some one was to make a raid on
every pumpkin patch in the village
and Wreak his spite. That night a
score Of men sat up all night prepared
to sell their lives and their pumpkins
at any cost After that the situation
became more tense The circuit rid
er came again and again, but to find
that the church interest had been
overshadowed by the pumpkin inter-
est and that most of those who
were in the fields or gardens. He
went to Moses Smith. as the head and
front. to see how the church building
progressed and was met by the reply:
Nothing doing, elder, and may not
be for two or three years to come. I'm
sorry to say that the town seems to
have backslid and l shouldn't be a
bit surprised to see lightnin' strikin'
around us any time"
By the date of the fair a stranger
coming into the village would have
found everybody down On everybody
else. He would also have learned that
forty-one families were growing prize
pumpkins and that each family fully
expected to get that bit of blue ribbon.
The show pumpkins must be got to
the county seat ten miles away. Two
wagons could have conveyed them,
but no! Each pumpkin must be got
there by itself. 1t was carried there
in a sheet. on stretcher, in a buggy,
by team. When they were on eX-
hibition at last they all looked to be
about the same size and weight. and
as a matter of fact they were. Each
one had been nursed and encouraged
to do its best. Of course d row could
be looked for. The pumpkin commit
tee had heard about the trouble at
Unity and did not wish to add to it.
The contest was so close that they
could very we'll bring in a report of no
decision, but that was far from salts
flying the exhibitors. The upshot was
an almost complete failure of the
whole show.
The fair over and the pumpkins re-
turned home to be made into pies. the
common sense way would have been to
drop the whole matter and let unity
prevail in spirit as well as name.
Common sense had nothing to do with
it. however. The exhibitors blamed
the judges as we'll as each other, and
that kept the quarrel alive for another
year Meanwhile nothing more was
done toward a church. and the sorrow
full circuit rider got the people together
for last sermon and said:
where pumpkins prevail instead Of
the teachings of the gospel there is no
vineyard and no work for pilgrim.
AS many of you as will pledge your
selves not to grow pumpkins for ex-
hibition another year please stand up"
Not a person arose, and the good
man closed his Bible and put on his
hat and rode away Oh, no, he didn't
take the town with him. It's there
yet. The name of Difficulty has been
substituted for Unity, and I've simply
been telling you how it came about.
had curiosity to inquire and didn't