The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-27
The Gentle Art of Loatlng and a
Fen Side Lights on Other Things
BY FREDERICK DUDLEY SWINDELL

Tired. wounded and hungry. but vic
possessing either the spells
or an enemy or the carcass OF a beast
these mighty men Of yore returned
to their caves and flung their evi-
dences of success at the feet OF the
women. a habit that persists unto to-
day. and then yielded themselves to
several day of Teasing and enjoy
ment. These men achieved the right
to loaf. It became their right and
savored in no wise Of a fault.
AS the years and centuries came
and went the achievement OF loafing
became more complicated and please
Gear In mind that we are referring
to this particular kind of loafing. At
the present day the art has become
an accredited science and Is more or
less INDUCED in by all the highest
| type Of citi-enrX.
To enter into 2 treatise Of the var
ious ways in which the art Of loaf
ing is achieved is beyond the scope
OF this article and the ability Of the
writer. SO to simplify and condense
matters we win cite a few local IL
Illustrations. living proofs of the indis-
putable merits Of loafing. For IN
stance. there is
To even vaguely min to Mr.. Ham
ley that he loafed WOULD be disaster
Gus. if not fatal-not to MIR. Hamley
but the other fellow. for Mr.. Hamley
is a bit chOlOric along with other
things. and besides the old gentleman
carries a husky looking walking
cane. Nevertheless he is a loafer.
Despite the fact that Mr.. Hamley
has perfected the art Of Incidence he
is in no danger OF the vagrancy law.
having in days gone by gathered in
some OF the stuff which moth and
rust doth corrupt but also having put
it into a way Of turning over SO rap
Idly that moth and rust On only get
an occasional inning at the interest.
This apostle Of loafing divides his
day INTO three parts. An early part
of the forenoon is given to absorb
ing the financial and political col
umns Of the newspaper 1 mention
these in their relative order. do
not care to deceive you. Gentle read
er (the expression is borrowed and
{ besides it is usually not accurative-
T ly dcscriptive) Mr.. Hamley hasn't any
2 bonds on the Stock Exchange. nor
does the fuctuation of the market
l greatly affect his general tranquility
except now and then he ventures a
: little margin one way or the other or
cotton. But being an artistic lOafer
and therefore a discoursive loafer
) and finance being a most excellent
theme for discourse. especially wher
{ ~discoursing with those less intimate
- II dIQdulAtCu Will the 1Itln dHC
E rust article aforesaid. Mr.. Hamle,
> imbibes the information concerning
a the market with avidfty.
3 Some considerable number of the
4 folks have assumed that Mr.. Harnle,
has a vital interest in the affairs o.
Wall street. and being natural folk!
have fallen in the habit Of temperins
their attitude to Mr.. Hamley with {
deal of respect and admiration. AL
r h 1ch frIGf1 l.
e catholic sense and an dyocat O
e the JefferSOnian fake relative to be
Y. ing born free and equal. Mr.. Hamle,
is in nOWise objects to the halo of i'm
It portance attached to his person. In
IS stead he continues reading the fnan
n cial sheet.
e His appetite for the political stuf
n is scarcely less keen. for this too fur
n nishes a fruit and field for converse
l. ton. and conversation is his meter
E He is cognfzant Of every event il
Is history. from the annexation of Lou
r isiana to the New York police scand
d al. and furthermore hi is given t
a assuring us that the powers that b
n are fearful blunderers and the pow
al ers that want to be are much worse
ar This assuring he does during the Sec
rs ond part OF his day. to-Wit; fror
es somewhere around ten a. m. unit
is six .. m. These eight hours. say
iS for and eat at one and q snort S1eSt
I'd following, are spent on what we Nigh
re ~vulcarly describe as his beat. TIL
heat commences at Squire Stables OF
r fee. the Squire himself being sons
1g thing Of an artistic lOafer; rur
to thence a s~outheasterly course to
&c plot Of grass on which are situate 81
TX chairs, more or less. the same bein
occupied by genuine and pseudo LOAF
lis ers. CHere the money talk flows
al Cornering: thence In a Northwestern
course to one government buildin!
". Here or nearby is another spot ded
or Gated to the artistic loafer. At tn
e place near politics. straight polite
'ly ideal politics and other sorts Of pol
ties is the piece de resistance in tt
f. intellectual feast of l~oafers. Fro,
now on the line has variations ar
# stops TOO numerous to enumerate.
ne passed by Chess Hall. veers h;
Gossip assemly touches on I'll