Morris tribune., 1913-05-16
"A PUMPKIN
EPISODE
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1918, by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD


you had arrived in the village of Graf
ton in a certain middle state you would
have found restful, peaceful place.
No one rushed about No one talked
politics. No one argued over Jonah
and the whale There were no quar-
rels among men or dogs. If you had
asked Deacon Somers what thrilling
event had happened in Grafton in the
last twenty years he would have taken
Eve minutes to reflect and then slowly
answered:
"Waal, | can't think of nawthin'
'cept the Baptist church being struck
by lightnin'w
In that same year a man travelled
over good part of Indiana and Illinois
buying pumpkin seeds Of farmers. He
offered 10 cents a pound for all they
would send him in the fall to certain
address in Chicago, and if farmer
wanted some money in advance to pro-
tect himself he got it.
1t was the same man that had bought
the seeds several hundred miles away
that appeared in Grafton early in Jan
uary of the next year. He had come
to herald the fact that great medical
discovery had been made by accident,
as most great things are. 1t was that
the seeds of certain pumpkin grown
| nowhere else except along the Lybian
desert were a sure cure for indigestion,
liver troubles. kidney ailments, nerv-
BUSINESS and dozen other things.
They would positively prevent con-
sumption and cancer and all sorts of
fevers.
Mr.. White had a few of the seeds
with him. They were chocolate color
ed instead OF yellow white. They
could be had only In Chicago, and no
order exceeding peck would be, filled
Just hold a seed in the mouth for five
minutes and then chew 1t down
Grafton woke up. Bell county woke
up. Other counties woke up. A full
page ad. in the local papers woke the
editors up. Talk about bOoms and a
raise Of 90 per cent in real estate!
Why, here was gold mine, and every
OONE OFVnAlE hU dC1S VI S1OuUu WAS
going to become millionaire inside of
two years.
Did the confiding public send away
to Chicago for the Lybian seeds? You
bet they did! They got 'em by the hun
dred, the pint, the quart and the peck
Some men made the trip there and
back that they might plead in person
for larger quantity than the circular
allotted The letters going west aver
aged thirty per day for months.
The editors said that Mr. White was
an honest man and the crying need of
the country was more like him
Mr.. White himself didn't say much
He was too busy signing contracts to
do much Cabling. What he did say,
and with much feeling, was that he
hoped the people would not forget him
after he had departed
They haven't yet and probably never
will
The village Of Grafton had four pref
ty fair DOCTORS At the beginning of
things they called Mr.. White a liar,
faker and fraud. His reply was that
when Harvey discovered the circula-
ton Of the blood men wanted to mob
him for charlatan. The doctors de-
MED the curative properties of his Lyb-
ian pumpkin seeds. He replied that
for years and years the medical fra
ternity had fought shy of qutnine
No, they didn't gel anything on Mr.
White to scare him out Of town be-
tween two days. He was right on the
job all the time. and the doctors suffer
ed in prestige instead of gaining. 1t
was probably one Of the four that
wrote letter to Washington that
brought an inspector to Grafton to see
1t the postal laws were being broken
He came and saw and went away. He
said that somebody had to get the
money Of the Uncle Rubes of the eoun-
try and he could see no difference be-
tween Mr.. White and the brokers Of
Wall street.
As spring approached and the snow
began to go and the people to get ready
for pumpkin seed planting there came
- INC NAdy a PIOI HULL
the State Agricultural college. He had
heard Of the seeds and wanted to see
them. They were shown him, and he
promptly identified them as the seeds
of American pumpkins.
"But they are not a yellow-white,"
was protested. ..~-.-ss,,.. 49,
That's because they have all been
dyedp'
But these surely came from des-
ert. aszeassgHa~ss-
"How do You make that out?"
''They feel sandy" ~,.,s~~
Couldn't sand Be sifted over them?''
"Sir," said Mr.. White to the profess
sor in quiet and even voice. "are you
prepared to substantiate your alIega-
tons in a court OF law?"
"Yes. | say they are American pump
kin seeds
You must prove them to be such or
paw me heavy damages j"