Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-07-10


Hoe, published in The Countr,
Gentleman, we began TO get th'
habit and started in to pay tribute
to the pencil trust. A lot Of Idaho
folks wrote and told us that we
were a sure-to-gracious literar,
rube, and that il was only ques-
ton CT time before we would aban-
don the plow for the typewriter
We did, to the extent OF hiring Z
light-running. low-gear 1890 model
with e.ess-again keyboard. A
guess-aCe Il keyboard is shy only
one-tllird OF the alphabet and YOU
are expected to fill in the missing
letters with the dollar sign or MI
merals.
BIZ. having gritted. and grubbed
Our s. y TO a sufficiency Of eats
and a wealth Of contenhnent as an
Idaho honesteader, we fell TO with
both horny hands of toll. We Ia
bored at that internal, low-down,
low-gear machine till the sweat
splashed all over the shanty and he
hot flame Of murder burned in OR
hearts. We did an article. too. and
sent it to the editor. 1t came back
so fast it must have passed itself
on the way out, and the letter from
the editor in its midst suggested
that we climb up on Twin Peaks
and hurl that 1890 model into Twin
Falls, or lock it up in the ice cave,
or have it treated for rabies in the
Richfield pound. We acted on this
advice and bought lis a gross OF
pencils.
Talk about smashing the glory
OF our premature fame-'twas
cruel. TIowsoever, we are a per-
sistent cuss and we are going to
get this corner OF our beloved Ida
no on the map if the graphic and
timber will hold out. We were
some puffed up by the big recep-
ticn our first stuff got back home.
but kept right on wearing the same
hat, and will continue till
we cash in our crops. Now we'll
get down to business and tell you
something more about this here
land of plenty and area OF oppor-
tunity we live in.
In our last we were just at the
stage as to how much our
crops would go. Well, the fifteen
acres we broke the year prior and
planted to wheat went Al bushels
an acre. On the spring blowing the
wheat made only 80 bushels, while
the oats went about 20. This
it for us that fall blowing
was the job for this country.
Up to that stage of the game we
had done all our work alone. even
the cussing; but not having any
machine and not being on intimate
terms with the harvester makers we
hired a neighbor to cut the grain.
This cost one dollar an acre. did
all the shocking alone. and that
editorial we just won't fit ev-
erywhere-I want to tell YOU that
every time l grabbed bundle l
sure held a full hand. There were
some shocks in that field when I
got through standing the bundles
N end. 1t would have made a
,ross-eyed Jap acrobat go some to
lodge them all.
| hired a man from the big
5wede to help me stack. Weather
are such here that many
hresh from the shock. but in my
allow youth l was taught that
rain must go through sweat.
Therefore | stacked it. | want to
ay that if that wheat sweat as
much in the stack as | did putting
t there YOU can bet it held about
lalf the moisture in Idaho. But
when the bright, plump grain |
anne pouring through the spout OF |
he thresher we took off our hat
nd sang our little hallelujah. We !
epeated the same when the bright. |
lean straw piled up for wintering |
ur stock.
After we put the threshing be-
ind lis and had the grain in the
in that fishing and hunting germ
OF busy in our system. Sage hens
,ere ripe and the ducks were COM
lg back to their winter home. The
-out were starving. I heard of
ian who had a saddle pony for
ale. l went over and sized that
nimal up one side and down the /
Their. He looked pretty good TO
lie, so / made an offer of a ton
oats. brindle calf. and a pup
lat had all the breeds west of the