The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-01-08
BELGIAN
CUCUMBERS
By Nj. QUAD
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1913. by Associated Lit
eTary Press.

The county of Vernon in certain
middle state WAS ut peace. Farmers.
mechanics and merchants met each
other and asked:
How is old Vernon county,
And the answer would be:
"OId Vernon county is all right-you
betr'
|. Fifty men saw " NJ Davis as he
came TO be known. when the bus drove
up to the inn at Clifton with him as
| the only passenger. He WAS d middle
| aged man. and be had the face of Il
| true American patriot He had come
| to give Vernon county such IL chance
/ to get rich as had never been held out
| to her before. Years ago his grand
| father had died and had been buried IN
that county. aud it was 'coiiSecrated
| ground to him. That is why he had
come to it instead of any other county.
| Mr.. Davis had come TO Clifton direct
| from Europe He had gone over there
! to study the agriculture of the country
at his own expense He had returned
with what might be called ii great tiud.
| The Belgians We're almost secretly
| growing specimen of cucumber that
| was bound to reyoiutionize the world.
1t was amazingly prolific.
One acre of ground would grow :,.0aO
cucumbers. each three feet long and
weighing five pounds.
1t was like eating oranges. 1t was
breakfast food in itself. 1t left be-
| hind it an exiilaration not knc vn to
any other vegetable i'll the world.
This cucumber was certain to take
the place of grains Of all sort III
| year or two more and would diSplace
the potato and the turnip entirely.
Mr. Davis did more than talk and
exhibit seeds. He put $40 cash i'll
bank as Il prize to the person raising
the most Belgian cucumbers the next
| spring or summer. 1t was November
then Between November and April
| Mir Davis sold over $1,000 worth of
seeds and received his money for them
When he went away he Went boldly.
and he left the prize money in tue
bank BY SO doing he escaped all sus-
| picion.
i Now came a mystery. In Clifton
! lived widow named Lee. She had
| been there only two years. and the
people knew little about her. She was
nearly six feet tall. rugged and strong.
and she neighbored with none. She
went to Mr.. Davis for some seeds. but
refused to pay the price. She offered
only penny apiece and when turned
| down made use of some very strong
language.
April was a forward month in Yer
non county. and the cucumber vines
were beginning to run by the middle
Of May One night some one pulled
up and stacked the vines in ten diff
ferent gardens They found tracks
of mans boots. but nothing further.
The next night more gardens suffered.
Just who to suspect was puZZler.
but of course it was case of jealousy
and spite. Every man who had any
vines set watch on them.
;, Deacon Tracy was the first one to
report a clew He had half an acre OF
vines and was sitting up to watch
for the vandal when man came sud
denly upon him and knocked him
senseless. When he recovered his wits
his vines had Abeen destroyed. Tracks
| left by mans bootS-that was ALL
or course there were excitement and
Indignation. A reward Of 81 was
offered for the arrest Of the marander
and owners of vines as vet untrouhled
, hired watchmen. Then the uian oi
) night betook himself out among the
!, farmers He raided far and wide
: He destroyed nothing but the cucum
: her vines. but he did not spare hill
5 of them that he could get at. He was
chased By men and dogs: he was Sho,
at: traps were set for him in twenty
, different places. yet no one earned
that reward
At Farmer Johnsen's place he and
his son were hidden in the smoke
house when the unknown appeared
He had scarcely pulled ii vine wher
they We're upon him Both We're strong
! men. but the struggle WAS over in q
! minute The unknown knocked them
both silly and got away with theil
hats and pieces of their shirts rs
souvenirs. 1t was figured that he haC
got such scare. however. that ht
would not appear again. He returned
next night when no one was watch
ing and attacked the vines.
The excitment was now at fever
heat and the whole county was ask
ing what should be done when the
+ marauder came to his end 4 widow
;. named Jones had twenty hills Of vine:
she was watching. She had an ole
army carbine. and a neighbor haC
loaded it for her. She was watching
from a window. and as the man d
night appeared and began his wort
! she fired ut him He dropped. bu
struggled up and ran.
A hundred men turned out ant
n searched the streets and alleys ane
Il the country around. but they did no
t find the wounded man. They had giveI
n up the quest when word went rount
S that no one had seen the Widow Le'
I for three days. The locked doors o