Evening star., 1914-10-25

II
IL me, his travelling cap tipped back on
his forehead, and his keen eyes gazing out of
the window. We were both smoking; but
nay cigar burned out, as my mind was set on
something else. Knocking the ashes off
the tip of his weed, he turned it to me:
"Have light"
That started the forty -mile-an-hour ac-
quaintance. He asked me where was going.
@Down South
"What for?"
ooh, Just to see what it looks like, what
they can raise down there
This opened his heart. "How would you
like to see peach orchard a mile long? I'm
on the way there now to see Molumphy.
"Who's hep
"A Connecticut Irishman that knows all
about how to grow peaches that make your
mouth water, and how to keep niggers
hustling."
Then he asked me my name. gave it to
him. He looked me in the face and said:
you're talking to Georgia Hale"
1 thought minute. Then remembered
he was the one they called the Peach King
down South. l had seen his picture, and
knew who he was after close study of his
face.
@I'd like to see that mile of peaches
@All right, We'll go together
That started him to talking, and listened
to every word. Peaches were his hobby.
began to ask him questions. knew that
the man with the big orchard was Con-
necticut Yankee who had been trying to
cover the State of Georgia with peach trees.
@How did you do about help down South?
used the darkies-best people in the
world when you get 'em going properly.
couldn't ask for better hands,"
But you never employed them up
mo; we have Italians. They do we'll;
but 1 am satisfied with the Georgia labor.
It's all right Before l went South l heard
that niger and mule could do more to
raise good corn than white man and two
horses. That's probably so; but there's an
old darky and mule on my place that
will back against civil engineer for doing
things straight
"How's that?"
WIELL, they saved me the cost of hiring
w surveyor. III tell you how it was. My
trees are set in blocks. Some of the rows
are over mile long. l engaged an engineer
at five dollars day and board. Luckily l
hired him by the day and gave him boy to
carry the instruments. He began work on
Monday morning running his lines. Of
course the hands watched every move he
made. One of them was an old fellow we
called Henry Wilson. Henry had been
blowing over some stubble fields where part
of the trees were to be planted.
@That night Henry came up to me and
said, 'Cap'n, how much do you pay dat man
for lookin' through dat spyglass and writin'
in dat book? They say he's fxin' places fer
you to set out trees
al pay him five dollars day, Henry.
He's surveyor to make straight lines.
~Deed, Cap'n, seems to me it's pow'ful
lot O. money wasted. Why, dat ole white
mule O. mine can plow furrow straight as
he can do it.
4'I'm afraid not, Henry, said I. 1T has
to be mile long
~Dat's all right, Cap'n-jest you let me
and de mule try once and see if we can't
"Well, he'd nearly finished the stubble,
and so told him he could start in the next
morning in another part of the orchard site
from where the surveyor was working.
About noon l went over to see how Henry
was getting on. You may not believe it, but
he had actually plowed furrow that did
not seem to be foot out of the way to my
eye. We afterward measured with instru-
ments, and found it nearly straight. That
was all the surveying needed, and at night
paid the engineer and let him go. l asked
Henry how he did it.