New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-25


his forehead, and his keen eyes gazing out of
the window. We were both smoking; but
my cigar burned out, as my mind was set on
something else Knocking the ashes of
the tip OF his weed. he turned il to me:
"Have light"
That started the forty-milc an-hour ac-
quaintancc. He asked me where was going.
"Down South
"What FORE"
"Oh. Just to see what il looks like, what
they can raise down there.
This opened his heart. "liow would YOU
like TO see a peach orchard mile long? I'm
on the way there now to see Nolumphv.
who's he?"
~ Connecticut IriShman that knows all
about how to grow peaches that make your
mouth water, and how to keep niggcrs
husting."
Then he asked me my name. gave it to
him. He looked me in the face and said:
you're talking to Georgia Hale
| thought a minute. Then remembered
he was the one they called the Peach King
down South. had seen his picture, and
| knew who he was after a 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 a 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-bcst people in the
world when YOU get EN- going properly. |
couldn't ask for better hands.
But YOU never employed them up
North"
mo; we have Italians. They DO well;
but | am satisfied with the Georgia labor.
It's all right Before | went South | heard
that niger and mule could do more to
raise good corn than a white man and two
horses. That's probably So but there's an
old darby and a mule on my place that |
will back against a civil engineer for doing
things straight
"How'S that?"
WTELL, they saved me the cost Of hiring a
w surveyor. I'll tell YOU how II was. My
trees are set in blocks. Some of the rows
are over a mile long. engaged an engineer
at five dollars a day and board. Luckily |
hired him by the day and gave him boy to
carry the instruments. He began work on
Monday morning running his lines. ~
course the hands watched every move nc
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, Capn, how much do YOU pay dat man
for loolin through dat spyglasS and writln
in dat book? They say he's iiXin places fer
YOU TO set out trees.
81 pay him five dollars a day, Henry.
He's a surveyor to make straight lines.
"'Dccd, Cap'n, seems to me it's pow'iul
lot O. money wasted. Why, dat ole white
mule O. mine can pillow furrow straight as
he can DO it,
I'm afraid not, Henry, said /. Z 1t has
to be a mile long
~Dat's all right Cap'n-jcst YOU let me
and de mule try once and see II we can't.
We'll he'd nearly finished the stubbe,
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 | went over to see how Henry
was getting on. You may not believe ii, but
he had actually plowcd furrow that did
not seem to be foot out Of the way to my
eve. We afterward measured with inStru-
r1lentS and found il nearly straight. That