The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1915-12-03

Nv. faint no use. A poor man
amt got no chance IN this
M DANCED country Il had
Cd enough money 10 move ON
Id 10 TO Oklahomy."
Tom Weston thus delivered himself
after taking his year = crop OF cotton
a. town. When he finished settling
up" ,1r the twelve months advances
OF provisions. clothing, fertilizer and
feed for his two scrawny horses, with
10 per cent Interest on the whole
amount. In addition TO the three bales
OF cotton AS rent he had to pay for
the dllapidated farm be occupied. he
was still ia debt
Tom Weston had never owned foot
OF land. and he was forty six years old.
His father had never owned foot OF
land and died In debt At the end OF a
long life. the scant proceeds OF his mis-
directed labors going always 10 others.
Joe Weston, fourteen years old. had
the same unhappy prospect stretching
down the years for hIm-a slave In the
chains OF circumstance. and nothing
but toll, always for others. For his
portion. existence and the privilege OF
toiling
Joe had come TO town with his IA
Their on settling day. lie hoped that
when Mr.. Weston finished with the
Someryiile Mercantile company. or the
company 9nished with him. there
would be money enough for pair OF
real store trousers and n new hat and
a pair Of stout boots with bright cop
per bands on the toes For four years
now Joe had worked in the fields with
his father. and Mr.. Weston had prom
ised him the shoes and hat and clothes
this year for helping.
In the spring Joe dropped the cotton
seed In the furrow When II came up
he hnndlet hoe and helped "chor
OUT the surplus plants. Then came
on the bitter fight with weeds and crab
grass TO give the little cotton stalks a
start The last year Joe had been
given light plow. and he plowed the
cotton. Then. along In the middle OF
e'tUttlHUCAs ut anu hAH hoNAAti ~
tie sister Nell helped pick IT.
After all the cotton had been picked.
Rinned and sold Joe was allowed to go
10 school, from November until the last
Of February, for in March the plows
were started 10 going again.
why don't you diversity bit. Mr.
Weston inquired John SomervillC
kindly. You'd be better OF II you did
Instead OF planting all cotton, why moi
try some oats and corn. an acre or &c
OF yam potatoes, raise a couple OF pig
for meat, put in good garden and cut
your expenses DOWN
Then Il was thnt Mr.. Weston made
the remark about moving 10 oklaho
ma. A shade OF impotence fitted over
Mr.. Someryille's face.
You're dead wrong there, Tom
There's more in the man than there Il
In the land The trouble Is with you
Tom. not the country or the land. You
are Just too lazy 10 learn improved
methods. mud You are no different In
that respect from thousands OF other
farmers In this country. You won't
learn anything"
"Y-a-a-s, I've hearn heap about this
here book farmin, but I amt never
seen nobody gettin' rich Mt IT,"
Nobody around here has had sense
enough to try IT," retorted the mer'
chant.
"If we don't know nothin' about n
how we goin' to stnrtr inquired Wes
ton. thinking he had Mr. Somerville.
There's an agent OF the United
States department OF agriculture and
the state commissioners OF agriculture
over at the courthouse right now for
the purpose OF comforting with you
farmers OF this county I'll bet there
are 300 farmers in town today. and not
twenty-five viii have interest enough
to 40 and listen TO these gentlemen.
Jaw, shucks, What does n little dood
from Wnshn'ton or up TO the capital
know about fnrmln9 I've done forrol
more than they'll ever know