The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-02-04
THE HIRED MAN

I help the boys unload the freight and
then I'll come and sign the orders,
and may the switchman in the great
and high watchtower give our old
friend clear track into the place of
white signals and endless rails.
The Hired Man stepped into the
| home Of one of the most pious fam
Ines he knows last Sunday after
noon and found father and mother
| and two or three of the children in
| tently reading and discussing the
writing of one of the apostles of per-
feet gardening. 1t was a seed cata-
logue. The nice red tomatoes were
going to be about seven and half days
earlier than ever before and the water
melons were to come in under the
ropes ten days sooner than last year
and the early red potatoes would sure
ly arrive week ahead of schedule
First and second John had been laid
aside and Paul's letter to the Hebrew
didn't have anything half so attractive
as those earliest of all peas, that could
be planted by drills just as soon as the
frost is out of the ground, and the
iohS WING lduIouCS smut Out any
chance of Jude getting any attention
for the. present. Even the scriptures
themselves, so says the preachers,
state that there is time for every
thing under the sun and this must be
the time for reading the seed cata-
logues.
Francis M. Parrish is dead. For
he hae ,L,,k
has been life of suffering and
ceaseless battle for breath. Fraii
from the incessant clamor of disease
and making a losing fight with the
great white plague he slowly drop
until Friday of last week his car was
thrown into the low gear and the
gasoline was out. Standing still on
the last curve of the dugway that
leads to the last ferry, the driver had
reached his journeys end. A minis
ter spoke few comforting sentences
while standing at the foot of his cof-
fin, neighbors and friends looked on
the sad scene and mother and child
rem wept bitterly in the hour of the
dreaded separation. Notwithstanding
that the grim reaper had long since
oA'Ni 49, anu IlCSSdRC
message had come from the silence
from which such messages come, the
tie of family affection was secure to
the last moment and broke only with
the shuddering moan of aching hearts.
To be sure years had passed with no
hope of his recovery and no new day
broke forth with promise of freedom
from suffering. Hope was gone, yet
sweet duty held family and father in
close embrace. Five years since a
minister of Caldwell heard for the
first time of the sick man, and went
out to see him. He was attempting to
do some light work about the farm.
The minister's visit with him at that
time was special and for a special
purpose, for Mr.. Parrish had his
doubts about life beyond Canyon
Hill cemetery, and kindly friend had
asked that one more effort be made to
dispel the night of uncertaint--. The
visit resulted in Mr.. Parrish returning
to his house and getting out his bible
which he has constantly read since
changing his views in favor of immor-
tally and the resurrection incidental
thereto. His life continued to be one
of isolation. He seldom went out
among the neighbors. He took com
fort in his new hope of the resurrec-
ton, and in this he was safe, for if
there is no resurrection there will he
no debaters over there to contend that
ne is wrong. The Hired Man thinks
It is safe stand to take.
The Hired Man got to figuring out
what we do with our time. 1t is
found that the six leading publications
nave the enormous circulation of D.
)0OOOO. These are read five times. 1t
lakes four hours to read one at time.
hat is twenty hours Off each journal,
That means that each month FORTY
million hours are devoted to readino
hese six leading periodicals. All the
other publications including local
newspapers are set down as recurring
our times this much work for read |
ng them. That makes one hundred |
md sixty million hours each month |
consumed on our reading. These |
hours ought to be worth twenty-five |
,,ents. and that makes forty million
lollars expended each month or the |
tremendous sum of $490OOO,OOO.OO |
early. The cost of getting out this
natter IS about seventy millions a
'ear. Therefore the United States i
makes its reading cost us $55OOOO.-
O0OO yearly which is SIS. so for every
nan. woman and child. Half of ali
his reading matter is not true and
alf OF the other half is only partially
O.. Some people believe it because i
IN the paper and there are others
Who refuse to believe it for the same
eason. Fiction is supposed to be ali
alse. yet it usually has as much truth
4 it as any of the other.
The County Farm.
Last summer an old man over on
Willow Creek was outworked by some