The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-06-01
lit WAS SOME
YARD.

! The editor visited the place in l9O1
and the place was new. The yard was
Uttered with rocks and boards, scrap
ers, wagons, horses, hay and other
things, but that was to be expected.
1t seemed necessary and proper IN
the CONQUEST of the desert and the
struggle to possess the land and
maintain ones existence at the start.
When the house was built 1t was
elevated on a rock foundation, and a
retaining wall in front enclosed a
bank of earth as if to have a flower
bed or an extended porch floor. with
each successive year for ten years
the situation grew worse. The new
house grew old and the paint faded
and looked sadder. The foundation
looked more and more barren, and
never a plant nor a vine grew up TO
hide it nor to decorate it. The rain
from the roof splashed dirt against II
and washed away the mortar and lett
the winds thru. When windows were
broken the holes we're plugged with
old garments in winter, and admitted
the flies and bugs in simmer. Trees
were planted in the yard, but not
where they would shade the house
O protect it from the prevailing
winds. The trees did not flourish,
for many animals held forth among
them.
The man who managed the farm
was a good business man. He was
honest and honorable and kept his
agreements and paid his bills. He
graded his lands so they would water
we'll: he fortified the soil so 1t would
weld we'll; he fed his horses so they
would work we'll He accumulated
stock and his stock added to his IN
come, He acquired more land, made
room fof more stock and made 1t pos
sible to hand each of his children
clear title to the site for a home OF
his or her own.
The editor eve saw a flower Oh
the place that was note a CONNER.
cial flower, such as alfalfa bloom;
never saw a blade of grass that was
grown for beauty and comfort such
as keeping the dust down, but merely
for hay and grazing. The longer the
man lived there, the more the old I'M
Elements, rigs, rocks and rubDlsh
there were scattered about the YARDS
EVERYTHING was in disorder. While
the editor stood Borrowing over the
situation, a big, fine SOW approaching
the period of maternity went into a
hogpen looking for a place where mel
babies could be born. Perhaps there
is something sentimental or sacred
in hogdom about this matter, for a
- ,I--- - u1+ino m tho ca me- mace
each time and have the kindly care
of some quiet person who Will see
that each new tiny adventurer does
not wander away from her body and
get chilled, but who will steer 1t TO
the fevered breast where it's food Is
waiting. In this case the mother hog
found some shoates in possession OF
the pen and she urged them to leave
They we're stupid and quarrelsome
and remained protesting. A boy WIN
a pitchfork and a girl with a wh1p
attacked the SOW and drove her u
AS she passed thru the little dooI
rushing out of the pen, she scraped
her swollen breasts violently against
the hoard constituting the threshold
She squealed and hurried on pur-
sued and dashed mercilessly by tne
girl, The SOW in her day of trouble
had no sympathy and no refuge.
Ten years Of life in that house and
around it would probably take the
keen edge off Of the sympathies and
sentiments of a grown person, and 1ol
the children brought up in such an at,
mosnhere one could hardly expect
them to be anything than gooo
workers, and their work with the
sow was anything but good.
The editor sat down on a rock anu
said 81 was in hopes you would clean
nm your yard this spring; it looks SO
tough" The farmer replied, well,
I know it looks bad, but l'have KEEP
the field work up and that Is the
most important thing
The editor did not feel tree to say
what he thought about the horrible
condition of the yard being a bllght
unon the lives of the children, nor
to suggest than in future years they
NAV hold it against him in bitter re-
breaches, but he said, "People are
apt to hold this against you. inns
ward will hurt your reputation almost
AZ much as to lose your temper n
commit a crime"
The farmer replied, "Oh, 1t don't
hurt my credit, for the people that
extend me credit never come out here,
they don't see it."
IF the bankers and merchants OF
the county would get out n drive