Gunnison news-champion., 1917-08-17
THE NAN ON nm FENCE

amuse some Of our readers. Un-
less we are badly mistaken the
writer. Ira B. Cline, il an old
Gunnison county man. He lived
in the Marble country many
years ago and later developed
some fruit land near Paonia in
Delta county. Recently we met
him in Denver. and ascertained
that he was farming in the vicin-
ity mentioned. His experience
is . duplicate Of all those who
relied ON the vaporings Of the
theoretical farmers who have the
idea that any mutt can farm and
that all that was necessary to
help the farmer over the fence
was to mobilize the school kids
and clerks and set them to work.
In Denver they are mobilizing
the "sassiety ladies'" on canning
parties, and the result will be
demonstrating that one old time
housewife is worth car of them.
Times like the present furnish op-
portunity for lots of fool advice
and wasted effort.
just received this weeks Field and
Farm and noticed what one of the
thinkers. C. B. Messenger, has to say
about the man who sits on the fence
and gives advice to the farmers.
want to say that have been filled
plum full of that kind of stuff ever
since last March when all this conser-
walton stuff broke out. l was weak
minded enough to believe that the
city and town so-called business men
really meant some things they prom
ised last March when the weather was
nice and cool. A month ago l hiked
down to Denver and made all arrange
ments to get my harvest hands out Of
one of the big business offices.
l engaged six Of the best looking,
best dressed, biggest young huskies
you ever saw. All had to do when
wanted them most was to just phone
the leader and they would break their
necks or get out to my ranch and set
that wheat all up in one day. came
home and told my neighbors that I
had my hands secured all o. X. and
some Of them wanted to hire me to 90
back and do the same for them. I
did not care to give away the snap,
however, but promised to let them
have the men when l got through.
Two days before started the binder,
/ phoned the leader that I would be
ready for them on Sunday but alas,
they all had engagements in the
mountains that day. /.
That wheat was ripe, however, and
could not wait. saw in one of the
Littleton papers that all the business
houses in the town would close each
Thursday and every man would turn
out to help the poor chumps of farm
ers do their harvesting. That made
me feel good, SO started the binders
on time and then began to investigate
Mr.. Business Man again. / found out
that all this talk was made in March
when the weather was nice and cool.
But the ninety acres of wheat is in the
shock and l am now stacking. The
work was done by swapping with the
neighbors and watching the road to
pick up tramp or two. My crew
consisted of one man seventy-four
years old, one 6S, one SO, one 62 and
one 20, and I must say it was the best
crew ever saw in wheat field. Not
one business man in the bunch-just
. common lot Of farmer chumps. Now
they are still on the job for my neigh
bors and will stay until every sheaf Of
grain in the valley is up in shape.
Yet every time one Of US goes to town
to get twine, or oil, or fixtures for
the binder, we get more advice than
we know what to do with and it comes
from the man on the fence.
-n - A-