Mexico Missouri message., 1917-12-20
Arthur Harrison
Conservationist
How He Saves And Cuts Out Waste
Col. J. T. johnson AS A Story
teller-Licks His Plate-Saves.
Waste, waste, waste!"

great speech he made at Laddonfa,
this county, a number of years ago
against the use of booze. We all un-
derstand what he meant. 1t was one
of the most powerful arguments we
ever heard.
We need some anti-waste agitation
in these times. We were reminded of
Judge Forrist last week when we
heard Col. ]. T. Johnson tell several
good stories, for which he has a fine
talent. First, he related how that
great little man, Arthur Jones Har-
rison, 9 years old, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Alb Harrison, six miles south of
Benton City, set out on fight
against waste last summer. He had
heard how the Government was call
ing upon the people to "Save the
old sacks"
Arthur Jones saw his chance to do
his bit. He gathered all the sacks on
his fathers place-gunny sacks, ETC.,
which had held mixed feeds and
fertilizers,aa aand soon had a great
stack of them. Then he sent them to
market and they netted him Just
$3.50. He went at it again, to get
another collection, and can you
guess what he received for the last
shipment? Even $96.81! Would you
have believed it? Didn't he discover
a waste?
It is a pointer to ali other boys
and girls and the grownups too.
Cut out the waste.
Col. Johnson says he has always
cut out the waste. Eat gravy, he
says, and save the butter. Johnson
licks his plate to be saving, always
has done so. Why heap up your plate
and gorge yourself, and then if you
can't get away with it leave mess
that nothing but the cat or dog will
relish.
Col. Johnson and Kit Ellington,
north of Mexico, on the old Billy Ma
son place, have had a good many
deals. 1t was an unwritten agree
ment between them that if one of
them should get mad the other
should keep sweet. Ellington used
to haul manure from town for John
son, which cost Johnson 25 cents a
load whether Ellington loaded to the
guards or whether it was just a jag,
and too often Johnson thought it was
indeed only jag. One day Johnson
got mad about it, and he let Elhng-
ton know it. But Ellington forgot
about the agreement for sweetness
and yelled back to Johnson, "Y-e-s,
all you think about is to break down
wagons and make money!"
There's the point yet against
waste-when Ellington failed to haul
that full load of manure.
Johnson is feeding 100 sows for
next years breeding. The Govern
ment says to the farmers, "Raise
hogs, raise hogs" and the Colonel
is going at 1t.
Johnson told one on a certain fell
low in this county who started out on
q campaign for a county office, but
the fellow got discouraged and quit.
He said they were telling too many
campaign lies on him. They were ac-
cusing him of stealing sheep and he
was afraid if he should campaign a
week longer they would prove it on
him.
By the way, Johnson is an aUc-
tioneer. He called his first sale on
a fam down northeast of Rush Hill
way back yonder many years ago.
He has offered The Message $25 if
we will find him the exact day of the
week and month and year of that
sale. We are not going to try it; that
might be waste again-of time.
Mr.. Johnson atteAded the big Live
Stock Show in Chicago last week and
sold some of the stock--helped dis
pose of some of the best bred cattle
ever seen in any country on the
earth.
Another ON Johnson. He went to
the Elks Red Cross entertainment
the other night and was up till a
late hour and when he undertook to
find his way home got lost-even un-
der the street lights-and wasted
steps in finding his way back.
But candidIy and soberly, let's all
keep in mind the lesson Master Ar
thur Jones Harrison points us
save, cut out waste.
Rev b G .Reavis Of Mexico is