Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1919-12-12
"Baby Bonds"
and "Baby Beef
By c. M. MORRISON.

l
boyish brain of Bobby Young. at or
about the same time. Bob" was. Off
cially. Robert Young. Jr. But his old
man considered that he himself was
the author of the classic phrase: Il
can take one mule and n niger and
show you more about farmin' on one
40 acres than all these book-farmin'
Teller can show you on a hull quarter
section"
Well, what are you going to do about
It, when you have a father who is no
thicker than that back of the ears.
and who is just that narrow between
the eyes? 1t looks like there wasn't
much room for argument, don't 1t?
Bob wasn't much Of q youngster to
argue. anyway. He had got hold OF
the pure-bred beef idea and then the
Baby Beef" scheme got planted In
his gray matter. He had 1t all figured
out that If he could get hold Of the
right kind Of stock he could feed some
young beef steers that would be just
about the slickest things that ever
stepped on a feedlot scale. But to get
the right kind Of steers and to hold and
have them in his own name and be-
hoof, so to speak-well, that was q
different kind Of an animal.
The w. s. s. campaigns hadn't got
much more than we'll started till Bob
was all interest. Savings accounts
meant nothing in his young life and
the only bank he had any dealings
with was an old tin box that he kept
his savings in and we'll hidden under
a loose board in the attic. The words
BABY Bond" as applied to the War
Savings Stamp of the Five-Dollar de-
nomination kept ringing In his mind
and he began to connect them up with
his pet project about Baby Beef"
Now with enough Baby Bonds" 1t
would be possible, after a while. to
turn in and buy the raw material for
his "Baby Beef feeding project. 1t
might take a year or two, though. n
q year or two seemed a mighty long
time to a youngster who was still
wrestling with cube root and mensura-
ton in the country school house, while
he felt like he ought to be studying
feeding tables and mastering the Bah
cock tester.
The thing to do was to make a start.
Out of its dark hiding place under the
oaken flooring Of the old farm house
came Bob's tin box. The next time the
mail carrier came around he was
somewhat surprised to see a freckled
lad rise up out Of the fence corner at
the turn of the road and order three
of the Baby Bonds"
Bob was making his start. Somehow
It seemed a lot easier to save money
when you had something plainly be
fore you that you wanted to do. Then,
too, it looked like chances to make
money, enough to 60 a good way to
ward buying another Baby Bond"
kept turning up.
The walnut trees seemed to under
stand that it was necessary for a boy
to make a little more money than
usual that fall, for the trees were laden
and walnuts were never higher In
price. Minks, muskrats and skunks
were not inclined to walk obligingly
into traps, but a good many Of them
got tangled up on the steel Jaws OF
Victor and Newhouse before the trap
ping season was many weeks old
With one thing and another the
youngster who had set out to collect
himself some Baby Bonds" and some
baby Beef found himself in posses
sion Of about fourteen or fifteen OF
the Bonds" by December Is. 1t had
been a hard struggle and took a good
deal Of self denial. but there the w
s. s. were, all tucked away IN the
old tin box.
A day or so later, his mothers broth
er, a red-faced. brown-handed citizen
of Wyoming. made the pilgrimage
"back home" He had been growing
lShorthorn beef out on the ranges and
he loved, above all things, to talk beef,
particularly Shorthorn beef. In Bob
he found a kindred soul. He soon gave
up Bob's father as a sort Of a hopeless
case, but he and the boy put in a lot
of time together. It wasn't long, OF
course, until he had got at the whole
story Of the babies" the bonds" and
the beef"
"I1l tell you. Bob" he said as they
sat by the kitchen fireplace on Christ
mas Eve. This bond and beef scheme
you've got in your head is mighty nigh
to all right. It will be slow picking
for you. But you keep hammerins
along now. My Christmas present to
you this year.. n of them. anyway. II
going to be q promise.
"You keep going with this plan Of
yours and I'll back you In the beef
end of the business. For every dollar
that you will stick into the little
bonds by next Christmas I'll put up
two dollars. I've a bunch that you
will have about enough by that time
to make a start on the beef end Of your
little old scheme"
"You little old rec rascals.' Bob
addressed his Baby Bonds" that night
when he turned In. clocks like you've
Just about made good On your part Of