Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-10-05
AMONG THE FARMERS,
"spnED THE pLow."
A Story Of Gray Birch Bushes

There are acres and acres of gra,
birch bushes down on the Oxford Plains
Somebody has started to cut some o
them for stove wood, which has sug
gested the retelling of story which
happened many years ago.
Gray birches never make anything
more than stunted trees. They vii
grow quite fast for the first five or si1
years of their lives and then the increase
in size Is slow, 80 when they attain 8
diameter of two or. three inches they
might as well be cut down. OF course
they will attain greater diameter thar
that, but the time It takes for the in
crease is so long as to be an unpayine
investment. There is NO wood land thai
can be cut over 80 often as gray biroh
plantation. The foliage is soft and deli
cate with such sharply serrated edges,
that the ornamental out leaf birches on
my geutleman's lawn have nothing or
them; and yet they are never cultivated
for beauty because the stiffness of old
age sets In too quickly; and, 1t might be
added, they are never cultivated for
profit for there Is not much in sight.
Gray birches just grow like Topsy, that
is all. One thing can be said In their
favor perhaps, and that is, II one 10
forced to burn green wood, there is no
variety that will burn more freely.
Yet nearly half century ago some
people living not many miles from the
Oxford Plains thought they saw profit
In harvesting gray birch bushes. Gray
birches will grow on poor land, that is,
on thin soil where little else will
thrive; and what is more they will not
flourish on a thicker soil; 80 1t is q
foregone conclusion that people living
on gray birch land are never wealthy.
The people mentioned were not. They
we're land poor when It came to gray
birch plantations, and 1t was also poor
land upon which to support families,
mostly large. What they ate was what
they could not sell; what they wore was
what could not be sold to anybody else: :
and what they saved was what they went
without. So when q gray haired old
party, with ears that did not hear, eyes
that twinkled with cunning and tongue
which dripped oil, came along and told
them they had gold mine (tor some
one) in these acres of gray birch bushes,
they looked at him first to determine
whether he had escaped from the insane
asylum or the foolish house; but as he
stood their gaze they came to the oon-
clusion he must be promoter-animals
which could make fortunes for some.
body, generally themselves. They fell
to bis scheme. They did not live in
Missouri, but they were willing to be
shown.
He said superior paper, or rather pulp,
could be made from gray birch bushes
which would command high price.
Being of benevolent disposition, he
said II they cut some Of the bushes and
ground them into pulp In an old grist
mill not far distant, he would market
the product and give them the returns.
Four men saw visions of trotting
horses (that was before the days of auto
mobiles) and their wives dreamed Of
silk dresses and airy creations to wear
on their heads. So the men toiled to
improve their own pastures and the
women cooked the fatted biddies that
they might be filled thereof, and in due
time cargo was shipped to some in
definite point accompanied by the deaf
and philanthropic gentleman. He was
long time in returning, and hope that
once was high sank.
He returned, however, with samples
of coarse brown paper, which bs said
was the product expected. The men
we're disappointed. The samples did
not look like superior paper. The
philsnthropio gentleman admitted the
samples were disappointing but told
them the trouble lay in the crude ma
chinery used. With better machinery
better product could be obtained. A
fortune was still within their grasp.
Two thousand dollars would buy the
machine desired. He, the philsnthropic
gentleman, would put in one thousand
dollars, would the four men put in g.
like amountp
A thousand dollars is whole lot of
money for poverty birch farmers to
raise, but the temptation was alluripg,
80 their farms were mortgaged and the
amount raised.
The philanthropic gentleman again
departed, carrying with him the thou
sand dollars. Again the men and the
women waited, at first with hope high,
and then with sinking sensation. The
sinking sensation continued-down,
down, until it reached place 80 low 1t
could not make even the customary
thud of falling things.
This time the philsnthropic gentle
man did not return; neither did he re-
turn the money; 80 the four poor raisers
Of birches, no longer with visions of
trotting horses, took up the burden of
life again; and SO did four women clad
In the cheapest of prints, solled with
toll, and too tired to dream of impos-
sible silks.
Gray birch bushes are undoubtedly
poor in wealth production but, it seems,
can be rich In tragedy.
AQUARIUs.