The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1920-09-23
HAAKON COUNTY TYPES z
Farmers and Other Milk Maids

We were just saying, when we
were interrupted by drayman
who came in to collect a bill, that
a good many farmers in Haakon
county and elsewhere made a liv-
ing by milking cows, and that a
good many people everywhere
make a living milking the farmers
We explained to the drayman
why it would be best for him to
call around next week, and asked
him why the fact we have Just
stated was true. He said that il
was because farmers were easier
MIXED than cows; but that there
was nothing on earth quite so
hard as milking newspaper man;
in fact, it was easier to get milk
out of a door knob. Then he went
away, and seemed unsociable about
something
We believe that farmer is cas-
Ter milked than a cow. Anyway
the cities are full of middle-men
who are busy at the task, and
their number seems to grow each
year
For one thing it is hard to
break in cow so she will stay
broke in. There will always come
days in her life, when she will not
seem the same. just about the
time you think her sunny dispos-
ition is assured forever, there
comes one of her blue days, when
she turns the pail over, and kicks
YOU through the side Of the barn.
1t is not so with farmer. Once
he is broken in, he will stand pat
iently to the milking process, day
in and day out, to the end of his
life Once he is well broken In, he
never kicks the pail over or gets
restless ever afterwards.
Then again a good many cows
never submit kindly to being milk
ed by Tom, Dick and the Devil.
Mother can milk Old Brindle day
after day, with much fiiendliness
and apparent affection on both
sides, but let the hired man a.
tempt the job, and Old Brindle
will run him through the wire
fence or on top the haystack. IF
she is finally subdued, she sulks
and will not let her milk down.
Now, a farmer never acts like
that. He is entirely willing to be
MIXED by the railroads, the labor
unions, commission men Of dozen
different breeds, middle-men ga
lore, and grafters from every
where. In fact, he is willing to-
submit to milking by horde of
these fellows at one and the same
time.
Out here in Haakon county, far
from the center of things, our
farmers suffer more than the Lord
ever intended that he should from
the milking band Old Brindle is
MIXED in her own stall, but under
the established system of milking
the producer, there is a milk-stool
set for the patient farmer all
over the country. Local talent
here in Philip or in South Dakota
do not worry the farmer much. \
They are amiable, and do not take
a very heavy toll. 1t is the big
fellows that come carrying the big
pals. One of our friends has fig
ured out that when a farmer
brings hide here to Philip it pas
ses through the hands Of nearly
seventy mixers who take their
toll before it is handed back to
the Haakon county farmer as al
pair Of shoes.
So it is the poor farmer gets
MIXED coming and going, morn
ing, noon and night, from here to
Brockton. Massachusetts,. and back
He never complains. If he has al
little of the milk left after the
cream is skinned off, he is con-
tent. A mighty patient man is the
American farmer. No wonder he
has a reputation everywhere as
AN easy milker.
Ynr.-A