The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-08-23
LIGHT
RY REM FIELD

IKE LEAD, you couldnC even get III
cen S a bag for cider apples, feed
and taxes shot up like kite. Ike
hear of spending an extra
cent or fiddling around with the
damned fool lights even if the com
pany no longer asked for the 81 900
deposit. He went down to the
post office to get his paper ard
the potato report. The farmers
gathered in the village with eyes
bloodshot as if from all the dust
kicked into them. Steve said, eve
got to punch one of them cannon
metal rings trough Wall Street. ="
But that's as far as anything vert.
Ike got home to say the farmers
were ganging and blowing.
Toss worked in the mill again.
She saved every cent for the lights.
Ike cursed the Irishers and the
chickenhaw niggers who were on
town relief and grieved over his
potatoes. Potatoes had dropped.
More important, they weren't grow
ing. Some farmers said the en-
silage manure was too strong, and
others said lining was no good,
Anyway here was another crop
going to the dogs. You Gid every
thing you could. Gave up the
hired man, worked yourself until
your heart ached, and it did no
good.
Now Ida cid not only housewo4k
but work in the field. She hoed
hillcd, and sprayed the potatoes
She carted them into the dark Gel
lar. A lamp hung in the corner
swaying the shadows. The S cps
creaked, the potatoes rumbled and
smoked. She wiped potato after
potato studying the scabs. She
wondered how many seconds they
would have. And going down the
steps heavily, she gulped. She fell
headlong. It was a miracle she
hadn't broken her neck in the dark
One leg from thigh down was hare
ard black as d milestone. She
was cooped in bed all winter.
Toss dropped her job. They were
firing girls in the mill, and any
way they had her on the firing
list. She had managed to save
$3.50. Because of the accident, Ike
gave in about the lights.
1t was Toss called up Johnson
Pie drove around in his swell cal
run by The three-hipped chauffeur
The farmers called his gun the
third hip. Pie said, $50 we've
changed your mind, hey Ike ?"
Ike had his thumbs roped in hi.
belt. He rumbled, "You got u.
licked and bulled this time"
Johnson went over the house anC
barn looking the floors over as i,
he had dropped a cent. He saiC
if Ike would get a milking ma
chine, an icebox, etc., he would Gu
down his charge.
Ike squinted at him, taking ;
bead. "No you don't blast it. Ligh
is all we want. We got power
enuf here in our ass and muscle.
johnson showed up again mex
day with his chief electrician anC
high muckymuck from the com
pany. He brought a lot of bulb,
and shades to dazzle the women
He talked washing machine, icebox
electric iron. He showed how h,
would take the old Syracuse LAM
with the beaded skirt and strins
wire through it to the best room
He would give it to Mrs. Sherman
as present, free gratis. Now al
icebox is like a servant girl, tn,
greatest help, cheap, and no bacl
talk.
Ida held on to the door. Sh,
whispered to herself, "No NOR
worrying about chimneys cracking
and cleaning and straining your
self working your snoot like mol
in the dark. lit ain't a sin t,
bring up children and no acting al
the time like you was sewed up.
She looked at Toss eagerly.
But the girl wasn't swept off he
feet by Johnson's shades. "Som
of these look like cOwbells. We
got enough of the farm tracks,
into the house as it is"
Ike had been reading the con
tract very slowly. He pushed ava,
again and again Johnson's big
barreled fountain pen. He slam
med the paper down. Like hell
will"
The high muckymuck and John
son followed him out into the yard
They tramped from one end of th1
farm TO the other end and to tni
road. Johnson kept smiling anC
stroking air. "Lookee, Ike, we give
you all the outlets and plugs fo-
less than anywhere else. We give
you a 60-watt bulb up in your silC
so you'll be able to see a horse
ant with half an eye. We put {
light inside the backhouse so YOU
see what you're doing. But we got
to set 80 poles. We got to have
gang of men. We got to have
trucks. Well do it for $25
pole"
Ike brandished his head.
"We1l make it 20. I'll advance
We the money for the company anC
take a note"
Jesse kicked up a stone anc
studied the sowbugs. "We1l pu+
them up oursels."
The company men looked at each