The Nome daily nugget., 1936-01-22
Odd Agriculture
By James J. Montague

I HAD almost forgotten Emil Lus
 tengarten. Schoolmates, one had Il not seen or heard from for thirty years, are likely to be like that. He was pleasant sort-larger than was, and always somewhere in the )ffing when the school bullies picked )n me. In one way his friendship was l trifle embarrassing. 1 was the only boy in school whom he appeared to like. His other friends were toads and frogs and snakes and lizards. He had great collection of them In his fathers woodshed, and used to talk to them by the hour, not in the least disturbed if their replies were unin' telligible. The other boys always in- sisted that he would not have made a friend of me If did not share the na' ture or natures of one or more of these animal pets. They used to attempt to make the noises that these crea lures emitted, or at least limitations of them, to indicate that l resembled them. Not when Emil was around, however:
 'I sick me a rattlesnake on you If you bodder my friend" he would say, and for a time I would be left in peace. But the insistence that I was mem. Der of Emil's menagere got on my nerves after a while. I went less and less to his establishment, and, when one day l heard that he and his par ents had left town, was little ashamed to think that 1 had summed him for weeks. I found out at the post office where he and his family had gone-some little town in Arizona, and now and then sent him a post card. Invariably l received long re- ply which narrated his adventures in the new country, where he said he and his parents were running farm. Each letter expressed the earnest hope that l might come out there and visit him some day. And fifteen years later, when it so happened that was about to make western journey, l wrote him that 1 would try my best to pay him a short visit.
 letter came by return mail. Come as long as you like for," 1t said. "Send me telegram and I will meet you. l think you will like my farm. Maybe you will go in business with me. It is very interesting farm, and 1t makes money. It will be good to see you"
 He was at the station in little car when l arrived. He piled me with so many questions about the old town and what was happening there that l could not edge in question about his farm. When we reached his house 1t was already dark, and after a cup of coffee and some ham and eggs he po litely suggested then 1t was late and 1 must be tired He showed me into an extremely neat little room, and in a few minutes l was lost to the world
 Three or four times in the night l wakened, as one is likely to in strange surroundings. Each time thought l heard peculiar rustlings and other noises which 1 tried in vain to identify.
 It was already broad daylight when 1 finally awoke. Opening my eyes to look about me caught my breath. must still be asleep and dreaming. On a shelf behind the little chest of draw. CTS opposite me sat dinosaur. and not a particularly benign dinosaur It moved. To make sure that the bracing desert air had not overbraced me reached down. picked up one of my shoes, and shied 1t at the animal It made a curious squeak. and leaped nimbly from its perch, heading for my bed.
 My first instinct was to pull the blankets over my head and try to re. member some of the prayers that had. learned at my mothers knee. Then 1 remembered that creature such as l had seen would not be held at bay by any blankets. l got up and stood In the exact center of the bed, calling sharply to Emil for help.
 He hurried into the room.
 "So sorry he got away on me last