The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1947-08-28
N% CO
Edith

14Wk
NOTE: To insure getting in
to the paper articles should be
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ticle fof the editors informa-
ton. VIEWS expressed in this
column are those of the writer
who submitted the article ana
do not necessarily agree with
the policy Of this paper.)
Dear Hardin Young People:
Not the careful courteous
ones who try to make Hardin
a fine place in which to live.
Not the thoughtful responsible
ones who make us swell with
| pride over their high standards
and all around fineness, but
you others with the itching
palms and devil may care. Or
are you just plain hungry?
Maybe your folks don't give
you enough to eat. Or do we
need some juvenile crime STOP
pers around here?
Let's get down to cases.
Other people have been an
noyed, but I can talk best
about my own affairs. I like to
grow things. I have tried hard
to show what a lot can be
done with a little space, and
have been proud of my rasp-
berries, of my heavy apple
crop, of my plum branches
bowling to the ground. I had
plans for that stuff. Some of
it I meant to save. Quite a bit
of it was to be divided with
my neighbors. Many of the
apples were meant for a lady
with several children who
could well use more fruit if it
were not so hard for her to
buy.
This is where you come in.
My best apple tree is now bare.
A few days ago it was loaded.
Not one apple has got ripe. I
did salvage some of the crop
on the other tree so that there
were a few messes of nearly
ripe fruit distributed in the
neighborhood, but I have put
up none, eaten no great
amount, and only an apple
here and there Is left on that
tree. My plums are half ripe
now, but are going. There is
some little kid pilfering, but
it is not the worst. What about
those two boys whose sole vo-
cabulary was Huh, huh, huh?"
as they grabbed more fruit
after being asked to go? What
about the carload Of young
folks who had unloaded, but
who dashed back to their seats
and made a getaway when a
neighbor appeared in sight?
What about the motor scoot-
ers that stop conveniently by.
Yes, even what about the boys
with the flashlight who raped
at the back door and asked for
apples because they didn't
want to risk their regulations
by stealing them?" What about
the ones who stopped to argue
that they wanted only a few
to eat when asked to leave the
apple tree? Is it Just a lark or
plain stealing? How about all
of us browsing around and
picking up a few things we
consider desiable? Response
bility and privilege belong to-
gether. If you are old enough
to let 60 Of your mothers
hand, you are old enough to
walk straight on the sidewalk.
Also, what about the tomatoes
and the agates. You can't eat
agates, yet my pile of uncut
ones, valuable only as gifts TO:
people looking for curiosities
or as material for school room
use has been almost completely
taken despite the fact that on
at least two occasions neigh
borS and I have demonstrated
with boys who have gone all
the way back to the concealed
area behind my house to raid
them.
I haven't complained to the
authorities. I am complaining
to you young people. Nobody
can do as much with you as
you can do with yourselves. Is
it more sporting to take pride
in a little self control, or to
smoker over what we can get
away with? I suppose I could
put a fence around the place,
or would that just be an addi-
tional challenge to you? I'd
rather be able to say, Hardin
Is a good town. People can live
there knowing their righs will
be respected and their prop
cry protected. It has been
suggested to me that when
people say they can't raise
certain things in Hardin, they
don't mean water, soil, or eli
mate is at fault, but Just kids
What about it? One person
doesn't count for so much, but
the welfare of the town GER
tainly does, and will the har-
vest be safe in Hardin next
year? Not just mine-every-
ILL., 49,