Year: 1879

at nearly all seasons of the year. know


that farming Is something like courting
handsome girl-the employment Is pretty


steady but the work is very agreeable.


Yet, as steady and agreeable as it is, time


should be taken for visiting and taking
part in these annual fairs.


Undoubtedly there ere many farmers


who have no faith in these exhibitions.


They belong to two classes, one of which


is composed of those who are entirely ig-


norant of the blessings and benefits to be


derived from them, and the other made


up of those hard listed, close pocketed
! fellows who go through life without


ever looking at the bright side OF nature;


who live apart, as It wero, from their fell


low men, holding as little communion with


them as possible; boarding every cent


they can make, taking no mental nor


physical comfort through life, and finally


entering the great hereafter, unknown,


unhonored and unsung. This class take


no recreation, are up before dawn and


work after dark. Onco upon time q


countryman of mine hired out with ore


of these fellows. He was young, strong,


vigorous, just from the Gould sod" and


had ''devil of an appetite He COM
tmenced work Immediately after dinner,


and worked steadily on until the shades


of night fell thick about him, when he
was ordered to the house to supper.


Supper over, Pat was permitted to retire.


But long before day break the following
morning, he was ordered from his inno-


cent slumber, and coming down stairs
found the table set for breakfast. He
pitched into the meal and thoroughly


astonished the niggardly farmer by the


quantity of yictuals that he put out of
sight forever. The meal ended Pet arose
| and in the very essence of delight, pro-
| nounced these remarkable words: ''Be


JabcrSl America is q great country for


attn. Two suppers in one night; and


now I'll go back to bed again. and suit
ing the action to the words, he scamper-


ed off to his couch before the boss could


recover from his astonishment.


Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you viii


find types of this niggardly human ghoul


in all trades, In all professions, in all So
cieties. But thank God that among the
| farmers of America they are few and far
between. The farmers Of this county at


least believe in the good old motto OF


''live aud let live They are frugal,


they are industrious, they are enterpris-
ing and Intelligent. They are the equals,


had almost said the superiors of any
other class OF human beings that dwell
upon Gods footstool. 1t has been truly
| said that the farmers are the bone and
ainew of the land-tha muscle and brain


of slso nation. The foolish city fop
with his yard Of paper collar and his


ounce of mediocre brains, will laugh at


the honest granger and set him down as
| a simpleton because he does not sport
such Glove Of nloustache," nor such
| puny, soul killing and body destroying
boots. But beneath the rough exterior


of the one dwells heart as large as the
| whole body of the other, and rests
| brain, an ounce of which equally distrib-


uted between a whole dozen of his scof-


fers, would wonderfully improve their
or nf Lot
| scoff nor sneer at the farmer, for his is
| the most ennobling and scientific profess
sion in existence. 1t requires moro
| brain to successfully manage farm, than


to command hosts of armies and lead
them on to victory. Gen. Grant was a
dead beat as a farmer, he not possessing
| sufficient agricultural talent to success
fully raise white beans; yet he succeeded
| admirably in raising the devil with the
| rebels as they know to their cost. The
illustrous father of his country, too,
! George Washington, who walloped the


British SO splendidlY upon many we'll
fought field, was no great shakes as a
farmer, though his fond father discover


ed that he was somewhat of chopper,
! the day upon which he cut into cord


wood the old mans favorite cherry tree,


with his little hatchet.


But some great farmers are also great


warriors. The student of history will
| call to mind q certain Roman Emperor


who gave up the scepter OF power and


returned to his lovely and well cultivated
farm. The enemies of his country, dis


covering this fact, took advantage of his
| absence and attacked the Roman armies
| defeating them in many successive bat
ties. In this extremely dangerous crisis


the farmer emperor was appealed to. and


not in vain. He left his plow standing


in the furrow, and, Fastening to his


country's rescue, almost annihilated the
| hitherto successful invaders. He then


returned again to his plow, hitched en-


his team and resumed his work as uncon-


cernediy as If he had been absent only


for drink of water. History does not


state how long the plow was kept stand
| ing in the furrow, but had ne been a care
full farmer he would have put it in the
| shed, away from the sun and rain and


their bad effects, before he went.


But | started out to say something of


the farmers glorious occupation, and


likewise, something concerning your


excellent association and here I am talk
ing of Roman Emperors. Let me again
| tell you ladies and gentlemen that the


farmers occupation is an iIlustrious one


Be not ashamed Of it. If you have q
son, bright boy, the idol of your soul,


youth of genius possessing talents of


an elevated order and having within him