The Old Farmer Meddling
In Town Affairs
Aii old farmer stood out by his pas
ture lot, looking down into the valley
where two or three miles away was
located the county seat town. And
the old man was talking about pub
lic affairs.
"I came here before the town did,”
he said. “And a good lot of the farr
crs came as soon as I did. We had
to go a good ways to trade. There
was maybe a mill or two on that
stream, where we could go with a
grist to mill, but it. was a good ways
in every direction to anything.
“Well sir, these towns started up
because there were a lot of us fellers
to sell things to. Just trading places,
with two or three stores that kept
codfish and calico on the same shelf.
None of them store keepers knew
sure where the real town was going
to bo, but they all hoped they would
strike it. Anyway, they had no inter
est here except to sell things to
farmers, and make money. We was
all fast to the land, and expect to
stay, no matter where the towns
squatted.
“I watched that town growr up. At
first it was the store men, and then
a blacksmith, and then another store
and a shoemaker, and a stock buyer
and some more stores. All of them
wanted to sell things to us, or make
some profit out of our stock and
grain None of them built goqd
houses at first. They didn’t seem to
be sure they would stay. Mostly they
lived over their stores. The other
towns up and down the valley was
just tlie same.
“So they kept on growing as the
farms got better, and there was
more money for us to spend. The
railroad came to handle our stuff,
and the store men found sure they
had the towm anchored in the right
place, and they built houses. We
helped build the first school house
there. And we paid most of the
taxes that built the first court house.
And a lot more people came in to
help each other wait on the farmers
when they come in to trade.
“Purty soon they commenced to
call it a city. And purty soon a few
farmers moved to town to live. They
had made a good deal of money by
hard work, and they had young folks
coming on who were ready to take
up the farming. That made more ne
houses, and more people down there
for the rest of us to feed. But they
were all just a lot of farm folks af
ter all, and a lot of people making
their living out of farm folks. The
sidewalks and the county jail, and the
new high school building couldn’t
change that.
"I remember when they commenc
ed to talk about a new court, house.
Wanted to spend $80,000 for a new
building. A ston man came out to
see me about it one day. 1!ragged
about my hogs awhile and then
talked court house, ile said the old
court house wasn't a credit to the
county any more. 1 knew he meant
it wasn't stylish enough for the
town, but I had to own up that it was
a pretty cheap looking old shack.
"What lie wanted was for some of
us farmers to circulate a petition
asking for a court ltoues election.
He said it took a petition with about
so many signers before the commis
sioners could call the election, and
they thought it would be better to
have some farmers carry the petition.
Made it look a lettle better, ho
said, and easier to get names.
"Well, the upshot of it was I helped
get them signers, and we took hold
and furnished the votes for the
court house bonds, and in the end we
furnished most of the tax money. The
town people were purty proud of the
court house, but I hear talk now of
another election for an addition to it.
Guess they will soon be around for
more signers. Did you ever notice
how kind and gentle the town fellers
are when they want farm votes for
some improvement?
"I raised considerable of a family
here on this hill. First, we had some
boys, and then some girls, and more
boys, Took a good deal of groceries
and clothes and things for a big fam
ily, but we got along. Used to be a
saloon in town when the town was
new, and 1 used to go in quite often.
Seemed like things was purty lone
some out here in this country, and
there always was a social crowd in
the saloon. 1 never was one that
took very much likker, but sometimes
mother would cry about it when 1
come home. Guess it was about the
only thing that come between us in
them days. But 1 kept on being
sociable occasionally till my oldest
boy got to blacking bis shoes and
wearing a stand-up collar.
“One night some fellers brought
that boy home. They said he was
sick, but 1 knew he was drunk. It
nearly broke me up. 1 seen that
night what the damned stuff meant
to mother, and what an example 1
had been setting for the boys. So
I swore off right that night, up there
under the eaves in that boy’s room,
and 1 stayed swore off. All right to
say you can drink a little and not get
hurt, but it hurts you clean into your
soul when likker reaches down into
your family.
“See that cemetery over on the
slope by town? 1 got to wipe my
glasses now to see it. Well, that boy
is buried over there now. Followed
him down this hill four years ago and
along the main street over to the
church.and out to the grave
yard. He is buried there—in town,
and I've got a space over there for
the rest of us. Bought it a long
time ago, and mother has fixed it up
nice. She goes there a good deal
and she cries a good deal over the
grave stone of a little girl we put
along side of the boy the next year.
Seems now like we have more inter
est In the to^n than we used to
have. Seems like more of it belongs
to us than it did a few years ago.
We tala- more interest in the church
affairs now, and in the town school.
Perhaps we will go over there some
time and build us a house in town.
The boys are about running the farm
now and maybe running it beti< r
than I ever did.
"I guess there ain’t many things go
ing on in that town that I ain’t in
terested in, and sometimes I think
I want to have more say about it
than I have now. I can vote for new
court houses, and I got a piece of
land down there close that helps pay
the town school taxes, and I help pay
the wages of two preachers down
there, and I guess I am about as
good a customer as any of themtown
folks at the stores.
“Yes, I guess I have a right to
vote on what goes on down there,
when it hits my pocket.and
when it hits my family.”
And the old farmer wiped his glass
es again, so that he could see the
road toward town, and up the main
street, and out along the way past
the church and to the cemetery on
the hillside beyond. And he thought
about the chance that was coming
to him to vote directly on questions
where he had no vote now,—an en
largement of the privileges of every
farmer and neighbor. And he thought
of the old neriod of “personal liber
ty” that was now partly bvried in the
silent Hly ever there on the hill
slope, ' left him standing there,
wiping his glasses.
BOYS WANTED.
“Wanted some bright boys, full of cheer,
To stand at my counter as drinkers of beer.
To fill up the ranks, without further delay,
Of the army of drunkards passing away.
A hundred thousand a year will just supply,
The loss to our trade from the drunkards who die.
Send those who can toil, or have wealth to bestow,
For profits are small on old drinkers you know.
Let them come from the shop, the school or home.
We’ll welcome them all, whoever may come.
Let mothers surrender their sons to our cause,
And'fathers keep voting for good license laws;
For if you will vote to keep running the mill,
You must furnish grist, of the wheels will stand still.—W. C. T. U.
FOR JUSTICE.
j Paradoxical or otherwise, the rec
ords for willful and designed liars
■ has stood unchallenged from the days
of Ananias and Sopphria to the day
I when the whiskey men declared the
citizens of Kansas drink more beer
, and whiskey than the citizens of
I Nebraska. If that were true the
| brewers and distillers would not fight
j prohibition, but would encourage It.
It is the big dollar they are after i
regardless of how they get It.
They sacrifice principle for inline-j
diate results. The whiskey men:
tell you that prohibition does not
prohibit. Is there a law on the stat-;
ute books that strictly prohibits? Not
one. Thou shalt not murder. The!
murderer knows to kill and be con
victed means life imprisonment, or
a hurl from the scaffold straight into
hell; yet there are murderers. Thou
shalt not steal horses, yet the people
of Falls City know Hull horses have
been stolen. Thou shalt not loot, rob
or embezzle a bank; yet there are six
ty-two bankers in the federal prison
at Leavenworth. The whiskey men
tell you if the saloons were taken out
of the county, there would be more
whiskey drank than there is now.
"Jesus would we p and wipe his eyes.
To see those sinners tell their lit s.”
The whiskey men forget that
it requires a majority to vote the
county dry and the saloons out, yet
they, the minority, threaten to violate
the law; run a blind tiger and boot
legging all the same. They are like
the little hoy that stood at tin1 head
of a stairway saying to Ids mother,
“If you don’t give me sugar, 1 will
fall down stairs.”
The whiskey men say if you don't
give us saloons we will hoard the
ship of intemperance and sail
across the black created waves of
damnation.
County option means that every
voter In the county shall have a
right to vote for or against the sa
loons, or any other interest that he
is responsible for. It is the voter’s
civic right, it is ids legal right, it is
his inherent right, not only that but
it is ids duty to protect the most val
uable property in the city built by
the county, the court house. Quar
antine your cities for two months
against the farmers and as the darky
said, “where is you?” You would
run limp and lame, knock-kneed and
pigeon-toed to greet the farmers, us
the prodical son, yet you deny him
the right of ballot, that you your
selves exercise. Hasn't It dawned
upon your adamantine intellect that
you are living on the hard earning of
the farmer, if it hasn't I will quietly
hint that you are. It is my humble
opinion, if Dahlman is elected e.ovei
nor lie will share the same fate
that is no\y confronting the mayor
of Topeka.
Tho mayor of Topeka is trying to
bring shame, disgrace and dishonors
to the great.state of Kansas and it
dignified eapitol. Kansas has hud
prohibition for twenty-nine years, I In
law against illicit traffic of intoxicat
ing liquors are as well enforced as
any other law. The people unanimo.s
ly denounce the mayor’s interviews
as the dirtiest, most villianous slat)
dors ever perpetrated on the people
of Kansas. The saloons are the des
poilers and desecraters of the nations
honors, purity and virtue.
In 1!P>4 fifteen thousand British
isli physicians petitioned to have ten*
perance taught in school. In 1 !•<>;* a
notable syllabus on temperance was
issued officially for use in public ele
mentary schools In England and in
Wales. I)r. Williams is authority for
saving tlie expenditures for whiskey
in England for the year l'.iOS were
over 120 million dollars less than
*i,e year 1800. Dr. Holltscher collat
ing the results of inquiries reports
the use of intoxicants have fallen off,
57.2 in Germany, Austria and Swit
zerland. Why should the people of J
Nebraska object to submitting tin
same question to all voters. It is!
self evident and the results will !
furnish the evidence. If the citizens'
of Nebraska, through indifference, or
the love boodle, or a desire for
booze should he so unfortunate ns to
elect Dahlman for their chief execu
tive, they will have to nullify the
claim to the highest standard of in
tellect and literature! in the sister
hood of states.
I will repeat what I)r. Gunn said
years ago,"Whiskey not only invades
the family amt social circles but it
spreads woe and sorrow all around.
It cuts youth down in its vigor; man
hood in its strength and age in its
weakness. It bereaves the father's
heart, extinguishes natural affections,
bllthes conjugal love and brings
mourning age down in sorrow to the
grave." .1. It. Smith.
«
* * *
BE FAIR.
There is an unwritten law, or shall
we say an understanding between
Richardson county and Pawnee coun
ty to change places for senators.
This year it is by all fairness Paw
nee county's time to furnish the
candidate for state senator. Ac
cording to tliis arrangement, they
have an excellent man in the race
in the person of Dr. Johnson,
Rh-hardson county should he fair
and line up to their agreement. We
are not going to make an attack on
anyone only this. ,1. II. Morehead
and Richardson county are not en
titled to the place. In these days
when we hear so much about the"
square deni, tin* people should In
sist on fairness with our neighbors,
* * *
There is little danger form a cold
or from an attack of the grip except
when followed by pneumonia, and till
never happens when Chamberlain’s
Cough Remedy h; used. This rem
edy has won its great reputation and
extensive sale by its remarkable
cures of colds and grip and can be
relied upon with implicit confidence.
For sale by all druggists.
Nov. Eight 0<®\
I Don't Forget \
I ADDISON WAIT I
Rep’n Candidate MjJ
V0 • FOR’ &/
N^MRjYgg
Wanted—
One thousand bushels of Wal
nuts at I leek and Wamsley's war
house. Phone 3!Ki or 318A.
Wanted—
Putter Fat 30 cents, Eggs 20
Tliis price is good for the ballanc
of this month.
P. II. Ilermes Phone 35
For Sal—Firet class livery barn
in Morrill, Kansas 72x!i0. Big bay
mow, stork not included. Address
Fred Freiburgl oure, Sabctba, Kas.
pm * (rJ
X*' - M (■’
Cleans, Scrubs,
Scours
Polishes
Ol
Dutch
Cleanser
Is the only thing you need
to do all your cleaning—in the
kitchen, dairy, bath-room,
parlor, pantry and throughout
the house and in the bam.
Old Dutch Cleanser
polishes brass, copper, tin, nickel and
all metal surfaces. Excellent for clean
ing harness, no acid or caustic; (not a
soap powder),
For Cleaning Harness:—
Sprinkle Old Dutch Cleanser
on wet sponge, rub harness well,
rinse with clean water and wipe
dry—removes all dirt and will
not harden or crack.
For Polishing Metal:—
Sprinkle Old Dutch Cleanser
on wet cloth, rub briskly, rinse
with clean water, wipe dry and
polish with a little dry powder—
easiest and quickest.
<t
Large Sifter Can
Werner=Mosiman Co.
-HEADQUARTERS FOR -
All First Class Farm Implements
THE NEWTON and the WEBER WAGONS are
our Special lines. Our new ware house is finished
and we have been able to make space for a better
display of :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Moon Bros, and Henney Buggies and Carriages
We have the newest improved jjrain dumps and corn
shellers. See our DAIRY MAID SEPARATORS,
llie best on the market. 1 he BES T PRICKS on
the BEST GOODS.
-PHONE 24 B
WeriierMosimaii Co.
FALLS CITY. NEBRASKA
^inrerify Cliuhc •
COPYRIGHT 1910 BY KUH. M'HAI P. f ■ f.Htll CO.; AU RIGHTS ftt* t <iVCO
are selling the best
clothes possible to make
at the price. Best means
something more than a mere
claim for the parts of our goods that the
eye can see. The label and its guaranty
are assurance that the parts you cannot
see are made right. Honest materials
and skilled hands make the foundations
of good clothes and so far as prices go,
you will find ours cheaper—quality con
sidered—than you are likely to find any
where else.
Men’s Suits.$10.oo to $22.oo
Hen’s Overcoats. IO.00 to 22.oo
Young Men’s Suits.... 8.00 to 18.00
Boys’2-piece Suits.... 2.50 to 7.00
UNDERWEAR
2-piece, Shirts and Drawers, per suit $1.00 to $4.00
Union Suits, per suit .$1.00 to $3.50
Flannel Shirts.$1 00 to $2.50
Men’s and Boys’ Sweater Coats. 50c to $4 50
WAHL & PARCHEN
|U| p- A T Fresh meat of all kinds may be
^* had of Mack & Nixon, either at
the Market in Barada or at the
Mack farm. Good Beef, 8c to 12c per pound.
Will deliver if not too far out.
Mack & Nixon, Barada, Nebr.
