HELEN LAKEMAN;
on,
Tho Story of a Young Girl's Strug
gles With Adversity.
BY JOHN H. MTTSICK,
Author or "Tub lUNKKn or Br.DronD,"
"Wai.tkh UtiowsriF.t.D," Etc.
tCopyright, Js, by A. A'. Kellogg A'etctpcper Co.
A looking beds.
Gathered around tlic fire-place, in
which were a few coals, wore half n
ilozon wretched creatures, live women
iiml one man. They wore clothed
in tilth and rags, and their long,
uncombed hair hung about their
shoulders, or was tied in knots
with strings. The day whs slightly
cool, and the poor mortals were doing
all in their power to instill some warmth
into their bodies. They were growling,
pushing and snarling, more like ani
mals than human beings. Long .suffer
ing had filled them with selfishness.
Little Amos was placed on a hard
chair near tho door. He did not dure
go too near those creatures, they
seemed so much like wild animals.
Occasionally they turned their sallow
faces upon him. One was blind, two
were orippled, the man was partially
insane, one woman had the rickets, and
the other was too old ami feeble to help
herself. These objects were disgusting
anil frightful to look upon, and Amos
expected from the glances they cast
upon him that ho would be soon torn
to pieces.
"Oh, Helen ! Helen ! where is sister
Helen?" he cried, weeping bitterly.
CIIAITKlt XIII.
IN JAIL.
Mr. Belcher, tb .sheriff, had a kind
heart and did all he could to cheer
Helen.
"I hope, Miss Lakeman, it'll not be
as bad as you think. I hope you will
some out all right."
"No, no !" said Helen, her face grow
ing more calm and pale, "I know that
-dm me, ruin and death will come out of
this ; I am in the power of persons bent
upon my ruin, and nothing on earth
can save me."
"Who do you think is bent on your
ruin?"
"Mr. Arnold and family."
"Why, great goodness! why would
thev want to ruin a poor girl like
ou?"
Helen was silent. She could not
nnswer this question, though she knew
hc answer to it. She could not tell
dim that the Arnolds had determined
to have the educated and accomplished
Warren Stuart a member of thru fam
ily, and that tho pretty face ut lite lured
s;irl was in the way. That MeJn Lake
man. arrested and disgrac4. would
lose her beauty even in thu nyen ( her
.ufatuated lover. She dare not toll the
dioriff what Iter honest cousictions
said were the living truths, for they
would not be believed. The she rill'
waited for her to speak. Belcher had
veil an officer long enough to regard
ivery person arrested as a criminal.
Jf course, this girl was guilty. He
felt very sorn for her. She was young,
Beautiful and intelligent, and she was
jftcn tempted. He resolved, in his own
amid,. to intercede with the court and
uruseeuting attorney and have her pun
idiinent as liglit as possible. It would
ii niueh lighter with her, ho knew, if
die would own the thing right lip and
jiake a clean breast of it all. He re
garded it as his duty to advise tho girl
ki do so.
"nelen," he said, in as kind and
fatherly a tone us he could command,
"you are a young girl, and perhaps
know nothing about law."
She bowed hor head to receivo the
advice, which she knew would come
"I feel sorry for you on account oi
this trouble vou havo got into," the
sheriff said, "and I want to talk to yot
us if you were my own daughter."
The carriage was rolling along ovoi
a smooth piece of wood, and the shcrill
knew every word tho girl said by way
of confession could bo heard by the
driver, provided she denied it after
ward. Tho sheriff determined to work
up the caso if possible. Helen was still
silent, and ho continued :
"You are young, thrown upon the
world without an adviser or friend, and
now if I can help you any I would be
glad to do so. Your crime is a soriotiE
one, to begin with, and, what is more,
you will bo convicted of it. Tho prooi
against you is overwhelming, and there
is no power no lawyer on earth that
can mako a jury believe you aro inno
cent." He paused to seo the effects of his
remarks upon tho kind-hearted girl.
Helen was silent. Her face was no
paler than before, and there were no
visible evidences of an increase in her
emotions.
"Feeling for you, as I do, Helen, I
think it my duty to adviso you to make
a clean breast of tho whole thing. Own
up to it liko a woman, and throw your
self on tho mercy of tho court."
He paused, because tho white faco of
the fair prisoner was turned upon him
and her eyes were blazing with a strange
light. Her look was one of inquiry, at
least so he determined to mako himself
understood.
"I mean, Helen, that It is better for
you, when arraigned, to plead guilty,
udmit taking the bracelet, und I think
we can get you oft' easily."
For a moment tho white faco was up
turned to his, and then tho sweet, sad
voice said:
"Would you havo mo admit a Ho?"
"Oh, no, no, no!" said tho shoritT,
"but you know" and he scratched his
head, "but you seo every hotly knows
it, you know, ami every body will know
iU It makes ho difference) what you
say, they will believe it,"
"Bcliove what?" said Helen, her eyes
...ivtng a ngnt ver unnatural. i can
not help what people say of me. 1 am
not the fust girl who has been ruined
by the thoughtless or intentional slan
ders of people who have sonieolaifcis to
goodness; but 1 am innocent in the
sight of Heaven. 1 know tho crime is
a felony. It is what the lawyers call
'grand larceny,' and 1 will bo sent to
the penitentiary, but I would not admit
a lie to save myself from all this degra
dation." Mr. Belcher now discovered that he
had no ordinary person to deal with.
She was either innocent or the most
brazen criminal he had ever met.
Never had he known one actually guilty
to assume her manner and tone. The
sheriff thought: "Of course, she is
guilty. Judge Arnold's family stand
too high in social circles to have made
a false report on the girl, and the Judge
is too shrewd to be mistaken. Of
course she is guilty. Judge Arnold
can hae no deep game to play in this
matter." The girl was poor and friend-
less, and lie nail expressed himself us
regretting that it had occurred. He
looked at Helen. She met his eyes with
an unwavering gaze. Her manner
said: "I havo done nothing to merit
this, and can not be made to bow my
head in shame. You may punish me if
you will, but you can not break my
spirit."
"She "i3 certainly a case." thought
the sheriff, turning his face toward the
coach window. "Oh, 1 do wish she
would plead guilty, she's foolish if she
don't."
The last was
for Helen to
sponded:
muttered loud enough
hear. She quickly re-
"It may be foolish to plead not
guilty, Mr. Belcher, but it will be right.
It is better to be right than to bo wise."
The sheriff was silenced. Tho village
was soon reached, and the roekaway
drove up to the ollice of tho magis
trate. Squire Bluffers had his ollice in an old
frame building on the ground floor, not
many rods removed from the post-
tiliee. which was on the corner of the
square. 1 he justice ot the peace was a
portly man. with gray hair, and a pair
of spectacles upon his nose. He was j
writing on his docket on the entrance
of the sheriff with his prisoner. The
old justice looked up and then pushed
his spectacles upon his forehead. No
sooner dill his eyes rest upon the fair
premier, then he started. Squire Bluff
ers was a man with a big, kind heart,
and to see one so young and handsome
as Helen Lakeman fallen, touched him.
"THIS IS THE I'KKSON,
"This is the person," said the sheriff,
gruflly. Since he had found Helen so
much more hardened than ho had
expected, he had lost much of his sym
pathy for hor. The justice, in the
absence of the pnecuting attorney,
read the complaint to her, and asked
her whether sho was guilty or not
guilty.
"Not guilty," was the response
The magistrate folded up the com
plaint, and, putting it in a large envel- 1
ope, thrust it back m a pigeon-hole.
Thero was a fow moments silence, when
the justice, taking up his pen, said :
"Have you a lawyerP"
"No sir," Helen answered.
"Have you money to employ a law
yer?" "No sir ; I had but two dollars and
fifty cents, and I gave that to my littlo
brother, when 1 left him."
"Do you want an examination now,
to-day, or would you rather wait?"
Helen felt prompted to ask for
delay, and sho did so.
"Can you give bonds for your appear
ance hero in ten days?"
"I think not," Helen answered. "I
know but very fow persons, and thoso I
do not know 1 would not liko to ask to
go on my bond."
"I will make it small if you will mako
an effort."
"It would bo no use," said Helen,
sadly.
"I don't liko to send a nice littlo girl
liko you to jail," said tho justice, with
a flattering smile.
"I do not liko to go there," said
Helen, brushing a tear from her check,
"but I suppose it can't be helped. It
mny be that sometime tho world will
know that I am innocent, though it is
impossible to convince pcoplo now."
"I will continuo your caso for ten
days, my good girl j in the meanwhile
I will have to commit you. Mr. Bridges,
the jailor, is a very nico man, mil ho
may not lock you up in a cell, but let
you stay with his family."
I he suggestion of tho justico seemed
to strike tho sheriff favorably. Ho
said ho would seo Bridges about it. Mr.
Bridges had tho front part of tho jail
converted into a dwelling whero him
self and family lived. He was found
und tho thing talked over. If it could
bo dono ho had no objection. Mr.
Belcher assured him that ho had tho
opinion of tho justico of the peace on
that subject, and that it could bo dono
with propriety. Tho result of their
conference on the matter was that they
went to tho justice's office, where
Helen, with her bonnet drawn down
over her faco out of modesty, not from
soii6e of shame, sat,
Hero, Juok," saldHho justico, tak
ing up a paper, "hero is a commitment
for ILilon I-aliuuan. Hor case U con-
tinned for ton tin vs. You might let her
stay in your house if you have no cell
for her, as vour house Is a part of the
jail."
"Will you try to get away, Helen,"
said the j tiler to the girl, "providin' I
don't lock vou up?"
"Would you believe any promise I
would make vou?" the girl asked.
"Well, yes" I might."
"No one believes what I say; I am
Innocent of any crime, yet no one be
lieves me. Kven tho sheriff insist on
my pleading guilty, and admitting u
crime 1 never committed."
"No, I don't," said the. sheriff, a lit
tle nettled, "I wanted you to plead
guilty if you committed tho offense; it
would bo better for you in the end."
"Promise mo that you will make no
effort to escape," said the jailer, "and
you need not enter tho walls of tho
jail."
Helen gave her promise, and was told
to "come on."
She arose and followed the jailer to
his house, inure were many curious
eyes turned upon her, as she went to
the jail, for the news of her arrest had
spread all over the village. She reached
the house of the jailer and was ushered
in.
CHAlTKK XIV.
CI.AUKNClt AND KOSK COItM A 1IIIAVK ItRSOI.V
TIOX, ASD CAKIIT IT OUT.
The news of Helen Lakeman's arrest
spread like wild tire all over the Sandy
! l.rk neighborhood. Mrs. Arnold, with
her head high in the air, in her en-
I delivers to see under her glasses, was
i
ready to answer any anil all questions
in reinm! to thu matter. Mothers Tar
truui and (Jrundy called on her for
their supply of news, and started about
from house to house to peddle it out.
The next Sunday, there being preach
ing at the Sandy Fork school-house, the
news was scattered generally. Mother
Tarlrum, who sat next to Mrs. Evans,
said :
"Didn't you hear about that Lako
man gal? Sho stole some money at
Judge Arnold's."
"Money ! I heard it was a bracelet."
"No it was money."
"Who told you?"
"Mother Grundy."
"Who told her?"
"Mrs. Arnold."
"1 think there must havo boon somo
mistake about it, ".said Mrs. Evans.
"I'd like to know how?" said Mother
Tart rum, "thero can't be no mistake
about it."
"Oh, the bracelet must havo been
lost and put among Helen's things by
mistake."
"No it wasn't," said the tattler,
shaking her head; "no, it wasn't; she
stole it, 1 know she stole it."
"But Helen was such a good girl.
There can't be any doubt as to her in
nocence." "You think that thing was a good
gal?" asked Mother Tartruin, who
seemed a special agent to slander
Helen.
"Yes."
"Well, she came to Mrs. Arnold's
way in the night with a strange man.
Do you call that a nico gal? She's tho
she's the worst gal we had in tho
neighborhood." The eyes of Mother
Tartruin sparkled with indignation, and
the hairy mole on her cheek trembled
with anger.
"Is that so?" asked Mrs. Evans.
"1 guess it is; Mrs. Arnold U-1U it."
Not three seats away Mother Grundy
was hurranjruing Mrs. Taylor.
"Wonder what Warren Stuart thinks
his gal now, eh? She's bad onough,
j jrUess.
I guess young men who throw
away such girls as Hallio Arnold for a
kitchen gal is sure to get beat. Sho is
jist as bad as can be, and is now locked
up in jail for a thief."
There was one family to whom the
news of Helen's fall canio liko a thun
derbolt. It was the Stuarts. When
Mrs. Stuart first heard of it sho burst
into tears, and said :
"It's all our fault, Jacob! it's nil
out fault; wo drove her to do it."
"I don't see how wo aro to blamo,"
said tho farmer, trying to find somo
way of relieving himself from any obli
gation to the friendless girl.
"Wo drove her away with hor poor,
little, crippled brother, out into tho
world. The temptation was too great.
Oh, who could blame her? It was her
mother's bracelet sold at the sale."
"I can," said tho farmer; "nico mess
we liko to got into, 'an it's a blossin'
wo got rid of her just when we did, or
we'd had a thief in our family. She
had tho wool completely pulled over
Warren's eyes."
Mrs. Stuart wept a few moments in
silence, and then said :
"But think, Jacob, of tho poor, friend
less child, for sho Is scarcoly more than
a child, und of tho charge sho has upon
her. '
"Oh, yes, I know"
"What do you suppose has bcoomo of
What Sho Would Do.
She was cosily intrenched upon his
ihoulder, and they wero very, very
happy.
"George," sho whispered, nnd ho
bent his head to listen, "do you know
what I would do if your lovo for mo
diould cool?"
"Would you die, dear?" ho asked,
passionately.
"No, George; I would brlnjj suit for
breach of promise." N. Y. bun.
ri encii piovmciai lawyer recent
ly died. In his will ho directed that nn
annuity of $100 a year bo paid to tho
servant who should "close his eyes."
When this clause was read tho servant
who had performed tho oflleo jumped
with joy, but his delight was speedily
diimpenod by the nephew and heir of
tho dead man who reminded the servant
that Ids master only had ono eyo, nnd
the servant actually failed to get Ids
legacy on this absurd techulcalitr.
CHILDREN'S PARTIES.
Commnn-Soiiw Aunuptiifnt nml Entr
Inliimrntn for ltoy nnd (llrl.
Much has been said against tho fol
lies in amusements of the present day
for children. We admit thore Is con
siderable nonsense, and that which is
worso, connected with modern child
life amusements in largo cities, but let
the mothers and grandmammas look
back, ami If they can find an average
of intelligence and good sense mingled
in the amusements of their day, let
them tell us about it. I will tell you
about some of the modern entertain
ments of the season, whero children I
know have been the entertainers and
the entertained. A children's party
nowadays disdains tho old-fashioned
kissing plavs and forfeits. Tho chil
dren of to-day would rathor wait until
the warm days of summer, when they
can pay and collect their forfeits from
their rollcklng playmates in hide-and-seek,
tag. ring-a-round-a-rosy or blind
man's buff, for children like these plays
nowadays just as well us evor,
only they prefer them in open
air and on the croquet ground rather
than in the druwing-room, a sulv
stitute for which is a real amateur lit
erary entertainment. At one of these
gatherings recently, a little girl of only
fourteen recited that beautiful poem,
"Bobert of Lincoln." with expression
and ventriloquism that might have con
vinced our forefathers of supernatural
powers of the vocal organs of this lit
tle maiden. One of the original dia
logues, written by the same girl, in
which the characters wero represented
by her Utile brothers and sisters, whom
she had trained at home for the occas
ion, demonstrating the confidence and
faith that littlo children place in such
a teacher. Children, in many cases,
have capacity and inlluence as teacher
with younger children, and can accom
plish more with their 'pupils than
teachers of years and experience. One
littlo girl, of five years, recited "The
Beautiful World," "The Ueininiscences
of my Grandma" and "Mamma's Sun
shine;" she sang with effect, which im
pressed most of the aiidieuco with a de
sire to grasp her in their arms and run
away with her. The natural unstudied
fascinations of little children in rhet
orical rehearsals, attained under good
training of well-quatiliod touchers, is
dillicult to bo surpassed in later years.
Children are constantly learning some
thing. It is no more injurious to a
little child's brain to learn that which
will profit and entertain themselves
and others than to acquire an endless
jingli) of Mother Goose. I do not
mean to speak irreverently of the good
.id lady, for hor gifts served mo well
when I was little, but she has served
her time and mission, and I am sure
she is or ought to be willing to grace
fully resign to the progross of the day,
anil most politely bow herself out of
modern literature. The bane and
dread of this kind of entertainment for
children is the over-dono elocution.
Children'' s Friend.
The Good Old Days.
In tho good old times of forty and fifty
years ago in Illinois all one had to do
with a drove of steers was to turn thorn
out in the spring as poor as could lie,
and by the first of the following Octo
ber every ono of them would be rolling
fat, and a $10 steer would buy eight
acres of good land. Now a .?!!() steer,
after eating fifty bushels of AO-cent
corn and SlO-a-'.on hay, will only buy
one-half acre of poor land. Then to
raise hogs all one had to do was to turn
a few sows and a boar into the woods
in the spring, and every fall throw out
aboit one bushel of 15-ccnt corn to the
head to finish them up and one had a
fat drove of hogs, and evory $2.0 hog
would pay for two acres of land; and
there wero but few men in Central Il
linois In tho old times referred to who
would trade a $2 pig for a section of
land, for thoy could all havo ton sec
tions apiece without oven laying 1 cent
tax on it, and often thore would be a
largo tract of land left. lilooimngton
(111. ) I'antagruph.
Words in Common Use.
Thore aro 7.1.000 words in Webster's
Dictionary, and no living man knows
one-half or one-third of them. It is
astonishing what a number of stipor
lluous words thero aro in our lan
guage. Shakespeare, who had the
richest vocabulary used by any English
man, employed only 10,000 words.
Milton could pick out from 8,000, but
the average man, a graduato from one
nf the great universities, rarely has a
vocabulary of moro than 8,000 to 4,000
words. The ordinary person can get
along very comfortably with 600 words,
and In tho rural districts u knowledge
of 200 words is sufllclont to carry a
man through life. This of course, re
fers to the noods of conversation. If a
man wants to read newspapers and
well-written books, ho must know at
least 3,000 words. Golden Days.
i
"Browning" oranges grown In the
West Indies and Mexico, so that they'll
pass muster as Florida fruit. Is the de
vice of nn enterprising Yankeo, The
Boston Jludget gives the process, which
consists in putting the fruit Into a large
sieve and passing it over a hot llro un
til the oranges nro suflicleutly scorch
ed, technically "browned," to give the
Florida tinge. It is said tiio "brown
ed" fruit Is mostly shipped North und
West
0 m i
San Antonio boasts of a cltlzon n
century old who recently rodo to a dog
fight eighteen miles away and was
blight enough to pick out tho winning
'
i . i
Cameron Palish, La., has a court
without a criminal case on tho docket,
and n jail u&ed only for thu storage of
flee.'
PROFIT FROM POULTRY.
A ltomuiirrattvp tlutlnr When Con lined
Within CiTtnln Limit.
Comparatively fow farmers, whoraiso
more or less poultry, ever keep an ac
count of expenditures and receipts,
nd so tho real condition of the balance
dieet is practically uuknow. Some
will imagine that tho kooping of poul
try results in profit, while others claim
that "it costs more than it conies to."
A neighboring farmer commenced, on
tho first of January, 1887, with sixty
hens and roosters, and during the en
tiro years kept a careful account of all
expenses and receipts, and was well
satisfied with the result. Not having
nil tho figures at hand wo enn only
give the general result On the first of
January, 1888, ho had seventy fowls,
ten moro than ho startod with; had
sold nearly ?o0 worth of chickens,
enough to pay for all tho food pro
vided, and hnd sold between $70 and
$80 worth of eggs. In this trial tho
feed was of tho greatost variety and
given warm, in tho mornlng.jboth
summer and winter. It consisted of
wheat, buckwheat, corn, oats, meat
scraps, ground bono, lino feed, and
meal scalded, with condiments of gin
ger, pepper, sulphur, etc. Tho feed
at night was corn and buckwheat. In
this caso tho cost of keeping tho fowls
fell somewhat below what is generally
considered an average. We havo no
ticed a good many records of tho cost
of keeping fowls, and tho average did
not fall a groat way below one dollar
per hoad, but in this case the cost varied
but littlo from eighty cents per head.
Nor has any mention been mado of
tho manure that can bo accumulated
from a flock of sixty fowls when upon
their roosts, if properly taken caro of.
But of course tliis would servo as an
offsottotho timo spent in caring for
tho same.
Tho poultry business, when confined
within certain limits, may without
doubt bo mado a profitable branch of
farm industry, and nnyono knows that
there is always a healthy demand for
fresh oggs in preference to thoso that
havo already boon shipped a long dis
tance and aro of a doubtful character.
Hri. . Ycomans, in N. Y. Observer.
STABLES FOR COWS.
How to Arrnnco Tlinm Whoro Only One
A ill mill I Kt.
Tho stable for a cow may bo a vory
simple affair. If a horse Is kept, there
should be a soparato entranco for tho
cow, or the horse or the cow should bo
kopt in a closed stall, so that thoro can
ho no danger of one injuring the other.
If a pig is kopt it should novcr bo per
mitted to become a source of ill odors
in the cow stable, and by nil means,
the pig should not bo kopt in tho ma
nure yard. If a cow neods to bo kopt
clean for tho sake of tho swoetnossand
purity of the milk and butter, a pig
should bo kept equally clean for tho
sake of the meat; for a pig Is subject
to all the conditions in this respect
that a cow is, and pure, wholcsomo
pork is as desirable as pure, wholosomo
milk and butter can be. For prepar
ing tho foed for the cow, a small-sizod
fodder cuttor should bo procured,
ono of tho coppor-strip rollor
kind is perhaps tho most desira
ble and easily kopt in order, and
the fodder should be cut and fed with
tho meal. Thoro is economy in it, nnd
n wasto of at loast one-fourth of tho
feed nnd fodder in using long ha nnd
dry meal. In the summer tho feeding
should bo pasture, or grass cut and car
ried to a small yard, and tho daily al
lowance of meal may bo given mixed
with tho fresh grass, or somo of tho
wasto of the gardon and tho house.
Parings of potatoes, turnips, poa pods,
pea vinos nml tho clippings of tho lawn
will all afford usoful food for a cow.
In country places, whoro half tho road
way bolongs to tho owner of tho lot,
and tho public hnvoonly a right of way
and passago over tho road, and havo no
right to loavo tho boaton traok and
damago tho othor parts of tho road un
less obliged to do so, tho roadsides may
bo kopt in clover and grass, and afford
a largo amount of fooding. American
Agriculturist.
Silhouette Placques.
First, you must havo n fow silhou
ettes taken. Sometimes these can bo
mado at homo by cctliuir some ono to
copy ono's shadow off tho wall and fill
ing in tho outlines with India ink, but
it is hotter to get thorn dono by a person
who makes a business of it as tho sil
houette will bo moro corroot nnd can
bo dono at a low prlco. If ono has a
protty profile a protty effect will bo
obtained on tho plncqtio. A china
saucer is to bo secured, which must bo
porfoctly smooth on tho inside, with
out tho littlo dent in the bottom to hold
tho cup. If tho china closot doos not
contain what you require, or you do
not caro to spoil your set by using ono
of those you have, you must put on
your bat and take a run around tho
corner to tho nearest crockery shop
and purchase ono for a fow cent's. Tho
saucer is then given a coating of liquid
gold paint both inside and out After
this has beon allowed to dry thorough
ly tho silhouette Is carofully removed
from tho curd and pasted oxaotly In tho
center of tho saucer. Tho profilo Is
thon outlined with crimson paint, ap
plied with a flno camel's hair pencil,
and a broad band of tho same color put
around the odge of tho placquo with a
coarse brush. Tho placquo is noxt
fastenod to a small polished brass easel
and finished with a handsomo bow of
crimson satin ribbon. When properly
dono this placquo makes an ornament
artistic onough for tiny bric-a-bruo
table. Detroit Free Press.
Hundreds of Canadians nro said to
bo awaiting naturalization in Chicago.
CAUSES OF FAILURE.
Condition I.ciicllnj; to Poor Method, mo A
rrlnrlples oT Tunning.
That the farming in this country in
far from being good is tho common
statement of our pcoplo who go abroad
and of intelligent foreigners who visit
us. It contrasts very unfavorably with
the farming in England, Scotland,
Holland and Belgium. Tho land pro
duces smaller crops and the soil is gen
erally losing its fertility. Tho causa
of our poor farming is not to bo found
in an unfavorable climate, a soil lack
ing in the elements of fertility or tho
Lack of intelligence among tho farming
class. Ono cause of our poor manage
ment of land is to be found in tho cir
cumstance that we have too many per
sons engaged in farming. In some of
tho States and Territories producing
crops and raising stock are almost tho
only Industries pcoplo can ongago itu
There is no fishing, mining, lumbering
or manufacturing interests. Men who
rely on their lalnir for support must
work at farming, for the obvious rea
son that thero is very littlo else to do.
There are no fish to catch, no lumber ta
be cut, and no mines to work.
In the countries previously named.,
where tho farming operations aro most
excellent, there aro many industries in
which men can engage. Onry about,
one-tenth of the Inhabitants aro en
gaged in any branch of husbandry.
The consequence is that only such per
sons become farmers or remain farm
ers as are adapted to the business.
Men of small mental ability and poor
judgment are much moro likoly to en
gage in mining thai, in farming. In a
coal or iron mine their labor, which is
purely mechanical, is directed by ior
sons of somewhat superior intelligence.
They can use a pick or drill and earn
fair wages. Men who havo a liking
for the water engage in fishing. Men
who have the taste and ability to han
dle tools find occupations in tho vari
ous mechanical arts. Not many more
are engaged in farming than in prac
ticing the various professions. Thoy
select farming or stock-raising becnusa
they have a taste for it a decided in
clination as others Imvo for surgery,
preaching, watch-making or writing
novolt. One man in ton in any country
is "cut out" for a farmer.
In the State of Nebraska and tho
Territory of Dakota thero is hardly
any industry in which men can engage
excopt farming and stock-raising.
There are no mines, no forests and no
waters abounding in fish. Tho coun
try has boon too recently settlod. ami
is too poor to cngago in many kinds ot
manufacturing. Thoro is employment
for railway operatives, salesmen in
stores and builders. Tho groat major
ity of tho inhabitants, howocr, must
engage in farming for want of an oc
cupation that is more suitable and mora
ongonial to them; that many of then
prove to be very poor farmers is by no
moans strange. It is generally ac
knowledged that there is better farming
in the Eastern and Northern States
limn in tho Southern and Wes'ernones,
and the reason is doubtlessly to bo
found in the circumstance that there
are more industries hi tho former in
which the persons can engage. In the
latter Slates many dovoto themselves
to farminir as a Inst resort or, rather
as, the only resort They do not like
the business, and arc not adapted to it.
but they engago in it because thoy must
do something, and thore is littlo work
to do except on farms.
if tho landing causo of poor farming
In this country is too many farmors,
mother causo is too much laud. Wheu
n farm can bo had for tho taking tha
taker is not very likoly to cultivate it
as it should bo. Many have taken up
land under the pre-emption, homestead
or timber-claim acts, simply to obtoia
a title to it without tho payment ot
money. Thoy complied with tho law
us fur as It was necessary to do so and.
no furthor. Thoy broko somo sot!,
planted somo crops, set out somo trees,
nnd cultivated them after a fashion.
None of tho work was well dono, for
the reason that tho settlor did not ex
pect to remain long on tho laiuL It
was the intention to soil the gift farm
as mo as a title could bo procured.
Somo Improvements would help sell
die pincc, and tho raising of some crops
would assist in supporting n family.
Few things are appreciated or properl
used that are obtained for uotldng.
Only in places where land is scarce and
high Is it generally cultivated as it
should bo to .secure tho best results.
In most of tho States that have been,
longest settled land is so easily ac
quired that many farmers do not think
It is economy to use it in such a man
ner that It will Improvo under cultiva
tion. If they want to ralso moro corn
or small grain, produce moro hay or
keep morostock.they buy moro land in
stead of trying to iucreaso the product
iveness of what they havo. Thoy will
not tile low land so long as they can.
buy laud in the vicinity that doos not
require undordraining. Thoy will not
dig up stumps or remove stones wldl
thoy can purchase field that aro
cleared. Many tobacb nnd cotton
raisers have declarod that tho easiest,
way for thorn to make money was to
rniso thoir crops, as long as they could
on ono place, and when thoy had
milled the Boll to sock now land to sub
ject to the exhaustive process. Obvi
ously our farming operations wHl
never compare with thoso in soma
countries while so largo a proportion
of our population is cngngod in farm
ing and laud can be obtained so eatily.
Chicago IHmes.
Aw Orlando (Flu.) newspaper ram
has bubstltucd a pair of sund-biM.
cranes for watch dogs, und ho find
that thoir loud, clear note of warning
when a trump or burglar comes near id
Uu effective means of protection.