VOL. LVIII.
INDIANAPOLIS, MAY 30, 1903.
NO. 22
Written  for  the   Indians   Farmer:
THE VOICE OK THE OLD  SPINNING   WHEEL.
(By E. S.  L. Tbompeos).
Oome,  oltl spinning wheel,  and grandmother's reel
And  tell  as   tbe secrets  you  keep;
Of  fresh  carded   wol,   snd   "mils"   beautiful,
And "stints" that waked girls from their sleep!
Of   Betty,   bltbe maldl   of  trim   Adelaide
Of  Molly,   and  Polly,   snd   Prue;
Oome out  of   the   dust!   Indeed   wheel   you   must,
For bumbly your fa Tor we sue!
E**nest  labor's tbe  praise  ot  old  fashioned  days,
Ah,   Beauty  oft  worked   by   my  side!
For Polly wss nest, her sister Prue aweet,
Your  Grandmere  soon   sought  as  a   Bride!
Tou   needn't   suppose  that   tbe   family   clothes
Were  made ln  a week  or a  day:—
ALd some of my work—I never did shirk I
Went  for  tbe   old   homestead   to   pay!
"I'm  cob-webbed   and  old,   my  pulses  are  cold,
IU lovely, my dear,  to be  young!
I've seen my best day,  it's ever tbe way
With   all  mortal   things   but   the   tongue!
I'd like to begin and show you tbe spin
Made  some ashamed  of  tbelr spinning,
If 1 ran a race I kept up the pace
And   came  out   first  ln   the   winning!'*
By© Bight Feet High.
auditors  Indiana  Farmer:
' I see a letter in last week's Farmer
from "Uncle Billy Coleman," of Nebraska, in which he reports some rye six
feet high. Xow we ean beat that in old
Jefferson county. I have rye that I measured to-day that was just even eight feet
high, hat do you think of that? This
may sound fishy, but it is here to show
for itself. "vVm. F. Hamilton.
Dupont, Slay 19.
—That it certainly good for old Jeff.
We doubt if any other section can do
tetter.
Tell How lt ls Done.
Bdltoars  Indians   Farmer:
I read in your paper of May the Oth, a
short piece on the first page, in first column, headed "Lightning Strikes Twice,
in Same Place," and the writer signed like
tnis, Corydon, April 25th, E. W. F.
I think it was from Harrison county, he
says we have lots of men in* Indiana who
could save their barns for $10. Now, I
think this man should have told his
brother farmers how to do this, and they
would have thanked him very much for
it. I wish you would learn of him how
h could be done and print it in the first
column, on first page at the first opportunity for the benefit of your subscribers and
friends, it might save dollars for the
people. C.   W.  G.
—You are right, E. W. F. ought to tell
us how to save barns from being lightning struck for $10, and he will. He is
ihat kind of a man. But if he asks us
to republish something from a former
number we hope he will give us date, page
and column, as you do. We can't promise to print it on first page though.—Eds.
Do Lightning Bode Protect?
editors IndUna Fanner:
This evening during a rain-storm my
dwelling house was struck by lightning
.ind damaged considerably, but was not
let on fire. I wish to further state that
my house is not rodded with any light-
Ding rod. J. E. Buttman.
Jackson Co.. May 19.
—Mr. Buttman sends us this report as
per our suggestion some time ago, concerning lightning striking buildings. He
tas our thanks for the kindness, and we
Irnst that other readers knowing of similar accidents will follow his good ex-
rmple, and will always state, as he does,
whether the building struck was rodded
or not. This is the point on which we are
wanting information.     Tho lightning  rod
men claim that no well rodded building,
with proper connections running into
moist soil, is ever damaged by liglitdiu_tr
On the other hand the fire insurance men
allow no deduction from their rates for
insuring buildings that aro rodded. They
assume that there is just as much danger
ef rodded buildings being burned by lightning as those that are not thus protected. Now, which is right? Wt believe
ihat rods are almost, if not entire protection against lightning, and the reports of
several home insurance companies support the belief. We published reports
from an association in Illinois and one
from Newton county, this State, last summer, on the subject, both agreeing with
the statement, and earnestly recommending the rodding of barns and dwelling
houses.     It  may   seem  strange,   if  these
or even wash tub, just as the family con-
si i ri'd most convenient) III packed.
Ihe folks were generally stirring ai> hour
earlier tban usual, while this was oft-
linn's quite unnecessary, it gave an added
jest to the day's dissipation, the "team"
fa.l and harnessed, breakfast hurriedly
prepared, then hastily eaten. After
breakfast the milking was done, calves fed
pat away; the trough for the milk jars
and a trough for the calves filled with fresh
Water; poultry fed and all available vessels filled with water, for it promised to be
tiuite hot and the humble friends left at
home were not forgotten; the cows driven
t.a pasture, al) gates securely fastened,
looms hastily tidied, teiim hitched to the
wagon and then the uiinrciistomed items
of putting on one's best for a whole day's
wear.
BLIND -CHILDREN READING THE GOSPEL.
reports are true, that fire insurance com-
I anies make no distinetioa between buildings that are rodded and those that are
not in writing their policies. The only
explanation we have to offer for the fact
is that there must be a fire once in a while
in order for the insurance agents to get
any business.
In the country, where there is no
chance for bad boys, or "fire bugs," as
they are called, to set barns or outhouiws
c:i fire, just to see the fire engines come
tearing up the street, there are very few
barns set on fire, except by lightning.
Farmers are extra careful with lanterns,
and it is very seldom tbat fires are started
by them. So it is possible, perhaps, that
insurance agents are willing to have their
companies pay a loss by lightning, once
in a while, in order to keep them in busi-
iis-s. We do not want to misjudge anyone, but we can think of no better explanation of a fact that has puzzled us
a good deal. Home mutual insurance
companies are not influenced by the same
consideration. They do not want fires
to occur from any cause. Their effort is
to make insurance a9 cheap as possible,
.ind have few or no assessments to make
on the members. If all our readers will
report us as suggested we will have some
definite reliable information on the subject.
A Day at the Oounty Fair.
Editors  Indlsns   Farmer:
To many farmers' families a day at the
county fair was the only outing of a year;
so it was made the most of, and was altogether thought to be quite exciting, 20
yean ago.
All the day before quite an array of
geod things was being prepared, and in
many cases the hamper, (which was
clothes, feed or market basket, goods box
At last all are arrayeal, comforts folded
nnal placvd on seats'(often a springla*ss
hoard), extra wraps taken, the hamper of
dinner snugly placed in the "back end"
among the hay which would later be fed
to the team, a feed of corn in the "front
end" and quite often a half gallon jug
of  coffee  was  taken.
All aboard, umbrellas, parasols and
f;ins unfurled, then we start, the team
walking quite sedately, as if conscious of
a great dignity.
Oh! the pleasure of the early morning
ride through dusty country roads, which
ribboned between stubble and corn field;
clover sward and timothy meadow.
Soon other teams are sighted, recognized, hailed, and by the time the top of
the "big hill" is reached, there is quite
• procession of wagons; some spring wagons or "buffalos," a few carriage, buggies and horse back men.
After locking, with a log chain, down
the "big hill" we go, through the county
seat, that has the appearance of being
squeezed between the "crick" and the
hill; the only sight of the town is the
court house, quite a pretentious affair;
a little stop in front of the P. O., to see
if there's any mail, then on to tbe covered
bridge; here the teams are brought to a
slow walk, for it's a fine to go through
the bridge faster than a walk, and a fine
was something to be shunned twenty years
ago. I almost hold my breath yet when
I think of the awe with which I entered
the bridge twice each year; as we went
and as we came home, did this bridge engulf me, and really this was half the fair.
Now we are through, then* on a few miles
further, and the high board fence of the
grounds is in view; a stop at the gate to
purchase tickets, a drive outside the ropes
to a suitable place for leaving the wagon; then  all climb out,  the  team  is  un
hitched, unbridled, haltered and tied to
to the wag-in, one on each siala* to munch
trie ha.v, Imt not In reach of the hamper;
a bast; dusting of garments, a diva nnder
the  ropes am!  \va*  are  nt  tha  Fair.
Pint we go to the "Hall"—this is lined
on each side, anal in the center long tables
aro covered With all kinds of fancy work
then in vogue, patchwork quilts, garments,
not flowers, cut flowers, pie, cake, bread,
canned fruits, jellies, butters and preserves, dairy butter, each of course in sections, and each competing for a prizi—■
then the shed, with its collections of vegetables,  grain,   poultry  end  hardware.
The farming implements and vehicles
were on the outside of the shed in a
group; usually one man brought all of
t hese.
Stalls around the fence, outside the
ropK a*ontained the hogs, sheep, horses
and cows.
Of the small side shows, cheap Johns
lunoh stands, etc., there is but a ehoatic
lemembrance; it makes my head ache yet
to think of the jumble of noises.
Late in the afternoon, tired and hungry, we start for home; from the hamper
we secure a few left-overs to munch,
(somehow the gaiod home-made pie, bread
and butter and cake taste better after we
have sampled candies, popcorn, pink
lemonade, etc. How good it seems to
reach home; there are the cows ready for
milking: the cnlves impatient for supper;
the poultry giving disgruntled quacks and
cackles at having supper put off; lots of
do and all hands tired, thirsty, sleepy and
trnss.
Hurriedly are the best clothes removed
the old ones donned; with this change
quite a lot of the crossness is gone; then
for the necessary work, and to bed.
By noon of the next day things arc outwardly in their accustomed groove, excepting that there is quite an extra pile
of clothfs for next week's wash, but this
one day's outing will remain fresh in our
minds until the next year's fair.
More wns thought then of a few miles
journey to the county fair than a trip to
a world's fair is now, but do the world's
fairites enjoy their outing more than we
did ours?
Before knowing of or experiencing
great dissipations, small ones are exciting enough, and are just as contenting,
but once having tasted, then is contentment with the old order of things gone
forever.
"The world do move." and it is well
that  we  move  with  it. E .
Washington is beginning to note the
difference between the McKinley and
Roosevelt administrations from an office-
seeker's point of view. During the McKinley administration a western public
man called to request the president to
give him a diplomatic appointment, and
came from the room with a smiling face.
"I think," he said, "I'll get the place.
The president has invited me to luncheon."
"Don't you believe it," his friend replied. "It is a proverb of this administration that when McKinley invites you
to luncheon you get nothing more.'
President Roosevelt invited William
Williams of New York City to lunch with
him at the White House recently.
"Does' the McKinley proverb hold good
in Williams's case?" asked an official who
knew of the invitation.
"Not altogether," was the response.
•'As his dessert Williams may get a piece
of pork."
Mr. Williams was offered the post of
commissioner of immigration.