DID FARMER" PROVES
HIS ABSOLUTE IDENTITY
So then, Mister Editor, somebody
has been jumpin' on you, sayin' that
someone of your office force was
writin' my letters for me. Well,
now that don't make me angry one
bit, for you kt^w that I take it to be
some compliment to accuse you fel
lers of Writin' my pieces for me, but
of course you all kicked worse than a
Texas steer for putting you in my
class and I dont blame you while we
clodhoppers know we are as good as
walks on God's footstool, still, we all
know that the horn)' nunded sons of
toil don't have the recognition that
you professional fellers does.
Now since you have had your say,
I don't reckon you will object to Old
Farmer's sayin' just a word or so
'bout his self, so in order that my
enquirin' friends may know a little
more 'bout me, t am going to till a
few facts in connection with my life
in order that I may be identified, se
here goes: My first work on the farm
that I can remember was thinnin' out
corn after the plow when it was be
ing barred off, for in them days we
uster bar off corn; my next work that
I remember that I was plantin' the
corn, which was done by put
ting shelled corn in a bag or saek
with the sack swung over the should
er, then you would dig down in the
sack and git up a handful of corn
and with the other hand turn a
measurin' stick in the open row and
drop at the end of the stick. A boy
could learn the lick in a few hours
and then he could plant it about as
fast as he could walk; and then I rub
bed cotton seed in ashes and water so
that the seed could be separated for
? hand sowing. A drag would be run
' over 'bout four rows at a time which
would flatten 'em down then open and
'leng would come the seed sower and
with a bow basket full of seed in one
haad he would sow with the other.
Myl That basket was heavy arid I
remember now how tired I would git
luggi n' that basket up and down the
row. That was before the days of the
cotton plantar w if any *bout they
hadn't got to our naborhood; then I
chopped out cotton and corn too for
in them days we chopped out corn;
then when a boy I learned how to lay
off cotton and corn rows in the spring,
when I got large nuff to do that sort
er work and then worked till harvest
time. I even was enrolled a member
of the Farmers' Alliance, the princi
pies of which were good, many of 'em
were, but I don't think I ever attend
ed but one meetin' for I listened to
what was bein' said and I soon found
that the fellers that was a runnin
the thing was after some office for
they was a-talkin' more 'bout politics
than 'bout anything else. One fool
got up and began to talk 'bout Wall
street and he thought that Wall
street had a wall round it and another
dunce got up with all the dignity of
a school marster and all the time he
was a-busin' Wall street, he was a
callin' it Walter Street He thought
it was a man and he just naturally
cussed him out And then one feller
with scraggly whiskers got up and
isaid he was for free silver and I
Reckon' he was for anything free for
1 had never knowed him to do an
honest days wort in my life. Then
one feller got up end in a squeeky
voice said, Mister PresiDENT and
when he was recognled, he proceeded
to cuss out the merchants. I lutowed
him too and knowed that he owed
every merchant that would trust him
and that right then he couldn't git
credit for a chew of common tobaek
er. Of course he wanted all the mer
chants put in jail and let him handle
their stores and every Friday take
out 'bout a dosen or so and have a
public hangin' in order that they
might be "learnt" somethin*. When
a busted preacher got up and with a
long sanctimonius whine in his voice
said that he had read somewhere
amongst the prophets where it was
stated that "every man should set
under bis own vine and fig tree" and
1 knowed him too and I said to my
you hypocritical ole rascal that's I
the trouble with you now and if you
would keep yourself from under
every grape arbor you gut dose to
and under the shade of the trees
whether it was a fig tree or not and
work your wife's land like it ought
to be, you'd be better off and I know
ed that if no more grape vines and
fig bushes got sot out till he sot 'em
out, that there'd be mighty few figs
/or preservin' purposes and precious
^ffew drops of grape licker to slake a
sick man's thirst in the near future
and the truth was that the seed would
jam nigh play out. I just sot there
and listened to them jackass states
men talk till I was 'bout to bust or
cuss and while I knowed that the
times were out o'Joint still I knewed
that it was a case of fiddlin' while
, Rome burned, so I just upe and coteh
ed the president's eye and said Mister
President, and he recognised me at
i once, and tailed my name right out
them fellers turned their heads
round and Ju?t fixed themaaWea for
to hear me lift the shingle* ofTn the
house in a regular ramgageous
speech, but I simply said, "Excuse
me," and he bowed his head and I
got out of that place and that wound
up my membership except I do recall
that the financial secretary come to
see me and collected fifty cents for
some more dues and then I stopped
for good and all. I smelt the r$t!
I knowed the devil was goin' to be tor
pay-if that gang got in control and
who could keep 'em out of control 7
And how I'll ask you if Old Farmer
warn't right? As some feller said
the devil broke loose in North Caro
lina and the thing got so rotten that
the man in the moon had to near
'bout hold his nose when he passed
over our beloved state. It actually
got to the point where men walked
with shot guns, nabor turned against
nabor and father against son, but
'Them days is gone forever."
Well if this don't qualify me as :
entitled to the appellation of Old
Farmer, then you just come out next
spring and if I am a-llvin' I'll set up
stakes and take my horse and plaw
and see if I can lay off as straight a
com or cotton row as you can.
You know the old story 'bout the
boy that wrote on the blackboard,
"It pays to advertise." Well when I
saw them Ted circus posters stuck up
agin the houses and fences I just nat
urally got ter wantin' ter go and so
I told my old woman that all that
foolishness 'bout church folks mus'n
go to circuses was nothin' but fol-de
rol and she must just git ready and
go With me for I was tired goin' by
myself and leavin' her home, so she
ups and says, "Old man you mustn't
lead your ole woman to the devil,
but I'm agwine with ye" and sure
null she did. When we got to 'Hos
kie the town was full o'folks and fel
lers that follow the circus was on
goods boxas squeelin' 'bout what
they had to sell and me and my old
woman,stood around and listened to
them fellers. I in generally keeps my
month shut and listens and if I fol
low that rale folks wont find out
that I aint never seen nuthin*. Pretty
soon I heard a man say to his wife
"let's stop here and see that feller
on the goods box swaller some of
them knives." We stope too but he
didn't swallow a single one and we
moved 'long to Mitchell's drug store
and got some water and got out agin
to see more of the sights and anoth
er feller was-a-etandin' close to Ger
ock's store in his shirt sleeves with
his collar off and was was a-goin' to
it and the crowd was a-pressin' up for
room, and the sun was hot and we
moved on and took the gals and the
old woman in Copeland's drug store
and got some more ice cold soda wat
er and then we went down to Bella
my's Ice Cream Factory and we eat
all them ice cream holders we want
ed and by that time the parade was
a-comin' and we got out to see that
and Jim he come up and we all sorter
huddled up together to watch show
wagons and animals go by. Presently,
'long came that thing all steamed up
and a tootin' and my old woman slap
ped her hands and, said, "Bless me,?
if that aint the fuss steam pianny
that I ever saw," and Jim he says
to hOr kinder lov Hke. "Mammy don't
call it a steam piano, say caliope,"
so she quieted down for a while till
by and by she squalled out, "Look a
there at them painted mules," then
Jim he edged up and says good and
low, "Mammy they are not painted
mules, they are sebras." So after
that she kept quiet and when she saw
anything that attracted her attention
she would ask real low what it was.
Well we went in the circus and had
lots o'fun and we had a real good
day of innocent pleasure, the fact is
; I aint seen so much fun for a whet
I said that I wanted to say more
'bout chills this week and fully in
tended to do so, but when I got my
HERALD out'n the mail box and saw
that the Editor had been accused of
writin' my letters or seme of his of
fice force, I just had to speak or bust
and it was better to speak than to
bust and now my piece for this week
is so long that I must stop.
October X, 1928.
OLD FARMER
Corn yields may be more surely
and easily increased by the use of a
good seed than in any other way. The
way to select this seed is from the
fields in the fall.
I have just added to myl
stock a nice line of
WINTER UNDERWEAR
For Men, Women, and
Children in All Sizes
Prices are right, and you'll
be surprised at the values
Come and Try Them
Also nice line of Hosiery for
?"-"tear**
See me for your Groceries
W. H. NEWSOME
AHT^K n'. Nl0C "
MURFREESBORO NEWS
"There is rapture in?
The rhymth of the brooklets' melody
sweet
Where peace and calm meet in a soli
tary retreat,
Tranquil in lyric murmur soft and
low,
Soothing to repose in its purling
flow,
The musical beat in harmony replete
Is a graceful lure, away from the
busy street"
Mr. A. McDowell and Mr. R. C.
Josey of Scotland Neck were in Mur
freesboro last week and made a visit
to Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Day.
The Methodist Missionary Society
held its monthly meeting at the
church Monday afternoon with a good
attendance.
Mrs. Virgie Wynn has returned
home from two months stay in Atlan
tic City where she visited her sister
in-law, Mrs. Nellie Vinson.
The chicken shower given to Chow
an College was donated by the ladies
of the Missionary Society instead of
the Aid Society, as reported"" '1M \
week
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Chetty, Miss
Doris Chetty and Mrs. J. J. Parker
were in Norfolk last week.
Murfreesboro's congratulations
and good wishes to Mr. and Mrs. D.
C. Barnes on the birth, in Williams
ton Friday, September 28, of a fine
son, D. C., Junior.
The Junior B. Y. P. U. gave their
first social in the social room of the I
new church Friday evening, Septem-;
ber 28th.
Mrs. Addie Johnson and twoj
daughters, Misses Annie and Martha
Johnson were among those from the
Meherrin section who were in town
Saturday.
Perry Morgan of Raleigh, secretary
of the State B. Y. P. U. work gave a
fine adress in the church here Sunday
night.
Mr. H. M. White has left to fill a
position in Carrsville.
Mr. J. J. Garris of Preston, Md.,
has arrived to visit his sister, Mrs.
Elizha Lawrence who lives not far
from Murfreesboro.
Some from the town attended the
talks at Chowan College given last
week by Miss Warren of Raleigh, sec
retary of Womans Work, and Miss
Mather, of Birmingham, who is con
nected with Y. W. A. work.
The two senior B. Y. P. U.'s of
Meherrin church gave a demonstra
tion program at both Newsoma, Va.,
and at Ashleys Grove Sunday even
ing.
Many from the town attended the
annual West Chowan B. Y. P. U.
convention at Mount Tabor church
Saturday. The local Junior members
contributed to the program at Sat- :
urday's meeting.
The ladies of the Methodist Mis
sionary Society are preparing to re
ceive the district convention which
will meet with them on October 11.
Receives Shower
The kitchen shower, whieh for
some time had been planned by the
ladies of the Aid Society for the
basement of the new Baptist church,
was giqen Monday afternoon at 4
o'clock and materialised in a delight
ful and most gratifying outcome.
The shower, in addition to many
small useful articles, was a splendid
outlay consisting of a complete
equipment of china, (blue willo#,)
glass and silverware for the serving
room and enamel for the kitchen.
Among the gifts, one is deserving of
special mention, a handsome dining
table, white enameled, a gift of Mr.
and Mrs. W. E. Deans. Several at
tractive gifts were made by outside
friends that were greatly appreciated.
Several friends from the college {II
were present with gifts.
Mingled with the shower were
pleasant social features. Mrs. R. B.
Watson entertained the children with
several readings. Near the close,
those remaining were charmed by
three duets sung by little Alton and
Elton Parker, the twin boys of Mr.
and Mrs. J. R. Parker. Most delic
ious fruit punch (a la Hawaiian) was
served by the social committee.
? ???*???*?????*??
* WOMEN WILL LIKE *
* THIS DEPARTMENT ?
? ______ ?
* "Fashion" is the name of the *
* new weekly feature to be added *
* to the HERALD. The first in- ? V
* stallraent begins with this issue, * -
* and is prepared by Miss Lillian *
* MerrWether, formerly with a ?
* Mississippi daily newspaper as ? ""
* fashion editor and for many *
* years a resident of New York *
* City. She is now writing os- *
* peciaily for weekly newspapers *
* from New York City.
* Information contained in her *
* weekly notes will be right up to *
* the minute?no "canned" stuff. ?
* Our women readers will welcome *
* this addition to the columns of *
* HERALD. *
?? $j sg . ,1 . I in II. Ji/f;. ? jj
A fanner in Perquimans County
reports a profit of $100 from his hogs
this year as a result of a feeding de- -
monstration which he conducted in .
co-operation with County Agent, L.
W. Anderson.
LOOK AT THE NEW PRICES ON
CHEVROLET CARS
ROADSTER $560.22
TOURING 565.37
COUPE 716.57
SEDAN 868.07
These prices are for cars delivered to your doer.
Call or write and have one sent to your home for
demonstration.
TERMS IF DESIRED
W. M. ELEY, Dealer
WINTON, N. C.
$ S '
SUBSCRIBE TO THE HERALD?$1. PER YEAR
? 11 ? 1
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^ORRCSPONKrj^NVimjJOI^MMUMramil
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Sflce><ir?
m(l those.other
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J \TOU can easily measure the high motive power of
" jtr-Sf ". a W X "Standard," the balanced gasoline, with the proper
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Made right h*ra ia
.the Carolina* ,|
Ch.rle.ton, Sold at
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apparatus. But it would pe hard to estimate its great
moral force in eliminating those harsh, cruel words
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STANDARD OIL COMPANY
(New Jersey)
"STANDARD'
The balanced Gasoline
II