Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1890 — WHY HE KEPT THE OATS. [ARTICLE]

WHY HE KEPT THE OATS.

The Yankee Elevator ’’an jy as Too g low of Speech tor the Farmer. It was Saturday—a pleasant Saturday afternoon in a small country town, write..; Mr. Forrest Crissey in the Chicago Tribune. The oat crop was just coming in and a string of teams stood in line, taking their turns at unloading their oats at the only elevator in the town. It was run by a Yankee, whose personal characteristics were known to every man in the country around except a newcomer. The newcomer’s load stood third from the last in the line. It was late when his turn came. “What are you paying for oats today?” he inquired. At this question the two men behind him heaved hopeless sighs and drove away in apparent disgust. “Wall, now, I tell ye,” said the Yankee, rubbing his pointed chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Ye see, a-h—ye know, a-h—ye’rastianger here, ain’t ve?” “Yes.” | . a' t , “Wall, I’ll tell ye- xe see, a-h, we

clean oats—an’oats ain’t thia year what they wuz last—got struck with the blight, ye see, but ’ “But what do you pay for o ?” “Yes, yes—just as I wuz sayin’: Oats ain’t No. 1 this year, an’ the year before they lodged, an’ the year before that they mildewed, an’, jes’ sT told the feller that run the place you’re on, the crop's ben a failure fur off-an’-on five ” “But what will von pav for these o ?” The stranger was not permitted to finish his question. The Yankee had shifted his quid, braced against the hay scales, and begun with fresh vigor: “Just as I wuz sayin’—we clean our oats an’ ” “For heaven’s sake, man, how did you ever manage to propose to your wife?” “Wall, now, I’ll tell ye,” began the Yankee, with a smile. “Ye see, a-h—----ye know ” “Yes; I’ve seen a good many Yankees, and I’ve known a good many slow-combustion liars, but I’ll eat all the oats you ever tolddhe price of if I ever saw such a one as you in all my days!” With this he cut his team with his whip and started home with his load. The last thing he heard, as he drove away, was: “Say, now—lll tell ye— —” But he never did, * and after that when the stranger heard a man begin a story with “Well, 11l tell you,” he moved on.