Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1916 — Short Furrows [ARTICLE]

Short Furrows

"Abe Martin" in Indianapolis News.

“ When I wuz a girl, winter never used t’ ketch us without a bin full o' p’taters, a keg o’ kraut, a lot o’ punkins, a smokehouse full o’ meat, a barrel o’ cider, plenty o' mince meat an’ lard an’ apples an’ flour. As we went along we ’casionally bought some kef-osene an' a lettle coffee—perhaps,’’ said Mrs. Tilford Moots this mornin'. “Well, you’d be under .suspicion if you stocked up like that t’day,” said Uncle Niles Turner. “Law me, th’ war has even affected turnips, an’ blue cotton rompers ter children have jumped nine cents, while little, round, shoddycloth hats fer boys that alius sold fer three times as much as they cost new retail fer twenty-five cents more.’’ “Well, th’ storekeepers, unless ther natural born actors, seem t’ feel ag bad o’er th’ high prices as th’ rest o’ us. I bought a pound o’ navy beans this mornin’ an’ th’ clerk cried when he counted ’em out.** “You kin read a newspaper thro’

a thirty-cent slice o’ ham, an’ round steaks are so thin you have t’ reinforce ’em.” “It haint been over a year since we used t’ throw th’ cabbage cores away, an’ now cabbage is five dollars a barrel.” “I don’t see how th’ European soldiers kin pay it.” ‘?Th’ thing I don’t understand Is that rabbits are sellin’ at th’ same ole price while gun shells have doubled in price.” “If this thing keeps on I reckon ther’ll be jest as many desolate homes in this country as ther are in Europe.” “O’ course we’ll have our boys, but they might as well be gittin’ shot as starvin’' under our very noses.” “Carrots have great food value.” “So has walrus blubber.” “I reckon we’d git awful tired o’ carrots after a few months.” “Yes, they haint got no stayita’ qualities.” “They don’t hit th’ spot.” “No, they haint nothin’.” . “I don’t know what we will do. I’ve been all over town an’ th’ only things left that are within reach of all are furnace gloves an’ bananas.”