Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1883 — How the Farm Help Were Tired Out. [ARTICLE]

How the Farm Help Were Tired Out.

“The help we get nowadays don’t amount to shucks. Time was when the help you hired in haying time could do a decent day’s work, but this year they’re wurs’n ever.” . Old Farmer Smith was getting in hay at his farm in a suburban town, and had two or three men at work with him. The old man continued: “Tell you what it is: old as lam I can pack more hay on a wagin than any two men of the present day can fork up. ” “Suppose you try it, old man,” suggested one of the men, at the same time tipping the wink to his mate on the opposite side to “sock it” to the old man, The old fellow needed no second invitation. With a bound he mounted the cart, and was stowing away hay at, a tremendous rate. Up came forkful after forkful, first on one side and then upon the other. The “help” was putting in its best licks and the old man was kept squirming around in lively style, much to the amusement of all hands. The “help” was rapidly getting tired; it would never do to give up and allow the old man to come off victorious. Something must be done at once. “When I put up a heavy forkful on this side, give him all you cafi lift from the other end, and Knock him out,” said one of the men to the other in an undertone.

The plan worked well. One of the men lifted an extraordinary big forkful, just putting it upon the edge of the load, and, while tfie old man was leaning over endeavoring io get it in place, the fellow on the other side threw all he could lift upon the back of the old fellow,, which, of course, upset him and sent him sprawling to the ground. “Hello! what are you down here for ?” asked help No. 1, endeavoring as well as be could to conceal his merriment. Quick as a flash from the old man came the answer: “After more hay?” This answer tired the help completely. —Bos ton Globe.