Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1894 — DISPERSED BY SAUERKRAUT. [ARTICLE]

DISPERSED BY SAUERKRAUT.

The Peculiar Cause of All the Children Quitting tne Old Home. Chicago Tribune. They were talking, about the desertion of farms by the younger generation for the alluring charms of the cities; how tlye young men and women left the home nest in the country as soon as they felt any confidence in themselves and flocked to the paved streets and brick walls of urban life in the hope that work would not be so hard and money would come easier. ‘"Our family furnishes a—ease—in point." said a young German who has latterly appeared in minor roles in Twentyfourth ward Democratic politics. "We’re all in the city now except the.old folks, who stick to the farm, and are doing pretty well. Our reasons for abandoning the farm, lmwever. were not those usually given, and 1 doubt if a parallel case can bo found.” Then he told his story: With two brothers and three sisters he lived on a farm 100 miles from Chicago, and they all aided a phlegmatic old father in operating the place, It. was a line piece of land and the family was happy and prosperous. But dark disaster came one day in the shape of a cabbage crop, The Chicago market then showed a strong demand for sauerkraut and the fai-mer decided to go in for a profitable crop. With the three boys he planted several acres 4ft-cabbage with excellent results. The crop was cut up and packed and there wore 350 barrels of the finest sauerkraut made,

Communicating with a friend in -the grocery business on the- North. Side the farmer-received an order tor ten barrels. A few days later the grocer announced that the best he could offer was 85 cents a ; barrel, the top market price. The old man couldn’t stand such a drop as that, so he had the shipment returned, paying freight charges both ways. Purchasing forty fine young pigs, he began fattening them on his high -grade sauer kraut. All went well for a few days, but the porkers soon tired of the diet and began to run from it. The pile grew high, and a few of the stronger pigs jumped the fence and ran away, while the other sickened and grew weak from starvs atiou.

It was a puzzler for the old man, but he was determined to derive, some benefit, and the boys lugged the stuff up to the orchard near the house, where it was spread about as a fertilizer. By this time the entire family grew turbulent at the mere mention, of sauerkraut, and when the sun poured its hot ravs.on the pickled cabbage the girls rebelled. The farmer was obdurate, and the three girls packed their effects and came to the city. The kraut became so -powerful that even the old man could not stand it, and the boys were instructed to cart it down to a distant field and spread it. The boys had been on the verge of mutiny several times and this settled it. They all “lit out” for Chicago and have been here ever since. The girls are in service, and once in a great while they all meet with the lonely and disappointed old Teuton on the farm. When it was all over the Chicago sauerkraut market went booming again.