By L.E. Huggins
“I believe a great many things are charged to Providence that individuals are responsible for,” said a citizen a few days ago. There is good though in the suggestion. People still begin resolutions of respect with the familiar words: “Whereas an all-wise Providence has seen fit to remove Mr. Blank from our midst,” whereas it may be that the removal was in the natural cause of things, or it could be through some violation of the laws of nature that the brother was removed. I do not wish to appear sacrilegious, and it may be that sometimes a person is removed from this world through some special dispensation of Providence, but do think we should be careful about using the expression, when perhaps nine out of every ten deaths are the result of something other than a special dispensation of Providence.
What About the Blackberry Crop
Mr. Irl Bivens of Marshville wants some prophet to make his appearance in this neck of the woods who can tell us how the blackberry and persimmon crop is going to be this year. Mr. Bivens is not a pessimist, but business has been a little quiet during January and February and being a far-sighted business man, Irl naturally wants to know what the summer months hold in store for us in the way of eatables.
Why He Doesn’t Like the Journal
I have found one man who doesn’t like The Journal. The statement to that effect was so out of the ordinary, and in fact the only one of that kind, that inquires were at once made as to what this gentleman has against the paper or its publishers. But the whole situation was cleared up and everybody felt good when he explained that it is so intensely interesting that he reads it when he ought to be at work.
The Eating Capacity of a Boy
Nobody enjoys eating quite so much as a growing boy. Especially is this true with boys raise don’t he farm where there are cows, horses, sheep and other animals, to say nothing of the chickens and turkeys, to look after, in addition to playing with “Old Tray” and the “yaller” cat. Boys who thus exercise themselves need a great deal to eat and they are going to have it, especially when they come in contact with pie, cake and other good things. A story is told of a country boy who had spent the day in outdoor exercise among the various animals on the plantation and besides had been fishing, swimming and hunting. He sat down to the supper tabvle with an appetite that would make a hound dog ashamed of himself and, after getting on the outside of quantities of vegetables, meats, etc., he started in on the pie. He cleaned up the plate with the exception of one pie. At this juncture his mother became alarmed and interrupted the procedure with these remarks: “Johnny, if you eat any more pie you will ‘bust’.” “All right,” replied the youngster, “Hand me that other piece and get out of the room.”
They Are Acorn Weevils
Mr. Will H. Griffin of Marshville believes the people are unduly frightened over the boll weevil situation. He things we will have some weevils this year, but not nearly so many as a great many folks think. Mr. Griffin explains that the weevils are being found in the woods and old fields are not all boll weevils, but are the ordinary acorn weevil that w have always had with us. As evidence to establish his claim Mr. Griffin says County Demonstrator J.W. Cameron of Polkton sent a lot of these weevils to the agricultural department at Raleigh and the verdict of the experts was that they are the acorn weevil. It will be recalled that when chinch bugs first struck this section years ago every bug that could fly was called a chinch bug, and so it is when anything new comes along, people are finding “boogers” where there are none. The report might be put out that there is a bear loose in Union county and it wouldn’t be three days before that bear would be seen by at least half a dozen people.
Can’t Poison Hogs
“You can’t poison a hog,” remarked a citizen Saturday. He then explained that you may feed snakes, strychnine, nux-vomica or anything your please to hogs and it will do them no harm. When asked if you can poison “cooters,” snakes and like creatures, this citizen replied that he did not know. “But,” he continued, “I never saw a snake of any kind that I wasn’t afraid of. He then laid down the proposition that the fear of snakes is an inheritance handed us from old Mother Eve. Just how much importance should be placed upon the claim is a matter of speculation, but it at least affords something to think about, since it was a serpent that tempted the sister and brought damnation upon the race.
Booze Responsible for Fights
Another citizen believes that if this fight against booze keeps up the time will soon come when it is about the only fight we have. He fell into a reminiscent mood and began telling of conditions years ago when everybody had all the pure corn whiskey, brandy, wine, etc., they wanted. “Why, men used to go to corn shuckings,” he said, “Where they never failed to pass around the drinks. Everybody,” he continued, “took a drink but nobody got past going.” He then referred to the method of fighting in those days. Nobody wanted to kill his fellowman and when two men got cross, they handed their knives and other deadly weapons over to friends and went at it in a fist and skull encounter until one of them “called for the calf rope.” The case never went to the grand jury, and they were friends thereafter. But mean liquor that men drink now has a different effect and when a bully gets tanked up on it the first thing he thinks of is getting a pistol and shooting the life out of “man.” If the manufacture and sale of any kind of intoxicating drinks could be stopped entirely there would be might little fighting.
Cats and Dogs Want Dainties
A resident of the county tings this is a great country. “Why,” said he, “while the children in Armenia are starving, the cats and dogs in North Carolina won’t eat plain biscuit but must have their bread buttered or gravies or must have breakfast bacon or ham.” It is a fact that the American people waste enough for the people of some countries to live on. While we are burdened with taxes and sometimes think our lot is a hard one, we enjoy comforts and luxuries of life that citizens of many countries know nothing of and that were foreign to our own people years ago.
From The Monroe Journal, March 7, 1922. Mr. Bivens first name was spelled “Irl” instead of Earl.
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