130 THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 



any time within the last three months, that tiles were the 

 greatest humbug out, in his candid opinion. 



The conversation I have reported among the wiseacres 

 of Hookertown, occurred last fall. A few days after I 

 had occasion to go upon the Shadtown road to see what 

 had become of the load of tiles. I found Uncle Jotham 

 with three hands and a team, busy making ditches on the 

 side hills around the drained pond. 



&quot; Good morning, Uncle Jotham. I thought you didn t 

 believe in crockery rather pizen to the land.&quot; 



&quot; Wai, now, Squire Bunker, to tell the plain truth, this 

 ere business has been brewin in my mind ever since that 

 horse-pond of yourn was dreened off. And when I come 

 to let the water off here, and got my first crop on land 

 that was once under water, I had to cave in myself, worse 

 than the tadpoles, when the water left them. You see, 

 the taters I raised here on these three acres the first sea 

 son, brought me five hundred dollars delivered at the 

 landing, and that amount of money, ye see, would make 

 tearin work with almost any man s prejudices. I found I 

 could get the Hartford tile down there pretty reasonable, 

 and I jest made up my mind to finish the job. Am I duin 

 it right, Squire Bunker ? &quot; 



I found he had determined to put in drains upon all the 

 side hills sloping down to the reclaimed meadow, leaving 

 the drains there still open. These hill sides embraced four 

 or five acres, and were naturally a heavy clay soil, always 

 wet, until midsummer. The drains were about three feet 

 deep, and I found he had got a man used to the business, 

 to do the work in the best manner. I have frequently 

 looked over the ground this winter, and it is a charming 

 sight to see the various colored clays and rough clods 

 gradually breaking down under the action of frost and 

 rain. The results, of course, remain to be seen, but nobody 

 who has seen the working of tiles can doubt what they 

 will be. 



