AND OTHER SKETCHES 297 



made a strong appeal to them to listen to the voice of one 

 who was proud to declare that he was one of themselves ; 

 that there was no branch of farm work, from barn-rais- 

 ing to using the thresher, that he was not familiar with, 

 and he particularly prided himself on his ability to han- 

 dle a plow in a workmanlike fashion. 



It is scarcely necessary to add that this style of speech 

 took immensely with his audience. He very adroitly 

 raised a prejudice against me in the minds of many 

 present by incidentally mentioning that I was a news- 

 paper man brought up in the city, knowing nothing about 

 country life and therefore not competent to tender advice 

 to practical men like Canadian farmers. 



Now all this, told in a friendly manner, was, I could 

 easily perceive, making a strong impression on the crowd 

 and this was plainly evidenced by the slimness of the 

 applause which greeted me when I stepped forward to 

 speak on behalf of the Conservative candidate. I had at 

 one or two previous meetings had something of a similar 

 character rubbed into me by Mr. McKellar and I deter- 

 mined there and then to make a bold bluff which I thought 

 might put a stop to future similar attacks. 



Addressing mj^self with considerable energy to the 

 chairman. I asked his special attention while I made a 

 proposition which I thought would meet the approbation 

 especially of the large number of young men who were 

 present in the hall. I said I was weary of hearing Mr. 

 McKellar boast so often of his ability as a plowman and 

 I proposed at this meeting to suggest a practical test 

 which would once and for all settle the matter. I re- 

 marked that I had myself some years before the com- 

 mencement of my city career enjoyed the reputation of 

 being one of the best plowmen in my township. I then 

 suggested that Mr. McKellar and myself should each 

 hand over $50 to the chairman, who should select a field 

 in which we should give a practical illustration of our 

 ability at the plow-handle, and as Mr. McKellar was an 

 older man than myself I accorded him the ])rivilege of 

 being the first to use the team selected for the purpose. 



