[BACK]      [Blueprint]       [NEXT]

From Cornfield Philosophy, by C. D. Strode, Illustrated, Chicago: The Blakely Printing Co., 1902; pp. 107-46.

Copyright, 1902
BY
CHARLES D. STRODE

[3]
TABLE OF CONTENTS.

_______________

[Click on the Heading or Page Number, and you will go to that section in a new browser window.]

 PAGE

A New Year’s Sermon  5

How To Acquire Riches (Part I)  15

Keep The Young Man on the Farm  20

The Cold Wave and the Farmer  24

In the Smoking Car  29

Does it Pay to be Good?  36

The Story of Posey  40

After the Meeting  44

The Hidden Culls (A Romance)  49

How to Be Happy Though Owning a Saw Mill  63

Thoughts on Thanksgiving  68

The Tramp and the Angel  76

Brewster Jones’ Christmas (Poem)  80

The Man Who Thinks  82

Annals of the Poor  86

Good for the Blues  93

Is Man a Free Agent?  96

Jesse Thompson’s Prunes  99

The Greatest Man  104

The Order of Hoo-Hoo  109

Wanted — A Partner with Capital  120

Mr. Bryson’s Celebration  121

The Saw Mill Man’s Dream  132

The Seasons  137

The Woodman Bold (Poem)  157

The Sawmill Man and the Devil  159

Battling in Mud  169

Illusions  174

To My Old Valise (Poem)  178

The Tree of Knowledge  180

The Appetite for Work  187

A Scheme That Failed  192

Whither Are We Drifting?  195

Jerry Whalen’s Story  202

About Jones’ Pasture  205

How to Acquire Riches (Part II)  213

The Law of Compensation  219

5
PREFACE.

_______________

I have compiled, herein, a number of essays and sketches which I consider to be of a humorous and philosophical nature. There is also some poetry. The essays and sketches are, I believe, pretty fair, but the poetry, while having some good points, is not satisfactory. I did the best I could with it, but somehow it isn’t right, and I can’t tell what ails it. The best thing that may be said for it is that there isn’t much of it.

The sketches, essays, etc., originally appeared in the lumber trade press with which I have been connected for several yearS. They have been slightly revised and touched up here and there without, I believe, improving them. They are not intended to reform anybody or to turn the world upside down. When I was much younger than I am at present I sincerely believed I could tell the world a great deal it didn’t know. I have given that up.

I find the writing of the Preface the hardest task in connection with the publication of the book. A writer should, in the Preface, give excuse for his action in presenting his book for the consideration of the long suffering public, but after a most thorough searching of my soul I find that I have no valid excuse to offer.

My old friends and readers have subscribed for sufficient number of copies to more than cover the expense of the first edition. They knew what the book would contain 6 when they subscribed, and of others buy it I want it understood that they do so at their own risk. If they don’t like it I don’t want them to be jumping onto me about it.

It used to be my ambition to do a lot of good in the world, but now I feel that if I can slip through without doing any particular harm I’ll be satisfied; and I feel certain this book won’t hurt anybody.

I never realized before what a lot of nerve it takes for a man to put a book on the market at all, and I believe that if I could I’d call this venture off here and now.

I believed when I started to compile the book that I had a lot of good material; but after getting it together and reading the proof over and over, the whole mess seems pointless and witless. I’ll have to let it go now, though.

The illustrations appear to me to be pretty fair, but I’m not much of a judge of such matters. If you don’t like them I ask you as a personal favor not to say anything about it, for the young man did his beSt, and he is very sensitive.

I’m afraid it’s a pretty bad job all the way through, but it can’t be helped now. I don’t know what ever possessed me to start the cussed thing.

[BACK]      [Blueprint]       [NEXT]