A lot of farm equipment & agricultural supply companies used the "square" yardsticks / walking stick for advertising.  Some I know of used the extra sides for added advertising.  New Idea farm equipment on 1 side, Allis Chalmers on 1 side, the dealer's info on the 3rd, & the yardstick on the 4th.  They are also more durable than the flat ones.

Best wishes on the health issue and many happy anniversaries to you and you Mrs. 

 some moons ago, I had seen a few farmers herding their cows to the barn with both square and tapered ends on the yard sticks, they
walked with them like they were using a cane and tapped the cows with them to steer them in the right direction. 

Quote from: turnnut on October 21, 2017, 09:10:07 PM
some moons ago, I had seen a few farmers herding their cows to the barn with both square and tapered ends, they
walked with them like they were using a cane and tapped the cows withthem to steer them in the right direction.

I'm confused - did the barns have square and tapered ends?  The cows?  The farmers?

Antecedent problem!!!!

Quote from: lptools on October 23, 2017, 03:32:44 PM
Antecedent problem!!!!

Your English teachers would be proud.  I bet you can diagram sentences, too.

I can diagram, but don't.

Hello, Bill. Thanks, but my English teachers would never believe it. And you lost me on diagram!!!! Regards, Lou

Quote from: lptools on October 23, 2017, 06:08:52 PM
Hello, Bill. Thanks, but my English teachers would never believe it. And you lost me on diagram!!!! Regards, Lou

https://www.wikihow.com/Diagram-Sentences
It's rather out of fashion now, and never was entirely accurate, in that English uses language in ways not contemplated in this rather mechanical model; but diagramming has some value in helping to understand the basic construction of a sentence.

I had a boss - with a doctorate, of all things! - who would have benefited from a little more time on that in her high school years.