Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-21

CO-OPeratiVe Farming.
The right honorable the speaker of the house
Of commons gave his annual treat a fortnight
ago to the aboreTs on his estate to celebrate the
ngathering Of the harvest. Mr. Brand himself
presided at the dinner and in reply to the toast
Of his health, congratulated those present upon
the abundance of the harvest in that part of
England, expressing his regret that all parts Of
the kingdom had not been similarly favored.
The right honorable gentleman continued:-lt
will be in your recollection that bout three
years ago, when we assembled in this tent, l
called the attention of the young boys in my
employ to the necessity for those who could not
then read and write, and who wished to remain
in my service, TO learn to do SO at once; and /
warned them that unless they did so they would
not continue in my service. am happy to lind
that that warning has produced good effect,
and intend to adhere TO the principle that all
BOYS who wish to be employed by me, must
learn to read and write before they can receive
wages. Now, suppose that in these times,
when there is so much talk about the rate OF
wages, you will hardly think ] am doing my
duty if ] do not say something IN reference to
the agitation which is going on throughout the
kingdom Ny opinion is, we shall never have
a satisfactory settlement of the question until
the labOrer receives in some shape or other a
share, though it may be small one, of the
profit of the business in which he is engaged.
refer not only 10 those employed upon farms,
but to those engaged in mining, in nanufacto
ries, and in trades of all kinds. But, you will
say how is the laborer to derive any share of
the profits OF farming when he has no capital?
Well, it is quite true that you have no capital
beyond your labor but what is capital? Capt.
tai is nothing more nor less than labor husband
ed Now, if you could save any money, how
ever small the amount, and could invest it in
carrying on a farm, think, according to the
sum so invested, you would be entitled TO a
share in the profits OF that farm. | will give
Won a practical illustration of what | mean.
Some of you, | dare say are fortunate enough
to have a few pounds in the savings bank, and
believe the savings bank limits the interest paid
on the investments TO p per cent; now will make
proposition to you, aud to all in my employ.
II you have got 85, we will say, in the savings
bank, and you would like to lend that 10 my
farming business, | will engage to give you, as
the savings bank does,23 per cent for the money.
And Will do more than that. will, Supposing
the profits of the farm amount to more than %
per cent upon the money | have invested, will
give YOU rateably the same interest upon the
capital you lend me. That is TO say, suppOSing
get ten per cent as profit on the capt.
tai have invested on the farm, you shall have
10 per cent on your E5 instead of q. So you
see you will be in this position-that you will
never get less than the p per cent you receive at
present, and il the farm yields more you will
have the benefit of it..
Some will probably say, GLOW am oget the
Esp Well, we know it does not rain f5 notes,
but will suggest TO those who have not that
amount in hand that they should lay by so
much a week The rate Of pay to the boys is
from IS. Cd. to As per week, and the wages in
crease according to the ability TO work. The
carriers, shepherds, etc., receive about los. per
week, and out OF this it seems to me it is by no
means impossible that some may save Is. a
week; and if you pay me that sum | will en-
gage at the end of the year, to pay you the rs,
if you desire it, plus p per cent, or whatever
higher rate OF interest arises from the years
farming operations. | am quite sure of this,
that we shall never come TO Il satisfactory settle
ment of the relations between employer and
employed until the latter, according to the
amount of labor aud capital he has invested, has
an interest in the good conduct of the concern
My sole object is to give you personal pecuni
airy interest in the conduct of the farm, and to
endeavor to raise you little above the position
you now occupy as labOierS. The right honor
able gentleman's propositions were very iayora-
bly, discussed by the men during the day.
ZADoC PRATT, who died at Prattsville in
1870, aged eighty years, was an eccentric man.
He was ambitious of fame but he was sensible
enough to wish that his fame might be builded
on his actual accomplishments. He has shown
his eccentricities in various ways, according to
a correspondent of the Brooklyn Union, and
perpetuated them on the everlasting hills. He
must have been man Of good business tact
and executive ability, as evidenced by a fortune
rugged region. He evidently determined that
neither his achievements nor himself should be
forgotten for on the face of a projecting rock
near the village, at a hight of $50 feet, he had
sculptured in bold relief, his own bust, and also
his son, colonel of the twentieth regiment New
York state militia, who died from a wound re-
ceived at the battle Of Manassas. These busts
are seen from the Travelled road below, bat
nearer view will only satisfy the curious stranger.
To facilitate the approach winding, zigzag
path is cut to the rock, and at convenient inter
walls the sculptor has made sofas, chairs and
tete-a-tetes in the rocks, winning the admiration
and exciting the gratitude of the weary pilgrims.
The artistic beauty of the busts is not heightened
by near approach. On the face of the rock
appears the following:
Twenty-three thousand pounds of butter
made from 100 COWS in 1868, on the farm oppo-
site.
One million sides of sole leather tanned with
hemlock bark in twenty years, by 4. Pratt
Twenty acres of land donated to the town of
PrattsvilIe, by z. Pratt.
Also other inscriptions, one showing him to
have been member of congress in 1874. On
terrace below is a mound, in front of which is a
tombstone, with the following inscription:
The following were the favorites of over 1000
horses, owned and worn out in the service of u.
Pratt; Bob, "a years, sorrel; Boyne, Is years,
bay; Prince, 80 years, gray.
Dogs-Carlo, 70; Rife, II Mineo, 10-1S60
The horses and dogs are buried beneath the
mounds, whose names and ages are thus handed
down to posterity With his own by their veteran
owner. Mr. Pratt had commenced cutting his
tomb in the same rock below his bust but for
some reason it was not finished, and where his
remains are buried the correspondent could not
learn. His matrimonial experience is note
worthy. No less than five of Ewes fair daugh-
tiers were wooed and won, two Of whom survive
HIM. The fourth was FESTIVE under the marriage
yoke and released by divorce. Nothing daunted,
at the mature age Of seventy-iye he won the
heart and hand of beautiful girl of twenty
from New York. She decided that the sum of
$4,000 settled upon her would compensate Tor
any lack of youthful affection and yigor in her
conugal mate, and accordingly travelled the
entire distance alone from New York to be mar
ried, and was duly installed mistress of the
mansion at Prattvie. She, as a duuful wife,
aifectonately cared for the old gentleman till he
died. and is now in the enjoyment of comfort
able income,