River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-03-28
iGhe Aira 9alts Nomnal
River Falls, Pierce County, Wisconsin.
MARCH 28TH. 1873.
Thoughts Of a Farmer on the Past,
Present and Future Pros poets Of
Farmers in Northern Wisconsin
and Minnesota.

lsslppl anu DCs OTOl& nave heiV posi-
tion, in some respects superior to far
mers in any other section Of the country
which have ever seen; particularly we
Of the st. Croix valley situated as we are
in the midst Of fine water powers, super
Tor farming lands and in the immediate
vicinity of immense pine and hard
wood regions, fine rock for lime and
building, and spring streams for pas.
turage and dairy purposes.
With all these advantages, the ques-
ton would be naturally asked, why
there is not greater amount of wealth
among the farmers? (And there Is at
this time more wealth among them,
than is to be found in any other Sec
ton of the country Of the same age.)
This is question easy to answer
The control Of the Legislatures of both
states has not been in the hands of
those who had the interests of the farm,
ers at heart; but it has been in the
hands Of bankers, lawyers, editors and
railroad corporations,-of men living
in cities, who have so shaped Legislation
as to rob the farmer and laborer for the
benefit of the cities, piling up enormous
wealth therein, and creating commensur-
ate poverty in the country. Farmers and
their children, under this species of
slavery, will act like plantation slaves
they will want to fee the farms and
live around Masters big white house."
or in the city, where the fruits of the
labors of the poor slaves or serfs are
spent. Look at New England, where
this system has degraded the farmer,
until farmers sons and daughters will
not be caught on a farm when they are
old enough to leave.
The writer of this article has poor
conception of the condition Of farmers,
their sons and daughters in New Eng.
land, if he really thinks they are de-
graded by the serfdom he here repre-
sents. There is not spot or place on
Gods green earth where the farmer is
more highly respected, or enjoys more
true freedom, than in New England
Eds JoURNAL1
But | am not answering the question,
"why is there not more wealth in Wis
consin and Minnesota"
Every one familiar with the farming
interest of this section knows that our
principal staple is wheat, and ninteen-
twenticths Of it, spring wheat. The
quality is controlled by climate
Fifteen hundred miles south of here,
spring wheat is not worth raising. One
thousand miles south of here, say in
the vicinity of st. Louis, it is worth
about half the price of winter wheat.
Five hundred miles further north, in
che vicinity of Chicago, it is worth
three-fouFths as much as winter wheat;
and, above the mouth of the St. Croix.
FIVE hundred miles to the northward Of
Chicago, in Wisconsin aud Minnesota,
spring wheat is on par with winter
wheat, and our millers make no differ.
ence in the price; but unfortunately
tor US, they regulate the price
ofour wheat by the price of the mix
ture in the Chicago elevators.
To satisfy any one Of these facts. all
that is necessary, is to take up a news
paper and look at the market reports in
Duluth, Milwaukee and Chicago. New
York reports show that Duluth wheat
bears the best price, Milwaukee next,
and Chicago the lowest.
Chicago controls a great portion of
the carrying trade of these two states.
This forces large amount Of our
grain in with tho poor wheat of Illinois
and Iowa Hence IL is plain to be
seen, that the farmers of the st. Croix
valley have sustained a loss on the quail.
ity Of wheat, and the robbery OF the
monopolists in carrying our wheat, Of
about thirty cents bushcl. This.