The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-05
Farm. House and Garden.
Why They PrOspered.

al AAe AAOuCO eAN Os>A
Why They Prospered.
From the Rural New Yorker.
Probably no one will deny that there
are thousands of families who have
bettered their condition by going
West, or going from an old to new
country. What is true to-day, was
also true when Western Massachusetts
and New York formed an unbroken
wilderness, inviting the hardy yeo-
many of the seaboard towns OF OF
Europe, to take possession of it, and
there to carve out homes and turn up
the virgin soil. The advice Of the la
mented Greeley, $50 West, young
man; go West was significant. He
did not, however, promise that the i'm
migrant who followed his counsel
would at once receive either better
wages, better clothes or any exemp-
lions from hard work. for such a
promise would have been far from the
truth; neither did he impress upon
him that there he would be necessarily
forced to frugality and exertion, and
that the improvement in his fortunes
must depend upon these, for such an
explanation might have dampened the
ardor of many one who accepted the
advice without questioning the motive
| that prompted it.
In some instances the natural advan.
tages OF locality have doubtless con-
tributed to the pioneers financial ad-
vancement; but in nine cases out Of
ten, the improvement has come from
hard work and a frugal manner OF llv-
ing. Now we believe that nearly every
man who has carved out home for
himself and family in new country,
will agree with us in this; and he may
also remember the time when his
debts were fewer in number and
troubled him less than now. Perhaps
the house over his head was not very
pretentious one, while the carpets and
furniture within it were mainly home
made, and the Sunday carriage was
the farm wagon, drawn by a span of
plow- hofses or mules; yet the chances
are ten to one, that in those hard days
there were more smiles upon the faces
| of wife and children than are seen
there now, though they occupy the
same farm, tread upon costly carpets,
and ride in elegant carriages.
We have in our time visited many a
pioneers home and partaken OF the
homely but healthy fare, and listened
to the cheerful account of present
happiness and the anticipatiOns OF
prospective wealth. The fulfllment
of these hopes, too, was then within
easy reach but alas for the stability
Of human affairs and the vanity OF
human expectations with the incom
ing of more neighbors and the genera
march Of improvements, wants in
creased, and through desire not tx
be out-done, new houses, new furni
ture, new carriages, and last but MOI
least, new mortgages appeared with
their ever.present adjuncts, vexation'
without number.
The above is true picture of thu
condition of thousands of families a
this moment, and yet they tell us tn
times are hard and that no money Cal
be made at farming! But how is i
that the farm which only cost the own
er a few hundred dollars, and wa
once capable OF supporting himself ant
family and something over, has degen
Grated in productiveness while en-
HANGING in value sufficiently to bear ;
mortgage ten times its original cost
The conundrum is not difficult one tt
solve, for it is patent to the mos
casual observer that the reason
son why the settlers of new countries
|generally prosper, is because they ar
compelled by circumstances to liv'
within their means, and it isa pity tina
the habit could not be continue.
through life, and extended to all grade
of society everywhere.
>U