Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-08-12
THAT FARM.

A thoughtful voter-rather, voter
with fer thoughts-writes to the NetO
Religion as follows:
In 1868 owned a farm which | sold 70
my neighbor Bent for $4,000 and with my
money bought bank stock which has netted
ME $3.50 year, and today the stock Is
worth 81, 400 on the market"
Then he tells how he earned s400 a
year and board, and without figuring out
any expenses, shows that this investment,
in eleven years paid him 81 500. Well,
that was a good investment, and showed
astute judgment and foreknowledgc. But
the fact is this fnancier never owned any
farm in 1868; he never sold it to neigh
Dor Bent for $4,000 he never bought
any bank stock with the 1900 which
he did not have; he never worked at
S4O0 and board, and to save his neck he
can't show any 5ll, 800 as the net pro-
ceeds of his investment for the past eleven
years. The answer to this conundrum IS
"the little boy lied"
Now if the case were stated hypothet-
ically, without the Il did, for the pur-
pose of argument, instead of the false
one of exciting sympathy, it would be
fair subject for criticism. Yet after all
its falseness of statement we are inclined
to show, theoretically that "neighbor
Bent was either fearfully cheated in his
farm, or else the case is not fairly stated.
Of this unfortunate farmer he says:
MY neighbor Bent has labored on his
farm constantly during these eleven years.
His profits therefrom have varied with the
years, but close figuring has made the ay-
erage Sl6j, or in eleven years Sl,Slj; but
his farm has gone down in the market and
today the best offer he can find is 81, 100,
making together with the yearly profits for
eleven years, the sum of S3,9lj rs the pro-
cceds of his investment in his farm, and
labor thereon during eleven years"
In the first place, if he paid $4,000
for his farm, and it yielded only Sl65, ne
must have been awfully cheated, or else
he did not know how to farm it, or else
the value was in expensive buildings or
unproductiye lands. In the second place
the man received his living, at least for
his labor, in addition to the Sl65 profit
If he had family, that was supported
on the farm. If he was alone to be sup
ported by it, the absurdity Of only netting
Sl65 per year on $4,000 farm Is the
more manifest. But, let US see about the
depreciation of his real estate which
caused such 4 reduction of his profits. In
1868, the value Of paper dollar which
was paid for the farm was 70.l or of the
81, ,00O-S2, ,S04. The 81, 100 offered
him today is worth one hundred cents on
every dollar, thus showing a depreciation
of only SOL. If the farm yielded only
Sl65 on the investment, the man was a
poor manager not to have sold it before
eleven years of experience, and we fear
he even cheated the man ne sold it to for
S2,lOO. But candidly the figures are
not so bad as the voter of few
thoughts shows. He is as careless as he
was about the Norway Bank. In eleven
years Bent saved Sl,Sl5; his poor in
yestment even in times of initiation paid
that, and his farm now brings only s70l
less than he paid for it, in gold, or in the
Interchangeable standard. His actual net
profit has been 81 ia or about 500 per
year. The difference between this result
and the result figured on the bank stock
is due to the mans poor investment, in
paving more than the farm is worth. To
prove that his investment was poor one,
| it is only necessary to see what kind of a
farm today can be purchased for %, 100.
That sum will buy farm which should
cut 80 tons of hay. The hay will sell for
$40 per ton or $500, or if worked into
butter, cheese or stock it should yield
larger sum. If the hay cost SO per ton
for harvesting, the net profit on it would
be S2l0, and the remainder Of the ground
would support the man and his family,
and yield some further income. Legisla-
ton cannot furnish brains. 1t takes
higher power than the government to do
that, and He does not issue fiat brains
for the benefit of wooden heads who do
not know how to invest their funds.
The other case presented is peculiar
one. Fifteen years ago, in 1864, man
bought his farm for $4,000. He paid
1900 for it and mortgaged it for
$500. Paper money in 1864, was worth