The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-08-05
Agricultural.
WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?

Last summer the FARMER urged up
on it's readers, the wisdom OF keeping,
Just as much as possible, the receipts
their harvest within the limits OF
of the community in which they do
business. Last year this country was
blessed with a good crop, yet in few
months after the selling OF their
grain. many farmers were run ashore
for money, and-Where had 1t gone!
We are aware that many Of these farm
ers were compelled to pay out for past
indebtedness, which WAS unavoidably
incurred in starting their farms with
out capital; we know also, that much
of this indebtedness Was incurred for
things which could have been bought
cheaper for cash, and many things
which would not been bought at all,
had cash been the purchasing agent
instead of time. We have no doubt
but that all these farmers, when they
came to pay cut their hard earned
money for articles already consumed,
and looking back over the period of
his accommodating indebtedness, saw
MANY items which could have been
avoided had he stood Oh the right side
of the picture, and seen the bare facts
without the temporary, but no less
~, />f seer ITfhI
j. NOTHING This is a point which
every farmer, who wishes to make al
honest living and accumulate an inde-
pendence for his family, will do we'll
to consider. Make CASH you business
line and follow it as closely as possi-
BILE in hewing the rough trunk Of your
farm, that, when completed, its SYM
metrical completeness may not be
1narred and pasted over with notes
and mortgages.
We know that in this new country
a certain amount of indebtedness is,
in some cases, unavoidable, but the
policy which we wish to urge upon
our friends is, E:Debt, when We must,
Cash. when we can This motto
should be the grand guide in the farm
erS' business transactions, AMI SO i'm
press itself upon his mind that, when
temptation comes in the form of debt,
he will ask himself, ''must I go in!'
and in no case should he yield until
he submits for the verdict of his own
good judgement it's accompanying
question, ';UoW shall I get out when
once in?''
The policy that man can go into
debt to an unlimited extent, and suf-
fer no other injury than to inhict up
on himself stimulous to hard work,
is, to our notion, false, yet we know
it has been practiced, to some extent,
in this region. The man who would
put his nose to grindstone and turn
the handle with one hand to pay in
terest and the other to pay the princi-
pal, will come out of the battle of life
older (and more round shouldered)
than the one who swings his axe in
erect freedom and enviable independ-
enc In this connection we cannot
refrain from drawing little pen pic
ture: We dropped into the hardware
store not long since. and observing a
farmer friend. stopped to pass the
time of day with him. Soon after our
entrance, the dealer brought from the
rear OF his store grain cradle: which
he handed to our friend, who in turn
asked the price Of it and paid over his
money. After the transaction was
over we asked him if that was his
harvester. "Ies,' said he, Il have
bought, paid for it, and it is mine, and
when my small fields Of grain are cut