The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-10-21
THE FARM.
"PLEAsE SETTLE"

Ah uoSl VI luS SeoicS III ZIG COuuIIy y
towns of Minnesota to-day may be seen
notices like one following: "Please set
tle!' "Your account is now duel" "We
need our money!" etc. These are posted
in big letters in the most conspicuous
places, and are supposed to be addressed
particularly to that class of the commun-
ity who have been trusted during the
year, and have promised to pay after
harvest. Not infrequently these sugges-
tive reminders of obligations due are fur
ther impressed on the mind of debtors
by peremptory written or verbal demands
of tiAe merchant to ''pay up" and we
have known instances where the latter
not only hunted his victims on the street
and compelled their attention, but even
stationed himself on the highway lead
ing to the town, and accosted them as
they drove in. Now, what humiliat-
ing situation is this to the man who is in
debt, and especially so if his crops are
poor and he has not the wherewith to
pay. If he is man of spirit, and has
been used to better things, can there be
any slavery worse? With sincere de-
sireto pay his debts, but yet unable, he
is loended by the merchant as sd. b., -
or dishonest; walks the street in ragged
clothes, feels that he is a good for moth
ing, and is out of sorts with himself and
the world generally.
Now, what is he in debt for2 Why
should so large part of the community
in this State of Minnesota, with its rich
soil, its healthy climate, its adaptability
to raise almost anything, have their nos
es on the grindstone continually, instead
of being men, and walking the streets Of
the town in which they live with heads
erect, their store bills paid, and money
in their pocketsi Why should they come
into town in old lumber box wagons, and
make their wives and children ride on the
''soft side" of a rough board, dressed in
calico, and concealing their needs as best
they can, while the merchants wife dress
es in silk and rides in her carriages Is
the merchant to be blamed2 No, Is his
wife to be blameda No. He has earned
his money-made it off from you-and he
can buy as many carriages as he pleases,
and furnish his wife with new dress and
bonnet every month in the year, and pay
for them, if he likes.
What made you get into his debt, and
why have you allowed him to become
rich at your expense! Oh!-you "had
to have credit" did you You "didn't
have any money till you had threshold"
But why no money till then! Ah9 we've
got you now. You hadn't single thing
to make money out of, only your wheat
crop. You hadn't any hogs, or sheep, or
COWS, or steers, or anything-only wheat.
You risked your all on one of the most
uncertain crops that is grown. Instead
of having something to turn off every
week or mouth of the year, and thus a
constant source of income secured, you
arranged it so that it all came at once in
the fall, and the rest of the year you were
bankrupt. You couldn't take advantage
OF the market, even, and hold your crop
for higher prices. You had to sell to pay
your bills; and the man who took your
crop at sixty cents puts perhaps cool
thirty-five cents in his pocket on each
bushel, which Justly and rightly you
ought to have had, but which you lost
for lack Of capital to hold.
Now this is all wrong; and the "hoary
old granger" who edits this department
has watched with sorrow this state of
affairs for years. He has noted the fact
that, as rule, your life here, as farmers,
instead of being that of independence,
was one of constant toll and self denial.
Year In and year out you work early and
late. yet make but little progress. He
has felt that there is a great mistake being
made IN your system of farming, and
hoped that successive seasons of poor
wheat crops would at length drive you to
an entire change. He can see no reason
whT, with night management, you might
not get rich off your one hundred and
sixty acres, and ride in as good car
riage, and dress the family in as good
clothes, as the merchant Let us see if
together We cannot devise b way to ac-
complish it.
The first and easiest way to get little
ready money is from cows Every one
OF you keeps more or less of these
Butter vii, always command the ready