The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-09-08
Certainty Of Farming.

Many farmers live uneasy and dis
c0ntented lives, for the reason they
imagine that while they are toiiing hard
for living, merchants and the various
classes of spectators are easily amass-
ing fortunes. They do not see all of
the inside workings of the werld of
trade. Take Chicago as a sample of
the prosperous cities, in which it is
supposed to be easy to get rich. Yet it
is positively stated that in the past elev.
en- years fifty out of every 100 business
men of Chicago have failed. And the
history Of the whole commercial and
mercantile world shows that ninety
seven out of every 100 men engaged in
general mercantile pursuits in the
course of their lives fail in success
victims of sharp competition, financial
pressure or panics, and are forced to
suspend, bankrupt, put their property
in the hands of their friends, or their
wives, to prevent it from being
snatched from them by memorable cred
itors.
Besides. the farmer knows nothing of
the tyrannical exacti0ns of fashion. No
matter how small a business mans cap
ital or how prudently he may manage
his affairs, the requirements of society
and fashion are relentless aud irresist-
ible. 1t is disgraceful to attend to ones
domestic fairs, or appear too often in
society with the same dress, no matter
how rich or fashionable. No fashion,
able lady would dare to make calls with
her own horse and buggy. She must
incur the expense OF coach and
driver. So exacting is society that the
family must 60 yearly to costly water
ing places, or to Europe. If they do
not they are compelled to hide them
selves away in their back rooms for
weeks, close their front doors and
blinds and pay the daily paper to re-
port their departure for some fashion
able resort This has to be done or
they are discarded as not respectable.
No matter how reckless man may be
in business, or how often he defrauds
his creditors by assignments, if he and
his family keep up all the show OF fash
ionable life. they are all right. There
is now mans family travelling in Eu-
rope in great pomp and style at enor-
nous expense, belonging to Central
Iowa, who has male two assignments
in thirty-three months. Commercial or
mercantile life is very feverish, uncer-
tain and unsatisfactory business to the
man who stands at the head and bears
the responsibility of success or failure.
Fashion, the credit system and the iluc-
tuations of prices always keep bust
ness man in hot water.
Not so, however, with the farmer. If
he attends strictly to his business, keeps
out of debt, and pursues an intelligent
system, he certainly attains to q proud
independence. And when farmers do
fail. which is sometimes the case, the
cause is almost certain to be clearly
traced to gross mismanagement,. idle
ness by visiting too often the neighbour
ing towns, drunkenness, or reckless
speculation in cattle or lands. When u
farmer goes outside of his legitimate
business, and attempts to make money
rapidly by buying and selling on specu-
lation, he may soon bankrupt But
this is not farming. 1t is speculation.
A few by this game succeed, which
generally is bad and fatal example to
neighbors, who, not possessing the ex-
perience and tact, 90 down in disgrace.
Plain and practical farming, carefully
anu wisely purSucu, IhOuSH SLOW, Is IHo
best, safest and happiest pursuit man
can follow. So we beseech our farmer
friends not to look longingly to the
marts of trade for a change Of their pur-
suits as likely to be easier to body or to
tax less the utmost capacity of the mind.
1t is fatal delusion, into which many
an honest aud Independent man has
ventured to his total ruin.-l0Wa Stale
Register.