The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-07-25
The Mistakes Farmers Make.

The Mistakes Farmers Make.
Peck's sun.
An exchange published i'm the in
terror of the state speaks of the de-
parture of an old settler for Dakota,
where he will take up a quarter Sec
tioh of land and start in life again at
the age of seventy. The case of the
man is so near that Of thousands Of
others that few comments may not
be out of place. The man had a
nice farm near a splendid town,
where he had lived and brought up a
family. He got tired Of farming,
sold the farm for six thousand dollars,
moved to Town and went into the
livery business, and in three years
went through everything except a
team and a lumber wagon, and now
he has packed up and gone to Da-
kota, with a heart heavier than his
pocket-book, and he will die out there.
The number of farmers that decide to
90 to town to live, every year, and 60
into business, is appalling. Every
town has them, and nine out of ten
become poor. They get an idea that
town business men are the happiest
people on earth, and have an easy
time, and they get to brooding over
their hard life, and they think any
body can run a store, a grocery. or a
livery stable, and they sell out the
farm and 60 into business in town.
The most Of them go into the grocery
business because it seems go easy to
weigh our sugar and tea. They can
always find groceryman who will
sell out the remains of sick stock of
groceries for ready cash, and when
the farmer first sees his name over tie
door of grocery. he feels as though
he was made, and puts his thumbs in
the armholes of his vest. He uses
his money to stock up, pays cash. and
his credit is good, and he buys every
thing that is shown him. The COM
mercial traveller who first strikes the
farmer-grocer has it all his own way,
and pretty soon the grocer is full. 1t
generally takes farmer two years to
60 through a two hundred acre farm.
in the grocery business. Instead of
the business being an easy. run-itsel'
sort of lay out. 1t requires the best
management of any branch of trade.
The profits are small, and the waste is
terrible. A grocer has 60; to be
sharp as tacks. The farmers girls
and boys soon realize that they are
sons and daughters. instead
of farmers. and they have to keep up
with the procession. The farm house
furniture is not good enough. the dem
Ocratic wagon gives place to car
riage, the old mares give place to
high steppers. and the girls dress bet
ter. and do not work. The family
lives out of the grocery, the boys play
base ball, and the girls go to big par
ties. The farmer is a good fellow and
trusts many other good fellows who
can't pay, and in some cases gets to
Bills begin to come in,
and he can't collect enough to pay
rent. Friends that would help him
out with money when he had a farm
will now tell him money is mighty
scarce. and he will have to give a
chattel mortgage on the stock. The
stock runs down until there's nothing
but a red tin can of mustard. with a
bulls head on it. some canned peaches
and cove oysters on the shelves. few
boxes of wooden clothes-pi six
wagon loads Of barrels with little
sugar in the bottom. a couple of dozen
washboards. a box of goldfish of the
of 1860, which smells like a
glue factory, q show case full of three
cent wooden pocket combs and blue
ing, hair pins aud shaving soap, some
empty cigar boxes that the boys have
smoked the cigars out of. and a few
such things that do not bring enough
at. an auction to paw for printing the
auction bills Then the farmer breaks
up and goes west, leaving lot of bills
in the hands of q lawyer for collection.
who manages to collect enough to pay
his commission, and the family that
was so happy on the farm, and so in
dependent. becomes demoralized. the
girls marry characteristics in livery
stables rather than go west, the boys
60 to driving hack or working on a
threshing machine, or tending bar.
and refuse to 60 west, and the old
folks 60 to Dakota alone. and wish
they were dead, and will be quick
enough. This is the history of thou.
sands Of farmers who get tired of the
old farm. If they would but realize
that they are better fixed than nine.
tenths of the merchants iii towns, and
that they cannot become successful