Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-07-31

to know how much dignity there Is IN
shovelling manure or pleasure in digging
potatoes, or how long it would take for .
man to get rich at the wages ordinarily
paid for farm labor? Governor Perham
replied to him in the tone Of true man.
He said he took no such view of the
matter as did the gentleman from Cum
berland. That he had labored for years
upon his farm, and regarded himself as
being Engaged in an honorable, useful
and hence dignifed occupation. That he
had had better success in the accumula-
ton of property when upon the farm than
in any other pursuit.
I might extend this article indefinitely
and note the vague and indefinite ideas
which prevail among young men, espec-
tally upon the relative profit of farming
and other pursuits. The talk there has
been in the Home Farm upon $4,000
farm is case in point. Mr.. Thing talks
and writes just as if property among
farmers worth $4,000 is very unusual,
and by inference hundreds of young men
come to the conclusion that by trade or
speculation, or practicing law or medicine,
or BY going West, clerking in city, get
ting some government office or being a
runner for some mercantile house, trading
in fast or fine horses, buying or selling
cattle, or by some other hocus pocus II is
very easy and common thing for men
TO accumulate $4,000. All old men who
ever have any thought upon what is 60
ing on, know that all this is the merest
bosh in the world. In the first place, 1t
is not so very uncommon as IS pretended
for farmers to be worth $4,000, including
farm, stock, tools, and other appendages
TO farm. OF the two hundred and fifty
farmers in rresque Isle including the for
mer town of Maysville, fifty of them at
least have farms and other property worth
at least $4,000 each. Some Of them are
worth 10 600. There are plenty of farms
in this town which cannot be bought for
$4,000. Some have been offered that
and refused TO sell. The $500 farms in
Aroostook according to the census Of 1880,
with their stock, tools and crops for one
year are worth, on an everage, Sl4SO
apiece, and the 5451 farms in Kennebec
are worth, on an average, $4,000 apiece.
Now, when stump speaker comes up TO
ArOOstook and tells US that the farmers
OF the State are so poor they cannot buy
their wives and daughters new print
dress. all but the fools know Just what 1t
means, but when he lays aside his poht-
ical vesture, and undertakes to write up
on a matter of grave Importance to farm
ers and their wives he ought to know bet
ter, and knowing ought to write truth
fully. But how large proportion OF the
men Of other occupations are worth
$4,000: Who can pay their debts and
have 5000 left Look over any town
or village and tell me what proportion OF
the men, young or old, who have not
farms whose note for $500 due in one
year, would be good at any bank or would
be taken by any good business man with
out collateral How many of the
speculatory trading men, or men who do
not own farms who are popularity sup
posed to be worth $4,000, $4,000,
$4,000 and so on to 100000, are in
reality worth one-half Of what they are
supposed to be- Recently man of my
acquaintance died who was said TO be
worth from $4,000 to $4,000. l am
told by gentleman who knows that there
will not be remainder of over $4,000
when the estate is finally settled.
could hope that young men who are
thinking Of leaving the farm, and en-
barking in some other business which
they think promises more of ease, comfort,
pleasure, honor, wealth and respectable
ity, will, before making the fatal plunge,
stop and consider that an intelligent, skill
ful, prudent and industrious farmer, who
owns his farm, on which no one holds
mortgage is the truely independent man
DANIEL STICKNEY.
PreSque Isle.