The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1883-06-29
WHY FARMERs DON'T PROSPER.

in very bad state He said that it had
actually come to it that q man could not
make living farming in this country,
and if he could find anybody 10 give his
land to he was going to hunt new grounds.
L was sorry for him, for he did lcok power.
fully long faced. Says L: "Iavc you tried
to make living farming ?""IIavo I tricd!''
he said, with look that indicated that |
was fool, 81 have worked myself and
folks nearly to death, and we have been get
ting poorer every year" THAT is strange V
says |; 'somo people do make living right
here in this country. have net found it
hard 10 do"
hftar taking = long look at me, he said
81 ca:fSss'i NY last cotton to market tothcr
day, and when | went to square up l was
left in deSt for meat and bread last year
and now have got everything to buy this
year. Them merchants just take all 4
poor farmer can make, and then they amt
satisfied. We all wor!, hard and have moth.
ing, and we arc always in debt. This is
no country Tor white man" AS he said
this his voice trombled and he shook. 1t
made me real sorry; for he is good, hard
working man. Said I GLOW do you
manage. Ickc Pitkia ? Do you make a
good garden and have plenty of vegetables
in their season p Looking down at his
feet, he replied "Do you reckon have
got nothing to do but paddle in garden ?
l tell yen it is all can 90 to work my
crop. Well," says L, you have been on
the sama place fifteen ycars-reckon you
have lots of fruit Of different sorts to cat in
summer and fall and put up for water"
II reckon amt. / need my land for my
crop" 500 your raise plenty Of Irish ard
sweet potatoes to do you ?" ''plenty while
they last, and that amt long" "Do you
keep COWS to give you milk ard butter ?'
Sometimes" docs your wife raise many
chickens aud turkeys, and such like p
GLOW Gin she, when she has to help me
with the crop? "Do you make plenty of
corn, oats and hay for your own use %
"Of course l don't, when am obliged to
plant a full crop Of cotton to pay my debts
and buy something to cat" Several ftl.
lows sitting around said That's what's
tho matter with Ssllie" Says !, "Friends ),
l want .to,tsll what isthe mattarsmiih -sS4rllia.
and nlarry.sin Jane, aud Sson. updP BOZ
and Hcke here, and all the rcstof you. You
say you can't make a living, and the truth
is you arc no! trying to make y living You
arc tying to make money by raising cotton
to buy living with, and there is no reason
in that. Now, listen to me lit;le, fox
your own good You and yours work the
year round to make cotton and then you get
your meat from 900 miles away, corn,
-four, hay and SO on come the same way
The Yankees sell us their grass ut high
price, and We work ourselves to death to
kill grass. Iry you will do as tell you,
inside of three years evcry one Of you will
be easy" Several of them spoke right up
and said. Let us hear it, Very well, "
says I. "Go home to night and get your
wives aud children all around you and tell
them just howoyou have been doing, and
how / Sas worked. Then say, Il propose
to turn ever new leaf First, wo will not
spend one cent we can help, not q cent fol
tobacco, whiskey nor clothes moro than is
necessary. We will get COWS enough tc
give us plonty oi milk and butter, and VIC
will attend to them, and we will get some
sows and pigs and look after them. There
will be Il good garden and plenty of chick
ems raised, We viii plant plenty Of pota,
toes, corn, and whatever is to live on. In
short, we will so in for making q living
first, and something to sell next You will
find all will agree to it. Then just stick tc
that for three years, and my word for it you
will never say again thata living can't be
made in this county.
Now i; any Of you doubt il come 10 sec
me, and [ will show that it can be done,
and vii! show You that i; is done
"iIssimmac' is LAc name Of ,hriying
town Florida. Young lalics living there i,
not Iar! to namc the place Of their lraidcnc.
in the hoaring Of strangers.
II is stated that every man is made 70,
the world We mag say Of some men thai