The Dawson journal., 1883-05-17
THE GOSPEL OF AGRICUL-
TURE.

living farming in this country land |
if he could find anybody to give
his land to, he was going to hunt
new ground, l was sorry for him,
for he did look powerfully long
faced. Says L: "Have you tried |
to make living farming?" Have
| tried!" he said, with a look that |
indicated that [ was fool. Il
have worked myself and folks
nearly to death, and we have been
poorer every year" 'That is
strange" says l; some people do
make living farming right here
in this country. | have not found
it hard to do
After taking a long look at me,
he said: 81 carried my last cotton
to market tother day, and when l
went to square up | was left in
debt for meat and bread last year,
and now [ have got everything to
buy this year. Them merchants
just take all a poor famer can
make, and then they amt satisfied
We all work. hard and have moth
ing, and we are always in debt.
This is no country for white
man." As he said this his voice
trembled and he shook. 1t made
me real sorry; for he is good,
hard-worklng man. Said I: "How
do you manage, Zeke Pitkin? Do
you make good garden and have
plenty Of all sorts Of vegetables in
their season." Looking down at
his feet, he replied. "Do you
reckon | have got nothing to 10
but piIdle in a garden?I tell you
it's all that [ can do to work my
crop" "Well," says l, "you have
been on the same place fifteen
years-reckon you have got lots
of fruit of different sorts to eat
in summer and fall and to put up
for winter 81 reckon [ amt. |
need my land for my crop, and
land with trees ON it won't fetch a
crop" ''Do YOU raise plenty of
Irish and sweet potatoes to do
you?'' PLENTY while they last,
and that amt long" do you
keep cows to give you milk and
butter? "Sometimes." "Does
your wife raise many chickens and
such hke?" 'How can she, when
she las to help me with my crop?"
"Dd9gOu make plenty Of corn, oats
and nay for your own use?" "Of
course L don't when l am obliged
to plant full crop of cotton to
pay my debts and buy something
to eat" Several fellows sitting
around said: "That's what's the
matter with Sallie.' Says [,
"friends, | want to tell you what
is the matter with Sally and Mary,
and Jane, and Tom, and Bob, and
Zeke here, and all the rest of you.
| You say you can't make living,
and the truth is, you are not try
ing to make a living. You are
trying to make money by raising
cotton TO buy a living with, and
there is no reason in that. Now,
listen to me little, for your own
good: You and yours toll the
year around to make cotton, and
then you get your meat from l, 900
miles away; corn, -four; hay and
50 on come the same way. The
Yankees sell us their grass at a
big price, and we work ourselves
to death to kill grass. II you will
do as 1 tell you, inside of three
years every one of you will be
easy" Several of them spoke
right up and said, LET us hear
it. " every well" says I, "go home,
and tonight get your wives and
children all round you and tell
them just how you have been do
ing, and how it has worked. Then
Fsay, 4 propose to turn over a new
leaf. First we will spend not one
cent we can help-not cent for
tobacco, whiskey nor clothes more
than necessary. We willget COWS
enough to give us plenty Of milk
and butter, and we will attend to
them, and we will get some sows
and pigs and look after them.
There will be good garden and
plenty of chickens raised. We
will plant plenty of potatoes, corn,
and whatever is to live on. In
short, we will go in for making q
living first, and something to sell
next You will find all will agree
to it. Then just stick to that for
three years, and my word for it,
you will never say again that a
living can't be made in this
country.
Now if any of you doubtit como
to see me, and l will show that it
can be done, and | will show YOU
that it is done"
| saw that it took so I followed
up my lieks and said: "Nov
trends, don't finch, don't keep
your trouble to yourself, and when
1t plnches you not to buyIona a cred
1t, like your neighbors do and like
you have done, don't give up. JUS
settle it with yourself and family,
you Will be Tree and you will come
out right"
When | got through | thought
the world was pretty good SO |
shook hands all round and said,
| "pOOd evening frianJs ,r;eL =,