The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-06-21
aJntelli9rnfer.
Why Farmers Don't Prosper.

Not long ago found 6 brot|icr farmer
in very bad way. lie said that il had
actually come to it that mar could not
make a living farming in this country,
and if he could find anybody to give his
land TO-, he was going to hunt new
grounds was sorry for him, for he did
look powerfully long faced. says
"IIavc YOU tried to make living farm.
.ing?" "IIave | tried :" he said, with a
look that indicated that ! WAS n fool.
81 have worked myself and folks nearly
to death, and we have been getting poor.
cr every year" "Ihis il strange" says
/ "somc people do make living right
here in this country. have not found
it hard to do"
After takirg long look at ne, he
said 81 carried my last cotton to mar.
kct the other day, and when went to
square up was left in debt for meat and
bread last year, and now | have got ev
crything to buy this year. Them mcr-
chants just take all Il poor farmer can
make, and then they amt satisfied. We
all work hard and have nothing, and We
are always in debt. This is no country
TOR white man" As .,c said
this his voice trcmblcd and he
shook. 1t made me real sorry; for he is
good, hard working man. Said |:
GLOW do you manage, Xekc Pitkiu?
DO you make a good garden and have
plenty OF vegetables in their season."
Looking down at his feet, he replied:
ado you reckon have nothing to do
but paddle in garden? tell you it is
all can do to work my CROP Well"
says !, you have been on the same place
fifteen years reckon you have lots Of
and fall and put up for winter" I'll
need .my land - my crop" "Do you
raise plenty Of Ir 'h and sweet potatoes
and that an't lor g." "Do you keep cows
times" "Does your wife raise many
chickens and turkeys, and such like?'
"liow can she ~hcn she las to help with
The CROP" "Do you make plenty Of
corn, oats AMI hay for your cwn use?"
"Of course don't, when am obliged to
plant a full crop of cotton to pay my
debts and buy something to eat" Sew
eral fellows sitting around said: "That's
what's the matter with Sallic." Says |,
"Fricnds | want to tell you what is the
matter with Sallie, 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 trying TO make living. You arc
trying to make money by raising cotton
to buy living with, and there is no rea-
son in that Now, listen to me a little,
for your own good. You and yours
work the year round to make cotton and
then you get your meat from ono thou
sand miles away, corn, -four, hay and so
on come the same way. The Yankees
sell their grass ut n good price, and we
work ourselves TO death to Kill grass. II
you vi, do rs tell you, inside Of three
years ev"ry one Of you will be easy"
Several OF them spoke right up and said,
"i.ct us hear it," "Vcry WE'LL" says I.
"Cto home, and tonight sc. your wives
and children al around you and tell
them just how you have been doing, aud
how it has worked. Then say, i pro.
pose 10 turn over Il new leaf First We
will not spend one cent we can help, not
cent for tobacco, whiskey nor clothes
moro than is necessary. We will gel
cows enough to give us plenty Of milk
and butter. and we will attend to them
and We will get some sows and pigs ant
look after them. There will be goot
garden ana plenty Of chickens raised
We will plant plenty Of potatoes, corn
.and whatever is to live on. In short w
will go in for making living frst, ant
something to sell next You will fine
all will agree to it. Then just stick tc
that for three yeats, and my word for it
you will never say again that living
can't be made i'll this country. Now i
you doubt it come to sec me, and ! vii
show you that it can be DONE OIct
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