The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1885-10-01


exclusive Of railways, educational bishments,
churches and public property was l,s72 per cent.
about 1877 par cent per annum: from 1870 till 1ssoit
Fas nearly 2e0 per cent OF % per cent per annun.
md from 1880 TO lSslnet far from l2x per cent
per annum. The falling Oh In the last tsrm re-
lnlttng from : declinss in pricss wa more appaf-
~ knSda the Yalge 81
property per tnhabitant wasin rlse0 $3.50, q.
1870 e1ss,So, in 1850, $s3o,61. snd in 1885 about
$ss3 In 1870 the country had.not fully recovered
from the consequences of the rebellion and the
Indian war. The latter caused the destruction Of
y large amount of personal property and very
decline In the price of land. mean.
while the population increased during the decade
closing at that time at the rate of l5x per cent.
per annum, but nearly all of this incerase, 80 far
rs 1t was supplied by immigration, really occur
ed In the closing four years Of the term and was
composed mainly of those who literally brought
nothing with them, To be added to this increase
Of wealth Is another important item which does
not appear in the assessment rolls because railways
pay an especial tax. In 1860 the State was with
out railroads; by 1870 there had been 072L miles
built at cost of $is o35,76l. Ten years later the
miles Of railway were syos91S, costing $l3e 49,.
$685. 5O Last year the number of miles had in creas
ed to 4l25 and the total cest to 1881 go 7225o.
There has since been added some IT'S miles, max
ing the extent of railways in the State to-day 800
miles. which represent an Investment of nearly
4l9O O(O 600. This means further sun Of Sl69,79
per inhabitants which, added to that above given,
raisesthe average amount OF wealth per individ-
ual to $3.50 TO- and that too on the low valuation
peculiar to assessments for taxation. The true
average amount Of wealth for each individual no
doubt approximates more nearly to $75oo0. But
it is not probable anyone will DENY that the State
has been prosperous In an eminent degree. The
fact is too obvious for concealment. True, your
crops have not been always and uniformly sood,
nor have you been paid for your surplus products
as high prices every season as they ought to have
commanded. In divers manners and from num-
erous causes your incomes have been trenched
upon and reduced until many of you have felt
sore and poor. Yet 1t is certainly true that the
great majority Of farmers in this State have grad
ually grown richer with every passing season and
80 far as my experience and observation extend
those whose gains have been most uniform and
proportionately greatest belong generally to the
class usually designated "small farmers men
who farm from 80 to l60 acres and do their work
we'll. don't think 1t is good State for bonan "a
terprises are always liable to come to grief no
matter where they may be situated. Nor are the
farmers of Minnesota alone in their steady accum'
u,ationo Of wealth. The mechanics, laborers, pro-
fessional nsn,j merchants, and in fact all glasses
participate In this good fortune for holds good
as general rule that when the agriculturists o1
any country prosper the community generally
thrives with them. Nor do they live of Of them OF
prey upon them, as some ofour modern socialtstic
reformers pretend to believe. The mechanic
labor er, miner and manufacturer arc themselve.
producers Of wealth and give to society All equi
valcrt for what they consume. The produce of th'
farmers is necessary to their existence and wha
they procuce contributes to the welfare and hap
piness OF the farmer. Professional men ant
| merchants are, likewise, necessary and the fac
that they cannot be dispensed with ought to be &C
cepsed - sufficient evidence that th ey compensat
society by their services for what they use Be
cause have asserted that the farmers Of Minneso
ta, a. class, are growing constantly better of
no intimatiou that think you ought to BE- con
tent with your present circumstances. On tn
contrary, I hops none of you will be contente
either with what you are or have but that yo
viii strive energetically to become better an
richer every day, I do not regard contentment
psaiseworehy element Of character at all. It is th
essential Of savagery and laziness. Intelligeu
Ipeople have no right to be contented but shoul
n always endeavor to better themselves and the
circumstances. To better themselves they mu,
cultivate the virtues, especially charity toward
their netghbors, which should extend to and cove
the opinions these may entertain. "Charit
|covereth multitude Of the sins" of those towart
Il When we exercise Il q these may be offensive