The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-08-27
! AG(ElIENT
N Advantages Poasessed BY Farmers
of ~ Wsstsrn States for Rais-
Ing Horses.

(
of ths Wsstsrn States for Rais-
ing Horses.
FArm Buildlngs as Banks.
The murder last week Of farmer
I and lii wife near GAINESVILLE, Wis, for
the purpose, Of obtaining the money
boarded In their house is only one Of
several hundred similar crimes that
have been committed in this country
during the past few years. A month
rarely passes that an account OF the.
robbery Of some farmhouse or the
murder of some of its inmates is not
published in this paper. A prosperous
or wealthy farmer who makes prae-
5tice Of keeping large sums of money or
other valuables in his house generally
lets the facts be known to the public.
He is fond Of stating that he has no con-
fdence in banks. repositories, or other
institutions designed for the safe keep
ing Of money. He advcrtises to the
world that he is custodian of his own
yaluables, and that his house, ordinari-
ly his bed-chamber, is the place where
he keeps them. BY SO doing he invites
robbers and burglars, who rarely hesi-
tate to take life il it becomes necessary
to do SO in order to secure booty or to
prevent being captured. A house break
or ordinarily carries q set OF burglars
tools in one hand and a revolver ii the
other. He has no more hesitancy
about using the latter than the former.
BY the common law the house of
every man in city or country is declared
to be his castle AS "a rule, ii does
not resemble q castlesin the matterSof
means Of defense. It has no massive
walls OF stone, no ponderous gates Of.
IRON, no deep moa. filed with water,
no bridge that can be drawn ut night
or In times OF danger, no protected
place in which armed sentinels can
stand, no alarm-beu for calling assis-
tance, A farmhouse generally stands.
at quite q distance from other dwellings,.
It's not constructed with view Of af-
tording Security to life and property
against robbers or nssassins. 1t issor-
dinarily built Of wood, and has numer-
Gus doors and windows that are easily
opened from the outside. It rarely ever
contains q fire and burglar proof vault
orfsafe. Il is not provided with means
for srmnoning assistance. No person
Is employed to watch it while the mem
hers OF the family are asleep A dog
may be kept for the purpose of giving
an alarm in case strangers approach in
the night, but the chances are that the
creature barks so often and on such
slight provocation that the inmates Of
the house, II they are sound sleepers,
are not aroused BY its barking in times
3 of danger.
Such . building is not a fit depository
for valuables Of any kind. It is liable
10 be burned down, and can be easily
entered BY anyone who has the courage
and disposition to.do 90. AS rule, it
} Is senseless to offer resistance 4 Sup
posing that there are firearms in the
house, the chances are that they can
not be effectualiy used. Persohsswho
4 are aroused from deep sleep by burg
i lars are not In q condition to IRE rifles
and reyolyers. They will be tlazed,
4 while their unwelcome visitors win be
active and on the lookout. "A motion
or . noise on the part OF the sleepers
will be almost sure to bring the burg
4 lars to their sides, when the pistol
dirk kor gag will be used. The cases OF
tOrturing persons in farm houses with
Q view Of making them disclose where
money and other yaluables are secreted
4 are numerous. In repeated cases rob
8 bers after plnndering q house and tying
lta inmates have set it on fire, with the
intention OF destroying all evidence of
their crime. The instances where the
Inmates of farmhouse have been able
to defend themselves against 'determin-
cd burglars, to shoot them or to fright
en- them away are exceedingly rare.
5ss Every yeaf when the time arrives for
starting fires in stoves outside thu,
kitchen we hear Of great quantities of
bank bills, deposited ms stove. pipes and
ovens, being destroyed. They were
placed ia these receptacles for safe
keeping by some member OF the family,
who neglected to inform the others, or
who at the same time Of lighting the
fire forgot about it. The grain bin and
corn-crib are sometimes used rs depos-
tories Of the money saved by farmers.
They often serve a useful purpose, but
occasionally the money is devoured by
farm animals or yermjn. or is hauled
off to market with the grain. The
practice Of burying money in the cellar
or gardener Of secre&ing it in some
creyice between the walls and plaster
8 ing Of the house is far more common.
In some cases the money is secreted so
\ well that it is never found by, the per-
son who hid 1t, or by his relatives for
whom it was saved. Sudden death,
mental arrangement, or loss of memory
may prevent the treasure from being
found. In many old country towns
there are legends about money that
was lost in this way. In case y fire oc-
ours in dwelling, the money secreted
in II is generally consumed.
That q farmhouse is q very insult
able place for keeping money, and that
!. its presence there serves to invite bur-
glars, must be admitted. II is by no
means strange that farmers have be-
become suspicious Of crossroads banks,
that have little or no capital, whose
directors are irresponsible and whose
ofticials are Of questionable integrity.
But there isS scarcely county in the
country that does not contain at least
INC reliable bank. There Is no consider
blesctty in which there is not bank
thatenjcys the confidence Of the busi-
ness men Of the community. If it is
4 not convenient for man living In the
v ountry 70 make deposits in this bank
personally. it costs but trife to send
money to it by express. The express
company y responsible, and banks
q WI! foraard receipts for money receiv.
8ed by the express agents. Besides the
banks there are now safe depositories
in nearly all large Cities, where patrons
place money. papers, and other valu.
nb!es In private boxes ct which they
hold the keys. II they do not afford
AheoAute security they furnish the