The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-11-25

and every farmer went into all cotton,
and of course was among the number.
remember my first cotton crop, 1t was
50 bales and I sold it in this city to
Messrs. O'Neal & Son for $500. After
paying 5000 cotton tax that year (1SG7) !!
made my own provisions, but returned
home after the sale of that cotton crop q
confirmed cottontot l believe with cotton
over hundred bale, man was simply
fool who planted corn worth dollar a
bushel.
Inow found myself selling $50 bales of
cotton for not much more than | sold my
50 bales for and that, too, with little or
no provision on hand, every year the
price of cotton declined, but kept bet:
ting with myself that it would react and
20 up and so kept chasing this fleeting
Jack o.lantern until I saw the Sheriff and
sale bill would be my portion if l did
not call halt. Any farmer here had an
experience like that? don't all speak at
once! History repeats itself, therefore |
may be excused for repeating that don't
know but one way out of our troubles
and that is, first to get out of debt,
compromise out, sell out, or if no
other way, pull down every thing you
have and walk out, for l honestly believe
it is better for man to live on rented
farm than on one that is carrying mort
gage that he can never pay. But must
leave this disagreeable subject of debt,
and in doing SO, let me call your attention
to the fact that this thing of debt and the
cry of hard times is nothing new after
ali, one hundred and fifty two years ago
Benjamin Franklin wrote his Poor Rich.
ards Almanac in which appears the we'll
known maxims afterwards published un.
der the title of "The Way to Wealth" !"
aud translated into various languages.
How many times since then has "pay as
you go" been quoted But in proof that
history repeats itself, will quote a few
lines from Poor Richard, and let you
Judge how it suits your times. The
author is writing series Of letters and
lie says: II stopped my horse lately
where a large number of people were
collected at an auction of merchant goods,
the hour of the sale not being come they
were conversing on the badness of the
times, and one of the company called to
plain, clean old man, with white locks
"Pray, father Abraham, what think you
of the times? Will not these heavy
taxes quite ruin the country? How shall
we ever be able to pay them? What
would you advise us to do" Father
Abraham stood up and replied: If you
would have my advice, | will give it to
you in short, for word to the wise is
enough, as Poor Richard says. "Friends," !"
says he, "the taxes are indeed very
heavy, and if those laid on by the govern
ment were the only ones We had to pay
we could more easily discharge them
but we have many others and much more
grievous to some of US. We are taxed
twice as much by our idleness, three
times as much by our pride and four
times as much by our folly, and from
these taxes the Commissioners cannot
ease or deliver us by allowing an abate:
ment. However, let US harken to good
advice, and something may be done for
US. God helps those who helps them.
selves, as Poor Richard says. 1t would
be thought hard government that would
tax its people one tenth part OF their
time to be employed in its service, but
idleness taxes many of US more. So
what signifies wishing and hoping tor
better times? We may make these better
if we bestir ourselves. Industry need
not wish, and he that lives upon hope
will die fasting. He that hath trade
hath an estate, and be that hath calling
hath an Office of honor and profit, as
Poor Richard says; but then the trade
must be worked at and the calling well
followed, or neither the estate nor the
Office will enable US to pay our taxes"
Although delivered hundred and
fifty years ago, how appropos would that
sermon be to-day Who would ever
imagine that there were hard times or
high taxes one hundred and fifty years
ago.
Our agricultural reformation has got
to come by commencing at the smallest
details of every day farm life, stopping
the little leaks, and the large ones will
take care of themselves. We have to
study for improvement and originality in
our ayocation. We old farmers can't go
to school any more, but we can read and
digest our agricultural literature; we can
join and keep up our agricultural clubs
aud societies; we can Investigate and
thoroughly inform ourselves as to some
body eIse's hobby, even if they have been
successful with it, as to whether it suits
our capacity or situation, before we catch
on or put all the dogs on this one trail to
the exclusion of all Others. Why one of
the leading dailies The other day compar'
ed the farmers to lot of boys on fish
ing frolic-if one little more clever than
the rest gets o bite, every one rushes 10
the same hole to throw in his hook.
The result is usually tangled lines, gen.
eral disaster and no fish.
The following from the Prarie Farmer
is almost equal to Frauklin's story of the
whistle: A few days ago friend sent me
word that every day he gave nearly
twenty pals of but.ermilk to lot of
shoats, and they scarcely improved at all.
Thinks l, this is breed of the sheet
iron kind. So I called on him, heard
him repeat the mournful story and then
visited the sty in order to get better
view of the miraculous swine. | went
into the pen, and on close examination
found a crack in the trough through
which most of the contents ran away
under the floor. Thinks !, here is the
type of the failures of our agricultural
brethren. When l see farmer subscrib.
ing for half dozen political miscellane-
Gus papers and spending all his time in
reading them, while he don't read single
agricultural or horticultural journal,
thinks l to myself, poor man, you have
got large and wide crack in your hog
trough. When see farmer attending
all the political conventions and knowing
every man in town that votes his tickets,
and yet 10 save his neck couldn't tell
who is President Of his County agricul.
tural society, or where the fair was held
last year, unanimously come to the con-
clusion that the poor soul has got crack
in his hog trough. When | see a farmer
buying guano, but wasting ashes and hen
manure, trying all sorts of experiments
cxceptintelligent hard work and economy,
getting the choicest of seed, regardless OF
cost, then planting them regardless of
cultivation growing the variety of fruit
called Sour Tart Seeding, and sweetening
it with sugar, pound for pound, keeping
the front fields rich, while the back lois
are growing up with thistcs, briars and
elders, contributing to the Choctaw Indi-
=, f,nd ond naver oivinp g cent to any