Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-09-20
The cormorant Class.


Prairie Farmer
The farmer has to make daily battle
for life. Weeds grow always; insects de-
climate crops; birds prey on them
| things animate and in6nimRte always are
present 10 work against him. Among in
} animate things that Just now prey upon
him may be mentioned trusts, syndicates
and middle'men OF oil grades, who seek
TO reap where they have not sowu.n
This last class has, perhaps not inRptly,
designated the "oormorant class.n The
manipulators of these rings are not in
animate, They are especially lively, and
like the Frenchman's dee, when you find
him you feel him, but when you put your
finger ON him, 'BS Carr he is not thore.
The trust inanimate is controlled by the
animate. For years the animate heads
have been pulling profits from tire
farmer, whatever the trust may be; for
all is fish that comes to it's net.
The plain duty OF the farmer, therefore,
il TO economics whenever he may do so
wisely. Ii is, however, not wise 20 ocono-
mize in rtaling matter that will keo p sv,.
posted in what is now in agricultural art,
or in oiroumvening the schemes of knaves.
Their name is legion-th who seek 10
prey upon the farmer. Do not, therefore,
believe a0v man who makes spSoious
promises, particularly that class which
sonld impres you with the idea that they
are giving you hundreds for one. This
Is the tyust most unworthy of credit of
the entire lot--swindleIs in fact, albeit
petty ones, Any person who claims TO DO
business ct a loss TO himself, or he who
assumes 10 propose TO be working for
your BENEFIT, he who pretends to offer you
something for nominal sum by which
you may gain large money, the man who
with ho,ia prints of some wonderful az
ricultural product, seeks TO impress you
with the idea tha the purchase will mako
you rich-all these, aud many o.hers OF
"thst ill.," are swindlers
The average mau Ia quite apt TO listen
20 the speech of this class; to listen is of
ten 80 believe. To believe leads him to
20 bay; 10 buy is TO be swindled. Who ia
90 blameq Tho man who parts with his
money, equally with the swindler who
pockets the cash! Business men do not
seek 60 work for nothing The farmer
expects half return for his labors, IL the
contingencies of the season DO not pre-
vent. The Prairie Farmer does not pro-
pose TO work for its patrons az a loss 20
Itself 1t docs not offer goods and other
goods by which the subscriber IL alleged
TO get the paper for nothing. i IL did,
the seeds or other goods would he trash.
All are cornorants who do. The sooner
every man understands this explicitly,
the sooner will the vocation of the 'or
mornnt class be gone.
There are oormorants and oormoran q.
Trusts, syndicates and other monopolies,
which cheaper product to themselves,
aud dictate prices to others, should be
put down by the law making power.
Some time they viii. The travelling ped
dler with his album OF wonderfully pic
tured specimens OF agricultural products,
your order Tor which he would liketo get,
ia one of the small eormorants with big
pay. His seeds and plants are froudu-
lent.
Any man who offers you romething
said TO DO WORTH half or more than the
price OF his paper, il another cormorant
to avoid. You ere swnjled 10 the amount
OF the alleged price OF the article. More
than that, the paper is sure 20 be trashy
as the thing offered. The honest journal
ist offers his paper at the lowest oash
price that will allow him fair margin
Of profit He spends money on the make
up OF his journal. Let these few exam
plea suffice. You meY follow out the
lead indefinitely. You viii aever succeed
in getting something for nothing.