Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-02-24
WHAT KEEPS THE FARMERS POOR.

lHessrs. Editors american Farm
CT Last winter not hundred
miles from where / hold forth sew
eral car loads Of organs we're DIS
tributed through the country at a
high price on time. A little later
the sulky plOw men rardged the
same region selling plows for thirty
six dollars on twelve months time
that could be made for ten or
twelve dollars. Most OF these
plows are lying in the corners OF
the fences. A few insist that they
are good, bat too high.priced.
Time passed and the hot weather
brought the ten .dOllar wheat men.
You could buy twenty-five bushels
Of wheat for Your note properly
secured for $3.50, payable 10
thirteen months, and the company
bound itself to take fifty bushels
twice as much as you bought for
ten dollars per bushel by receiving
two dollars and fifty cents for CON-
missions Rather heavy charges,
but as wheat had not sold tor ten
dollars in long time IL was con.
sldered quite generous all around.
Seven dollars and fifty cents for
wheat was enough to make a poor
farmer who had been selling his
crop for seyenty.1ve cents gener-
Gus! 1t is pertinent to add that this
wheat business was conducted by
an Incorporated company in the
state; no foreign company try.
ing to rob farmers but a legiti.
mate organization which the Hon.
so and 80 aud Judge Blank and
many others certified was sound
and safe. Some went so far as to
prefer the bonds of this company %
anything Uncle Sam could issue!
Well, the wheat is growing and the
notes which were to be paid ont Of
next summers crops have long
been hawked among the brokers.
The other day the fifteen dollar
oat men made thar appearance
You buy ten bushels Of oats and
give your note (approved) for $3.50
payable out OF next years crop at
ten dollars. am credlbly inform
ed that the notes are sold tor fifty
per cent. / asked neighbor Brown
how many he could grow from the
ten bushels. lie replied, a fair
season three hundred bushels
What, said I. $4,000 for a chance
like thati Why didn't you buy 7
81 told them," the old man said
with a sly twinkle in his left eye,
"that l had plenty of money al
ready and didn't want to make it
so FAST (rhe company declar.
ed. after fruitless day at work on
Uncle Brown and others. that
Eastern Shore farmers hadn't half
as much sense as the mules had in
their county,
Before the oat men got fairly out
Of sight the "wrought iron stove
men" drove along, selling stoves
for sixty dollars +!
Will you and your readers,
Nessrs. Editors, say that Eastern
ShOreman No. 3, must live in the
most ignorant corner in the United
States No, sirs. If l were young
enough to climb tall trees [ could
see the steeples of one of the incest
country towns in the world, where
wealth, culture and intelligence
abound, and where a fair was held
last September, which, to get
money, allowed almost everything
except highway robbery to ply the
trade of deception upon agricultural
folk who went to see the sheep and
cattle, and productions Of grand
old county, aud saw all these and
the elephant licensed inside) aud
left their hard earnings behind
them when they returned to their
home sadder if not wiser by the ex.
hlbition. Is the indictment full
enough The tree peddler, the most
rum vendor and others are omitted
for the present.
Is it any wonder so many farm
ers are poor and complaining of
being unable to keep bOth ends
together and want to 90 to some.
thing else ? A farmer said to an.
other, shortly, that he couldn't till
a farm, pay his rent honestly and
live. He thought he should en-.
gage IN horse trading! Why mott
have written this with the hope |
that some one may be kept from
the variong swindlers lying in wait.
EASTERN SHOREMAN No. 3.
p. S.-Ten bushels of oats at a
yield of thirty for one would be
three hundred bushels and $4,000.
Sow the three hundred bushels the
second year and the same yield
hine thousand bushels would re.
suit. Take the third year, two
hundred and seventy thousand
The fourth year 100000. What
honest man can certify that the
great Oat cOmDany is safe 7