The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-25
CORRESPONDENCE.
A Dakota Letter.

A Dakota Letter.
The following letter was written to
the Dakota Ruralist, but we have
stolen it bodily:
What on earth are the farmers of
North Dakota going to do, or what
do elevator companies and other
combinations take us for? Do those
sharks suppose that we are going to
carry this burden for life time?
/ see by the Interior OF August %,
the elevator companies of North Da-
kOta have formed a combination to
do away with competition in pur-
chasing grain from farmers. 1t
says:
Hereafter grain-raisers will have
to take. the prices offered, or keep
their grain
! Iwould like to know what the peo-
pie who thrashed grain last fall are
going to do, who could not sell one
bushel of wheat, from the effects of
frost and drouth, and went in debt
for thrashing the same? They had
to run store bills for the summer pre-
vious, and could not pay one dollar
Of this out of their wheat. l would
like to have any fair-minded man
consider how those mortals passed
last fall and winter-also up to this
very day.
The present prospects of our crop,
and the outlook of our prices quoted
in the Bathgate Democrat of August
21st, 18S9-wheat, No. hard, 65cts {;
No: l northern, 56cts. No. 2, Acts.
shows the way we are situated,
even with home buyers and millers.
All we ask for is justice-we don't
want one cent for nothing Sixty
five cents a bushel for No. 1 hard
wheat! Suppose the county pro-
duced all No. l hard. How far will
this go towards expenses-or what is
left us after we pay hired help, Irvine,
thrashing, and our groceries, we may
say for two years, also our last fall s
threshing, saying nothing OF our
mortgaged farms, the interest of
which we must pay or else be kicked
out doors-along with our wives and
little children.
Again, how is our Csc. No. 1 hard
going to pay this note of mine, due
this fall, given by me in June on the
following basis.
Received 500 in cash, between the
25th of June and the LIST of July, due
November the 1st Gave my note
for $125, bearing Upper cent interest,
and it must be paid when due
This is only one Or two of the
thousands ofwounds that are inflicted
upon us yearly Recommending at our
little town sharks, and extending
even to Minneapolis boodlers. Again,
how are we going to get out? My
own farm is mortgaged 70 81 $50, 8
per cent-supposed to be straight.
My five head Of horses are also mort
gaged-some of them once and some
twice. My crop is also mortgaged
twice; also some notes l happened
to get from parties in trading, so
that l have nothing that / can call
my own-except ten or twelve hogs
all my machinery and my two COWS
have gone with the rest. Somebody
else owns them-and feed them, and
: pay taxes on them. Down to the
barley have soaked in barrels for
my hogs everything tied up as
security!
Are they not generous? Their
farm. their horses and machinery
also the feed they allow me to use for
my own beneft-just simply to pay
them from 10 to 100 per cent out OF
65ct. No. 1 hard
Do you suppose that we do not
sometimes feel rebellious? Would it
be surprising if we bundled up and
walk back to whence we came-or
cross over to the dominion-or take
up arms against our oppressors, as
in Ireland, for Justice?
Is there no means by which we can
secure better prices than what are Of
fered by those legalized robbers
held up by our legislators, and backed
by the same in any act they may
perpetrate to rob us?
guess not, for the money-whis-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and blind-folded
fools are all theirs
know our leader, H. L. Loucks,
is working for the desired end; but it
seems to me we are gaining ground
too slow for this generation to secure
much benefit from it. Yet. meeting
with many obstacles, he has succeed
ed wonderfully.
/ sincerely hope that the laboring
classes, farmers and mechanics, will
open their eyes and peep through the
wool drawn over them by the cum
ming hand of trusts.
MEMBER OF ALLIANCE.
Letter From An Engineer.
ST. PAUL, MINI, Oct. goth, 80.
DIR. E. w. FISH: