St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-11-21
Gbe Californian.
A DANvILLE BOY IN NEBRA SKA.

A DANVILLE BOY IN NISBRA SKA.
EDITOR CALEDONIA About a
year ago | wrote short item giving
the price of grain here in Nebraska,
stating how | thought our Vermont
farmers would feel over such low
prices, closing with this remark: at
will do for a young man to come out
here, but if farmer is comfortably
fixed in Vermont he had better stay
where he is" Now that was and is
true, and said it without regretting
that / had come West. | remember
distinctly that my modest little letter
was printed under such headings as
these: Better stay East Stay
East Young Man. that it was
copied somewhat and commented
upon by the state press, that the
Rutland Herald said among other
things; Experience has shown that
Horace Greeley didn't complete his
famous advice which should read:
Go West young men just to learn
how well off you are at home. Then
return to the paternal hearth, i'm
prove your opportunities and by en-
ergy and thrift secure your own
prosperity and contribute to that of
the community i'll which you live and
the whole state
This is all very well ,sand, no doubt,
has its application, but. suppose all
the young men that have ever come
West had followed this sort of advice,
how, then, would the almost limitless
resources of these great prairies have
been developed? Suppose our Pill
grim ancestors who commenced to
build the United States of America
amid great hardships, had become
homesick and gone back in the spring
of 1921. Where then would have
been the Caledonian and the Rutland
Herald Experience and close Obser-
walton has shown me that the ma
JorIty of young men who have come
West and been unsuccessful, or gone
back home after a few months dis
gusted, are the ones who have been
brought up in such a way as to dis
like work, especially farm work, to
loaf around on the streets and whit
tie dry goods boxes or sit on the
curb stone and find fault, who think
that the world owes them living or
that their fathers ought to set them
upin business. The good solid earn
est young men who come to Nebras-
ka, with small means, it may be, and
resolve by honest industry and per-
severance to work up and accumu-
late little, generally succeed.
We have had a great harvest The
corn crop is simply immense. A year
of greater abundance has never been
known in Nebraska. This over pro-
duction, or the grain BEARS" or
both, bring prices down like this:
Corn IA cents per bushel; oats II
cents; wheat 40 to 60; rye 20; pota-
toes Is to 20. Many farmers burn
60 bushels to the acre The soil here
needs no fertilizer. Farming pays in
Nebraska especially this section of it
The topography of this portion of
the state known as the great agri-
cultural triangle bounded on the
north by the Plat east by the Big
Blue and south by the Little Blue
river, is such as to make it very
desirable for farming purposes.
| will cite you one of our successful
farmers living q few miles west of
this town. Mr. NJ A Hancock was
one of the pioneer settlers of 1872
with his wife and family in
the popularity styled ''prairie
He brought with him
under that wagon cover his entire
possessions, locating as homestead
the present site of his beautiful home
he had his full share of mis-
fortunes and hardships, vet nothing
daunted short of success Beginning
empty handed he has q farm of 800 |
acres with q comfortable residence |
and large barn almost hid from view,
being surrounded by fine orchards |
and shady groves, and a number of |
other buildings, wind mills, etc, a
farm worth about So, 900. He has
a large herd of cattle, also horses,
colts and hogs. He has educated his |
children and has surplus funds in
vested in city property. Many |
others might be mentioned who have |
achieved success.
OF course there are grumblers and |
hlChCIS- Will SOIIlC ldIIIlCIS lI1S Is |
chronic You go past their homes
and all the machinery is standing
out of doors exposed to the weather,
and things look untidy With the
thrifty farmer there is no end to max
ing improvements.
Small fruits can be raised here in
Grapes do well. One
man brought in lot of choice pears
of his own raising. Another had
several bushels of fine peaches. We
have only about two and one-half
months real winter 1t is very sell
dom there is snow enough for sleigh
ing. CHARLES y. MORRILL,.
Fairfield, Neb., Nov s, 1889.