The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-30
A FARMERS GOOD LETTER.

THE PROPERTY WHICH his GOOD HEART,
HIS HARD SENSE, AND his ENERGY
BROUGHT TO E. s. ADDISON.
His Success and His Advise Should
be Worth Much to the Young Men
of the Countrywide Good Spirit
OF His Letter IL Worthy of all
Emulation.
N1NETY-S1x. i. e., Oct, 10, 1889.
Editor TTess aud Hammer:
DEAR SIR-Will you please send me bill of
subscription that am due you for the Press
and Banner 10 date, and To discontinue send
Ing me the Press and Bdnne,', as the Alliance
has passed resolutions for It's members not TO
subscribe for any paper that Is not In sympa.
thy with the Alliance.
Although I-have never had the pleasure of
making your acquaintance. have read your
paper with great deal OF interest and have
often spoken Of 1t as one of the best papers In
the State, and regret very much that you
published several pieces In your paper that
seemed to be, to the members of the Alliance,
more for the unmerciful Trust, than for the
poor oppressed Farmers, that have been so
long Imposed upon. All we want is what we
think Is our just rights, and no more. To live
and let live, and to make farming what IL
ought to be, 80 that we Will not be looked up.
on Dy the WOrlQ nS mere 'neWeTS vi WOOu anu
drawers Of water" but that our sons and
daughters may not be ashamed to own that
their parents were farmers, and that our sons
may no longer leave the dear old farm to be
measurerSof tape In the now overcrowded
towns. and learn to he loafers and dissIpated
men and lose their health, ambition and
pride.
think 1t our duty to improve our farms. to
make our lands richer, and cause two blades
of grass to grow where only one grew before
Swift, II mistake not, says that such men
are greater than statesmen. We should beau
tify and adorn our homes and make them
more attractive, 80 that our families will
think that "there Is no place like home" Let
us all be honest, industrious and honorable
men. and to keep out OF debt, "the great tor
mentor" and not TO allow our bright sunny
land, to be owned by foreign corporations,
but to let our children possess the land.
would most positively suffer my right arm 10
be cut of, than for soulless cnrporations to
ever own any of my land, that i have been la
boring on for the past twenty-five years, and
that was bought by my father thirty six years
Mr.. Editor. we should all feel and say that
our name is McGregor, and that we are on our
native heath, and that othlng but death shall
Now, Mr. Wilson, be friend to US farmers
that are trying TO remove the yoke that we
have been wearing for 10, these many years,
and that has been so CALLING TO most Of us
through heat, cold, and rain and drought.
Before close, wish to say word OF en-;
couragement to the young men. BE sure ana
not leave the farm, for there Is life In the old
land yet. and there Is money md good liv.
ing 10 be made on the fhrm. / consider my
self q very ordinary farmer, and as nave
made living on the farm thus far, do not
think that have any cause for fear of not
making one In the future rs feel that have
about laid the foundation for success.
Now, not meaning to be at all egotlstlcal or
boasting, and / only mention to encourage
the young farmers. I started to work on the
place that am now living on, which was
then my fathers plantation, without expert.
ence, and guilty Of one Of the worst OF crimes,
and that was an empty pocket or no money,
work, as my father owned about l3o slaves
but nevertheless did not think 1t any dis;
grace to work. So I went to work with good
will, which is halt the battle. .I1t deteimined 10
My father was then In bad health, ana had
a large family to support, and we all had been
used to living very extravagantly, worked
twenty -one years old. then rented tho place
from my mother until she died. / paid over
5000 for rent, besides gave the family at oil:
ferent times enough to amount to several
sand dollars on the place while rented II for
repairs and building and ditching. such as ca,
mails, under-drains and hillside ditches, ana
removing rocks out of the fields ana having
stumps dug up, so the land could be worked
with improved farm machinery. have paid
as much as Sl.5D for removing one stump.
The whole amount came outof my own pock-
ct In other words 1t was not deducted hom
the rent.
After my mother died then bought the
place and now own 775 acres OF as fine land
as there is in the State. and would not tax e
go per acre for II, cash down: w. | was otered I
would not take It,
am not killing the goose 10 get the golden
egg either, that is cultivating every acre and
wearing IL out, but am resting portion or IL
every year and raising stock on 1t. ! have
more than 100 !head Of fine sheep and have
had over 100 head Of cattle this year ana
have them penned at night, and such manur;
ing will tell for ten years to come: Besides L
SOW O great many peas To enrich the land. MY
Idea of farming Is to make the lnnd rich and
then we can make u fair crop any year If We
also raise hogs and colts, In fact try to
have some OF everything TO sell, that we can
raise on the farm.
have made rais,ng red oats a specnlty for
the past l5 years, and have found them prof
Try to lake care of everything as we'll as I
can, 10 have plenty, and not 10 waste any,
thing, and to have place for everything ana
try 10 keep everything III its place. whenever
II Is practical 10 do so.
/ believe in having system IL farming as
we'll rs any other business. Tn Keep gnod
stock and plenty of stock, und never mislreat
them. II buy young horse or mule !
M yer work them much the first year only
enough to gentle and train them, then l can
get eight or ten years OF good service out of
them. and then sell them for US much ns they
cost me- Now Mr.. Editor don't think that !
have had an easy road TO travel for l assure
YOU that have not in the first place / was
unnecessarily eXtravagant, and really l did
not commence TO try to save until the last
few years, since got so that could pay cash
for what had to buy, and not to buy SO
many worthless and unnecessary things that
farmers will buy when they buy on credit,
have had TO pay for things bought ON titne
at least from 25 to 100 per cent on the dollar.
during the year I can get any amount OF
money from the banks, at rs low rate or IN
terest as the merchants can, and without CIV
ing any mortgage. ! often havo merchants 10
come 10 me to get Inc TO endorse for them.
An old saying that every dog has his day, IS
rather OIL inelegant expression, ana L don !
mean TO compare any body TO n dog, not ut all
as Widow Beolatt would say, dont ike 10
say nothing about nobody for we are all poor
critics.
Now, before close, 1 want to assure you
again that regret very much not TO have The
Press and Banner as like 1t equally as well
as any other paper that take for ! think !
take seven good papers and read them, ana
also pay for them. ,
You will have observed, without me, In
forming you that my education Is very nm
tied, as had to go to work instead of going to
school, md AIN sorry TO say that what llttle
time did 60 to school that | did not learn
much, and have not learned much since. -,
In few years from now the Alliance VIII
have put all end to Trusts. and | nope that
there will he peace on earth and good Will TO
men, and that we all will be hnppy and
good, if we can't he great. Let US oil remeh-
Der that,
"Livcs OF great men all remind us
L. a<,,,r ltt 81 Al