The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-05-30
THE Farm,
The All.Important Question.

as visionary scheme of some noted
builder OF air castles. This condition
simply is that farmers of America are
not upon an equal footing financially
and socially with men in other walks Of
life. Here is rare opportunity to
sail away up into the blue ether OF
Imagination and speculate as to what
might have been the cause Of this state
of affairs ; but, speaking personally, l
desire to stick to hard, unvarnished
facts.
Is the farmer satisfied with his pres
ent condition? This is a question that
we will ask as we 60 out among the
farmers. Mind you, We propose to get
into our old buck board and ride out
among the farmers and fiud these things
out from their lips, and not from the
plush,lined seats of flying vestibuled
palace car.
Let us con6ne ourselves to facts /:
The first man we visit is Farmer W .
He owns-or would own if it were paid
for-sixty acres of land. He has a
little house of -FOUR small rooms and an
Sx10 cellar. He built it himself. 1t
is neither commodious nor comfortable,
but he lives in it. He has to do So.
His fence along the road is made Of
rails. 1t is badly racked. He sees we
notice it and appologetically says that
he is only waiting for times to get bet
ter so he can put new slat.and wire
fence there. He needs the rails on
the back part of the place, but the fact
is, times are so hard that it keeps him
busy making a living, and he never
gets any money ahead with which to
make improvements.
He is very sensitive about his indebt-
edneee, but we have looked up the
record and find that he is paying 8 per
cent interest on borrowed money. He
is known to be one of the most indus
t1ious. most economical men in the
neighborhood and his wife laid sick
four weeks this spring from over work.
Mr.. NJ. owns II acres of land has a
very small family; does not owe any
thing and by dint Of closest economy is
enabled to keep even, but never gets
anything.
MIR. R. owns 16O acres; has been
struggling along for years under a
$500 debt, and pays s per cent in
tersst. He wants to borrow money
from Uncle Sam-says he would rather
pay Uncle Sans agents for services
than the leeches he now pays.
MIR. T. owns considerable land is
credited with making money; never
goes anywhere has no visitors; takes
no papers reads none; has no time to
waste at it. Other men can make
money if they follow his method. So
he says.
Another Mr.. R. owns 100 acres of
land. There is mud in the barn yard,
mud in the lane and mud on his boots.
He is very sensitive man and imagines
everybody notices his condition. He
likes to have his farm look nice, but
can't do it. Three successive failures Of
crops threw him into debt, and he must
bend his back to keep the interest paid
He does not like muddy lanes, barn
yards and boots, but he cannot afford
to spend the money necessary to i'm
prove. He likes to ride IN carriage
but he can't afford one. He loves to
read-in fact, will read, debt or nc
debt-and his family love music. But
wheezy old organ, patched rag
carpet and plain furniture are all he
can show you. He, too, wants to Dor
row money of Uncle Sam. He don't
go much on your fine spun theories
about what the government ought or
ought not to do 1t has loaned money
to interests not halt as worthy as that
of the farmer, and he thinks he is as
good as his friend, the railroad mag
nate.
And so we leave him and call on Mr..
B. as a finale. Mr.. b. is very much
depressed just now, inasmuch as he has
had to pillow up forty acres of wheat.
He, too, pays 8 per cent on borrowed
money and was expecting to pay up his
interest and part of the principal with
his wheat crop this year and now he
don't know where the money is to come
from for either. If he were paying
Uncle Sam 2 per cent instead of John
Sbylock per cent he could pay it
with comparative ease, and he hopes
the old gentleman will loan the farmers
eoooo &c thok