St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-25
ELEVATORS IN A HOLE.
They May Get Little Pay for Their
Seed Wheat.
Speclai to The Globe.

Speclaf to the Globe.
JAMESTOWN, n. D., Oct. 24.-The ele-
vatorS, which worked cute scheme
last spring to sell farmers lot of poor
stuff for seed wheat at a fancy price,
are now getting worried about their
pay. The Miller seed wheat commits
sion, which undertook to do the eleva-
tors work under the guise of common
humanity and patriotism, with warm
hearted affection for the farmer, has
issued private circular to the farmer,
who was compelled to get his seed un-
der the conditions imposed. This cir
eular is first an appeal to the grangerS
to pay up. The mortgage and other Sc
curity are known to be worth little or
nothing. The circular proceeds from
suppllcation to a threat. Evidently the
scheme is not panning out as well as
the originatorS intended. The commit
tee admits that poor seed has been
sold as No. l hard. They say the
kick ought to have been made when
the seed was taken, but the majority of
farmers took what they could get, under
the impression that nothing better was.
intended, and even refuse seed was bet
ter than none, while many never had
time to exchange or kick, as the deliv-
ely was delayed until early spring.
Many farmers have got little or nothing
to pay back this year. There were
nearly 1000 bushels of this seed put out
in this county alone. The lien covers
all grain raised from the seed, and the
circular threatens to prosecute and pun
ish any farmer who attempts to dispose
of any grain without first returning the
seed, or who may hold it for higher
price. The plan is to force the farmer
to sell and pay 81 a bushel for what was
generally poor wheat when good, clean
wheat was worth 76 cents in the market
at the time. The circular first blows
hot and then cold. 1t says if the
farmers are good and pay up
they may be accommodated again by
the same parties, probably, and on the
same terms. 1t is doubtful if any
farmer gets into the same trap again if
he can help it. 1t looks as if the elevat-
ors and the committee would be called
upon to demonstrate their professional
Interest in the welfare of the state and
the human family by standing a pretty
heavy loss, Notwithstanding the per-
centages they had to make money in the
game. The guaranty of the liberal
subscribers in Minnesota and few in
North Dakota will have to be drawn
upon. and if not bogus altogether the
outcome will be watched with interest
everywhere, to see if the guarantors
come to the scratch. The probabilities
are that most of the guarantors are
bloated stockholders in the elevators
and pay themselves. The others, not
publicly known as in the ring, doubtless
''stand ill.," and will not be called upon
to put up.
On receipt of this circular one farmer
was overheard to eXclaim here yester-
day: ITO HI with their seed wheat.
Charity begins at home this year. Have
| nothing to pay back with anyhow. The
wheat was poor stuff. and the oats we
sowed came up nothing but wild must
ard. If the hail had not struck and
killed them the whole neigilborhood
would have been covered with wild
mustard. The Lord seems to protect
US sometimes, after all. When l get a
crop, and can afford it, / will pay back
the seed. and not till then" There is
little doubt that the same sentiment
exists among many farmers i'll other
parts of the state.