The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-12
THE FARMERS SIDE.
Why the Farmers Of Cape: Elizabeth
Oppose the sebago Water Scheme.

10 Me EuttOf OF the FreSS:
Among the different kinds of business the
world over. that Of the farmer takes prece-
dence; in short 1t is the foundation Of all 9TH
er kinds, as there is not one solitary kind of
business that could flourish or even survive
sixty days without the aid Of farmers. Yet
there are many people so short-sighted and
thoughtless that they fail to realize such to
be the case; and instead of estimating the
business at its real value and placing it at
the head Of all others, which exalted position
1t richly merits, they in their ignorance or
thoughtlessness place 1t in lower rank than
that Of many other kinds.
Now If such will take the trouble to con-
slider the matter and examine their personal
surroundings, the comforts they enjoy. the
luxurles. the every day necessities, how few,
II traced back to the fountain head could be
marked to the credit of any other source than
that of the husbandmen.
What we eat, drink and wear, is very
simple phrase, but 1t is vastly comprehensive.
1t embraces the major part of all that Is pos
sible for an enlightened people to enjoy. Jay
Gould, Vanderbilt, the Astors, Sages or
Jones fare no better. The sum and sub
stance snnken Of thus far. is a,rsc..y twa.s.
bic 70 the farmer. Seeing and hearing are
natural blessings, common to all, and there
fore unattributable to any human agency.
Now. II the farmers contribute to the well
being and happiness of the people more than
all others combined, why is 1t that we see
those who are so dependent upon the farm
ers fer their every day substance so ready
to cry out against them and manifest so
strong disposition to put them down?
A case in point at present, is the people of
South Portland who, regardless of conse-
quences, have, for number of years past,
put upon the town all the .expense possible
to be created by improvement upon their viii
lage, while seven-eighths of the population
of the town are not, directly or indirectly
benefited thereby. All of this the farmers
have not seriously opposed. Even the un.
business-hke transaction in regard to OBJ
tanning ferry boat were aequiesced in. and
the repeated calls for appropriations for the
same, after 1t had been openly announced at
an annual meeting Of the town, that not one
dollar should be called for by the company,
If the town would grant them the ferry priv
ilege and which it did for the sum of one dol
lar per year for ten years.
At the very time the people voted upon the
question, a proposal by b. J. Willard & Co.
was lying upon the speakers desk, offering
thousands Of dollars for the same privilege,
and obligating themselves to furnish boats.
landings. and everything required to make a
first class Terry, ana one that would be ac-
cepted by any committee the town might ap-
point, but owing to some animOsity and pre-
judice existing between the people of South
Portland and b. j. Willard & Co. the former
united to vote that it should not ibe read to
the voters Of the town, and 1t was not read.
If the voters, the tax payers Of the town,
had been enlightened as to the contents of
that document. wisdom and economy would
have been exercised instead of selfshness
and qualification of the prejudice against the
company, which would have yielded the town
a yearly income instead Of a continual out
lay.
Well, as it Is useless to "lock the stable af-
ter the horse has been stolen," all quietly
succumbed to the situation and are quite will
ling to do penance at least once a year by
complying with the request which we have
all learned to expect to see iu the anual town
warrant viz:
An appropriation for ferry landing at South
Portland, and liberal smattering of other
calls for plank sidewalks, electric lights, ne W
streets and sewers, and now to cap the eli
max they call for Sebago water, and all the
requisites for its introduction into the vii
lagos.
Because the farmers refuse to show enthu-
siasm at the prospect OF so great pen
ance(O as Sebago water would prove
to be and to the contrary
oppose the reckless obligations which the
town must come uhder If the municipal off,
GERS are permitted to consummate contract
with the water company, the people Of South
Portland are filed with indignation which
they openly manifest In conversation and in
print, specimens of which have been scat
tered about the town in the shape Of poetry.
say shape having reference to the paper on
which 1t Is printed; for the language EN-
plOyed has no resemblance to anything
which have ever afflicted myself with read.
ng. The merits OF it, II it has any, are so faI
below slang that grade to which 1t would
legitimately belong must be coined by some
billtngsgate graduate.
II Sebago water were all South Portland
called for this season probably even the
farmers might be willing to approve the
measure. but 1t Is not; they called for more
sidewalks, extensive sewers and five new
streets to be built through land unencum-
bered with buildings except in imagination,
all OF which were granted.
The farmers, or as the South Portland
aristocracy term them, the Hayseeders, dis
covered that tbey were being pushed to the
wall and for self preservation called matt,
which Is the crime for which they are re-
ceiving such uncouth and ungentiemanly cas-
| tigaIion at the present time: CITlZEN'