Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-18
FARMERS AND THEIR PROFITS.

ton has hopes OF success.
FARMERS AND THEIR PROFITS.
With rides and dreams and hats like
these, it has been hard to soberly study the
agricultural question or the bearings of
proposed road improvement by the Legisla-
ture on farming in Pennsylvania. But it is
now properly time to sum up the results of
my inquiries into these matters in the South
western corner of the State.
cannot say that 1 have vet found that
''deplorable agricultural depression" with
which political economists and political
demagogues have been examining the news
papers lately. / may find them in some of
the counties which The DISPATCH party
will in the future visit, but certainly in
Washington, Fayetre snd Green the per-
centage of successful farmers seems to be
large.
Josesh Harrison is a rich far mer, who
lives on the National turnpike, in East
Bethlehem township, Washington county
His residence is handsome three-story
brick, with an ornamental observatory on
the roof. The house resembles an East End
mansion in the city.
AGRICULTURE PAYS HIM.
He farms 154 acres; was once a wool
grower but had to abandon sheep on account
of foot rot and dogs. Yet here is what he
said to me: "Yes, can make farming pay
in these days, even, and land in this section
is Just as valuable as it ever was. / know
of farms selling here recently at $50 per
acre, and they never brought more than S100.
Road taxes are higher than they used to be,
and mine are heavier than others, because of
a higher value on my land. My taxes, to
keep up township roads, amount to $35 per
year, beside my gate tax on this national
road.
Thirty years ago the road tax was only
S12. The school tax so years ago was
mere fraction. NV State and county taxes
now amount to $50 Then they were only
SIS and $50. But, in spite of taxes, 1 think
farming pays. because L can get more for
my products now than 1 could so years ago
What now brings rs and 50 cents, then it
only brought 80. Corn is now 80 and oats
S.. They used to sell at II and 15."
Mr.. Harrison'S house is handsomely fur
nished, and the farm is equipped with all
the latest patents in agricultural imple-
ments
RICH FARMERS PLANT.
look back in nv note book to an inter-
view had with John McDowall about a
month ago. He is another Washington |
county farmer, and his farm, too, is on the |
old national turnpike. While he proved |
very easily that he had ascertained by fol. |
lowing up Sheriff's sales in Washington |
county for the past few years that values on |
farm lands had deprecated verv noticeably. |
He at the same time took pains to satisfy |
me that there were no mortgages on his own
farm. He is accredited in Washington |
with being wealthy. yet he admits that
farming generally does not pay even in
Washington county. He charged it to the
very low prices at which Western produce
is brought East.
There can be no doubt that oil develop
ments in Washington county have injured
wool growing. Wherever derricks go up,
sheep fences 60 down.
FEWER SHEEP RAISED NOW.
Several years ago Washington was the
banner county in the United States Since
1884 there has been decrease of nearly
1,000,0 600 head of sheep in Pennsylvania,
and great bulk of that loss has been in
Washington county. The county is large
in area, SOS, $50 acres 1 believe. Allegheny
county has only 4S0, ,4S0 acres. Yet, even if
the sheep raising were to be given up and
land should depreciate, as it may, in value,
Washington would be one of the most val
liable agricultural territories in the State.
But have yet to meet the first farmer who
does not admit that better roads would make |
land there more valuable.
Ewing Searight, who runs the old tavern,
on the National turnpike in Fayette county,
also operates a small farm. He declares
it is as easy for farmer to get along these
days as it used to be, and he cites the
present prices of produce and commodities
as against the prices of the early period.
AN OPTIMISTIC VIEW.
He saws land is more valuable than so
wears ago. and of course it is to be expected
that tnat would make taxes to be paid. Mr.
Searight SAYS there is no particular increase
oF 4orr in |
Joshua Wonart is another Favette county
farmer to whom L talked. He tllls 80 acres
on the mud road between Uniontown and
New Salem. Land is not worth BY one
third as much as it used to be in this local
ity, he said. "Our taxes are too heavy; we
have TO spend too much money on patent i'm
plements; the mills and factories pay more
wages to laborers than we can offer, and
therefore we cannot get men; and the roads
are too bad to get products to market cheap
ly, or materials to the farm"
FAYETTE FARMERS IDEAS.
And Mr. Wonart's farm confirmed all he
said His house is miniature frame, his
barn a mere shanty. Two other small farm
ers along the mud roads of Fayette county
Endorsed Wonart's views. Even large,
well-kept farms in the same region are
maintained at loss, if what L was told is
correct.
The late Captain Adam Jacobs, of steam
boat fame, owned three beautiful farms at
East Riverside, on the Monongahela river
72 miles above Pittsburg. He left for
tune to his heirs and they now have the
firms. too. Morton Riley Jacobs has the
largest, 800 acres, in Fayette county. We
ferried the river there last week, and an
attache of the place told me the taxes on the
300 acres were $500, and that there was abb
Solutely no money in farming and thew |
were on the river shore with admirable
shipping facilities for produce
A BUSINESS THAT PAYS BETTER.
Captain Adam Jacobs, Jr., has the other
Fayette county farm. He finds steamboat
ing more profitable, and is popular as the
master of the steamer James G. Blaine.
George Jacobs, who has the third farm on
the Greene county side of the river, saws:
You can buy oats and corn at Chicago
and bring them here cheaper than we can
raise them. 1t takes an enormous amount
of fertilizer to grow oats to compete with
those from the West, at % cents per bushel,7
and 20 cents at harvest time. With wheat
at 20 and az cents, there is no money in it
here. l can buy the Western hay cheaper
on the cars than 1 can harvest it. We
farmers can just make living-a comfort
able one-and that is all. ."
GREENE CoUNTY's PROSPERITY.
On the other hand, our overland ride
across Greene county found class of very
thrifty small farmers. But one railroad en-
tiers Greene county, and that is a short, mar
row gauge. Western products do not bother
the Greene county farmer in the interior, if
they do along the river.
County Recorder Sutton, at Waynesburg,
assured me that there were fewer mortgages