Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-02

| 'ioiL i'tuSAtei ANA ASK III Il tone OF amaze
ment what the matter was "Matterr'
ne gasped there Is matter enough. boys.
| III paraiyzed ard can't move hand or
foot. For mercy's sake help mol"
The man did actually, such is the force
OF imagination, believe he was paralyzed
Tor moment or two. but he finally set
EN- up IN d manner appropriate to mis-
calling by buying cigars for the crowd.
IHE NEW ENGLAND FARM PRIOR
LEM.
The Debt which the Cities Owe 10 the
/ Country.
| Sunday Globe.
The New England farming problem is
one to which attaches a melancholy in
terest. The unpleasant truth is now gen
orally acknowledged that the agricultural
industry IN this section is not what it
used to be. and the man who by tillage of
the soil can make his acres
bring him out even with the world at the
end of each year, Is regarded as the for
tunats exception to most discouraging
rule
TO explain and account for this state of
things, number of reasons have been
gwen. The tariff is one. Unequal COM
petition with the great and fertile west is
another. There is force in these I'm
doubtedly the tariff has borne heavily up
on the farmer and an even worse one is
threatened.
Without question the magnitude of aa-
ricuture operations in the west, and the
cheapness with which its products can be
delivered IN eastern markets have made
his struggle harder. There is. however,
something else. 1t may be the result of
cases already mentioned, but without in
curing too closely into its origin it is
worth looking at directly in the face.
There has been disturbance of the old
equilibrium between the country and the
city. From the country the city must de-
rive all that makes urb IN life possibIe-its
food, its clothes, its horses, the material
for It's elegant buildings, and finally and
not least to a considerable extent, its men.
The country towns are the sources of sup
| ply from which healthful blood is being
constantly diverted into the great pro-
fessional, business, educational and philan-
! throplc arteries already established in the
cities. The youth in the country, catching
gllmpses and echoes of the metropolis,
tires OF the prosalc repose of his home en-
vlronment, and ends by preferring to drive
| herdic or norie car rather than a
| pillow or a hay wagon Consequently farm
labor, both indoors and out has become
scarce, poorer In quality ard higher in
price, while farm products bring less than
formerly, and taxes tend to oftier aIti-
tndes
Thus We are led to expect what the Off
! clal figures of the census confirm. that
while the cities Of New England show
satisfactory growth in wealth and p0puIa-
ton. many of the country towns exhibit
sad falling off in these respects. The
cities may think they have reason to feel
complacent about this, but if so they are
IN error. If the benefits seem to b. all on
their side now, a reaction must inevitably
come from which they will suffer There
Is at present false adjustment of general
social and economic conditions There is
too much venous and not enough arterial
blood flowing through the general system,
and the result will be ultimate stagnatlon.
What is t. remedy?
1t may Je that more than one will be re-
quired to effect radical cure But one
thing is evident. Since the cities have
extracted so much from the country re-
Taxation has become necessary. Some of
the superabundance of surplus capital
must go back to renew and redeem the
worn soul.
| In every city there are millions of dol
lars, unused in business that find their
way into the most uncertain and frequent
ly abused speculations, simply because
promising legitimate opportunities of in
vestment are not open. Why cannot some
of this surplus be diverted to the wasting
land? 1t can be purchased at fabuIously
low figuers, and thus the great bulk of ex-
penditures can be put into improvements.
| There is nothing affords a more pleasur-
able, Or, in the end more profitable return
for money judiciousy spent than agricul-
ture. The capitalist or the syndicate will
find an invention open almost anywhere
and welcome ready.
The farmers will be glad to cooperate
md join their labor ana experience to the
capital that may be offered to employ
| them.
The acres are not rebellious but worn
and tired like the dragged out hus-
bandman and his drudging companion.
Let them be cultivated, fertilized, given
variety, that is rotation in crops. Let the
taxes be vanished and the wheat encour-
aged ats never before. Then to series
of half wilderness, disfguring our hills
and valleys, will succeed refreshing scenes
of beauty and evidences of prosperity
These are no mere fanciful suggestions.
There are not few sporadic instances of
their successful application, but the move
ment has not as yet become general
enough to affect the grand result A
wealthy New York gentleman, firing of
the noble but expensive sport of Yachting,
has purchased several farms in southern
Berkshire. and is doing good work in i'm
porting and breeding booded horses The
plain old farm house. built after the coun-
try models of so years ago he has trans
formed into a mansion of immortal dig
nifty and proportions.
In this enterprise he not only finds
pleasurable and useful occupation, but has
place to entertain hosts of congenial
friends by introducing them to nature
under the most favorable conditions But
instead of one such instance there should
be thousands
Retired capitaiits Or business mer with
surplus means would find life larger and
sweeter by helping to develop, either di-
rectly or through responsible agents, the
natural resources which are presented in
such profusion and upon such very favor
able terms. The poor man is waging
losing fight against hard conditions 1t is
about time for the each man to bring up
his powerful reserves, and redeem the
land upon which rich and poor alike so
universally depend.
Two boys while hunting recently ia
OJal Valley, California, were freed by
big bear. which kept them on their I'M
comfortable perch for eighteen hours. de-
vourlng all the provisions in the mean
time. An old hunter came along and
rised the siege with bullet.