Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-03-02
THE CONDITIONS THAT CON-
FRONT Us.

-
spirit and action to make the most o.
adverse circumstances. A good deal has
been said of late of the depressed condi
ton of the Kansas farmers, about the
causes therefor and the means to he
employed to bring relief. The low price
of corn has undoubtedly caused seriou:
inconvenience to many farmers who
were not in condition to hedge against
the corn market, and for the relief and
| benefit of such everybody has joined in
| trying to devise some plan OF disposing
OF or in some way to realize on their
crops, but so far without success as to
immediate results.
But while this distress has been press
ing with many, it has been by no means
universal There are many farmers in this
section who have not been Inconvenience
in the slightest degree by the prevailing
conditions of low prices of corn and dis
proportionately high rates of freight on
same to market. In fact, some have
turned these conditions to account and
to good advantage. Take, for instance,
the case of Levi Roach, Of Sedgwick
county. who came here ten years ago
from Illinois, on account of Ill health of
himself and wife. In conversation in
the city day or two ago be gave his ex-
perince as farmer during his ten years
residence here, including the present
season. Said he:
II am a practical farmer, but Of
course, on account of poor health or
tracted in the army, | was not able for
the first year or two subsequent to my
arrival here to prosecute my farming as
thoroughly as l wished to. However,
my farm Of 100 acres has cleared me
from $500, the lowest years receipts, up
to 81 800, the highest receipts. [ keep q
book account of everything and know
my profits each year. l keep from ten
to twenty cows and turn off from $500
to $3.50 worth of butter a year. | keep
from 10 to $50 hogs ali the time and they
make my corn pay me from AZ to 70
cents per pushel at the packing houses
here in Wichita. [ consider the home
markets in Kansas one of the greatest
advantages. We are both the supply
and consumption center for all orr
products.
'"The next great advantage is our I'M
paralleled climate. Our chickens bring us,
according to nv wife's chicken and but
ter book, from $50 to $3.50 year. My
help costs me about $500 per year. One
of the beauties about farming here is,
a farmer can pillow every month IN the
year. My surplus money | am using to
educate my children, one of whom has
just graduated iii one of the Wichita
colleges. l see no reason why any man
should not be satisfied ID Kansas. |
have always observed that the farmers
who complain are the ones that do their
farming in town. am physically
nearly sound man now and am satisfied
could not have lived IN Illinois. My
wife had no good health until we came
to Kansas and weighed about one hun
dred: now she is in full health and
weighs $50 pounds. We rather like
Kansas"
Nor is Mr. Roach's experience eXcep-
tional. There are scores of farmers In
and adjoining counties who
can and do make the same statements,
almost in detail. The point in this is
that those who have the will and the
tact and the business management to
make everything count have no difficulty
IN making money one year with another,
and are never annoyed by the low price
of ANYTHING. \ farmer cannot have too
much corn at any time. If the price is
too low at any time to sell it in its
original state as raw material at profit,
he can feed il to cattle and horses and
hogs to profit. The lowest price at
which Mr.. Roach has sold any corn for
ten wears was A. cents a bushel. When
the price of corn gets below so cents he
feeds his crop to his stock, of which he
keeps a sufficient supply on hand TO
consume the major portion OF what he
raises every year.
\ shrewd business man and farmer
day or two ago, i'll speaking
about the present and prospective stu
alton in Kansas, that in his judgment it
would be godsend to the state if the
railroads would put up the rate.on corn
shipped out 10 SOC or dollar bushel:
in other words that they should put up
the rate high enough to make it prohibit
i've. His idea was that no corn should
be shipped out of the state; that the low
prices Just now will serve as strong in
ducement to the home seekers that
special effort is being ruade to bring to
the state: that it not only means cheap
supplies TO them at time when they
viii need and appreciate such advan
tageS, but also argues Ill favor of reason
able prices for land as well as their pro-
ductiveness. And not only SO, but the
low prices Of corn cannot fail to greatly
stimulate the live stock interest, while
it is an ungetoverable argument in favor
of diversified industry on the farm.
In view of all these things and others
that might be added in the same line,
the present partial depression is not an
evil. The present stress will
soon be past, and all will find some way
to weather through. And although all
may not come out of the rub III the very
best shape, the experience will be of in
calculable advantage as a guide III the
is oftimes a dear
teacher, but it is always the best one in
the end.
The present outlook, all in all, is any
thing but discouraging. There is an
of everything (but money in
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