Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1891-11-25

anything 10 ourselves, we can claim
that we are as necessary to the world
as the best of the giant corporations.
We produce the food of the world, we
improve and beautify the land. we add
to the country's wealth. and yet we arc
not fostered or protected. II we fail to
produce food to feed our wives and chill
dren they must suffer the pangs of hun
ger. IL we are without money and COM
PEELED to borrow it, we are placed Mt
tho tender mercics of such men rs this
Mills No, congress nor our state leg
islature have any money TO appropri-
ate for the fostering of our interests,
nor time to devote TO the making of
laws to protect us from money sharks"
That's too true" said Green, too
true. indeed. Yet we have no power to
remedy it,
''No, not so long as money rules the
land-not so long as men can buy their
way into Office. Yet an effort ought to
be made to effect n change, for as it is
we are drifting into n state of serf-
dom, and in few short years these
western farms will belong to land
corporations, and we will be the
tenants. Ninety per cent. of the
farms in this section are mortgaged.
and ninety per cent. of those mortgages
will never be paid, but will run on
until the high interest devours the
farms"
There is not much hope of the
people in this section ever being able
to redeem their farms" John re-
marked. $50 long rs they have crop
failures three years out of four"
''No, nor there is not much hope for
those farmers who are more fortunately
situated, since in the best and most IA
vored parts of the land the small farmer
is barely able to live. His products fetch
him beggarly prices and the little he
has TO sell only suflices 10 pay his taxes
and his store-bills. AS for us, well, we
are satisfied, and feel ourselves fortu-
nate if, by mortgaging everything we
possess except our souls, we are able to
raise enough money to keep breath in
our bodies for n few weeks or few
months longer"
At this point in the conversation the
door connecting the two rooms opened.
and an old man with white hair and
bent form came lettering out. His frail,
withered form shook and the tears were
running down his wrinlSled checks. He
stopped on the threshold, and made as
though he would reenter the private
Office, but Mills had beckoned the next
victim in and closed and bolted the door.
For n moment the old man stood
hesitatingly, then in n weak. faltering
voice he cried:
The last hope is gone. and the worst
has come to the worst. There is
nothing left to me but starvation. OH
my God. my God, why hast Thou for
saken us?'
As the old man ceased speaking he
tottered TO n seat, and dropping into
it allowed his chin to fall upon his
breast, and in this listless attitude re-
manned n long time. while great tear
drops fell from his eyes and damped
his shrunlIen, palsied hands. John and
some of the other men crowded about
him, begging him 10 tell the import of
his trouble.
"Ah! men," he said, at last, mine is
n sorry story. You all know what suf-
fering is or you would not be here,
but think my lot must be little the
hardest of any. Four years ago / lost
y
and with my wife left our old home
and came here to live with our son,
who was young man and had entered
a claim. 1t Is useless to recount the
hardships and disappointments we
underwent, for you are all but too well
acquainted with them. Last fall my
son took the fever, and after an illness
that lasted through months he died.
My wife, already feeble with age, fol-
lowed soon after with n long spell of
the malaria, and yesterday she died.
In the meantime everything that
could sell TO raise money was sold, and
everything that l could mortgage was
mortgaged; and yet, gentlemen. | have
the sad consciousness of knowing that
she died of want. But she is dead,
and / thank God for it. | never
expected that | should live TO see the
day when would rejoice at the death
of my loved life companion, but such is
the case. | rejoice over her death be-
cause | know that she is now beyond
the reach of want, and that the panrs
of hunger can never affect her again.
Yes, / rejoiccd at her death-the death
of my dearest friend, because in that
/ saw her only hope of relief. To-day |
came here TO try to borrow few dol
lars with which to bury what remains
OF her, but he" pointing to Mills of
hce, refused TO let me have il, and
now / must go TO the county and ask
TO have my wife buried as n pauper.
The farm and everything on it is under
mortgage. and tomorrow all the house
hold things and the farm tools arc To be
M"
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kaN y ~ 6.s