Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-09-04
The Farmer and the Mortgage.

ne Z aTfneT anu INC
An this is George-little nevvy?
George, which l remember when he
warn't no biggsr'n a doll. Well, YOU
are iookin' prosperous. In business in
/ New York;
"Yes, said George. I'm doing n
little in the dry goods line. But how
are all your folks, Uncle Abner and
how's the farm
The folks is putty well, replied
| Uncle Abner, but the farm Is putty
| bad. There amt no show for farmers
these days, cause there amt enough
money in the country. What We
want jump in the wagon, George,
and well be ofT-what We want Is
money; paper, silver, gold, clay, don't
care what il IL, h'gosh.'
Why asked George, carelessly.
why, Bgosh TO raise the darnsd
old mortgage that's crushin' the lif,
! outen me"
80 you have mortgage on the
farm
Course have! Everybody In the
country and putty nearly everybody
i'm Kansas has one, reckon. Who
ever heerd tell Of farm thout IA
mortgagei There amt no escapin'
the money shark.
Where were you at the timey
asked the New York man, innocently.
What timer
When the mortgage WAS placed on
the farm
why, was at home
Then why did you let them put on
the mortgage"
LET them why man alive, put IL
on"
"You put II on See here said
George. severely. what kind Of a sto-
~ are you giving met You told me
the money sharks put ii ON
well, OF course, meant"
And do you mean to say all these
other mortgages we're put on by the
farmers themselves
why, Of course; thought you knew
that
How much is your mortgageT
Five hundred dollars, and b'gosh
it's eatin' the life outen me. It's
grindin'-"
Hold on! Did you get the money!
Did get it, Suppose I'd be such
n fool as TO sign a mortgage 'thout
gettin' the money!
The sharks came To you and beg
ged you to take the money, / sup
poser
Not by a long shot! | had one
OF the durnd.st tunes TO git the rascal
to lend me the money, though want
ed II the worst way. Sairey was dy.
ing for a melodeon. Jim hsditer have
new buggy and ma was ded set on
a silk dress an mum. One thing an
tother was wanted, 'cludin some spir.
its for sickness"
so you borrowed some money and
now you don't want TO pay itf'
WHO says don't wanter pay bor-
ryed money! demanded Uncle Abner
with great asperity. I'm dead agin'
payin' mortgages, though. Thems
dishonest, and they're eatln' the life
outen farmers"
But you got the five hundred dol
lars"
Course got 1t; aIn't depyin' thai.
But it's spent, an now they come
crowdin me for the money, an what's
u poor man 10 dor Lawyeis an courts
all on the side Of the money sharks,
tsllin' farmer he amt got no rights,
and houndin' the life outen a man.
No wonder the farmer Is tAkin' things
in his own hands"
why doesn't the farmer pay the
mortgagef'
"Whatr'
PAY ii. Why shouldn't he or yon'
You're OF age and Of sound mind
that is, legally-andy you borro we'd the
money with your eyes open. Nobody
thrust the money on you. You beg
ged and wbined until you got II, and
now you seek to evade payment. A
mortgage Is only secured note. Sup
pose you sold your crops and the ele.
yator people repudiated their receipt,
you'd raise the Kansas sky with wrath
at such dishonesty. You borrowed
money-pay it,"
But, land sakes, George, what are
you talkin' about Pay q mortgagsi
They'd put me outen the Farmers Al
lance. Gosh Almighty. hain't you
heerd bout our principlesr'
Your lack Of principle, you mean.
Do you expect to run the nation on q
repudiation platform, with q dspreci-
sted currency TO bootr'
Don't know nothin' bout plat
forms" said Uncle Abner, doggedly,
but know these mortgages are eat
in the life outen farmers. and We are
not goIn' to bow down before no
money sharks. We're honest from
the ground up an we want all the
money we can git, but the man what
: pays mortgage IL no true farmer,
an don't you forget it."
nx-sk IL r:fx --sxI A.. IL. ~ q 3