Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-19
FARMING THAT PAYS.
A Remedy That Might Be Well Ap-
piled by the Farmers Alliance.
VIEWS OF A MAN WHO GOT LEFT.
He Sought Bliss in the Country and Found
Blister, Instead.
A COMPARISON WITH QUITE A MORAL

Talking of the Farmers Alliance and its
probable bull-in-a-china-shop possibilities,
fat money, etc., said a professional man
who lately thought to find bliss by moving
into the country few miles from Pitts
burg, some years ago: "Let them ally as
much as they please, the more the better.
Anything tending to make them acquainted
with each other and the world will be OF
advantage to them, for they need enlight-
eminent much more than do the Senegam-
bians. There are exceptions, of course, but
I tell you the farming population near large
cities is, on the whole, disagreeable class to
live among and fellowship with 1t is not
what it is was so or 40, or even25 years ago,
and if you want to find the self-reliant, hon
est and intelligent ideal farmer that one
met with daily in our youth, and still finds
in farm and ireside journals, you must look
for him at distance from the busy marts
where he has learned the rules of sharp COM
petition without getting the culture and
breadth that accompany the better class OF
city business men. Remember, do not
say that all Western Pennsylvania farm
ers, nor even all those of Allegheny
county are to be held at arms length, but
very considerable portion Of them must
be if you do not want to get worsted In
your dealings with them. And worse than
all, the soulless clodhoppers think it greatly
to their credit if they can, by telling you
lie, take advantage of your ignorance of
the value of their wares and do you up.
| Milk Dearer Than in the City.
"when first went out frequently had
them do work with their teams, blowing,
etc. I noticed that their work was very
indiferently done and they charged about
| double price for it. I got milk from one
for a time, and he put the tariff on me
higher than I ever found it in the city.
1 had been buying it in the city and carry
ing it out, paying "a cents gallon for it,
and it was Of good quality, but got tired
| of the trouble and sent to a farmer to know
if he would give me what wanted, I to
send for it. He said the proposition was
acceptable and I got milk from him for
considerable time and finally asked for the
bill He made it out promptly at 80 cents
gallon, % per cent more than city retail
dealer charged me. 1t was in the winter
season when I dealt with both. paid the
bill, but found another farmer who was
white and only charged me 20 cents gal
Ion. The man who charged me
80 cents ships milk to the city
I. found that he got IT cents
a'gallon from the city dealer and paid IL
cents freight SO that this honest hayseed
got 151S cents net for what he shipped, but
| charged home customer l cent gallon
more than twice what he netted in the city.
A country neighbor who deals on the square
| ,ro1oioad hot the mill dealer knew he
| dealing with q sucker and considered him
| legitimate game. And this man, though
| honest himself, justified his profane neigh
Dor on the ground that he was only follow
ing rather prevalent country custom of
charging what he pleased in the absence
OF o contract
How Business Is Done in Town.
"Now, when buy from reputable man
In the city do not find it necessary to make
stipulation as to the price of what buy.
He charges me the market price and
1 expect to pay it and would not get it
any cheaper were I to waste time chatter
ing. Yet the man who charged me 80 cents
for milk is member in good standing in an
orthodox church, and doubtless thanks God
from time to time that he is not as other
men, publicans and other sinners, for in
stance. No matter if the average farmer
pay 1.-THE of mint and annise and cummin,
he regards such practice as justifable and
he seems to think it is no sin to soldier his
time in when he works on the roads, and
this is one reason why there is scarcely high
! way in the country outside of the cities that
is safe to drive on more than four months
in the year. The honest granger cheats him
| self in the latter case under the fond
delusion that be is cheating the public.
| once bought Concord grapes on Liberty
street for So 30 per hundred pounds when
| the shipper-one of my neighbors-asked S.
per hundred. He paid out of his S3 30 the
freight and 5 per cent commission to the
middleman, but he thought sucker
knew NO better than to be taken in by
him.
"a friend of mine moved into the country
some years ago and purchased a farm. He
was wealthy and church member. He had
been accustomed to paying high pew rent
in a city church, where the pastor got IS, 900
or Sc, 900 year, and when he united with
the rural congregation he voluntarily con-
tributed two or three times as much to the
church as other wealthy men in the section
were in the habit of doing. There may
have been some business in this on
his part, but his wife, at least,
was devout Christian and the husband
was disposed to be liberal on her account;
besides he wanted his children to be as
sociated with the church members for the
moral benefit expected to be derived. By
and by the officers Of the church held a
meeting and without asking the city man
to be present, proceeded to order some i'm
provements made and assessed him his full
share of the cost, notwithstanding his pre-
vious iberality. He objected on business
grounds, stating that before giving adhe-
sion he expected to be consulted. His pro-
test received no attention and he pulled out.
He now takes his family several miles to
church, at considerable cost, and the
goose that laid golden eggs is killed, SO far |
as the first congregation is concerned.
Many Such Cases on Record.
T might enumerate instance after in
stance of the same character, but these will |
suffice to show that the ideal farmer is not
more numerous contiguous to large cities |
than is the ideal hero of Indian romance |
and the cause is this: The nearby |
farmer is in the city, but not of it. He |
learns its sharp practices, but not its bal
ancing virtues, and though he may 60 to |
church and perform all outward religious
duties, yet he proposes to travel as near the |
brink of sheol as possible without tumbling
over. Preaching has not the same effect on
him as it had on his father, or at least on
his grandfather He has little more learn
ing than they and it is a dangerous thing
He can see into thing but not through it
and the reflection is warped or refracted,
as ray of light when it enters obliquely
q. medium of different density
from that through which it has
nraviouslv rnnvad Tho trophla opDears tn |