New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-10-19

I
the last spear of wheat and
oats into the ground. OF course
there was no such thing as staying the
note when it came due. IL I could
keep bread in the mouth of the wife
and children would be mighty lucky
went to Mr.. Wolcott and told him
the story. He first said he must have
his money, but afterward told me to
come to the bank and he would take
new note to be paid after the next
harvest. When went to the bankhe
was very kind, asked me how we were
getting along, and whether would be
able to get through the winter all
right. We had saved a few potatoes
and some garden stuff, and
was working for some of the
neighbors, who were very kind, and
told him that we would get along
through the winter some how, if God
Willed it. Then he said to me Thomas,
you had better take some more mon
ey. Here is twenty-five dollars, and
we will add this to the noteto be paid
after the next harvest" I was glad
enough to get the money and thanked
him, and then signed the note and
mortgage on all the stock, the ma
chinery and the land.
'sThe next year 1 was prospered.
The crop was good and saved it all.
had the money for my wheat and
went to the bank to pay the note. I
could not read, but I knew that I
had only got from him
four hundred and twenty five dollars,
then the interest for the year would
be under fifty dollars, that would be
less than four hundred and seventy
five dollars. Then the interest on all
that would be less than sixty dollars,
so | expected to have to pay some
| where about five hundred and thirty
| five dollars or little less, maybe, I
thought Mr.. Wolcott an honest man.
But found out different afterwards.
''Do you know when he took down
the note and figured up the interest
| he told me there was due upon it
eight hundred and forty dollars.
could not see how that would be and
[ told him So Then he showed me
| the note, and claimed that it was for
| seven hundred and fifty dollars
though my wife as we'll as myself
| would swear that we never had of him
| more than the four hundred and
twenty dollars. But I talked with
| my wife, and we wanted no lawsuit on
! our hands, and Wolcott threatened
| to take the stock and the machinery
and the plows and all; and so paidit
| and got rid OF it though it took nearly
and then there was another long
winter OF hard work and poor living
for the wife and children"
IL, 81 IL
in it's perfect simplicity. Here was O.
picture OF every day life out
on the bleak prairies OF North
| Dakota. It must have been bad
| heart that did not ,throb in sympathy
with this sun-burned, hard-handed
toier. AS he told the story half
dozen children ranging in age from six
teen down to infancy stood grouped
listening to him. The little shanty
that he called his home slunk mearly
| by the road, like heagap ashamed to
| be seen under the aoft rays of the o..
tQbeg sunshine, Far away toward
! t tie distant horizon On every ga
stretched the magnificent and fertile
prairie Of the Red RIVER Valley. The
! earth fairly groaned beneath the
! wealth of the splendid harvest just
being garnered. Then he frightened
! up g little as he told the conclusion
| OF his story, and drew the moral which
his experience had taught him
was the true one.
"But got some of it back. Three
years afterWard l was down to Grand
Forks on some business, and [ told O.
friend how Wolcott had used me. He
took me to a lawyer who commenced
suit against him. At first Wolcott
talked large, threatened what he
would do to me; but when he found
that did no good he sent a man to me
to settle. He offered me eighty dol
lars. The lawyer told me to do as
liked about settling but that he would
get back fQr me over three hundred
dollars if I would fight it through.
Well, as needed money just then,
the wife thought we had best take
the eighty dollars and quit the rascal,
and SO I did.
II tell you, sir, it is the money loan
ers that are eating out the life of the
country, what with the hail, and the
drouth, and the hot winds God knows
we have a hard time. Bat money
lenders and the sharks like Wolcott-
they are the worst calamity that the
poor farmer has to stand up against"
Mr.. Hanrahan, doubtless, had
not had the good fortune to have
some kindly neighbors OF larger intel
ligence read to him a copy OF the St.
Paul Globe or the Chicago Herald and
therefore the ENJOYS OF that righteous
organization, the Chicago Board of
Trade had not as yet educated him.
Evidently a practical experience had
not taught him who were the born
parasites upon the wheat industry.
Probably the man did not know the
weevil from the honey bee. Is it not
strange how such ignorance could ex-
list?
just why the Democratic campaign
managers in Minnesota selected this
particular man G. c.. Wolcott to sup
ply them with campaign material is
clear beyond the comprehension of
ho a