The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-28
THE CASE OF FARMER CASE.

Showing tho Difference Between the Man
Of Industry and Mortgage Holder.
The farmer who sold his farm Is years
ago and buried his money in some dark
vault and has simply worked enough to
make bare living can go and bring his
money to the light of day and buy three
just as good farms as he sold.
l have friend, 81. L. Case, of Bristol
Center, N. Y, who bought his farm in
1872, when wheat was worth $3.50 in
the New York market. He agreed to
pay $15, 900 for 1O5 acres. He paid only
$500 down, yet figured that he could
pay for the farm and be out Of debt in
eight years. The first year. after paying
expenses, interest and taxes, he was able
to pay $4,000 on the principal. The next
year, 1873 (silver was demonetized), the
panic struck him before he had sold his
crops. He held them over until the
spring of 1874, and when sold could
only pay $500 on the principal after pay
ing other expenses.
He has paid something every year
from that time to this, and yet finds that
the value of the farm has shrunk as fast
or faster than he has reduced the amount
of the mortgage until now the s., 5000
mortgage, which still remains unpaid,
covers the entire value of the farm, if
sold under foreclosure today.
His books show that he has paid $1O,-
600 on the principal and over $15, 900 in
interest, and yet has poorer prospect of
L. L.
ago.
This certainly is not case of poor
farming or inattention to business, for
there is no better farmer or one who at
tends more closely to business in the
state, and he is one of those diversified
farmers so necessary to successful farm
ing Of late years.
have been over his farm and through
his 2O-acre hop yard. have been among
and enjoyed some of the fruit from his
1900 peach trees. I have seen his 10
acre field of black caps loaded to the
ground with their richness of choicest
fruit. In fact, H. L. Case prides him
self on his average yield, and certainly
no farmer keeps his soil in better and
OAOdAO4 OOAO1U1Ous LILO 6t1SO 1OS 4OO
swarms Of honey bees, which he watches
as closely as Shylock does his mortgage,
taking off all the good honey they make
and substituting melted sugar, which
they must carry into their cells and
make over (nights and mornings). This
is the only real mean thing ever knew
my friend Case to do. It is Shylock
practice.
Now, let us compare these two mems
condition under the practices Of the last
IS years.
In 1872 they stood: Case, % years old,
with $500 cash, robust, healthy and just
married to brave little woman, both
determined to make a mark in the
world.
A neighbor, 80 years old, has 105 acres
and knows what interest means, hence
sells land to Case for $4,000. Difference
between their conditions is 105 acres of
land less the $500.
How does the account stand 81 years
later? In 1898 find that while Case and
his family have earned and saved above
all expenses of living and taxes. ETC., and
paid to the mortgage the sum Of $24 500
If the mortgage should be foreclosed
today he would have nothing left, while
the mortgage, who has only earned
bare living and paid no taxes, has
mortgage calling for the original farm
of 1O5 acres with all it's improvements
and money enough paid him by Case) to
buy and pay for five more just as good
farms, or 525 acres more.
Ny friend Case, who started in life 81
years ago, with heart light and buoyant
with hope of home and wife, surrounded
with happy, laughing and loving chill
dren, is almost discouraged; wife dead,
himself old beyond his years, and life
of tenant farming or worse staring his
children in the face. l emphasize this
instance to show the infamy of the pol
icy of shrinking volume Of money.
Truthfully did the United States none
tary commission say, "a shrinkage in
the volume of currency has caused more
misery than war, famine and pestilence
and more injustice than all the bad laws
ever enacted" The experience Of my
friend Case is the sad, sad story of mil
lions of hardworking and worthy men
in the last Is years who have been try
ing to build up homes of their own in
every part Of the country.-I. E. Dean
in June Arena.
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