The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-02-20
MILKING TINE.

Try sad'and depressed. When got Of
the boat, having borrowed money to pay
66s per cent duty on articles which if I
had been smart | would have smuggled
in, hurried to my bank to get $500 to
go back to the farm with.
What was my surprise and indigna-
ton to find in place of the bank a nice
new book and stationery store. ''And
what can do for you" asked an urbane
man with disheveled whiskers, coming
forward.
''You might tell me where the Farm
ers and Swappers' bank has gone," said
/, with some warmth. "When | leave a
bank on certain corner and tell it to
stay there till | come back, | am not
pleased to find when l return that it has
taken advantage of my absence to go out
and see the town."
"The Farmers and Swappers' bank, "
said the man, ''hopes to resume very
soon, but of course at present it is closed
until it can realize on its collateral"
hustled around and found that the
collateral was a lot of paper showing
that Mr.. Chow Chow, the grocer, had in
dorsed for old man Stiff, the embalmer,
and old man Stiff, the embalmer, had in
dorsed for old Chow Chow, the grocer, in
order to borrow of the bank $50, 900 de-
posted there by old man Rennet, the
farmer, and old man Ensilage, the farm
er, and old man Pieplant, the farmer. 1t
was the old story. The business men
had ind6rsed for each other in order to
borrow the farmers deposits, and the
lawyers were now taking what was left
in payment for advising them about how
to do it.
1 have been farming it now for two
years on my place, and 1 can say of a
truth that have no desire to turn back.
1t is healthful and honest life, for when
l say that | have been as upright as my
farm ! am saying nothing that l cannot
prove.
When neighbor's farm that is situat-
I'd farther up the mountain than mine
has slipped down in the night, have re-
turned it to him on the following day.
Stock that has fallen out of other farms
above me and into my farm has been re-
turned without loss or delay. Even
milk cows that have dropped into my
inclosure in that way have only been
MIXED in order to preserve their health.
We make our money by hard knocks,
and we are so situated that we cannot
get together and form trusts for our own
protection. We are the only class of
people that don't raise a riot or throw
bombs when we are imposed upon, and
yet when a savings bank busts, if you
will analyze the cause, you will find that
the farmers money has been loaned on
rotten security in. order that other pro-
fessions and other branches of trade may
have the capital to gamble with on the
price of our wheat.
That is why the farmer will hereafter
put his money in an old sock in hollow
tree. Do you blame him? Why do you
ask me for my confidence" and beg me
to put my money into circulation and
help the country when l return from a
foreign strand to find my savings gone
and book store where my bank was in
October?
Last summer my boy Henry was home
from Yale college, having been suspend
Rd for something or other. 1t seems
that the chair of Greek history was Of
fered to man with good education
along in April, but before he accepted it
Henry put bent pin in it and was tried
for the offense. He would have come
out all right, too, for he is very solid with
the faculty, but just about that time he
made wrong tackle at a football game
and was suspended, but has returned
now and been reinstated in the college.
But while he was at home during the
summer he explained to me the situation
Of the country, and the tariff, and the
monetary question. He said that conf
dence was all that was needed and
wound up by geaaing So worth of mine.
He also explained how much better
OFF we would all be with free trade.
But what does II matter to the farm
pr anyway, so long as he has TO
make up all deficiencies anyhow? If
he has projection, the merchant socks
20 per cent on the clothes he sells to the
farmer. and if free trade allows other
nations to compete with the farmer in
raising things to eat the price of his
product goes down. What rights has a
farmer got anyhow? He can't combine.
because ne can't walk eight miles to at
tend agitation meetings, and if he should
his henhouse would be robbed by So
elalist while he is gone.
That is why farmers sons aspire to
become hartenders. My boy Henry will
graduate in June if nothing happens,
and viii march from the curriculum to
the mint julep works in spite of his
mother, for he says that there's where
you ind your statesmen now. There's
where the laws are made and unmade
He can mix good beverage now. for he
did so while at home, by means of which
he secured the use of my horse and bug
Ky during our busy time.