The People's friend., 1894-05-31
MARKETS AT HOME.
The Farmer Finds His Wagon Il Better
Market Than the Railway Platform.

Market Than the Railway Platform.
Farmer Brown settled in the wilder
ness s0lne twenty years ago. His first
crops were hauled fifty miles away and
he had hard times. After awhile rail-
way came and a station was established
three miles away.
Then lie stopped feeding wheat to his
stock and stopped burning corn. He
could ship them off east, he could ship
pork, beeves AID some other products
which would bear transportation.
Times grew better with him, but he
often regretted that he was so far from
markets. The railways got an awful
slice. the steamships took another bite.
and middlemer all along the line nib
bled or bit until his bushel Of wheat or
corn, his hundred weight of pork,
looked so small. net. that he sometimes
felt that it was not worth the labor.
He felt that there were too many
commissions, too heavy freight charges:
that the railway platform was a dead
ly enemy, and that farming did not
pay.
Just now a fellow from somewhere
east came along with money and open
eyes. He saw the water power, or the
timber. or the other natural resources,
and proceeded to put up some lndus-
trial works Perhaps it was a sawmlll'
a Touring mill. tannery, furniture
factory. These brought wOrEmen ana
one enterprise another until the little
hamlet grew 10 be town and the town
city
In these days things changed. These
workmen did not raise crops; they ate
what he aud other farmers raised. HIS
wheat went to the home mill and he
got his paw check with no reductions,
no freights, no commissions but good
hard cash at the bank. Instead OF
whistling to the distant markets he
was able to sell all he could raise right
at home. He had to sllirmish to get
enough to supply the demand. lie
sold his farm products from tic 7cG523
boz to the families of those who worked
at the factories. 1Hey gave him good
prices and charged no c0HaniSSton. lie
had the sale before his eyes and was
not a helpless victim of some one IL
| Chicago or New York.
Do YOU suppose he wishes these mills
to close up and these people to turn IN
despair to that last resort the farm
Not much. VIII it be possible to con
vince him that it is better to buy Tor
eign goods-English calico, for in
stancc-than to help build up home
market? Let us wait until next No
velnber ana see what we shall see.
He has learned by hard knocks what
college theorists cannot get out 01
boolls-that the village, now grown
into town or city, is sure, net cash
market for every product Of his acres
He knows that he can go in person
sell to whom he chooses, get the tol
of the market, hold his produce unit
the prices suit him and put the 2ch0!
Ur0duct deep down into his pocket o.
his bank He does not have to ship
and trust, and pay freight, only to b'
whitfield to the fine edge of nothing.
The farmers of the northwest ar
thinking big chunks of this sort o
practical hard-neaded wisdom and ar
ranging to act accordingly. Idea
NAV come slower on the farm, Du
they are clearer and moro definite an'
they last longer. They summer an
winter with the farmer. lie has cal
Ions sD0ts on his hands and he intend
to make these count for money, 10
rood homes, honest labor and ind
, vidual prosperity.