Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-03-22
A FINAL SHOT.
Mr. Colver Comes Again on the Wheat and
Flour Question.
MAIDEN, March l6, 1894.

MAIDEN, March l6, 1894.
EDITOR ARGUS: As Mr.. Fergus
wishes me to explain why | accused
him OF taking the miller's part in the
wheat discussion and appears to be
hurt by my so doing, please allow me
to state the reason why.
will admit, Mr.. Fergus, that you
have done me a favor and feel very
thankful to you for it, and no doubt
you have done a great many ranehers
similar kindness, for you have the
name of being the rancher's friend,
and for that matter everybody's
friend that is i'm the right. So you
may have thought there was an in
Justice done you when | stated that
you took Mr.. Stiles part, but it looks
very much to me now as if you were
taking sides with him, though no
doubt you took it thinking that the
most good would be derived from so
doing and not because you thought
that the miller was entirely in the
right and the rancher in the wrong.
And now / hope that nothing but
good will derive from this discussion
for | believe that has been every
body's intention. Though some OF
the statements have hit pretty hard
| hope it will be for the best.
Mr.. Fergus thinks 1c. IL pound is a
fair price for wheat. That is where
beg to differ. II we were i'm some other
place than Fergus county it might be,
but there is the if. And as we are in
Fergus county and count on stopping
here, | don't care what James Fergus
e Son have done somewhere else.
am speaking about wheat, Mr.. Fergus,
not stuff, as the chances are you have
raised Now | will make the state
ment that if every rancher put in ten
acres of wheat next year that they
would have wheat on their hands for
n year after.
But we will take Mr. Fergus state
ment of so acres, and let's see how
much money We will be able to loan
him at the end of five years. In the
first place Scotch fife hard wheat will
not average 80 bushels to the acre
and if | was figuring to be on the safe
side, would place it at 25 bushels.
But put it at 80 bushels. This would
give SIS per acre or 5000 for fifty
acres. 1t will take five years to dis.
pose of this crop, and if was as for
tunate as the rest OF the ranchers
would be able to realize $3.50; the
other S720 could have the privilege
OF paying taxes on for the next fouI
years. And if had the good fortune
to sell as the rest OF my neighbors
would receive the handsome sum o
$3.50. Does Mr.. Fergus see IL fortune
in it when he states that it costs S12
to obtain $3.50? We don't care to
dispute his statement.
1t will be very plain for anyone to
see what the outcome would he. w,
might have plenty of wheat to lend
Nh. Fergus, but we dare not say any
thing about the money. As We have
got to have money 10 raise wheat,
believe that the Bank of Fergus County
or someone else would own the ranches
| instead OF the ranchers.
But now Mr. Fergus, if you are will
| ing to treat the matter fair and count
on ten acres instead OF fifty, you car
surely see that there is not fortuns
i'm it. OF course a rancher has not
got to put in all of his time on ter
acres, but he is Obliged to stay with
it, and to make anything out of it h,
should realize 1 &c. I believe that oul
merchants, bankers, cattlemen ant
county officers are better able to pay
little more for flour than the ranch
ers are to raise wheat at less price
should like to make few remark,
i'm regard to a statement or two mad,
by Mr.. Stiles. He claims to hav,
raised the price OF wheat from a cent
a pound to one and one-quarter, ant
also to have reduced the price of fioul
from S4.75 to So. This seems to m,
to be q mistake. If l am not mis-