The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-06-27
1000 BUSHELS OF WHEAT.
A Picture From the Farm
BY n. A. .FOSS.

just beyond the farm Of Ole Iverson
Starkeby lay half a section Of so-called
SPECTATORS lands. The neighbors did not
know how the rich New Yorker had sue
ceeded in grabbing these lands Some
claimed that he paid the government price
10 shfllings an acre"-others pretended
to know that he had got them for a song,
paying for them in Indian scrips
However this might be, one thing was
known for certain: The rich banker paid
hardly any taxes on these lands, because,
as the assessor explained, they lay idle and
vacant.
The sons of Ole Starkeby grew I'D one by
one, and the quarter section, their father $
farm, became too narrow for them The
oldest son, who was named liver Starkeby
among the Scandinavians and liver Olson
by the Americans then resolved to seek
his own fortune.
He went to the village, applied to the
rich bankers agent, and obtained from this
gentleman a lease of the land for a term
OF three years. He was permitted to break
the whole half section, if he wanted to; to
seed and harvest any kinds Of grain and
to cultivate the farm in any manner most
profitable to himself, provided only that he
was to turn over to the owner but one
third part Of all the crops
The neighbors for while looked with
envy to Iver thinking he had got too lucky
terms' but then it was rumored that the
lessee had agreed to pay not only all ex-
penses in running the farm, but also the
taxes on the land as long as he had it in
his possession. These reflections afforded
them relief and set them at rest, being
assured that it was nothing to boast of.
after all.
The days passed by. one by one. Iyer
married a teacher who had rare talents
Tor mathematics by the assistance of his
1ather he built a small house and stable
at the boundry line between the parental
estate and his own leased domain, arose
MN MN the sun IN the mornings, and roared:
Ho-ha! Buck and Braidr' and plowed
ana plowed, the perspiration flowing in
small streams both from himself and his
oxen, while his young wife attended to the
household duties and in her spare hours
was computing the number Of burrows
contained in an acre or the number of
bushels of wheat to be realized from the
crop, when harvested
Ihe Industrious liver succeeded in get
ting a pretty fair crop and it was not with
out some pride, that he stated to the as
essor the number of acres he had broken
the first and second years.
The assessor awarded Iyer's Industry NV
increasing the taxes, as the breaking pIow-
Ing, and cultivation of the land proceeded,
so 1T rather looked as if Iver was fined for
his Industrious work-the fine increasing
with the amount of work performed; but
this was not understood even by his wife.
teacher, although she had such rare tai
entS for mathema tics"
The result was, however, that liver man.
aged to clear his bare expenses; but when
the three years were gone, and taxes, in
terest, machinery, binding twine hired help
threshing, groceries and all other necessa-
ries were paid for then all the net surplus
consisted in two small todders-a boy and
q girl The pocket-book and the wheat bin
were both empty, although both of them
had almost over-worked fthemseles and
economical in every possible way.
Mrs. Olson Starkby now had to Law
the mathematics aside most of the time
having her hands full with household work
Of all kinds tending the children mending
overalls, etc. But old Ole had commenced
to make some calculations and d day in
the fall when the lease Of the land was
about to expire, he spoke to his son as
follows:
I don't care what you say liver, but this
money-shyster in New York has got all
the profit of your hard work; you have
realized nothing out Of it. Look here
you must buy the land, my boy, and then
you can keep all the crop for yourself
You have paid the taxes, and one-third of
crops you have given away; if you now are
gong to leave this farm, on which you
and your wife have laid down SO much
hard work in these years, it will be a crush
ing blow to both of You"
liver replied, that it was a risky under
taking to buy half a section of land with
two empty hands; he did not even know
"a n raj all =
but the old man did not give I'D and the
sen finally promised to follow his father
to town and inquire of the agent about the
matter.
A few days later liver returned home
from the village-happy in mind. With
pride he told his young wife that he had
bought the half section, and this on favofa-
BILE terms. He was to pay five thousand
dollars for the whole thing; every three
yerrs he was to pay one thousand dollars
and per cent interest; thus he had Is long
years in Which to pay for the farm
The face of his wife frightened up; she
flung the baby in Iver's lap took her lead
pencil and piece of paper, and asked
What is the wheat price today, Iver?"
"Why it has advanced now-lt was 81 25
a bushel."
Figures began to dance on the paper with
the rapidity of a hurricane. Then she ex-
claimed
Indeed! you have made an excellent bar
gain, why IL taxes only
1900 BUSHELS OF WHEAT
to pay the entire half section! Pshaw!
This is the easiest thing in the world now,
when We already have nearly the whole
farm plowed-i00D bushels-ths we can
raise on only 200 acres the first season, if
all goes we'll You see that I count with
bushels of wheat; for even if the contract
talks about dollars and cents, then we don't
raise money on the farm, you know; we
raise wheat, and consequently it is better
to reduce the debt to wheat, for it is wheat
we will have to pay our debt with
Eyes, it is, of course, just the same
thing" answered liver, meditatively; but
you see there is also some other things to
take into consideration; there is interest
and a big lot Of other expenses, so we can
not expect to be able to pay off the whole
debt the first year. 1 have, as I told you
Is years time
'Just so, my friend; in the first two years
YOU are free man. During this time you
can improve the buildings and lay aside
money enough to pay the interest WITH
and every three years we pay $1,000 off on
the debt. feel myself INSPIRED with new
life now when see the road to prosperity
finally opened up also for u.s. Remember
next time you drive to town to buy me a
book of accounts, as 1 propose to keep a
strict account of income and expenses"
The New York banker, of whom 1ver
Olson had bought the land owned, besides
his powerful banks in the large cities of
the East, also extensive tracts of land
throughout the West. 1t was further
rumored that he also was an intimate
friend of Uncle Sam, and that he to a
great extent controlled the finances of the |
country at his will and pleasure. When !
ever he wanted to sell some of his lands |
out in the West he sent vast amounts of |