The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-06-20
DOWN ON THE FARM.
THE STATES FIRST FARMER.
A Visit to Col James Young's Land
Holdings.

| Gently nelu IN TINS place, attracted the
same amount Of attention as did the nm
assuming little silver haired veteran, who
said that he had planted 80 locust trees
ON his farms last year. and when asked
for an expression on the oleOmargarine
| Prohibitive law remarked that he would
take his butter from the brindle cow"
\ correspondent who recently visited
his famous Dauphin county farms writes
as follows in the Harrisburg Telegraph:
The Duke of Sutherland turned TO the
quiet, modest appearing gentleman at his
side, after watching with great admira-
ton his skillful handling of the reins
over pair of magnificent horses, and
said:
''You are certainly most skillful
whip; where did you learn to driver
The modest American citizen said:
II learned when / was boy, and l
have never forgotten it. My father was a
stage driver and kept a small country ho-
tel. He taught me while was his stable
boy. | had plenty of practice"
The great English lord looked at his
companion curiously, and then said, curt
ly:
"Your father drove stage and was an
inn-keepcr?''
''Yes, sir"
"And you are the owner of all these
vast aeres?''
II am.r
You amaze me-
81 didn't intend to. But let me ask you
a question:" said the quiet man.
60 ahead, sir" was the Dukes re-
spOnse; ''rll answer it, if | can.'
Gould boy under the same circum-
stances l was placed win in England
what l have won in this eountry?''
''No, sir said the Duke emphatically;
che could not. This is great country.
You are great people"
The man who 80 skillfully handled the
reins, and who flushed with pride at
Sutherland's mention of his magnificent
farms, was Col. James Young. of Middle
town, famous the world over as the great
est farmer in the United States. But
man of Col. Young's progressive spirit
could win his way To the top in any coun-
try. The Duke of Sutherland was wrong.
Had Col. James Young been born in Eng
land he would have gone 10 the front,
reached the topmOst round of the ladder,
simply by his own efforts and unaided.
II was my recent good fortune, in compa-
ny with newspaper friend, a many
years friend of Col. Young, to pass
pleasant afternoon with the veteran farm-
er, visiting the most noted farms owned
by him and that are under his direct SUI
pervision.
Now" said Col. Young, after the hos
pitality Of his town home had been enjoy
ed to its fulness, II am going to show you
some agricultural property owned and
farmed by a Pennsylvania Dutchman.
When the Duke OF Sutherland was here
lac said he had been told previous to COM
ing that he would see a real Pennsylva-
mia Dutchman and his possessions. As
he was leaving he told me that having
seen a real Pennsylvania Dutchman he
was now anxious to see a real live New
England Yankee, in order that he might
make a comparison"
And 50, behind pair Of handsome
black horses that james G. Blaine want
ed ~ own, but onuld not, and with the
faithful Chris as driver, the trio of us
set out 10 look at Col. Young's farms, |
wish could describe them from a tarR-
er's standpoint. / even wish could de-
scribe them from a newspaper Inan's
point of view, but that would take coll
umns and columns of space, and detail
might prove uninteresting. Col. Young
owns fourteen farms, all within sight of
Middletown, all contiguous, and embrae-
ing in all thirteen hundred acres ofarable
ground. Doesn't that almost take your
breath away? Think of the famous south
ern farm of ''forty acres and a mule,' and
then try to imagine thirteen hundred
acres of splendid land under cultivation.
On il the most magnificent crops of all
kinds of cereals are raised; fine fruit
grown. magnificent stock bred-and the
very acme of perfection in an agricultural
way attained. Everything is in perfect
condition and presents harmonious
picture The fences are white with red
gates; the houses are white with red
doors and green blinds; the barns are
white with red and green trimmings;
wherever you look the eye is gratified,
and there is nothing loud or garish to
offend good taste. l wonder the Colonel
doesn't paint his horses white, his Jersey
and Alderney cows red, and the sheep
and pigs green to keep up the combina=
tion. And the roads through those farms
are models of road huilding, smoo;h
al 1h.a lI,l. 4
the money expended on the roads of the
state We're applied to building roads such
as he makes, little hit in each township
every year, the State would soon have
Durable roads in every county, and he is
about right. On some portions of his
farms Col. Young has had put up stone
walls 10 hold up the SlOping grounds and
these walls are In themselves a study.
Six feet high, two feet thick, at least, built
of massive boulders, they will stand for
ages. The stones for these walls were not
gotten from the farms they surround, but
were hauled from remote places two and
three miles away. IL was Hercnlcan
task 10 place them and required the work
of many men and many days. but |
wanted the walls" said the Colonel; lit
was time ofgreat depression when many
men were out of work, and | just gave
them employment and kept them and
their families from want There's your
true philanthrOpist.
These farms were purchased by Col.
Young at various times. lie was always
on the watch for purchase, especially il
the property for sale was next to his, and
he gradually got them all in a straight
line until one can stand at the western
boundary of his farm land and look east
for two miles and see only ''Col. Jim
Young's farms.- At one time he owned
all that he at present possesses save
small farm lying between two of his
farms 1t came up for sale, but the price
fixed was very high and lac hesitated
about buying. Finally he reasoned:
This farm may fall into the possession of
somebody who will never sci, il. I guess
had better get it now when l have the
chance" Then he got il.
When Colonel Young bought the farm
he calls "Oak Lane''-they all have
names. and pretty ones at that-a great
portion of the land was a lake, frequented
by wild ducks, and many was the duck he
Shnf ON IFS waters He f,ut in "A druinaoa