Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1895-04-16
The Farmer as a Business Man

A4O al Il46I us a. 6uSlIlGSS MaQ
We often hear it said by the
business men OF town that if the
farmer would exercise ordinary
prudence and business sagacity
he would he all right. And then
in the next breath some prosper
Gus farmer will be pointed out as
an example OF what a man can
do on the farm by way OF acquir-
ing a fortune. Now we all know
there is a good deal in the charge
above stated, and every farmer
should soak his mind a little, and
think hard and long enough to
thoroughly understand how this
thing really is. For the basic
trouble with our farmers to-day
is that they have been working
and working and doing too little
thinking. So some time ago we
determined to probe this thing
to the bottom and give the TRI-
BUNE readers the result of our
Investigation.
Now we know a dozen or more
farmers in the northern half OF
kandiyOhi county that are well
to do. Some Of them are our in
innate friends. We made care
ful inquiry of some of them as to
how they managed their business
to make farming SO successful.
Here is the history of one OF these
successful ones, and it will apply
to others OF the same class:
Way back in the seventies,
when wheat prices were high he
harvested good big crops, and
although he had to haul it 25
miles to market, he made some
money ahead. This money he
put out at interest, 10 or l.! pei.
cent. at that thine. He allowed
that money to accumulate i'll
trest and kept adding to the
principal year by year all he
could. In IL or Is years of this
way Of doing business he found
himself a rich man. To he sure
he had no fine house, nor large
barn, nor fine buggy, but he had
money on interest, doubling
itself every 5 or 6 years. For
several years past he has had no
need OF farming, for his interest
will more than keep him. Now
this man it is said made his
money by farming, but did he?
In one sense he did make his
start by farming, but in the real
true sense he made it more by
money loaning than farming.
Now here is another farmer, q
friend "f ours, he has a splendid
farm OF three hundred acres. He
mas fine house, a large barn,
and Il lot OF choice stock, es-
pecially horses. He has all the
newest improved farm machinery
and his farm is in a very high
state OF cultivation. Ii you look
inside Of the dwelling house you
find goodly furnished rooms with
organ and pictures, books, etc.
Nothing extravagant, vet most
everything that all ordinary III
telligent family would desire to
make home comfortable. Yet
this home is not comfortable nor
happy. Why? Because there is
a mortgage hanging over it, and
the occupants realize that some
day in the future they may have
to evacuate the old home. For
twenty-five years this family has
been planting down capital in
the shape OF improvements and
ornamentation in the ]audable
effort to make the home happy
and beautiful, but the last few
years have blasted all their hopes
OF former times. Said the head
Of the family to us: '"Of course
my condition is really my own
fault. Had l stinted my family,
put the money on interest instead
Of into improvements, l would
have been all right. But I, fool
as | was, supposed that good
times would continue. l see now
that the progressive wide-awake
farmer has no show in this
country along side of the miser."
No one will deny that this con-
dition is only too true Of too
many farmers in Kandiyohi
county. But we have now few
questions for the critical business
men to answer before they taunt
the farmer again for his want OF
business foresight.
lst. Suppose al! the farmers
had adopted the policy of the
first mentioned farmer, whom
you point to as a smart business
mall-and we admit the truth of
your assertion-isn't it more
than likely that you would not
have been in business here to-
day?
2nd. Isn't it true that farmer
No 2, and his like, has been your
big customer and enabled YOU to
make your money? Hasn't he
bought your carloads of machin-
cry, furniture, dry goods, lumber,
etc., etc., been the liberal borrow
er at the Banks, in fact the main
spoke in the wheel of business in