The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-26
SUCCESS OF THE PINGREE PLAN
IL Works Well I'm Seattle and Brought
Admirable Results Elsewhere.

Admirable Results Elsewhere.
The Pingree plan. as IN operation In this
CITY Is proving a success. and the promo
ers of the undertaking feel encouraged at
the outlook. Ferdinand Tokias sad yeslSr-
day that there would be ready in few
Gays a detailed report OF what had been
done. and could say generally that every
thing was going nicely.
After the success OF the plan in Detroit,
many cities have adopted Il as means
OF providing living for the worthy poor
The New York World. IN a recent number,
tells Of the success OF alsoting 10 some 20
families about 80 acres OF land Al STEIN
way, L l., and says the work Is TO be con-
tinued on a much more extensive scale.
The plan was not put in operation until
April 2, and of the 80 families Represented
some were allotted q quarter OF an acre
and others half an acre. ACCORDING 10
numbers. The uld-be farmers were fur-
nished with seeds. teams. plows, fertiii-
GERS and everything else required. IN
many cases the very poor were alfowed
10 cents an hour while they were pant
ing their crops, and this was done only
when the applicants did not even have
bread. A condition made in allotting the
ground was that at least one-haR OF each
plot should be planted in potatoes
The 50 families assisted this year rep
resent between ], 500 and 1900 persons, who
scheme. The land was given only to mar
ried men, or TO men having widowed moth
ers with families. The men took hold OF
the work with surprising eaTnestness. and
although many of them had never before
seen pillow, they were apt pupils ana soon
became advanced in agriculture.
The men aided by the Pingree plan at
Steinway are far above the average, and
would scorn to beg for anything but work
rEty all he ia,
commonly called poor but proud. They
would starve rather than beg for food.
but when the men heard of the freee farm
they promptly went to the secretary and
made known their needs. There were
many applicants whose circumstances
were most depforable, but the most des-
perate case was that OF a man who one
day entered the Office and told how his
wife and three children were starving. He
wanted no assistance, only work. The
mans manner impressed the secretary.
who sent him over to Steinway. Later IL
was learned that he walked all the way
from the city TO the free farm the next
DAY. worked to the p1ow until late in the
afternoon. when he fell fai1ting In the
burrows from weakness, for he had been
two days without food. When this part
OF his history had been learned. he was
promptly supplied with food and money.
and the other men working in the plots
about him took turns at helping him until
his bit OF land was plowed. Today he ana
his family are IN no danger Of want.
Ii took the men about twelve days each
to plow, harrow, plant and fertilize the
land. Each quarter acre. IL Is estimated.
VIII produce fifty bushels of potatoes.
worth an average OF 60 cents, making a
return for the work expended on each
tract Of from SO to 800. After the plant
ing was done, the farmers had little to do
but TO 60 over the ground and weed ii out.
A few drones crept in among the busy
bees, burt they were soon driven away.
Most Of the men seemed TO appreciate the
chance presented to them and acted as il
they were very grateful but q very few
put on sulky air and indicated that a
farmer ought 10 be provided to do the
work for them.
There are now on the books applications
from twice as many persons as have been
given aflotments. but the season IS too far
advanced to break any more soil this year.
Next year enough land VIII be given out
10 support al least 600 families. So far,
contributors have not been so liberal as il
was hoped they would. but It is expected
that there viii be funds on hand the CON-
ing season TO allow the experiment to he
carried out on a more extensive scale than
At any other city IN the country. not eX>
cepting Detroit. The treasurer OF the free
farm movement Is Jacob II. Schin. OF
Kuhn. Loeb & Co, bankers, who was in
Seattle a short time ago with James ].
HILL president OF the Great Northern.
With few exceptions the desirable far
mers hase stuck 10 their farms. and those
who have given UP their ailotments have
succeeded in getting steady and better po-
sitions elsewhere. All that IS insisted on
at the secretary's Office is that the appli-
cant Is worthy of assistance. as Il Is pro-
posed not TO help those who win not, and
never have made an effort TO help them