New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-13
STERLING MORTON'S STEAM WAGON.
STORY OF PRACTICAL ECONOMIST.
From The Washington Post

STORY OF PRACTICAL. ECONOMIST.
From The Washington Post
TT is with more than psssng pleasure =, .haf
retary OF Agriculture that he has 50 economical
the alters OF his Department thai he covers over
81 Vrooo Of his appropriation back into the Treas
ury.' said John Henry Martin. the theatrical man
ager, who is here preparing for The pres"niaton 81
Since my earliest recollection ! have known j.
Sterling Morton. Mr.. Morton and my father were
pioneer ne!ghbors in Nebraska from ls1o to the tne
when n Nebraskan might cease 10 be Il pioneer ana
become citizen II a great state. ! nave known
IDEAL agriculturist and horticuturist. and as a
statesman. both in and out OF work for more than
forty years lie has ever been practicai .'on on,
onist. financially and politically; hence ! am not
,nrpriSef ihat ne has mae m h
ton of the affairs of the Department of Agriculi urc
pra~ticai thrift of The Secretary The few people who
inaio UP the fringe of settlements along the west
ties weic compelled to batic with nman, al straits
such the most imaginative Populst of these DAYS
can r.,n,u,b.r wien ,ca and cnn.,. were Injuries
fer which substitutes sought IN burnt corn
kernels parchod peas. scorched sweet potatoes ana
banks that had issued # were III busted. The land
produced IN abundance but There were no buyers
for the produce. To the east in Iowa lived pioneers
poor ~ w Of Nebraska. To the west stretched.
the great American Desert l>o0 miles to tho base Of
the Sierra Ncvadas. In lsJS gold discovered in
Colorado. Then came IA" rush To Pixies Peak In
1872 and with 1t came q market for the products or
Nebraska farms. Great trains - wagons. drawn by
mules and oxen. departed daily for The Western
I'm The cariy sixties when ri. frcghtlng bust
ness was at its height. there was unloadcd from "A
steamboat on The steep l"vcr az Nebraska CITY a
monstrous machine. which the owner and inventor
called steam wagon II was very Ike the trac-
ton engines W" no" soc operating portable saw
mills and thrashine machines. but it much
larger. and weighed many tons.
The wagon. he Ghc owner claimed. would pull
thirty loaded wagons. carrying four tons each.
five hour Wei The u,t fronii.r city wen, Wild
Work oxen ard mules took tumble In the market
that threatened bankruptcy 10 their owners Why,
steer could not look YOU In the face; he had
ceased 70 have plac" OF usefulness. except in the
butcher shop. The mules. we'll they kicked. but no
. one paid any attention. for there was only one
steam wagon and W. had ii. omaha. Atchison and
LeavenwOrth had been the rivals OF Nebraska city
H. the ircighing business. Now they sank to be OBJ
jccts OF pity only.
bridges and smooth a pain for the steam wagon
to the west linz Of The county thirty miles away;
no one v"d beyond iew miles west OF ne Mis-,
as he made his living trading in mules and cattle
and with their owners and drivers he had no sym
paihy with the ncw-fanelcd wagon. II meant ruin
The wagon would eat mp about twenty cords OF
Woo IN twsn'y .,our nouts ann i ,,, Wa n0
yer to run II a month and wood was worth 50 per
cord some % the ranches. one" knew OF its
selling at 80 cents per pound in mldwinter. with no
road FOR It vs., ~ our country Their" We're many
II started. got about ten miles west. broke down.
and before repairs could be got from 81 Louis
dead monster and II was pulled 70 the BARNARD At
j. sterling Norton home Early the following
spring the Sioux indians Killed he owner and IN
vcntor Of the wagon For ten years the big. I'M
slightly machine stood IN ID" Morton farmyard. a
roosi FOR fowls and thing 10 irsat"n horses.
- merchant In town hung out % sl-n viii n
read. cash Paid for Anything the Farmer Has 10
Soil In the Field or Delivered ~ This Store. This
sign caught MIR Morion's eye DO YOU mean what
your sign says"
- most a-suredly do replied the merchant.
"'Wcl. I've got steam wagon to sell. what's
the price on en- this morning
''Thc merchant knew the wagon. h" had whooped
and hollcrcd for It ten years before. when b" had
expected IL - make him and every body rls" rich
nut h. could no particular us" hc had Tor II
n,w Railroads had crossed tho continent i,ut not
10 b. oufdone. and TO max" his word good hr said.
q Sterling. YOU :" got mo But ] moan Just what
my sign saws will give you nifty dollars for H.
and agree take ~ away IN Two weeks
It's yours replied Mr Morton