The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-10-31
TIE FARMERS TOOLS.
Efficiency Of Agricultural Imple
ments Greatly Increased
Since 1873.

The silver advocates have had so many
of thef pet theories absolutely demOl-
ished ~ collision with hard facts that
they are now resorting to deliberate mis-.
representation in hope of breaking the
force Of the various exposures they are
much capital out of the decline in the
price Of wheat during the last few years,
and when attention has been called to
the c%heapening in the cost of production
by the use of new and improved machine
cry and the rapid enlargement of the
commercial surplus Of wheat In other
wheat-growing countries than the United
both propositions.
In a speech at the Central Music hall
on September 10, Gov. Altgeld in at
tempting to answer the arguments pre-
sented by Carl Schurz in an address in
the same hall earlier in the campaign,
speaking of the decline in wheat, said:
''"The truth is that there has been scarce
raising and harvesting wheat in the last
twenty years."
Such a statement is a severe reflection
either upon the inventive genius of
American manufacturers and the pro-
gressive spirit of American farmers or
upon the sincerity Of Gov. Altgeld him.
self.
The truth is that the greatest improve
pents in farm implements and machinery
that have marked the latter half of the
Nineteenth century have been made
since 1873. Not only has the retail price
of all classes of implements used on the
farm been very much reduced during
that time, but the efficiency of the ma.
chinery itself has been even more enor.
mously increased. Taking the harveste,
alone it has been so improved during the
last twenty years that one man can now
accomplish what required the labor of
five in 1873, so that instead of there
being scarcely any improvement in ma.
chinery" for harvesting wheat, the i'm
provements in the harvester alone arc
shown fully. In other words. it today
only requires one-ffth of the labor cost
to harvest grain that it did twenty years
AGO.
To entirely overthrow this last perve1.
sion of truth, with which silver men are
trying to bolster up a losing cause, re.
tail prices Of some of the principal farlL
machinery have been secured from lead.
the farmer in 1878 and the cost in 1885.
AZ thu. wheat crop begins with the pillow.
take the following statement from the
Oliver Chilled Plow works of South
Bend, Ind, and see how the cost Of
'plows has been reduced.
kAC yS04 AVgO ~ RAOWo " IuC Auu1'
'bers - and 40 were the leading pat.
terms The same numbers are very
Largely uNd At this time and our com.
parisess are accordingly based on them:
In 1o1o ~ retail price Of the No. 30 wa.
n. M 10 retail price Of the No. 40 was
TIE sane plows now retail at $3.50 each
Cat aAaxes for these plows In 1873 re
;tail6a ut % cents each; now retail at 81
cents each.
,.s 13. sscs oe 9e tae: set p]Gw at = = 1 sash retailed at
WheeA fer these plows in 1873 retailed al
$1:60 eaeA; now retail at 81 each.
ClevtseS for these plows In 1873 retailed at
81 each; now retail at % cents each.
I'M other items In about the same ratio.
The obstruction and quality Of the
goods are far better than in 1873"
a II. Osborne and Company Of Au.
bus1, n. T., the great manufacturers of