The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-17

S~SAS @4S IN
was in those days fruit jars, under
clothing, sewing machines, ingram
carpets, organs, pianos and improved
farm machinery came into fashion. A
good piano then cost 81. 200, but some
of them could afford the best. They
sold corn at 81 10, wheat at S., live
hogs $14 per hundred, live weight, and
the best cattle IS A good nan in those
days got a bonus. Some of the best
village hands we're given Sc per day in
the harvest field. John Farrell, the
village mason, got S. a day. Carpen-
tiers had 81 a day regularly, and the
best SIS. The track hands, laborers and
odd job men bought lots and built
houses and paid for them. Two Of the
ditchers, Pat Hart and Hughey More
head, went off and bought farms, and
there were others.
There were but two milllonaires in
the country, Aston and A. T. Stewart,
aud they had but a million each, Van
derbilt not having quite reached that
point. IU is different to day. Wealth
has greatly increased in certain sections,
and now there are 4 900 m~illionaires.
Some Of these are worth hundreds of
millions instead of a milIion-ten have
$72O. coo, 600 and the stock Of some Of
the big banks of New York are worth
81, 400 for every 500 share, but my ole
neighbors are selling oats at 10 cents
and other farm products accordingly.
The proprietors of these fae farms, and
they are the finest III the world, wear
mittens made of sheepskin and old
grain sacks now, and not a piano has
been bought by either farmer or vii
lager for ten years. There has not been
a new section boss for 20 years, and the
one they have will never be promoted
till he dies.
These farms produce as we'll as they
ever did. Tney are not worn out. The
young meu are as strong and enter
prising az their fathers, but the wealth
now concentrates in Wall street, not
upon the Illinois farm.
A p litical orator was present on this
occasion, telling these old boyhood
chums what q dollar should be like.
He held up dollars that ne said were
only SO cent dollars and told them it
was dollars of a particular kind and
color that they wanted. He meant it
was the kind of a l. liar Wall street
wanted. Some of these sons of war
time Republicans wore the hated but
5~er-colored hats and cheered the loudest
notes of the evening for Grover Cleve
land. These are strange days.
1t is not probable that these farmer
Boys want to vote for 10 cent cats or to
vote for a still further reduction, say
to 5 cents, but they were deceived by
the action at St. Louis. Some think it
was the old Republican party that went
for gold, aud not the one that staid by
silver. If they could be treasured Of
the true condition, they would stay by
the simon pure party, for that is the
one they want. They are divided as it
is. About half the farmers Of the town,
ship, 1T Is believed, will go for silver.
But it is not dollars of a certain color
or metal our farmers or business men
want. What will please them can't
please stock gamblers and cutthroat
SPECTATORS. And that which pleaEes
Wallstreet isnever good for thetarmer.
What the farmer wants is good bust
nesa, good prices, good times, and these
come only with plenty Of money.
Plenty of money and good times mean
the same, are the s8m9t thing, and al
ways have been. If they understood
this matter correctly, we believe there
would not be a man in that township
left to vote for Wall street except the
county officers. Joliet Gil Sentinel.