The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-27
FAIR PLAY FOR
THE FARMER MAN

Sometimes Jokes AR Made at His
Expense, but What Ho Has Done
for the Country IL No LaughabIc
Matter.
From tho P7ttsburg Times.
The dweller in the city points with
Just pride to the achievements of the
men who have created the great CEN
tiers of population and Industry, and
tolerates with little patience the man
with hayseed in his hair ana moss on
his back who comes into town occa-
sionally from the ridges. But if we
stop long enough to bow at the shrine
OF wealth, the riches of the farmer,
taken as class, will be appalling.
The farms of the United States at the
census OF 1890 included 623, ,000,0 900 acres,
with value OF $4,000, 900 900. The
stock and implements on the farms
added another S2,700,000 900 TO the
worth, and the product enriches the
country by S2.5OOOOO,0oO annually.
These figures go beyond the power of
the mind to comprehend, The total
value of the farms with equipments
represented $4,000, ,000 900. jamestown.
the old English settlement in Virginia,
now in ruins and abandoned, was
founded in 1907, which is 200 years
ago. That was the beginning of the
American farmer. In the 290 years he
has added to the wealth of the coun-
try such sum, that, had 1t been
growing as rapidly from the beginning
as OF late years. would have averaged
more than $1,000,000 a week. Nearly
$6O,O0O,0O0 year Is no bad record for
the man with the horny first, and the
timothy stock in his whiskers, which
Is always put there by the dutiful ar
tist who draws the farmer in a funny
picture.
But the farms Of the United States
| are not all 290 years old. Few Of them
are. The greatest growth of the ag1i-
cultural regions has been made within
the past half century. When the rest
| less tide of emigration broke over the
Allegheny mountains and swept across
the fertile prair1es Of the Mississippi
valley, then began development and
gigantic creation of wealth that have
never had a parallel in the world. The
farms from Ohio to Kansas, and north
Of the Ohio river have been created
practically within fifty years. Their
value, with stock and implements, to-
ly the entire farm wealth of the Union
has been created within the century.
Since 1897 the rate of increase has
| been more than S10O.0N0,O00 a year, and
since the war of the rebellion the an
| nual rate may be safely set down as
| twice that great. Should our wonder
| full growth be kept up for another
| quarter OF a century, as it undoubted-
| ly will. the farmer of this country will
! be found adding daily to the wealth
| or the nation not less than $1,000, ,vu0.
| That's what the old man with the
kink in his whiskers and the dimples
| in his faded slouch hat Is doing, and
he has no reason to be ashamed of his
J triumphs.
! In the course of his work the farmer
makes S,S00.000 bales of cotton a year,
| This Suftices to keep 100000 spindles
running, affording employment to an
army Of operatives. From 100000 600
sheep he clips 275.000,O00 pounds Of wool.
| and Keeps the WoOlen mill operative
| busy. He supplies material for the
tailor the dressmaker, and thousands
| of hands in the most indirect and un-
| imaginable employments. He contrib
utes 2000n000 hogs to the packing
houses. feeding the world and employ
| ing another army in the meat trade.
! The same old man in the hickory shirt
and cowhide boots raises 10000 bush
els o. corn yearly, which keeps the
railroads in work. and originates the
salaries for men all along the line from
/ the brake wheel twister to the man
! who is chOpping logs in the forests to
! make some more new cars. He sup
, plies 500 100000 bushels Of wheat and
it takes ships working all fall and VIM
ter to get the stuff across the water to
market. to say nothing of the men who
are grinding it into -four and selling It
! out to the home trade. The farmer
makes 30000o,O00 bushels of potatoes,
40,OOO,CO0 tons of hay. 100000 pounds
Of hops. 100000 bushels of peanuts.
and all the buckwheat, maple syrup,