The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-04-05

ia. Two cla@>c~-the thrifty III" ~ ;"
~,lnleGt-becomC n.5rC NiihilIH u''""'
: and the hahitually i'll. man drops - "
poSitinn which marks nm IL an ouJoo'
~ contempt in the eyes OF as hfiT"ooi'
nm. If the first Of Gods written laws
- that men should work while they
! livnd i, the world in which he had
nIaced them. 50 good an authorlt! IL
!, Tho APOSTLE Paul recognized the desIra-
nifi,v of labor in the econom OF the
world and intimatc< that IT VIII be wei
J !, .t,rva ont those who viii not WORK.
Western North Carolina has hardly
reached that point, n yet. ln@ per
i centaya Of pronounced or partlal lultI>
evidences The Indifference with Wiilcil
Pauls injunction 10 the Ih2s>alonlaiS
is regarded.
Every community here has some pro-
+, portion of the ambitious ANA the lldu>-
triouS. but these are handicapped ny
! general conditions which. thus far. thcE
i have MOI s~urmounted. Al present. there
I seems no way of overcoming me UNI
| Guilty except through some form Of CO
] operation. The small farmer finds more
than n difficulty in either Il ready or I
profitable disposition of his surplus pro-
Duct because of the limited quantity
i which he has to offer on the market.
With such staples rs cotton III the
South and wheat III the West the COLI
ditionS presented are more faNOrallt
for Il ready. if not for Il profitable. DIS
!. position of the crop. Because they are
staples. and not of an Immediately per
ishable nature. small quantities. as We'll
as large. may be placed ut any time 1T
ruling rates. either With local lnHr-
chants. or with central warehouses.
~ tIN
wheat and cotton areas. The special
attractions of both Of those products
is that they are. practically, i cash crop
that no necessity is involved Of
searching for a market. For the dispo-
sition of the products Of the mountain
farm Il market must be found and
maintained. The market must be held
by some fair measure Of supply, or il
Will fill its requirements from other
sources. Shipments which are only oc-
casi0nal seldom find 4 satisfactory
market. For this reason. 50 long rs in
dlN:dual producers are unable 10
market Il sufficient quantity Of amy one
farm product TO secure the advantages
involved by compliance with the laws
anil customs OF commerce.. some form
Of cooperation would unqucstionably
resrit IN benefit TO those who would be
willing 10 adopt the method.
To attain this cnd. it would seem i
wise measure for those farmers who
have some desire for an improvement
of their material interests. 10 fall into
ljnc With the general trend Of the COM
lncIcial and industrial life Of the times.
There is Il waiting market for products
which might easily be made Il source of
large revenue to this section. But it
80 49, -
world that when merchandise Of amy
Kind IS wanted application for ii will
he mad" ut points from which there is
some probability Of supply. The dealer
III produce III New lork or in Atlanta
will not apply - Mr., y. on Jonathan's
Creek for 10 bushels Of onions. or TO
Mr.. 3. Of Breyard for - bushels of Irish
potatUeS. or to Mr.. G.. Of Haywood cOun-
II for 4 few bushels Of apples. nor will
the dealer be at all likely to consider
y. =. or {. if they approach him with
propositions to sell their little cOnSign-
nent. But it 100 or 300 mountain farm
crs could, by some concerted action.
agree upon the production Of some fixed
surplus of some definite crop. and com
bine the individual products Of 10. -.
30 or 100 bushels, and market the entire !
puantlty through some central agency. |
that agency would take its place III the
market as Il point of supply, ana coma
mand attention III such u capacity.
II Is true that farmers organizations
have been es>aycd. OF such were tho
Changers and the Alliance. But their.
SCOPE has been too broad. and their
aims too cmphaticaIly political. Such
organization as IS here suggested
should b" strictly commercial and in
Guide only the Carolina hill country. 1t
should J." lhauguratel by. and would
need TO be maintained by. those whose,
intelligence and ability qualify them
for leadership. There are plenty Of such
men scattered through these hills. but
they are now held down by conditions
which they are unable, individuality. to
overcome. These men are now like the
ilondfeHs Of little streams which make
thclr little way down the hilIsides
Each stream carries its little volume
100 small to be Of any special moment
nut when they join in the valleys TO
llilh&ie Their supply and their force. they
FORM the French Broad with its bower.
10 make itself felt III the world. LEI
ahe mountain farmers take 4 lesson
from their W mountain streams.
"hoily apart from those ~organiza-
'olS whose aim and purpose is monon-
Oily, there are. in al centres Of com
llerc@ :H,l industry. ORGANIZATIONS AMI
associations Of special lines. wlose OH
Ject IS 4 full acquaintance with tho IN
htieilc'S Wnlcl affect those lines. AMI i,
t"llsiteration Of methods by which do
SIfabF& results are to be most readily
ana effectively attained. The dry gnn1.
trade: the dealers in boots ana shoe.
thc manufacturers of boots and chn...
TIE WOOL merchants: the lunaLe, ,lc.I
ers: the hardWarc dealers: 1ha crocLor,
dealers; and scores Of Other. linz.
represented. i'll the different common
GA ana industrial centers. hy their -.
soc''ioiis. Men Of wide business az
IS f'te,,'t nave found these associations
n,ont ~ ana tney are now a fixed ele-
hlent IN the business world rhn 50
er IS. or should be. Il business ma, ~