Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-06-15

toonist, and they improved it to the full
with iahclful sketches Of and gibes at, |
Farmer Minds in Wall Street, "ete. The
The idea was, OF course, quite absurd; !
but all the ridicule had no effect on
Minds, who set out for New York with |
his cheerful smile.
1t was bright morning in February
when Minds reached New York. He did
not pause to look at the sights, but as
soon as he left the station he began to
hunt for the haunts of the fnanciers.
He soon found, to his great dismay, that
the day was holiday and no brokers'
office would be open. But he was es-
peclally anxious to see a Western United
States senator whose real home was in
New York and who was a wealthy rail
road protector. So he learned the Sena-
tors residence address and went up to
the house. And this is the story Minds
told to the Dakota farmers OF his visit
to the East:
~ rung the bell at the Senator's house,
and the Teller that opened the door told
me that the Senator was not up yet (al-
though i, was after nine o'clock.) He
told me tub come back at noon, but he
was sure the Senator wouldn't see me
that day, bein's 1t was hollerday. Well
| went back at plum noon, and the Sena-
tors wife, leastways | s'pose she was his
wife. opened the door. When asked to
see the Senator she told me that he
wouldn't see lne ner anybody else |
told her that wouldn't do at all, must
see him, fer | had come two thousand
miles Ter that one thing. l Went on 81
a telling her about the Farmers Rail
road in Dakota, and she kept on refusin',
and guess between us two there was
| considerable noise. until finally the Sena-
tor himself come out tosec what was the
row. He laughed when he saw me- fer
some reason. and told me to come in
anyway. But | tell yuh he was mad
enough when he found what | had come
| fer. Why he says, ii am bothered to
| death every day with these swindlers an
fools, and | won't let another one OF
| them spoil holiday fer me- | told him
then purity warm like that | wasn't
swindIer era fool, but plain Dakota
| farmer, aud KEEP on a taikin' until he
said weary like, "Oh, WELL set down. and
| let's hear quick what's yer scheme
so | got out my map and pinned it
agin the wall. and begun tub tell him
the whole thing ez | hev told it tub you,
and he set there sayin nuthiu', but think
I, in his eyes. Well, when got all tired out
and couldn't think Of anything else tub
say, he begun TO talk and | wisht you
could hev heard the questions he asked
me. There was the queerest things he
asked about-where | lived, what kind OF
! Il house, who my wife was, how many
children we had, what we had tub eat,
how done my farming, who my neigh
bors was, and a thousand more ques-
| tons les about as funny
In the evenin he sent out fer q chum OF
his, and | went over the whole thing
again, Then we had supper, er dim er
they called it, and it was. sure enough,
dinner fer me that day, fer Id had but
one meal before that Well | tell yuh,
it was Il funny sight, me tellin' them mil
| lionaires about things out here on the
prairie. Finally, alter thev had looked
over my papers and see that | wasn't a
fraud. they got off in a corner and talk
ed long time. Well the upshot OF it
was that they agreed to give me just
what wanted, a guarantee TO loan me
$1,000 mile for the roads equipment
when the gradin' was done. Fhey could
not believe at first that the road could
be built so cheap, but had all the fig
gers down purity fine, and showed EN-
how it could be done, and I've got their
agreement in black and white right here
in my pocket.
New York is purity nice, big place,
with lots Of sights, and could havespent
a whole week there. SEEM things; but
the Farmers Railroad didn't have the
/ time, and went right off to Washington
to see about getting my bill through Con-
gress. Iuh see. when anybody wants
to build road through an Indian reser-
walton, he has to git a special act Of
Congress. Well, OF course, our road runs
4 through that reservation in northern
Minnesota, and had to git the law pas
sed Mebbe some OF you member that
some fellers and newspapers in this
county said it would cost us $4,000 to
git that bill passed. Well, it was put
through and signed by the President in a
week time, and it didn't cost a cent,
and them Congressman wouldn't let the
farmer pay for his own meals
On his way back home, Minds visited
the Carnegie mills at Pittsburg and the
rails turned out and to get their prices.
When he arrived at Brighton, he found
many circulars from Wall Street firms
and other capitalists awaiting him in
which they complained because he had
not negotiated with them.
His campaign among the farmers now
took on notes of power, inspiration, and
triumph. The meetings were very large
and enthusiastic, and stock was taken
up with avidity. Various towns clam
ored for the honor OF the main line.
Calls came for organization meetings in
Minnesota as well as in Dakota. Those
who had called Minds lunatic now
showered praise upon him and enter.
tanned him lavishly. The leading men OF
every community became active in sup.
port OF the project. Its SUCCESS seemed
certain.
1 Soon, however, nature conspired with
many other circumstances in an attitude
which seemed that OF manevolence to de-
feat the scheme. First, there came a
"backwa ard spring" The ice and snow
remained on the ground until late in
4 April, and in some sections until May,
and then melted in few days, causing
disasterous floods which prevented seed
ing. Then, after seeding, cold rains fell,
and much OF the wheat was chilled and
al. =