The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-02-15
OUR FORUr1

ONOA u
Farm Property East and West
Striking Instances Given.
Bird Island. Mimi, Feb l, 1900.
Hon. Ignatius Donnelly: Dear Friend
~ find difference In the "Blue Book
furnished to the members Of the legis-
lature and the blue Book" furnished
the public schools. On page eos of
the Blue Book presented to me by the
kindness of Hon. Gunerius Peterson, one
Of the members of the last legislature
from this county, find 1t stated that
Kinds, Demo-Pop., and Lowe, PEG. for
congress from Third district, on page
COS, Blue Book, furnished to the schools
blinds, Dem.," Lowe, Peo." l was al
ways under the impression that this
BLUE Book" was compiled with the
greatest care, and that it could be re-
lied upon as being correct. That there
was liberal appropriations made by the
state for that purpose. It seems
strange to me that such mistake
should occur.
Who is responsible for the above mis-
takes? Was it purposely made?
Above question will naturally be
raised. For one my faith in the RELIABLE
ity of the BLUE Book" is shaken. In
fact my faith is shaken upon many
points; and fear will be forced to
retire from active interest in public
affairs in general. take but little
pleasure in anticipating the future Of
this country. 1t seems honest reform
ers are handicapped by a set of men
whose reform views consist in hollow
pretense.
We have a condition of affairs that
places those who made opportunities for
an of1ce-seeking gang, by their untiring
labors In the lecture field, midst storms
and cold, now supplanted and their
hands tied by men being in possession
of our committees who have proven that
their conception Of reform consists in
their getting possession OF the offices.
ether inning and see how far they can
fool this people again.
would be glad to do something more
for reform in the way of lecturing and
distributing literature, but cannot see
at this time that l can accomplish any
thing.
In 1866 my brothers-in-law bought
a farm in Ohio for $4,000, 100 acres, at
500 per acre. He paid $1,000 down;
during the years 1866 and 1867 he paid
the interest upon the $4,000 mortgage
and $1,000 upon the principal, and put
$4,000 improvements in the way of build
ings and other improvements. The
farm was kept up to the highest state of
fertility (my brother-in-law was prac-
tical agriculturist and wrote many able
articles based upon his practical ex-
perience, for the Country Gentleman
and New York Tribune, over his own
name, Orson S. Murry). In 1876 above
farm was sold under foreclosure, and
brought barely what was due upon the
mortgage. His distress and inability
to make above farm pay commenced as
soon as the destruction of the green
backs and interest bearing bonds
were substituted. The cursed ef-
feet of this resulted in my brother
in-law losing all his life's earn
ings, as a man with the hoe" and
man with the AK" while the man
with the mortgage" sitting In a leath-
ern bottomed chair got it all.
A neighbor took a homestead Of
of prosperity, of the present time, and
right here in Renville county, Mimi
A neighbor who took homestead Of
100 acres In the same section now live
on, "a years ago. His family consisted
of wife and two healthy, energetic girls
all Industrious and frugal, wife and
daughter working year in and year out
in the field blowing, moving, harvest
ing, making hands in all kinds of farm
labor; both daughters worked on this
farm until about two years ago, when
they married and with their husbands
started out for themselves. The old
folks continued to delve and labor on
their land until last December, when
they sold the homestead for 1880, after
paying up the mortgage and settling
other accounts they had $500 left as
the result of their "a years struggle on
the homestead. The husband, being an
o'6 soldier, has received pension of So
per month for the last two years. They
have the munificent sum of 81, 500 and
the pension of s. per month to supply
their wants In old age and keep the
wolf from the door. Neither of the
sons-in-law own a foot of land and de-
pend entirely upon daily labor to sup
ply their wants.
There are other instances here of
renters Of large farms, of 300 and 400
acres, after three years going of pen
nilness, having absorbed all their per-
sonal property, consisting OF teams.
wagons and stock in their effort to make
renting farm pay.
One young man who put 5000 cash into
teams and machinery some five years