The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-19
THE GROWTH OF INDIANA
WONDERFUL STRIDES MADE IN Ev-
cry PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT.
Tax Commissioners Wingate Talks In
terestingly on the Subject-W.
:. Taylor Adds n Word.


~ have been thinking a great deal late
ly.' remarked State Tax COMMISSIONS
Johl c. Wingate. about the uniformity Of
development of conditions and industries
In this country. Take hogs and hog raising
for example. My uncle. James Wingate,
who died the other day, drove a herd of
hogs about twenty-five or thirty years ago
from a plece in western Ohio clear to Bal
timore. They were what were known as
RANGERS that is, hogs that roamed or
ranged about in the woods. in other words,
wild hogs. They could travel just like
ponies. OF course they were well fed along
the way and given needed rest, and by the
time they arrived in Baltimore they were
actually in better condition than when
they started from home. Nowadays, how
ever. We raise hogs that are toe fat TO
travel. Why. 1 often see hogs only nine
months old that weigh in the neighborhood
Of 200 pounds. Those hogs that my uncle
drove to Baltimore were about two years
old and weighed about 200 pounds apiece.
These hogs that are produced now could
scarcely be driven a square without get
ting hot When a hog gets hot you
kno@ ne just gives a squeal. Jumps into
the air and it is all over with him. The
hog has developed or progressed just tue
same as other things have advanced.
Then you take cattle breeding snI rails
ing. Until within a few years age calves
were mighty scarce in this country, L can
tel. you. Cattle mcn out West would send
cows to the great stock centers Ike Chi
cage and st. Louis, and so did the small
farmers. until beef got unusually high as
a consequence Then they came TO their
senses and turned their attention 10 Freed
ing and improving cattle. Now It is a com
mon Thing TO see from three TO twenty
young calves on a farm. Suppose a farmer
mas eighteen or twenty calves on his place.
why that means a carload OF cattle when
they are fattened mp. Not very lOrg ago
at our litt[ railroad station a carload of
cattlet WIS sold at $40 2 head. Some years
ago cattle We're considered TO be selling
we'll IL they brought so or $50 a head, aud
We sun nave some OF that same common
KIND of cattle. But sne general character
or cattle is greatly improved. Another
thing | have nJslcGC in my years CT travel
ing about over this country is the extension
OF great receiving stations fer cattle md
livestock. only a few years ago there was
scal cely a big stocKyards or packing cS-
adjustment west of Chicago. Now there
are 600 acres of Hour space devoted 10 the
pork and beef packing industry on the
banks OF the Missouri river. Only recently
a big establishment of this kind was started
in Fort Worth, Tex. Before that plant was
erected ami put INTO operation there was a
u'liLI > UlilcTtItt DtlNtt-t GD-S III Ill
cago and hogs In Texas. Now there is only
so cents difference That packing house has
raised the value OF the farmers hogs in
Texas.
BUILDING IMPROVEMENT.
'One of the greatest Improvements has
been in building. When 1 was a boy 1t
took a whole summer and part or all of
the fall to build a farmers house. The car
| penter had to dress the lumber and shape
out the joists, laths, window casing and
all other pieces laboriously by hand. He
had to dry the lumber by stacking it up
and building a fire underneath, reversing
the position of each piece of lumber as the
tops became dry enough to use. Nowadays
IL is only a matter of a few weeks to build
a fine house. The farmers are now living
not in houses, but in edifices. They used
to live i'm log cabins, but they have kept
pace with the general development and are
long past the log cabin period. They have
telephones in their houses now. Why, L
can so over to my little town and talk TO
twenty farmers by telephone any time l
please.
almost relegated to the past in the coun-
try's general march of improvement. 1t
used TO be considered a pretty good job for
a farmer TO plant ten or fifteen acres of
ground a week. Now, with the horsepower
planter, he can put in nearly a hundred
acres IN the same time. The truth of the
matter is that the farmer is right abreast
OF the times. lniS StdSOH WAS TWO weeks
late. but the farmers are caught up now.
Corn planting will be practically finished
in Indiana this week. You see. 1t is only a
matter of a few days now where II used
to be a matter OF weeks.
Il am one of those fellows" continued
Mr.. Wingate, who believe that this de-
velopment has occurred in all lines of life.
L believe the country has grown better
morally. Why, look at the vast increase
In hospitals in my lifetime. for instance.
Only "a few years ago the Catholic Church
was about the only religious sect that sup
ported hospitals. Now, however, all the
churches are coming TO realize that, i'm adj
dition 70 the future benefit that is ex-
pected to come TO people through this Chris
tan faith. they must give them something
tangible right here on earth: So the Meth
odists are building what they call deal
conesses' hospitals. They are planning one
IN this city right now. The German Luth-
Grams have many of them in active opera
tin all over the country.
Another great stride that has been made
Is in the matter OF sanitation. Years ago
'scourges.' as they were called. sometimes
OF diphtheria. sometimes of smallpox and
sometimes of cholera, that swept over the
country lust like a Dakota hailstorm
sweeps over a wheat field. and they didn't
leave very many behind them-made prac-
tically a clean sweep. Nowadays such
things are practically unknown. We have
Isolated cases OF diphtheria and of other
diseases that are nearly as bad as those
that used 20 occur. but families are quar-
antined and the plague is stamped out in n
short time.
But 10 return TO the moral phase Of this
development. You know how tightly the
railroads are drawing the lines on their
employees nowadays. II a man Is caught
tsking a drink OF liquor when he is on duty
4. means the loss OF his position. Why. it
has not been so very long ago that travel
ing statesmen thought they had 10 get n
customer drunk and show him a high old
time I'm order TO sell goods successfully.
Now 7 venture there Is scarcely one trav-
cling man in twenty that pursues the old
tactics"
IN NORTHERN INDIANA.
When Mr.. Wingate INDUCED In remarks
Of the foregoing tenor he had just returned
10 Indianapolis from a tour Of northern IN
diana. in various parts OF which he had
been holding what are termed district
meetings with county and township as
SCISSORS for the purpose OF comparing
notes" and arriving az a more uniform
method of listing property for taxation.
Mr.. Wingate was asked for an expression
as 10 conditions in that part of Indiana.
We'll" he replied. that part Of the State
Is going 10 make a fine showing this year
on the tax duplicates. The farmers are un-
usually prosperous. They have plenty of
wheat. plenty OF cattle and plenty OF fine
hogs. The wheat crop is a trihe short, but
what there is OF IT is in the best of condi-
ton