The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-11
AND CATTLE

to carry of the floods in the spring and
winter, that had been carrying of the mos,
Fertile bottoms in the form Of silt, and
destroying crops in the summer and fall
The canal is is feet wide and 10 feet deem
1t cost about $4,000 to excavate it, but Mr.
Rankin seemed satisfied with the expendi.
ture
He drove between forty and fifty miles
that day and wound up at his Office in the
First National Bank at Tarkio which he
founded, and Of which he is the president
Here he looked over his mail and talked
with his secretary Within stones throw
was the Office Of the Midland MANUFACTURER,
Company, in which he is largely interested
and which manufactures the pantin,
and harvesting machinery used by him
self and his neighbors.
He is also the owner of the controllin,
interest in the Independent Telephon
Company, which has twenty-five toll sta
tons and connects all Of the towns of north
west Missouri. He is also the owner of
the electric light plant and the water work,
of the town.
Mr.. Rankin lives in frame house thai
cost 600, which he regards as an On.
travagant expenditure for man who
borrows so much money as he does for hi
various enterprises. When his secretary
reminded him recently that he was not
spending more than o ne tenth of his income
he protested:
THAT amt the right way to look at it
Money is made to be used, not spent" h,
replied.
Mr.. Rankin has never drunk, smoked o,
used profane language. Tho nearest an.
proach he has made to profanity was hi
use of the phrase Ndog-gone it, but he GU
this out some time ago for the benefit OF hi
grandson, a small boy who seemed to,
precooious in strong words. When he be
comes excited, he sometimes calculate,
"Set fire! Set fire. in a shrill voice.
This expletive has hoen adopted as tn
yell of Tarkio college, of which Mr.. Rankin
is the financial patron. Some Years ago
when there was a protracted drought, h
and his neigh bors, all members of the Unite,
Presbyterian Church, put up united praye
for rain. The rain came and saved the corr
crop. AS thank Offering he gave tn
college $4,000. His total gifts to the in
stitution amount to s265 900.
While he Is as democratic and uncon
ventional millionaire as one could meet
and exhibits utter indifference to wha
people think Of him, he likes appro hation
and no thing in his career has afforded hin
more satisfaction than the action of hi
State in making a mural picture OF a section
of his farm the chief feature of Missouri
agricultural display in the Agriculture
Building at the worlds fair.
1t occupies wall space 80 by Is feet,
and depicts seventy-two three mule team
cultivating a 1000 acre cornfield. Tit
picture is made up OF grains and grasses
in their natural color. 1t was executed by
the State College at Columbia, Mo-, ano
cost $500.
Mr. Rankin is not a scientific farmer
and does not bother his head about this
percentage Of nitrogen in corn, for that
is superfious knowledge in a State where
the soil is inexhaustibly fertile. When it
comes to knowing what is going on on his
ranches, anybody who challenges hii
knowledge Of any detail will have to @show
him." He looks after his farms as methodi-
cally and infinitely as he looks after the
details of his bank, and the process involves
about as much bookkeeping. Each fore
man sends in monthly reports covering
the minutest details OF expense and
income.
Mr.. Rankin has made his wealth by in
dustry and has never owed cent to speou-
lation. All of the corn he ever bought
was real corn and was turned into visible
pork and beef. He never attempted to af-
feet a corner, like some others who have
worn temporarily the title of corn king.