Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-11-25
A QUEER FARM.
The Crops Are Raised Never to Be Sold or
Even Used.

The Crops Are Raised Never to Be Sold or
Even Used.
The death not long ago of Isaac
Swelgert, an aged resident of Lancas-
ter county, Pennsylvania, brought to
light one OF the most remarkable cases
of unnecessary thrift and saving on
record, says Farm and Field.
Isaac Sweigert, with his too sisters,
had for half a century or more been
engaged in raising large and profitable
crops from the fertile sixty acres which
they jointly possessed, but, strange to
say, none, or very few, of the farms
products was ever sold. 1t cost the
family but little to live, and after dis
posing of as much of seasons crop
as would bring them in the necessary
money to buy their provisions and
clothing, the rest of the harvest would
be laid aside as carefully as a miser
puts by his hoard of gold.
The family is descended from thrifty
German stock. Isaac Sweigert's par
ents we're among the first who turned
virgin forests of that section of Penn
sylvania into productive farm land.
The industry and the savings of the
parents were apparently transmitted
by heredity to the son and daughters.
who toiled for years early aud late in
the sowing, cultivation and reaping of
their crops, but who failed through
neglect or indifference to realize the
commercial value OF their labor.
No outside help was ever hired at
the farm, the arduous work of sowing
and reaping being performed by the
odd trio; for the two sisters joined
with their brother and turned to every
form of labor in the fields. The broth.
er and sisters allowed but little sun.
shine to brighten their lives. They
rarely visited any of their neighbors
and were seldom seen at any public
gatherings. The only change in the
even tenure of their simple lives was
when the brother brought wife to
the old old homestead, and the prattle
of child later lent a new and strange
atmosphere to their cheerless home.
The family lived almost exclusively
on the products of the farm and were
seldom seen making any purchases at
the country stores. As years passed
the brother and sisters we're reputed to
have accumulated considerable wealth,
but continued their hard toll and
economical methods of living. In.
stead of disposing of their crops as
formerly, they began stacking their
grain at different points on the farm,
where it was allowed to rot by years OF
exposure to the element.
Visitors to the premises will find
about seventy-five of these stacks scat
tered all over the farm, between fifteen
and twenty being located near the
house. The loss from this source az.
gregates thousands OF dollars. OF late
the brother and sisters were content
with thrashing and cleaning only
enough of their crops for immediate
wants, storing the surplus Of grain
each year in different rooms of their
house. The house now contains great
quantities of grain, especially the low.
er story, whore its great weight has
caused sagging of the floor and the
valuable product finds its way through
cracks to the cellar beneath. The
storing of this grain has proved rich
treat to countless hordes OF rats and
mice. which thrive and grow fat on it.
An examination of the numerous
stacks OF grain showed that the once
valuable product is worthless either as
food or bedding for the stock. The
loss represented in these rotted stacks,
including the immense quantities OF
grain stored in the house, and which
is stated to have also become unfit for
use, would, it is said, be sufficient for
the purchase of one of the largest
farms in Lancaster county.