Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-11-28

Where, in all the world. would
it be possible to find a man more
to be envied than the farmer in
the Willamette Valley who owns a
nice farm, either large or small,
with sufficient means at hand to
stock Il nicely and blessed with
health to look after It properly :?
With present existing conditions
there Is nothing he produces that
does not command a ready sale at
a profit and when he has spent the
day In the glorious sunshine and
breafhed the pure air of this salu-
brious climate he comes to the table
with an appetite thoroughly devel-
opod to do justice to the three
S'square meals" prepared by the
good housewife.
While the balance of us poor
creatures, living In town, are lay
ing awake of nights studying
where the next meal is to come
s7rom, he stretches his tired body on
"The feather bed and wastes no time
Sin his sleep, knowing full we'll that
'ghe pigs and calves are growing, the
COWS will give the usual amount OF
butter fat and that dollar wheat In
the sack Is fully as satisfactory as
a clearing house check. He puts
In his crop knowing full we'll that
never. In the history of the state,
has a failure been recorded and
when comes the harvest the doors
OF heaven seems to be closed so tha.
sacks OF golden grain can be piled
In the field without the fear OF rain.
He can eat apple, mince, cherry and
gooseberry pie to his liking and
have fried cakes and ham and eggs
for breakfast.
The eastern farmer pokes lit
tie fun at him occasionally on ac-
count of the "rainy season" but
note the contrast In early spring
the eastern farmer takes to the
aield at the earliest moment when
the ground is dry enough and COM
mences plowing for corn, then har-
rows then plants, then sows the
corn over three times. and then
usually hoes for weeds and cuckle-
burrs, hurrying late and early to lay
the corn by and be ready for tho
harvest OF hay, oats and other
grain. lie runs the machine In the
forenoon and shocks In the after
noon for he knows not the hour
when the rain will descend In to-
rents or a cyclone clean up all his
earthly possessions. He Is roasted
with heat In the summer and In tho
winter the keen northwestern wind
Will play hide and seek mp and down
his spinal column. He Is called up
on TO wade through the snow In the
held In husking corn for the cattle
and hogs and cut through ice any
where from 70 "a inches thick to
water the stock In an on season
like this one if he likes fruit he Is
compelled to eat apples dried in the
presence OF the files Gin the good
old summer time" and search the
shelf In the pantry for some stray
can that may have been overlooked
by the good housewife for a year or
TWO.
This is no fancy picture painted
Tor effect, for from personal Obser-
walton of the writer this fall / did
not see FIVE bushels of apples on the
trees, or fruit OF any kind, from the
time l left the state of Washington,
travelling by way OF st. Paul TO Chi
cago and back over the middle route
until reached the State of Utah.
n you had taken from the market,
on Water Street In Chicago In the
month OF October. the fruit grown
by Oregon. Washington and Idaho,
there would not have been enough
left 10 supply good meal for the
city. Medium sized apples were
selling at cents each or for 25 /,
cents. while here In the valley the
ground in many orchards was COW
cred with luscious fruit which !
wonld have made their mouths wa
ter could they have looked over the |
renee and viewed the promised
land ?
l never could see or explain why
an eastern farmer who has passed
Through such an experience should
ever complain OF the "rainy sea-
son" in Oregon, yet 1t is a fact that !.
when he gets homesick and goes
back the first time he tells stories
chat would make an Oregon liar 4
ashamed OF himself, Occasionally /
le gets so bad that the weather reg
llator sends a little cyclone to 4