Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-12-17
ARE FARMERS PROSPEROUS?


Much has been both said and wri
ten on the money making ability {
the farmers. 1t may be true til;
they do not realize as much for the
crops as they should, but even wit
this no class Of people as a whole
earning better livelihood honest]
than they are. The Farm, Stock All
home gives a story Of young ma
who became dissatisfied with a farm
1t is so full Of good sense that "
it in extenso:
"A young farmer recently went
into a real estate office in the
northwest and listed his farm for
sale, remarking to the land agent
that he was mot making money
enough After he had gone the
agent did some thinking and a
little figuring, with this result:
When the young man came to
his claim, eight years ago, he had
his hands and perhaps a few hum
cred dollars. lie did not have
enough money to carry his bust
ness he had to go slow, save
every cent and wait for better
times before he could have things
to his liking. So it is fair to say
That he started ut the bottom.
He Is Il good workman and could
earn gong farm wages and no
more. He has no trade and no
education to speak of--not enough
to put him into the neoney-mak-
ing end of any business unless he
had capital to back him.
Now. after eight years, he owns
Il half section of land. 1t is all
paid fort is his. 1t is, y good
prairie lOans in good part Of the
northwest. There is a comfort
able little home on it. Year by
year the crops have cOnae and
have done well. And the other
day when he listed his land with
the real estate man he set the
price at $4,000. In other words
he had made above his living
900 a year, and now is anxious
to get out of the country into
some paradise on earth where he.
an uneducated workman with his
hands for tools, can make more
money!
This man (or rather society for
him) is gathering under his name
more money per year ttnan the
average business or professional
man succeeds in saving, and still
he is unsatisfied. Because he eau
clear only a paltry 81. 900 Il year.
he is anxious to quit and move
further on. Situated where that
farm is within the next twenty
five years it will easily go to 500
per acre; or if he just holds OH to
the land without any more than
making a living, he will continue
to save down to old age, his paltry
81 900 Il year, and at so can retire
with fortune such as many a
banker or merchant or attorney
would look upon as a splendid net
return for his ife's work.
1t is no use to try ana reach
this man. He is dissatisfied and
go he will. if he has to drop some
OF his present profits in order to
get free. But there are other
men i'll the northwest who are sit
uated much the same, to whom
the same temptation to sell out
and move farther west or north
may come. And this little lit if
present-day history is written to
such men. There are some facts
il does not pay to gloss over and
the fact Of your earning power is
one of them. II fortune has
placed you where society is add
ing to your wealth at a fair rate.
give the credit to society-to the
general increase in Valups-but
do not forget that your next move
may not be SO fortunate. So
long as things are on IA general
upward trend stay by the farm;
and the trend of farm values is
upward. must be upward, for
many years to come.
No more eloquent sermon on til,
'alue of farm lands and the certaint,
II competence in old age could b,
Preached than the story of that youn.
nd dissatisfied man. The lure O.
he easy road to wealth is often great
T than the slow but sure one, and $.
he farm boys are pushing into III,
titles: professions are being ever
r"wded with metliocrity and thu
arm is left to hired help. The rem
dy lies in the proper appreciation %
he income producing value of Il,
and.