The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-10-25

lhat or Rockefeller, Morgan and Car
negie seem a pittance--that Is the
task, the greatest OF it's kind which
any nation is called upon to perform,
in which Uncle Sam Is now engaged.
Having nearly completed the harvest
ing of the crops the country is now at
work on the Titanic labor Of moving
them to market and converting them
into other forms of wealth so that
they may feed and clothe. not only
America but a great part OF Europe as
well. and bring to the pockets Of our
farmers a golden reward amounting
to over S4,O00,000,000. There has
been much talk OF the short crops Of
1911 and the total yield Of the leading
cereals is approximately 500, O0O. 900
bushels below that OF 1910. But,
measured In terms OF money, the crops
Of 1911 are likely to be as valuable as
any in the history of the country,
perhaps more valuable than any be-
fore gathered.
The countrys three great agricul-
tural crops are cotton, grain and cat
tie. Cattle are shipped to the pack
ing centers at all seasons OF the year
but the greater part of the country's
grain and cotton is moved during
the three final months OF the year and
Its handling requires an enormous
amount OF money. labor and trans
portation.
Unlike the floods that sometimes
spread destruction along the great
river courses of the country the
wealth bringing flood OF grain begins
in the south and rolls steadily north
ward. The winter wheat harvest com
mences In Texas and Oklahoma in
June and calls to the wheat fields the
most nondescript army Of labor that
can be found anywhere. Men forced
out Of jobs in the cities. college boys
earning money to continue their edu-
cation, even hoboes. relapsing for the
time being from their ordinary scorn
OF work, are all to be found In the
ranks. IL moves steadily northward,
following the yellow line of ripening
grain across Kansas, Nebraska, the
Dakotas, and over the Canadian bor-
der to the far northern fields of AL
berta and Saskatchewan.
In the wake of this army the grain
deluge gathers 1t trickles in rivu-
lets from the farms to the local ship
ping points where 1t is gathered into
small elevators. From here the grow
ing tributaries of the main stream
fiow to the primary markets, such cit
les as Chicago, Minneapolis, Duluth
and Kansas City, which rank in the
order named in receipts of grain
Last year 250.000, 900 bushels of wheat
were received at the ten largest pri-
mary markets in the country and the
total receipts of the leading cereal
crops were $40, 900. 900 bushels.
Most OF this vast treasure is now
safely garnered. In the south othe
work of picking the precious cotton
that clothes half the world is still UNI
der way. In the western fields some
corn is still standing but it is beyond
the point whre weather conditions
have power to affect It, In q few
places the whirr OF the thresher still
makes golden music, but most OF the
wheat, oats. rye and barley are in the
farmers bins or in the storerooms Of
local elevator men. With the excep-
ton OF part Of the cotton crop the
agricultural products Of the country
are now beyond the influence OF rain,
drought. frost or flood. and the coun-
try is now entering upon the annual
task of moving this enormous store
to market Physically and financially
1t is the biggest job that any nation
is called upon to undertake regularly
year after year.
What the moving Of this vast
amount Of grain means in railroad
transportation may be family sug-
gested by the fact that a solid lire OF
freight cars extending across the con-
tinent and doubling back from New
York to Chicago would be required to
hold the grain shipped into these ten
cities last year When the Hood Is at
its height the congestion OF trains on
the granger roads leading from the
grain country to such centers as Chi
cago, Minneapolis and Duluth is
something to drive the operating
force Of the railways to insanity. Ev-
cry imaginable device is resorted to In
the efforts to obtain cars. The rail-
roads steal them from one another
ruthlessly; they are hauled off rusty
sidings where they have been left to
decay or are patched hastily together
In repair shops. A few seasons ago 1t
was reported that every siding for
ten miles from Duluth was blocked
with grain freights waiting to be un-
loaded II all the cotton were to move
at one time 1t would require line OF
extending from Memphis
to New Orleans to carry It,
At the primary market most of the
grain goes into huge elevators, many
OF the mwith a capacity OF 100000
bushels or more. The storage room
in the fourteen cities Of the country
from which the largest grain ship
ments are made is O,0O0. 900 bushels, 4
or something less than the amount Of
wheat alone received at the primary
markets IN 1907.
From the central shipping points
the grain still rolls eastward 10 the
Atlantic and southwark to the Gulf.
In huge vessels, passing down the
great lakes. and by every line of rail
1t travels to the Atlantic and Cuff
ports where the portion demanded by
Europe Is transferred to ocean Steam
ers for the final stage of its Journey
and that required for domestic con-
sumption Is distributed among mills
and warehouses. Cotton moves saore
largely by water, much of II going di-
rect to New York or to Europe from
the various ports Of the Gulf and this
South Atlantic to which 1t ls gath
cred from ell over the twelve cotton-
growing states of the country.
TO move the vast yield of Araeriv
cas- acres on which the countrye
prosperity chiefly depends a CORES
ponding movement Of currency takes
place. When the local dealer buys
the farmers wheat or cotton he lis
called upon to pay for Il IN full or In