River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-10-26
FROM DOWN EAST


York, and efforts have been made
by the owners of these places, by
real estate agents and by the state
officials, to accomplish the rehabili-
tation of these "derelicts. But as
against all the efforts of these rem
edial agencies, this Back to the
Farm" cry, statistics show us that
more and more land is annually
given up to the grasp of the wilder
ness. In Rhode Island alone there
were 400 more abandoned farms re-
ported by the census of 1910 than
were on record in the census of
1900. Many reasons have been ad-
vanced as causes for this diminish
ing cultivation of the soil in these
old states. Among the multitude
Of causes given the most readily un-
derstood and the most evident is
that the soil is not sufficiently fer
tile to render cultivation profitable,
as compared with the profit of other
industries. Of course many
elements enter into the question,
questions that are too readily seen
and answered to need discussion.
There is, however, one element
of the subject that is not generally
understood by those not familiar
with the changed conditions in the
character of the inhabitants that
have occurred in the last few de-
cades. Fifty years ago there were
few but English speaking people in
these states. These had habits of
thought in common and similar
regard for the rights, each of the
other. A man could pursue his
course with safety. could cultivate
his land and be reasonably sure to
reap the results of his toll. The
farmer was considered as entitled
to encouragement. What he raised
on his lands was conceded TO him
as his by right, and he was safe
guarded in this right.8 Now it
seems that the farmer is exploited
by every other class of men and one
farmer of a certain nationality is
exploited by others not of his clan.
Now if farmer raises anything on
his land and saves it for his own
advantage it is by eternal vigilance
and shotgun. There are a great
number of the Latin race, SO Called,
in these states, and they seem to
have ideas of right vastly different
from the view held by most English
speaking people. These foreign
born people raid the farms and
carry off anything they can eat.
Women are seen going along the
roads with great loads of fruit and
vegetables on their heads. They
go into the orchards and fields,
men and women, boys and girls, and
take anything AS common plumber,
and it is seldom that they seem to
be brought TO book for the offence.
1t would look as if these people
were privileged characters. Maybe
that because they are clannish and
quarrelsome people prefer to have
their rights invaded TO causing
trouble by resorting to the law, and
in most instances it is difficult to
distinguish as between the guilty
and the innocent. A farmer not far
from the city has fine peach or
chard. He said that the only way
he could save any of his crop was
to constantly keep man on guard,
day and night. AS showing what
goes on in this predatory fashion
grocer accustomed to peddle on
certain route asked the lady of
house if she needed any potatoes.
She said she didn't, as they were
using wild potatoes; her husband
went out in the country every Sun
day and brought home A bag full.
People in the cities who have had
fruit trees in their yards for years
are so annoyed by thieves as soon
as the fruit begins to mature that
they are cutting down these fine
trees to free themselves of the an
noyance. The farmer seems to be
disqimin ated against in New Eng
land. In 1860 there were so, 1000
sheep in Rhode Island. Now there
are scarcely 5000 in the whole state,
but there are apparently ten dogs
to one sheep. Last winter the
farmers wanted bill passed by the
legislature giving them the privilege
to set fox traps on their farms.
The bill was beaten by the city
sports. One of the opponents of
the bill wrote the newspapers Civ
ing his reasons why the bill should |
not pass. He said it would be a |
menace to the dogs of the city |
people and he claimed the right to |