The Raymer enterprise., 1912-04-04
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Story Of How Large Profits
Killed a Crusade.
Connecticut Valley Farmers, RfNcr Ee
Ing Shown They Could make
moncy Raising Tobacco, Ignored
Trask's War en- Weed.
BY {. j. ECWAEps.

CJ L. y. EI " rF.G 10.
Recently told OF the pieticttcn-
now g!oriousiy fu!nllod-mnde b. Dr.
George u. Loriug, the coantry's last
commissioner OF agriculture, ia 1855.
to the effect that the than unopened
Dakota pralfies and the still more re,
mote Canadian nofthewst would one
day become two Of the great wheat
gTanaries OF the world.
At the time pr. Lorins made his
prediction asked him II, In his visits
10 the northwest. he had discovered
any land suitable to tie culture OF to.
hacco. had heard that some farmers
OF the then remote west were c0ntem-
plating cult!vnting tobacco suitable
FOR snuff upon lands adjacent 10 oue
OF the great river valleys.
Il don't think much tobacco will bc
raised in the northwest" Dr.. LortEg
replied Still. there may be discoy,
cred some Kind og soil especially
ndarted to certain Eirds CT tobacco.
Wheat VIII be far more profitable
than tobacco Will.
III is curious" Dr. Lorlrg cont!n.
Gcd. how agricultural or commerciai
conditions will sometimcs change
mems Views rIl you ever hear OF
George TrasE?"
replied that had a faint rocol.
lection Of hgvIrG heard onee Of ten.
nCrancc advocate OF that name Dr.
l.orirr laughed,
Its the same ran TRASH was not
only as prominent 40 Temperance
advocate as Negl bow or jchu Cough
was. but. I think. he was the nrs:
man TO tes!n national agitation
against the uEe Of tobacco II you
had heard TraEk speak you would
have been convinced that the use OF
tobacco was alnios, as Erea, n sin as
the use of illuor or opium Ne had
all kinds OF medical testimony 10 show
that tobacco users were on the road
10 perdltion
There was no part Of the country
where Trask's anti.totacco crusade
took tirmer hold than in the valley OF
the Connecticut river, say from Hart.
ford as lar north as BTattleboTo, VI
Young people pledged themselves not
to use tobacco just as they pledged
themselves TO taste not. touch not, or
. handle not strong drink. The tobacco
user In that valley was looted upon
as Grievous sinner. II public opinion
all over the United States had been
as strong against tobacco as 1t was
in the Connecticut valley the tobacco
trade would have become extinct.
We'll. one day there came into the
valley an agricultural chemist
think he was In the employ OF the
goverrment--to visit friends who
lived. II remember correctly. in the
town OF Sui'leld. Conn, just south OF
the Massachusetts line. He took great
interest in the agricultural products OF
The Vicinity and fell into the habit o:
studying and tnai.2inG the soil lie
made some experiments with the soil
OF various farms Of Sufiieii. ard then
he told the farmers that the soil was
very rich In qualities which would
nxurinn,ly produce certain KINDS OF
tobacco One or two farmers. who had
not been affected by the antitobacco
campaign. ventured to try the expert.
mcnt. They raised wonderful crops
Of tohacco. and 1t was discovered that
II Was especially suitable for the wrap.
pers of cigars
Tho next year still other farmers
took np the raising Of the pernicious
weed. and In the course OF few years
the whole Connecticut valley was bu.
coming, comparatively speaking. one
OF the grea, tobacco producing CEN
iers Of the world. And with the dis.
corery Of the prof, there was In grow
Ing and harvesting tobacco IN the
Connecticut valley there came o
change OF sentiment respecting It's
use. No longer did Trusk's anti.to.
bacco crnsades avail. The organlza.
'ions died out; children no longer
pledged themselves not to use tobac.
co: and users Of tho weed were no
longer pointed out ns men OF sin. And
| have observed more school houses
and high ?chools. more libraries. In
the Connecticut valley since its tarm.
ers took 10 tobacco raising than we're
to be found there before this weed
yielded them n good living and en-.
ahled them 10 have n surplus In the
bank"
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