St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-04-23

Fortunes

1.-The plain people" to wealth was
regarded as hope, encouragement,
emulation by a community not yet
schooled by demagogic politicians,
rich men of leisure, patriots getting
rich through ten cent mazagines and
paid parasites of philanthropy"
Practically he put up the money for
the War of 1912. He lent great
sums of money to the government.
Private SUBSCRIPTION failing, he vir-
tually subscribed the 100000
loan of 1914 He was a plutocrat
in a poor country. To speak very
moderately, his 100000 was
more comparatively than twenty
times that sum would be today.
We have not at hand the esti-
mates of the wealth of the United
States in 1880 The census reports
and compendiums seem to begin
with 1850, nineteen years after Gil
rard's death. In that year the es-
timated value of that wealth was
$7,135, The estimate for
1912 was $1O7, 1O4,2 1,917. The
wealth of the country was between
fourteen and fifteen times as much
as it was in 1850, and we regret
not to know how many times more
than it was in 1880, the year be-
fore Girard's death.
The fortune absolutely owned by
the late Colonel John Jacob Aston
was some $51, 100000. The net val
ue was about $85,OOO,OOO. The
gross amount is $87,216,691.O5 A
bitter disappointment to a public
that insists on a cool hundred mill
lion as the minimum of greed"
Judged by the growth of the
wealth of the United States since
1850, and remember that 20 years
of growth are here left out, a great
private fortune of today should
have been, compared with that of
the Bordeaux sea captains son, at
least $126, 100000.
All things considered, the rise
in prices, standards of living, lux
uries, refnements, arts, it is safe
to say that the 100000 of 1881
would not be made good by less
than 100000 in 1913. Private
wealth has not grown equally with
public wealth.
We commend these considerations
respectfully to the Hon. Thomas
Riley Marshall when he con-
plates "a vast and growing fortune
and vents his artless Hoosier anar-
chy upon the public ear.-[New
York Sun.
The Best Business ON Earth
Farming, as tits the most import
ant, is, also, the best business on
earth. Many farmers do not believe |
this, either because they do not farm |
right, or are not farming under |
right conditions, and the great ma
jority of people in general do not |
believe it. But it is absolutely true, |
nevertheless, and quite capable of |
And there is a de-
cided awakening to the fact, and
farmers and others, are becoming |
converts from their previous skepti-
cism as to the merits of agriculture
1. Farming is the best human
vocation, because it is the most vi
tai, because without it the world
would starve. The land-with the
waters thereon-are the original
source of all wealth, including in
the term "land" the earth to any
depth and all that it contains of
atent mineral resources. AS men
have emerged from barbarism, they
nave become more and more depend
ent on the products of the soil, and [
10 will continue with the progress of
throughout all time.
both by reason of the in
crease in the needs of humanity,
through it's enlightenment, enhanc- [
I'd ideals and increased means of
and of the ever increas-
ng number of people who must OBJ
ain their sustenance from the land, ,
he demand for agricultural pro-
lucts must of necessity constantly
Increase surely puts the ag-
in the very first position ,
.mong men of business. He not
My produces the most important
Kings that go to the consumer, but
lie has constant market and a con-
tantly increasing demand. Nor
nally, his market is the best in the
World, because it comprises the
7hole world. The farmer is King
# the Earth!
So long as there were vast areas
f new agricultural lands awaiting
and development the
Torking out of the law of supply !
nd demand was not so wholly in
aVor of the farmer. But that day
) virtually past. Now the farmer
an keep him out of it, be it low
ariff or high tariff, or what not,
ave his own inertia and incapability
rising to opportunity. Everything
!; in his favor, and more and more
ill be. The cry of the world today
!, More Dreadl" The land must
e made to produce more, intensive
,ientifc agriculture becomes more
nd more an absolute necessity for
lie perpetuation of human life, and
lie day is not long hence when the
wner in fee simple of a small, but
ell titled, farm will be deemed
lost fortunate among his fellows.
II. Because it is the only bus
less, save that of the inventor, in
art, only, that creates wealth by
lie production of new raw material.
he miner and the manufacturer
My transmute raw material into
nished products-and in many
mes of business there is no addi-
on whatever to the volume of in
.insic wealth. Moreover. ii is