Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-07-10
Farm Journal Forum

We are in receipt of the following
letter.:
We farmers need awakening to
the fact that we have Enthusiastically
reached the period where we must
think and plan. l am one OF the
slow German farmers that had to
be shown, and | am now giving
my experience that others may
profit, for knowledge at the school
of exerience is more expensive now
than ten years ago.
Twentv-nine years ago | began
my farm career. | had an old
team and $50. Our furniture was
mostly homemade : chairs, cup
boards and lounge made from dry
goods boxes, neatly covered with
ten.cent cretonne by my girl wife.
We rented eighty acres. Being a
boy of good habits | got all needed
machinery and groceries of our
home merchants on credit, until
fall crops were sold. The first year
was wet season and [ didn't make
enough to pay creditors. | went
to each on date of promise and ex-
planned conditions, paying as much
to each as possible, and they all
carried the balance over another
year. They continued to accom-
modate me until | was able to buy
a forty. acre piece of my own
As soon as I owned these few
acres the mail-order houses began
sending me catalogues, and grad
ually began sending my loose
change to them, letting my accounts
stand in my home town, where l
had gotten my accommodation
when l needed it.
We then had one of the thrftiest
little villages in the state good
line of business in all branches,
merchants who were willing to help
an honest fellow over bad year,
and town full of people who came
twice a week to trade and visit. Our
little country town support d a
library high school; band, ball team,
and we had big celebrations every
year. A farm near a live town
soon doubles in value. [ sold my
forty acres at a big advance and
bought an eighty, gradually adding
to it until | had Zoo acres OF the
best land in Iowa. I then felt no
need of asking favors, and found it
easy to patronize the mail-order
agents that came almost weekly to
our door. I regret to say that. l
was the first in the county to make
up a neighborhood bill and send it
to a mail order house. Though we
got bit every once in while, we
got in the habit of sending away
for stuff.
Gradually our merchants lessened
their stock of goods-for lack of
patronage. Finally we began to
realize that when we needed a bolt
quickly for machinery, or clothing
for sickness or death, we had to
wait and send away for it, which
wasn't so pleasant. One by one
our merchants moved to places
where they were appreciated, and
men of less energy moved In.
Gradual our town has gone down;
our business houses are ''tacky" in
appearance. a number are empty,
our schools, churches and walks are
going down, we have no band, no
library nor ball team. There is no
business done in the town, and
therefore no taxes to keep things
up. Hotel is closed, for lack of
travel. Go down to the depot when
the freight pulls in and you see tho
sequel in mail-order packages.
Nine years ago my farm was
worth S195 an acre; to-day I'd
have hard matter to sell it at
S167 an acre. 1t is "too far from
a live town"-so every farmer has
said that wants to buy. He wants
a place near schools and churches.
where his children can have advan-
tages. | have awakened to the
fact that in helping to pull the
town down, it has cost me SIS, 500
in nine wears Like the majority OF
farmers | didn't figure far enough
ahead.
This sort of business means the
doing away of country towns.
What will it mean to farmers to
have only a few large cities at a
distance of 500 or 1000 miles?
What are we going to do with our
children, who are demanding even
better advantages than we had?
Those cities we help to build re-
turn no favors; they take our money
but offer no credit in time of need.
If we want high schools, ect., we
must raise the money and build
near our farm homes, or send our
boys and girls to the cities at great
expense, midst temptations
of which the farm has no equal.
Neither am I the only awakening
farmer. These mail-order agents
that come to our homes every week
are becoming a nuisance and max