The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-03-26
BY JACOB MKINNEY MERRILL.

bined, No line of human endeayor
has been so belittled and lied about
as that of the farmer. He has been
called mossback, hayseed and
sodbuster terms that have silenced
the longings of many young heart
and driven young, aspiring men from
the tilling of the soil to the city office
and the city swirling, sweating. en-
deavor, breaking lives on the altar of
public opinion when, had there been
no sneers at the farmers calling,
thousands of third rate lawyers, mer-
chants and office men, with a bare
subsistence for their endeavor, would
be gentlemen of the soil, rich in good
health and dollars wrung from will
ing and smiling earth.
AS boy, working in my fathers
sawmill, afterward in the backwoods
store, waiting on jobbers, millmen
and drivers, with now and then
scattering of "mossbacks' from the
rear townships, l had this intense
loathing for the farmer and his call
ing instilled into my soul till imag
ined the very name farmer carried
with it a belittling significance.
Many of the farmers in the new
country were mere shack hogs" liy-
ing from hand to mouth, eating their
johnnycake. fat pork and "taters"
with a sodden disregard for the
niceties of life. | had no fellow feel.
ing for the breed. In fact | shrank
from them with sort of contemptu.
Gus loathing hardly to be accounted
for
Lumbermen and Farmers.
The millmen, loggers and drivers
were princes In comparison with the
backwoods sand-pipers. | learned to
despise them even when waiting on
their varied wants across the counter.
OF all the customers we had to do
with these men ON the new lands
back from the river were the least
desired. They were always and for
ever asking for tick. Charge it, boy,
till we sell our craps" was the fire.
quent remark after the man had got
through with his days trading.
Often we did ''charge ito our
sorrow. Nine out of 10 of these fell
lows were shiftless, good-for-nothings
who had escaped from the older re-
gions south and east, hoping to bet
ter their fortunes in the new region
adjoining the Great Lakes.
Now and then, one there was who
came to this western wilderness i'm
bued with a spirit of determination
to make for himself home; perhaps
comfortable fortune in the wilder
ness. Such as these could count on
the fingers of one hand. call to
mind three men who were honest in
their dealings, though "mossbacks. "
They won out magnificently. One be-
came in after years judge on the
bench, another member of the
State Legislature, the third content
ing himself with owning a dozen
farms, with a bank account that
would shame even that of the big
lumbermen.
For many years the occupation of
tilling the soil was considered rather
beneath the dignity of gentleman.
Nobody with a thimbleful of brains
would be caught behind a plow, turn
ing the soil for future cropping. Fre-
quently the remark, What became
of Dan Weston (name not particu-
lar), who was driving things here on
the river 10 years ago?"
"What, him! Well, what do you
think, he's gone to farming, actually
gone to seed up on the island!"
Poor fellow; I thought he knew
more'n that"
Better have been dead in estima-
tion of the majority and | felt the
same way toward the poor fellow"
who was working out his independ'
ence next to Natures bosom.
Need Of Farming Business.
A good many of the early loggers
made their pile, took the money cut
out Of Michigan pine, removed to Chi
cago and became men of importance
in that new and bustling city by the
lake. Not one out Of 10 who moss |
backed 1t in the back townships ever
made good. And there were they
scratching their bare living out of
virgin soil the richness of which |
ought of have made at least thou
sandaires out of the owners.
The slackness of those early farm
ers acted as deterrent for better
men, who, had they put their talents