The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1917-06-08
FOUND OUT
BY EXPERIENCE.
What Tearing Down the
Home Town Cost an
Iowa Farmer

Hans Garbus is a German farmer
in Iowa. He wrote letter recently
to The Farm Journal of Philadelphia
The editor summarized the contents
wherein is told how Garbus and his
neighbors neglected their home mer-
chants to Save" money by patroni-
zing the mail order houses. This
letter is a human document. 1t
rings true. The merchants and
bankers of the small towns of Flori-
ia should put this letter in the hands
of every farmer in their respective
communities. 1t ought to be read in
every hamlet in the state.
(Thomas Jefferson, a democrat
and farmer, after a long and ar
my career, after the republic had be-
come reality, retired from the presi-
dency to his Virginia farm, and
thereafter there was no subject near
er and dearer to him than that Of
community organization.
From his farm on a hill not far
distant from the great university
he founded, he wrote no truer words
than these; Those who labor in the
earth are the chosen people of God
if he ever had chosen people.
C'The opposite of life on the land
with growing things,-green trees,
flowers, gordens and fields, singing
birds, pure air and the open sky
has grown up. Here is a descrip-
ton:
Its heart is of concrete; its soul
is of brass. 1t has the brilliancy of
a trooic flower, and lures men on to
danger by its gaiety and brightness. /
1t makes much and gives little. 1t
is cruel and selfish. It's standards
are false. and its morals are free and
easy. Corruption thrives, and merit
stands but small chance. It's many
;toried buildings are filled with a new
ace Of cliff dwellers. who under the
artificial glare of electricity spend
heir energy in exchange for a mere
living. Souls are battered for. and
old like calico over the counter.
'nobbishness reigns supreme, and
he dollar is the god of the multi
ude. Here and there purity exists
ike a beautiful white pond lily bios
oming in slough Greed is the +
reed, and envy is high priest.
thousands of young men and women. {
With the fresh bloom of the country '
ide on their cheeks, arc swept into
he vortex and come out pale and
randcd with an indelible mark. In !
ividuality vanishes and the people {
re mere carbon COPIES of the dol I
lred ariStocracy. The stranger in
ne city is lonesome. He is stunned.
lie walks the streets and no one |
peaks to him. Good American
'aits are laughed at and held up to
idicule and scon. Clothes count,
nd brains might as we'll be in the
avn shop, Little children. who p
Mould be out in Gods fresh air. are
ale and emaciated-mere caricatures 5
childhood. An assumed superi- !
'ity is worn by the masses and the a
asses. Life is as false as the ca \
ssS of the siren. Behold the CITY" D
Us this not a true picture of the t
reat city whose mail order store
Hners are familiar names in every
ome of the republic. But here is
e letter from Hans Garbus:
We farmers need awakening TO
e fact that We have unmistakabIv
ached the period where we must
ink and plan. am one of the
DIV German farmers that had to
shown, and am now giving nv
perience that others may profit.
r knowledge is more expensive now
an ten years ago. |
lWenty-nlne years ago | BEGAN |
farm career. | had an old team \
nth $50 Our furniture was
'stlv ome-made-chairs, cupboard
d lounge made from dry goods
XeS. neatly covered with ten-cent
stonne by my girl wife. We rent
eighty acres. Being a boy of on
od habits got all needed ma to
merry and groceries of our home of
rchants on credit, until fall crons
re sold. The first year was = wet -
son and | did not make enourb --
pay creditors, | Went to each
date Of promise and explained ~~
.dltlons, paying as much as posi- y
and they all carried the balance
r another year. They continued
accommodate me until | was aha
ouN a forty acre piece of nv own
IS soon as | owned these few a~ro,
mai order houses began snrJinr
catalogues, and gradually | began
ulhg my loose change to ther lei.
my, accounts stand in nv home
n, where | had gotten NV arcono
latlon, when | needed if.
'" then had one of the thriftie.+
e villages in the statehood line
business in all branches r Ime
ntS Who We're willing to helm an
est re ieIIoW over a bad year, and a
n Iull OF people who came twice
eek to trade and visit. Our III.
country town supported Ebrarv
Schooi, band, ball team and We
pig celebrations every year
II near a live town soon dorb,os
aIqe l sold my forty acres at
advance and bought an eigb+r
' u"r aedlng to it until l had
acres OF the best land in Iowa
en- 1elt no need of asking favors
Iound 1t easy to patronize tho
=, oFter agents that came almost
KY to our door. regret to to- Sa~
l was the first in the COUNTY 'i ~
e up a neighborhood Hill on "
u TO a mail order house. ThonnS S
got pit once in while we oo4
ne habit of sending awav e. SO,.
,,radually our merchants 1o.