The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1921-02-10
HAAKON COUNTY TYPES
The Man Who Spreads 1t On Thin

We have all heard OF the fellow
who "spraeds it on thick Ills
tribe is even as the sands of tncf
desert, and in America he is ma
tional character, so active in these
recent years, that there have been
suggestions of a solemn referen-
dunn to determine whether a /
''spreader" should not replace the
eagle as a national symbol upon |
our almighty dollar. The Pioneer
Review would like to see such an
election held. One thing is certain
if an election were held, and the
people gave due consideration to
the selection of a symbol that
would be thoroughly representa-
i've of our peculiar national great
ness, the eagle would have to go.
William Galloway and the Interna-
tional Harvester Company could |
then compete for the model to take
its place.
Butslere in Haakon county, and, |
for that matter, throughout the
West generally, we have an indiv-
idual that can best be described |
by saying "he spreads it thin"
generally too devilish thin! Just
at present he is realizing the folly |
of his way.
The scheme adopted by this duck
is the time honored and ancient |
one Of making little money go
"a long way. Perhaps he buys cat /
ule He operates with a thousand |
dollars or with ten thousand in
exactly the same way. He buys all
the cattle he can. Then he bor-
rows all he can at the bank, and |
buys again. When he has crawled
SO far out on the dizzy, swaying
tips of the financial limb that the
local banker can follow him no
longer, he borrows of a Saint Paul
cattle loan company, and buys cat
tie again, this time paying two
prices because he has to pay little
or nothing down. Then if oppor-
tunity offers this Julius Caesar of |
the Cattle Game buys cattle from
his neighbors and gives his notes
for them. Then when he can bor-
row no more, when his capital is
spread out so thin that it has no
substance, with his credit stretch
ed until it looks like one of these
peek-a-boo waists the girls wore
last summer, and with so many
chattel mortgages on file that the
groceryman feels faint when the
Register of Deeds looks them up
for him-then our Cattle King set
ties down for a hard winter, with
no hay up, and the wind fairly
whipping the tails off Maurice De-
gan's security. This idea of get
ting rich with little or no invest
ment has hourished In Haakon
ounty during recent years. 1t may
be properly denominated spread
ing 1T thin.
The same scheme may be applied
to the purchase of land. Indeed, it
can be applied to almost anything
in life. We know fellow back in
Sangamon county. Illinois, that
courted a different girl every night
in the week. liz a misguided mo-
ment of enthusiasm, he married
three of them, and he ws still
in Jail the last we heard from III
linois. He simply spread his affect
ions too thin" And, as we were
saying, man can spread his little
wad over altogether too many ac-
res of this Haakon county land
We believe in Haakon county land.
but enough of it is enough just
as one wife is a plenty. A common
method OF procedure it to buy a /
section of land. float a rural credit
loan, buy another half section,
float another loan and buy another
quarter section. Then borrow from
father and mother back in Illinois
and repeat the operation. Even
after this encourage mother-in-law
to dig it out of her sock and sail
again. In this way we have devel-
oped some very large land owners,
but sagged down and gray with the
burden of debt before life is fair
ly begun. Fortunately there has
been no such opportunity for bull
ding the pyramid, and spreading
it thin in the land as in cattle.
Our Haakon county land is relat-
ively cheap. and is certain to adj
vance in price rapidly when the
present furry passes by. No one
will be hurt in the long run in
Haakon county land, as they have /
been hurt in Eastern South Da-
kota and Iowa land.
Nevertheless, we will never
spread our capital or our credit
quite so thin in live stock, in land
n A