The Devils Lake world., 1922-11-08
TOM AND JIM

Being the Story Of Rain and
Wind Storm, and Of q
Conversation
The rain came down in heavy torrents.
Flashes Of lightning were followed by loud
and heavy peals Of thunder. The world
was moving mass Of fire and fame. The
tall trees, covered with their heavy dress
Of green, waved hack and forth as though
they would break. When the lightning
flashing in rapid succession, illunined
the world, the fields of grain could be seen
the restless waves Of an angry sea.
Suddenly the storm ceased; the sun
appeared from behind the dark clouds as
they receded eastward. There behind the
little country church at the crossroads in
the horse shed, Tom and Jim, who lived
within short distance of each other found
themselves neighbors again. They had
both sought shelter in the church>horse
shed. The conversation soon drifted into
the realm of their common interests.
Tom was just returning from town where
he had marketed some of his vegetables
and poultry He insisted that it did not
pay to raise vegetables; there was no
profit. But he had decided to try a little
longer, because he had been told the
night before, in farmers meeting, that
conditions would improve. A group of
farmers had gathered in little school
house the night before and made plans to
organize Farm Bureau. Someone at the
meeting seemed to know all about the
Farm Bureau. They had told that it
was nationwide effort on the part of
farmers to handle their own products CO.
operatively and to do lot of other things
through organization. The common feel
ing in the meeting had been that artificial
barriers we're frequently created by
middlemen, thus preventing the laws Of
supply and demand from operating.
They we're told that by organizing, they
would be able to market their own prod
ucts, and thus get better and more stable
prices for them.
What Tom had to tell of the farmers
meeting was all very interesting to Jim,
who was on his way to town, intending to
contract for the sale of some grain and
stock. He deplored the fact that he had
but little grain left; most of it had been
sold early in the season in order to pay on
overdue loans. The price of grain was
not high at present, but it was good deal
higher now than at the time when most
Of the farmers had been compelled to sell.
In answer to Jims question regarding the
auctuating grain-market, Tom stated the
grain business had also been discussed in
the farmers meeting on the previous
night. He was not quite sure, but felt
they had talked about Farmers Grain
Growers Association" This "Grain
Growers Association" intended to handle
the farmers grain for him. 1t was said at
the meeting, if the farmers joined the
u. S. Grain Growers, that they would
help to create better and more steady
market for their grain. The farmers
would also be>able to borrow money on
their unsold grain, at reasonable rates.
Jim was becoming intensely interested
In Toms report Of the previous nights
meeting. He had just been thinking,
while waiting inside Of the church, how
the church might become of some direct
benefit to the people in the community.
Jim had felt bitter for years over the in
Justices of the old marketing system. He
had always felt that there would be some
way through which the farmer could get
an equal chance with other industries.
He knew Of all the false accusations, that
the farmer was getting all he deserved. /"
He knew Of the prevalent view, that
anybody can be a Farmer" In his
own heart Jim was satisfied that the faru,.
er deserved a more dignifed standing.
There was great deal more to farming
than most people had any idea Of. The
report of the previous nights meeting
seemed to awaken in him all sorts Of am
bitions about making the farm life more
interesting and more important.
Jim was somewhat Of a historian.
What he heard about the new farm move
ment reminded him Of similar movements
through which the farmers had tried to
improve their position. He had studied
the Grange, the Farmers Union, and
about the Cooperative Stores. But he
had never heard of plan by which the
Farmers were organized on such large
scale as in this Farm Bureau. What i'm
pressed him especially about this new
movement was the idea Of furnishing farm
products to the consumer, cheaper and
better than before, and still getting higher
prices for the farmer. 1t seemed to him
that this new movement was bound to
bring about new era in the history of
farming. He could no longer refrain
from making reference to the sermon he
had heard in church Sunday morning.
The minister had stated that God was
trying to make better world through
the help Of man, farm world and farmers
included. Tom was rather slow to con-
cede the idea that God had anything to do
with the matter Of improving the lot Of
the farmer. He had been told that God
was not so much concerned about this
world, but was more concerned about
saving souls for the next world. Jim
agreed that God was concerned about
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