Evening journal., 1922-01-19
STORY ORA FARMER WHO FAILED
It's Typical Thousands This Tragedy of Walter Morsa


home from the bank. after he had
found that the War Finance Cor
poratlon's relief amendment was not
FOR him, he knew the worst had
come.
He had feared as much few
weeks before. Corn was selling
around 25 or 2S cents. corn as good
as that which had brought 50 a year
or two before. But the things
which Walter Morgan was buying
TO feed and clothe hls family had not
gone down In proportion.
They had fallen or. perhaps. 10 20
20 per cent The price OF the things
ne raised and sold had been cut In
NTH or sixth.
Can't Even Pay on Help.
He needed S14s 20 pay of his corn
huskers II would take from 500 to
coo bushels 20 pay tho bill, at the
prevailing price. whereas short
/ time before IS bushels would suffice.
] He did not have the money.
Nothing doing" was the answer
OF the banker when a loan OF &l4S
was requested.
IAN right. them" said Walter
| Morgan. in sheer despair. I'm
through. Take the corn. I'm done
He had almost reached the door,
when the banker called him back.
The loan was made. But Walter 8
heart was no longer In his work. He
knew that the end had come. IL
was through no fault OF his. For
some reason the bottom had dropped
out Of everything the world was no
longer dependent upon the farmer
ON December 2S. 1921, a closing
out sale was held on the farm leased
and worked by Walter Morgan Tor
the past four years. There We're
few bidders. mainly men represent
ing creditors and a handful OF stolid
neiehbors. wondering when the same
scene would be re-enacted on their
places.
The cows for which Walter Nor
can had paid 500 were sold that
.av Tor S35 TO S4s a head. lie had
5000 bushels OF corn. The day was
not FAR past when IL would have
brought him $4,000. II went for
$1,000. at 80 cents a hushel. Hii
oats went at % cents. The calvei
brought $50 a head; better than h'
J had expected. with dull heart.
sale Price Won't Pay His Creditors
when the auctioneer and the clerl
= had finished and had totaled up th'
q sale. they found that something hk'
Z $4,000 had been realized. OF thi
h $4,000 wasr due to the owner OF tn
10 farm for accumulated rent durin
1920 and 1921. There we're plent
II Of creditors waiting TO pounce o.
/, the rest. There was not enough Z
y go around.
when Walter Morgan took this
2SO-acre Iowa farm In 1917 he wa
I, worth $4,000. earned BY hard wori
When he quit the farm. Decembe
h %. 1921. he had lost everything an
= was s4237 In debt These are actua
n figures.
The banker charged on f4237 Z
profit and loss on account of Waite
Morgan the next day. There Is nj
hone Of ever recovering anything OF
. IA. And Walter Morgan had worke'
hard-harder than ever before II
all his 40 Years OF life.
And his wife had worked. AM
the Riddles had helped. And. the,
had prayed.
That night a 1o-word Telegram
, went out from the little town wher'
/, Walter Morgan had traded for fou
!. years. II was addressed to his father
y on the old home farm, down in Mis-
souri, 10 read;
please send us one hundred dol
/. lars TO bring us home
There was no fatted calf kille'
I dowr there in the Ozarks; for nj
, prodigal son had come home. Onl
Woodworking son who was nj
. wastrel but who had failed and wa
back again.