The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-06-11
FARM PROSPERITY IN
WAUPACA COUNTY, WIS
CONSIN, IN 1925

Editor Producers News:
In the year 1888, I emigrated from
Denmark to Waupaca county, Wis
consin, a mere lad of 16 years. l al
once started to work on farms at Sc
much per month-all the way from
$500 to about $4,000 per month. ]
spent about seven years working foI
farmers in that way. / then bought
some stump land and spent about
eight years more clearing up farm
and putting building on it and such
like.
Waupaca county is a great potato
country. At that time potatoes was
the main and big crop raised for cash
money. Side lines were such as dairy
cows, hogs, chickens and corn. Some
farmers had big apple orchards,
Strawberries and did truck farming.
In the Is years that l spent in
! Waupaca county from 1888 to 1908.
the farmers in a way were prosper
Gus. Hard work seemed to be able
to make home and enabled one to
become the owner of a good farm, so
as to be able t live a retired life in
a fine house in some of the small
towns and cities in their old age. and
be we'll taken care of. Some even
MADE so much as to be quite well-to-
do. The business men in the town
were also prosperous to about the
same extent as the farmers. Quite
lew farmers were considered to have
at least $4,000 to draw interest on
to live on in old age and business
men the same. A few might have
been worth up to 100000 or even
100000. The country seems to be
prosperous. Even in the panic of
1898 to 1896 you would hardly ever
hear of farmer losing his farm bv
being foreclOsed on his MORTGAGE.
True enough. Everybody so to speak
was short of money and had to figure
very close, but after all, everybody
got through fairly well. South and
southwest of Waupaca City, which
was my main hang out when | was
working for the farmers by the
month. That country having a sandy
loan soil and great potato coun-
try that farmers were very prosper
Gus building up fine homes, almost
real castles, equal to the feudal aris-
tOcracy of medieval Europe. Nearly
all farm work was done with small
tools and hand labor
So much for Waupaca county for
the Is years from 1888 to 1903. after
which time l sold my little farm and
left the county as we'll as the State
of Wisconsin, and not being back in
that country for % years or more.
In the fall of 1925-the first part
of October made a short visit to
Waupaca county, and to nv surprise
| saw things that I could not have
believed if some one should have told
me. In Waupaca City, 1 saw a great
many old farmers that 1 had known
or even worked for. Nearly everv-
body told me that when I used to be
working for them, they could raise
potatoes, and make more money at
70 cents per bushel than they could
now at SOC or even rs cents per BUSH
ell. A great majority of the farmers
were in bad shape. Younger farmers
bought farms in the inflated times
when big prices were the rule and
could not now meet their obligations.
they were now losing their farms
and things seemed to be in a bad
condition in general. Even those that
when | lived in Wisconsin were con-
sidered well off seemed to be losing
their hold and some of them seemed
to be nearly bankrupt. Some of
those that had resided and were iv-
ing. on their interest, had to take
their farms back and in most cases
being too old to work them and could
not rent them, if they were able to
get a few boards, nailed up the win
lows, and let them stand idle. One
Did farmer that l used to be well
acquainted with when l was in Wis
consin: a man at least rs years ola.
the county and was at one time a
member of the County Board, a man
since he was young man and own
that had lived on the same farm since
ne was young man and owned it
all those years, now too old to work
It, has it rented out, and had a mort
gage on it for S12,000.00 and not be-
ing able to pay the interest, had to
give mortgage on a house in town
where he is living for S1SOO.00 back
interest - house he had inherited
from his father. At least that is the
way the stories go, and if the cid
man and his wife are going to live
many more years it looks, and so ev-
sry6ody thinks, that he may yet die
N the county poorhouse.
A nephew of mine TOOK me in a car
out through the farming country.
where | had worked some IS wears
ago, which used to be my cid stamp
ng ground, and where the farmers
1t that time were prosperous, and
70 my surprise I believe that ore
half of the old farm buildings were
empty. Some had a few boards
nailed over the windows and Others
had not even that much care. It
ook as though the old buildings had
not been painted since they were first
oullt.. Homes, real castles, were
standing empty, and the fields grow
ed up 20 weeds. The greatest sur.
or1slng sight / had ever seen.
In the city of Waupaca, YOU could
zee old retired farmers Cor rather
lred farners) walking around with
loles IN their pants AMI shoes with
'oles worn out. It looked to me a
'!reat deal the same as you can see in ,