The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-10-15

this community they again drove
into drouth hit communities, with
nothing but Russian thistles. Here
they noted no feed for horses, and
the farmers had no fuel for their
tractors, and no money or credit to
buy with.
They drove through Saskatoon
and headed for the old home, speed
ing up as they arrived close to
their destination. They arrived in
Bruno, their old home town, where
they were soon surrounded by old
friends, with whom they exchang-
ed greetings. They had the car SER
weed and found the price of gas to
be 40c per gallon, and drove on to
their former homestead. Things
were not like they were when Mr..
Schloegle left that community, the
place was run down and the finan-
cial condition Of the people is bad
He stated that it will take tweny-
two years for them to pull out Of
their present dilema. Ninety per-
cent of the Congregation to which
they belonged, he said, was on the
rocks. Everyone wants to sell out
and some of the well-improved land
can be bought for one-third the
price it brought eleven years ago.
Mr.. Schloegle states that they
cannot sell for no one can buy, and
auction sales are not SO good, as
banks will not clerk them. If q
man holds sale he must take his
own notes and collect them him
self. If that is impossible he must
go through bankruptcy. he gov
eminent then estimates your value
and If fifty percent of the creditors
have to be satisfied, they must
keep on farming under government
regulation. When they thresh they
can keep enough seed and feed to
carry on, but the balance goes to
market and the creditors receive a
percentage of the receipts. It is
practically impossible then to leave
the country, for if they are caught
they are in trouble with the gov
eminent, if not, they cannot enter
the United States without funds.
Summer fallowed land which last
year brought 81 bushels of wheat
to the acre, this year produced only
11s bushels. If they could raise fod-
der corn they would have feed for
their cattle, but corn doesn't grow
there. So all they can grow is
grain and wheat. Wheat is % cents
below Winnipeg, owing to freight
rates. In former years there was a
creamery at every station stop, to-
day cream must be sent to Saska-
toon, where the creamery is now
located. At the time they were
there butter, with government
stamps all over the carton to show
quality, could be purchased for 20
and 81 cents per pound. When they
left that community it froze ice so
thick it could not be broken with
the hand, and slight covering of
snow was in evidence Under these
conditions one can see how little
can be made in the dairy industry
at q cents.
Just before leaving they went to
the old homestead and found that
they could purchase it for about
one-third the price they received.
However, they decided that Sank
Centre was the real community in
which to live, and that it was worth
the price of the car and the trip to
learn of the conditions under which
people in that community live.
you buy is higher in
price. Machinery is one-third high
er and grain is one-fourth lower,
owing to freight rates, which
means lower income.
After 2300 miles of driving they
at home, and Bill says they
found that you can't beat the lake
shore town of Sank Centre and it's
He advises others that
if they think they can find a better
place to live to try it, but he be
lieves they will regret it. For his
part he expects to spend the rest
of his days in this part of the
country.