Report of Missouri Farmers' Week. 461 



a greater asset in North Dakota than that," and I asked him what 

 it is. "Why," he said, "it is the wind, and we have it in abundance." 

 After I had indulged in my laugh he said that he was serious about 

 his statement. He said that wind must be harnessed, and that it 

 would be harnessed, and that it would not be permitted to go to 

 waste. Just about that time you will remember it was announced 

 that Edison had completed his wonderful storage battery. "When 

 this battery is put upon, the market the farmer of North Dakota 

 will be able to harness the wind to it, store all of the electricity and 

 operate his machinery, and I look for the time when the North 

 Dakota farmer will sit upon his front porch, touch a button and 

 start all his operations by the means of the wind," said the presi- 

 dent. Now, that day has not come, and it will not come in your 

 generation, or mine, therefore we must largely depend upon the 

 horse for primary power. The demand today is for good horses. 

 The demand today is for heavy horses. That goes without say- 

 ing; we all know that. The question is how to produce these 

 horses. I think the proposition has been thoroughly discussed here 

 today that the market demands a large, sound, good-looking horse. 

 I am going to confess here that I don't breed horses altogether for 

 profit. Profit is necessary. Of course I must live, my family 

 must live. But I breed horses because I like the business. You 

 know it is an. axiom with me that a man ought to know definitely 

 before he seriously engages in any occupation that it will be con- 

 genial and agreeable to him, that it will bring satisfaction and con- 

 tentment, that it will incite enthusiasm and inspiration in him. I 

 have been breeding horses or been interested in horses, nearly all 

 my life for this reason. I tried to make a lawyer of myself, with- 

 out satisfaction. Then I went into the newspaper business. I 

 edited and printed a newspaper about one-fourth of my lifetime. 

 That is a pretty good business. If a fellow is earnest and honest 

 there is no line of endeavor in which he can do more good than 

 through the columns of an intelligently and honestly edited news- 

 paper, bringing truth to his readers and through it an education that 

 will add to the sum total of their happiness and contentment. But 

 the yearning for the soil planted there by the Creator grew on 

 me constantly, until when the time came when I was able to own 

 and operate a farm, I acquired one and have been engaged ex- 

 clusively in conducting it and raising horses and live stock. I have 

 learned some things, and unlearned a good many, and it is the 

 experience of every man, especially if he goes into the horse-breed- 



