INTRODUCTION 



world has risen with incredible gains, until this 

 year its value will be not far from ten thousand 

 millions of dollars, very nearly the equivalent 

 of all the gold in coin and jewelry and bullion. 

 So, if there is not power and fascination in 

 this story, it will be the fault of the story-teller, 

 and not of his theme. The story itself is destined 

 to be told and retold. It cannot be forgotten, 

 because it is one of those rare life-histories that 

 blazon out the peculiar genius of the nation 

 under the stress of a new experience. As it is 

 passed on from generation to generation, it may 

 finally be polished into an Epic of the Wheat, 

 the tale of Man's long wrestle with Famine, and 

 how he won at last by creating a world-wide 

 system for the production and distribution of 



the Bread. 



H. N. C. 

 CHICAGO, September 1, 1909. 



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