THE NEW EARTH 



own grain-elevator and build our own cattle- 

 yards, because we may want to store our grain 

 and hold our cattle until we get what seems to 

 us a fair price for them." The railroad com- 

 panies said, "Very well; if you people do this 

 we shall be obliged to put up a grain-elevator 

 at another point several miles from your own 

 and to draw all the trade away from you by 

 paying more." And the farmers laughed and 

 said, "Nothing would please us more, for we are 

 after higher prices, and if you can pay us more 

 than we can pay ourselves we are that much 

 ahead: the law, by the way, compels you to 

 carry our goods whenever we want them 

 carried." The railroad companies saw the 

 point. Then the implement dealers said: 

 "You men must buy your machinery from our 

 regularly appointed agents at retail; we will 

 not sell to you as farmers." And again the 

 farmers said, "We are a business firm, now; 

 we will buy of you if we can ; force you to sell 

 to us by law if you refuse, if we can ; failing in 

 this, we will manufacture our own machinery." 

 The implement dealers saw the point also. 

 The wholesale dealers in all sorts of materials 

 the farmers must have — coal, salt, fence wire, 



368 



