72 AMERICAN FARMS. 



boast of a yearly net income of $1,250,000, and who, 

 besides supporting an establishment in America, has his 

 castle in Scotland for a summer retreat. 



The Standard Oil monopoly, which started not many 

 years ago with a capital of $1,500,000, and is now said 

 to be declaring dividends on $90,000,000, has made 

 this vast fortune, and the fine dividends which it has 

 paid to its lucky stockholders, out of the control of an 

 article almost wholly consumed by the rural populations. 



This concern is now able to dictate State and national 

 legislation and the management of most important rail- 

 way systems. It is absorbing the oil lands of Ohio, and 

 will soon have the whole oil business of North America 

 under its own management. This great monopoly has 

 evidently been able to bear up against troubles of all kinds. 



As to Michigan, of which official reports prove the 

 serious nature of the troubles under which its farmers 

 labor, the per capita value of property rose from $343 in 

 i860, to $837 in 1880. Of the iron industries of this 

 State Mr. Wiman says : 



" Recall the isolation, the barrenness of Canadian iron 

 regions, and contrast them with the activity of the upper 

 peninsula of Michigan, whose total money value of out- 

 put in 1883 was over $24,000,000 ! Listen to the story 

 of one or two mines as told in the following extract from 

 a report on the Gogebic region, Michigan, a State just 

 next door to Canada : 



" ' The Menominee Mining Company was organized ten 

 years ago on the modest capital of $100,000, which, not- 

 withstanding the extent of its operations, which cover 

 the working of six mines, has never been increased. 

 The company has already paid to its stockholders 

 $6,500,000. So great is the appreciation of its shares, 



