BOOK FOURTH. 



The Farmer as a Business Man. 



CHAPTER I 



THERE are mean men in all walks of life. The accumu- 

 lating instinct, where it is decidedly strong, involves a 

 certain hardness of character which is not lovely. But 

 on the other hand, the accumulating instinct has its corre- 

 sponding virtues. The accumulating man is careful in prom- 

 ise, but punctual in fulfilment. When a strong desire to 

 possess is joined to a character of weak moral fiber, we have 

 the typical " mean man" of the country town. Those are the 

 men who are on the watch to take advantage of necessity, 

 lending money at rates which no business can pay, and ruth- 

 lessly sacrificing the security when default of payment is made. 

 These men seldom attempt to do anything which they have 

 not the legal right to do. They prey upon the weakness and 

 bad judgment of their fellow-men. 



Somehow, rural popular opinion tends to associate men of 

 this class with the banking business. Nothing could be further 

 from the truth. Occasionally, of course, a "mean man" con- 

 trols a bank, but very seldom. In the first place, such men are 

 not usually satisfied with the profits of the banking business, 

 but, even if they were, they are not able to get into it, for the 

 reason that the other stockholders will not have them. The 



* See Appendix E for documents relating to subjects of this book, 

 (130) 



