1904. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
593 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.- -The great meat strike was considered set- 
tied July 20, an arbitration agreement between the strikers 
and tlie packers being arranged chiefly through the work of 
the allied trades in the stockyards, who feared being en¬ 
tangled if the trouble continued. All questions at issue were 
to be arbitrated, both sides agreeing to abide by the decision 
of the arbitrators, and the men to return to work in the 
meantime on the terms under which they were working 
when the strike was called. All the strikers were to receive 
their old places back within 45 days. The strike was re¬ 
newed July 22 in Chicago and all the other points where the 
big packing companies have branches, because the strikers 
were dissatisfied with the manner in which the employers 
proposed to reinstate their former employes pending a set¬ 
tlement by arbitration. Large numbers of the stockyards 
strikers are returning to their native lands. Although the 
exodus to Europe seldom occurs until shortly before Christ¬ 
mas, this Summer the strikers are leaving in large numbers. 
It is said that many foreigners find good places in European 
packing houses after having some experience in this country, 
as the packers of the large European centers are getting 
more and more Americanized in their methods of killing, cur¬ 
ing and shipping meat and provisions. More than 7,500 
mechanics and laborers in the various branches of the pack¬ 
ing industry laid down their tools and walked out July 25 
in sympathy with the butcher workmen. Added to the 
number previously on strike, the total number of men and 
women now idle is close to 20,000. Conservative men fear 
that the strike will not stop now, but may involve thousands 
of workmen ouly indirectly connected with the packing indus¬ 
try. Railroad men, such as switchmen and freight handlers, 
are restive and are prepared to refuse to handle the products 
of the packers if they but get the word. . . . One of the 
strange freaks of the tornado which wiped out part of the 
village of Cliappaqua, N. Y., and killed one woman, July 10, 
was the burying of a cow and calf in the cellar of a barn on 
the farm of Warren Tompkins. July 20, when the animals 
were found, they were alive. The cow and calf were under 
10 tons of hay and straw, brick and other debris for five 
days. The only injury the calf suffered was the loss of its 
tail, which was cut off by a big beam. When found the 
animals were almost starved to death. It took almost two 
days to dig them out. Another freak of the cyclone was the 
blow lug away of a solid silver knife and fork from the house 
of Robert Marrow to the St. Elmo Hills, three miles away, 
where they were found stuck in the trunk of a big elm tree. 
Two street cars were dynamited July 22, at Hous¬ 
ton. Tex., and eight persons injured, three perhaps mortally, 
une of the cars was crowded with passengers. It was hurled 
from the track 20 feet and literally demolished. The track 
was torn up by force of the explosion. The motorman was 
burled over a fence. The second explosion in another part 
of the city took place about the same time, but the car was 
empty excepting the carmen, who escaped. A third attempt 
was made at dynamiting, but was unsuccessful. These ex¬ 
plosions make seven altogether which have wrecked cars 
since the inauguration of the street car strike, two months 
ago. State, city and county rewards amounting to several 
thousand dollars are offered for convicting evidence of the 
perpetrators. . . . Since the beginning of a miners' 
strike more than 3,000 non-union men have been turned back 
from Zeigler. Ill., the town owned by Joseph Letter. A 
large party that had been shipped to Brush were brought to 
Carbondale and later sent to St. Louis by the miners’ union. 
Italian workmen cannot be induced to enter the place, owing 
to the stand made by their leaders against going there. 
Guards patrol every approach to the city. A searchlight is 
being installed on the mine tipple 1(50 feet high, which will 
cover the entire 12 square miles of land owned by Letter. 
The United States post oflice and the Illinois Central Rail¬ 
road station have been moved outside the dead line. A 
stockade 12 feet high, constructed of two-inch plank, with 
shooting towers, or guard places, will be erected. Absolute 
(piiet reigns ai Zeigler, and no trouble is expected until 
Letter has completed the stockade. . . . During a hail¬ 
storm that passed over southeast Alabama July 22 corn was 
torn and shattered to pieces, cotton was stripped of the green 
foliage and the bare stalks left as evidence of the severity 
of the storm. The loss on cotton is estimated at $100,000, 
and the loss on other crops, buildings and stocks at $200,000. 
Hail fell as large as hens’ eggs. All the sufferers are land 
renters. An appeal for aid is made. . . . The National 
Jobbing Company of Rochester, N. Y., was excluded from the 
use of the mails July 25 by an order issued by the Post 
Office Department. The company has done an extensive busi¬ 
ness in the past seven months, and had branches in New 
York, Pittsburg, Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis. It ad¬ 
vertised for branch office managers, etc., offering salaries of 
$20 per week, but requiring deposits of $50 for the outfit of 
plated silverware, which the inspectors reported was worth 
not over $10 and which they were required to sell at an ad¬ 
vance of 20 per cent over its commercial value. Each was 
also requited to secure six canvassers who were to deposit 
$5 each for smaller outfits. The applicant subsequently 
found the $20 salary was not forthcoming unless the sales 
of silverware exceeded $150 a week, and when he tried to 
obtain his $50 deposit was told it was regarded as a sale. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—The Peninsula and Orien¬ 
tal steamer Malacca was captured by a Russian cruiser in 
the Red Sea, causing intense feeling in England. After being 
taken to Aden, where her passengers were put ashore, she 
was sent to Crete and later Algiers, where she was released, 
and Russia will make reparation for the seizure. The fact that 
Russia sent vessels of her volunteer fleet through the Dar¬ 
danelles as merchantmen, appearing later as cruisers, is re¬ 
garded as a violation of treaties. It is now believed that 
the Vladivostok squadron will endeavor to interrupt trade 
between Japan and America. This squadron seized and sunk 
the British steamer Knight Commander, with a cargo from 
New York. The Hamburg-American liner Scandia and two 
British steamships were seized by Russian auxiliary cruisers 
in the Red Sea. Indignation was aroused in Germany over 
the seizure of the Scandia, it being declared that she carried 
no contraband for Japan. Russia gave assurances to Eng¬ 
land that no more seizures of ships should be made by the 
Smolensk and the St. Petersburg, and that those already cap¬ 
tured should be released. While proposing to act her¬ 
self in behalf of vessels flying her own flag, Great Britain 
holds that it is time that all neutrals should take some steps 
to protect neutral vessels and neutral goods. The exchanges 
of communications which have been going on in this connec¬ 
tion have, however, not yet borne fruit. Although the sink¬ 
ing of the British steamer Knight Commander, bound from 
New York for Yokohama with a cargo of merchandise con¬ 
signed to the Yokohama shipping agents of the American 
Trading Company of New York, was sufficient to make the 
United States Government an interested party to the situa¬ 
tion in the Far East, the capture of the British steamer 
Ardova 1>^ the Russian volunteer fleet in the Red Sea was 
regarded July 20 {is being the subject for a far more impor¬ 
tant and complicated international controversy. The release 
of the Ardova at Suez changes the situation somewhat. The 
Ardova was on the way from New York to Manila with a 
cargo of supplies owned bv the United States Government 
and consigned by the War department to the Government of 
the Philippines. The cargo included 250 tons of gunpowder, 
a large number of picks, spades and other agricultural imple¬ 
ments, and a quantity of general merchandise. So far as 
the land fighting is known the Japanese continue to drive 
the Russians back. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The New England Fair is to be 
held at Worcester, Mass., September 5, (J and 7 ; secretary, 
John E. Gifford, Worcester. Mass. 
There wil' be a District Horticultural Institute at Kendall- 
ville, Ind., August 30-31. An interesting programme, includ¬ 
ing possibilities for fruit growing in northern Indiana, apple 
growing, strawberry culture, etc., is being prepared. Speak¬ 
ers of National reputation will be invited to be present and 
take part. Much interest is being manifested in this meet¬ 
ing. The fruit growers of northern Indiana should mark the 
date and plan to be present. 
A CITY MAN IN THE COUNTRY. 
Can He Make a Living? 
We often have letters from city people who think they 
would like to try farming. Some of them have saved a little 
money, but fear that they will lose their job. They think 
they could buy a small place in the country and make a 
living on it. What do you think the chances would be for 
such a person in your neighborhood? Could a man come 
there without knowledge of farming and make a living for 
his family? If so, how could he do it? 
What Practical Farmers Say. 
Yes, if he is made of the right kind of material. An in¬ 
dustrious man aud woman who are willing to teach the chil¬ 
dren to earn their bread, who have no extravagant habits, 
aud are strictly honest, can make a grand success out of 
small capital right here. Choice butter, eggs, young chickens, 
small fruits and vegetables, with wintering of city horses, all 
combine to give the right kind of family a good chance to 
succeed. I have a farm to rent to just such people, but they 
must be temperate, industrious, honest. I have never had 
any patience with the man who sits in the shade complaining 
of his hard lot in life while he chews tobacco, drinks beer, 
whisky, etc., and lives beyond his income, with a wife who 
can do nothing but travel the neighborhood and tattle. 
Bellefontaine. O. j. l. s. 
No. It seems to me that such a person could not make 
a living for his family on any farm in our neighborhood. 
If a member of his family has a little knowledge of farming, 
or he has money enough to get along until he gets the expe¬ 
rience, the chances would be in his favor. Some men would 
be successful anywhere, but I suppose you mean the average 
city man. There are farms in our county where a man 
would be nearer market and social privileges. Our farm is 
one-half mile from neighbors, five from church and Grange 
and ten from Rochester, N. 11., our market. On the other 
hand, we have good air, good water, accommodating neigh¬ 
bors, enough to eat and drink, school half a mile distant and 
rural free delivery. I would not change for city life if I 
could. ‘ e. f. s. 
North Strafford, N. II. 
Could a man from the city with no knowledge of farming 
make a living for himself and family in this vicinity? 
Decidedly no. In the first place, fa.rming is a business that 
requires to be learned like any other, and can only be prac¬ 
tically learned by many mistakes and failures. In the sec¬ 
ond place, I do not believe even the Hope Farm man could 
make a ijood living on these stony farms. The soil is poor 
and worn out; the markets are too far away, 30 miles from 
Hartford, and the local markets are poor, as there is little 
doing except farming. The only things that amount to much 
are milk and eggs. If your city friend can milk several 
cows and drive four miles or so to the station by 7 A. M. 
he might earn a little that way. The hired man problem is 
the same here as elsewhere; too hard to solve. Anyone who 
has a fair job that he understands would much better stick 
to it, in my humble opinion. subscriber. 
Connecticut. 
A person from the city who has a little money saved up 
with which to buy a small farm, say 40 acres, would do well 
out here in southeastern Minnesota. The fact of their sav¬ 
ing up money while living in the city goes to show they are 
thrifty, and that kind of people make good neighbors. Tbe 
knowledge of farming in these days cuts but little figure, 
when one can get good farm papers and can study them at 
his leisure, ami also can see how the farmers around him 
do their work. You ask me how they could do it. They 
might buy 40 acres of land, keep two or three cows, put iii 
about four or five acres of corn, keep about 50 or 75 chickens, 
have a half acre for garden, keep a few hogs. They would 
have enough, coming from their chickens, cows and garden to 
supply the family with all the provisions they would need, 
and they could trade the remainder of butter, eggs and 
chickens to buy clothing. Of course they would have to raise 
a couple of acres of potatoes. In the Fall they could put 
enough in the cellar for their own use and for seed purposes, 
and sell the remainder. Potatoes here this Spring have 
brought good prices, $1 per bushel. The sum and substance 
is this: If a man is steady this country is a good place, 
and in a few years he may own his own farm, even though 
he may not have enough money saved up to pay for it in 
the first place: but if he be a loafer and wants to be in the 
city store or saloon about half the time, he will never suc¬ 
ceed in any business. j. t. 
St. Charles, Minn. 
Hopeful Note from Maryland. 
It depends largely upon the man; not only the man, but 
the family as a whole. I am positive that folks who will 
take interest enough in their work to be proud of it can 
make a very comfortable living. I use the word folks for 
the reason that the family as a whole, whether large or 
small, must be interested and take pride in the work. In 
the first place they must be ambitious and strictly honest, 
so that the people they come in contact with can put con¬ 
fidence in them. They should take a year at least in gath¬ 
ering information, asking questions and getting advice of the 
proper persons. Not every farmer is competent to give ad¬ 
vice to an inexperienced man of moderate means. 1 find it 
pays to go to a man who is temperate in his habits and 
ways, and who has been moderately successful from the time 
he started, through his own efforts and economy. Be a very 
close observer; keep a correct book account of all your 
transactions. One must have considerable patience to get 
over the first two years, as they are the most trying with a 
beginner. In this neighborhood mixed farming seems to 
be the best for us of moderate means. Goou land can be 
bought at a reasonable figure along good roads, if the people 
are not too particular as to the distance from a large town. 
My location is nine miles from Hagerstown, a place of about 
10,000 inhabitants. The essentials are for the folks to be 
agreeable and associate themselves with intelligent, indus¬ 
trious farmers, applying their time diligently. The chances 
are that they would he successful. j. i. wishard. 
Maryland. 
Common Sense from Michigan. 
If a city workman with small capital should come to Van 
Buren County, Mich., I would advise him to rent a house 
and 10 acres of laud for three to live years. The written 
lease should contain the privilege of buying within two years 
at terms plainly stated. lie should save a reasonable 
amount of his capital for living expenses until his land com¬ 
mences to produce cash crops. He should buy a sound horse, 
not necessarily a costly one; a good cow, not a cheap or 
scrub animal; a brood sow and about 50 two-year-old hens. 
He will also need harness, wagon, plow, drag, cultivator, 
sprayer and probably several more tools. He should get all 
the manure he can and haul it just as soon as he can. lie 
may try commercial fertilizer on a small scale. He should 
plant cow peas to turn under for green manure or humus 
and he must understand value of mulching and stirring. 
He should put out two acres of strawberries, two acres of 
raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries together; 
two acres of potatoes; two acres of corn; one-half acre for 
a kitchen garden and the rest vegetables that will sell to the 
Summer hotels or cottagers. He must try intensive cultiva¬ 
tion, putting a high value ou hen and stable manure and com¬ 
post. He should study the local demands as well as the 
Chicago market, always aiming to have the best fruit and 
vegetables and eggs and to have them ou the market early 
in the season and early in the day. and above all. honestly 
and neatly packed. He should care for any trees on his place 
and set apples, pears, peaches, plums and grapes and a few 
shade trees. He should seek and take advice from neighbors 
who have made a success in any lines I have mentioned. 
Sunday should he observed in the strictest sense, that brain 
and brawn may be fresh for the other six days’ labor. I 
would have him leave intoxicants and tobacco to those who 
need strength less than he does, and he must give up many 
expensive pleasures the average city workingman feels his 
privilege. He will find new pleasures, be sure. He should 
take one good agricultural paper suited to his endeavors, 
and have the bulletins from the experiment stations. When 
able I would advise him to take a short course at our grand 
Michigan Agricultural College, and at least take advantage 
of the one day excursions to the college. Occasionally he 
should visit others engaged in the same work and compare 
notes. A man who goes at it right with $1,000 will be bet¬ 
ter off thar one who goes at ii wrong with ten times that 
sum. The cause of his failure would be in not "going 
slow” in investment and living expenses the first year; in 
expecting success in every line, and in being discouraged too 
easily in the failures which are sure to come while he is 
gaining his best asset, experience. If this man finds it 
advisable to work away from home to earn ready cash let 
him try to secure work from a successful horticulturist or 
market gardener where he may learn that which will help 
him in his own work. While I never advocate a married 
woman becoming a wage earner, 1 think this man’s wife 
might do many things "to help along” provided her own 
strength is sufficient and her family does not suffer thereby. 
Van Buien Co.. Mich. mbs. j. j. g. 
Opinions from Pennsylvania. 
Whether a city man with no knowledge of farming can 
make a living in this section (Lancaster Co., Pa.) will de¬ 
pend much upon the man. The inexperienced man on the 
farm will have a tough road to travel in order to farm to 
make a living even, and as no two seasons are exactly alike, 
his chances for profits are poor, in the long run. I believe, 
however, that a man who can successfully manage a business 
in the city, if he comes to our section and locates on one of 
our farms near to successful, practical farmers, and is will¬ 
ing to ask and receive advice, will not only make a living, 
but profits also. And, further, his city experience will be an 
aid to him in the management of his farm, and the disposi¬ 
tion of its products. By the application of systematic 
methods the city man may, in time, assist and educate those 
who first taught him the practice of farming. w. r. k. 
Intercourse, I’a. 
A city workman with a small capital and industrious 
habits could probably make a living on a small farm in 
almost any reasonably fertile part of Pennsylvania, but it 
would not be of the bill of fare usually given by newspaper 
writers; fried chicken, beefsteak, rich, thick cream, etc. If 
he was willing to work hard from sun to sun about six days 
in a week, living on plain fare, most of which he could pro¬ 
duce after the first year on his own farm, he could lead a 
happy, healthful life, and bring .up a small, robust family, 
but he must not expect many luxuries except such small 
fruits as he could raise in the odd corners. A good many 
Russian Jews are settling in some parts of our county oh 
lands that were almost abandoned, and from what I can 
learn are doing well. Their appearance when seen away 
from home would lead one so to believe. They look clean, 
strong and hearty, but they have been accustomed to frugal 
living in their native land, and what a city workman would 
call extremely plain fare would be considered luxurious 
living to them, so you must see it depends entirely on the 
man and his helpmate. A surprising amount of food mate¬ 
rial can be produced on, say 10 acres, by intensive culture, 
but the worker must have his heart in the business. There 
are thousands of people in the towns to-day who could lead 
a happier, healthier life, both for themselves and their fam¬ 
ilies, out on a little farm in the country ,and there are few 
places so isolated that they have not schools, churches, mail 
facilities, stores and repair shops reasonably convenient. 
Chester Co.. Pa. w. t. S. 
An Emphatic Jerseyman. 
I consider this quite a serious question to answer, as so 
much depends on the man. My farm is situated about half¬ 
way between the villages of Mendham and Bernardsville, 
N. J. The land here is rapidly going up in price, as a large 
number of city people have bought farms and built Summer 
homes, making an excellent market for all kinds of fruit, 
produce, hay and straw, poultry, eggs, etc. But you can go 
back a few miles and buy land for the price of the buildings 
tbereon. As I said before, it all lies with the man behind 
the hoe. If he loves nature, loves to work outdoors, and is 
not afraid to work early and late sometimes, and can afford 
to learn how to farm either by working for a good farmer 
or hiring a good man for a year or so if he wishes to buy at 
once, there is no reason why be could not earn a home, 
make a living and live a happy, independent life, making a 
specialty of some one thing, either fruit, poultry, bees or 
gardening. But if they are thinking of coming to the 
country to make a fortune they would best give tbe idea 
up at once. Speaking personally, if I had $1,000 and under¬ 
stood farming I would not stay in the city 24 hours. 
Morristown, N. J. a. r. q. 
POTATO CROP. 
Potatoes are looking fine; never better. They will 
be rather later than usual on account of the late cold Spring: 
not as many planted as usual, as seed was scarce and 
high. Too cold and wet for corn; oats looking fine, will 
be a nice crop if we can have good weather to harvest them 
in. Rains are interfering with haying. Pastures have been 
fine and cows have never milked better than the present sea¬ 
son ; price of milk low. e. p. b. 
Hop Bottom, Pa. 
At present the outlook for a very large crop of potatoes 
Is favorable; they never looked better at this time of the 
year in this vicinity, and we are having beautiful growiug 
weather aud plenty of rain and sunshine. All other vege¬ 
table crops look most promising, and the largest crop of 
strawberries ever grown in this county is being picked now. 
Sweet corn and sweet wrinkled peas are a failure, but same 
are not extensively grown here. No grasshoppers, very few 
Potato beetles and there were very few cutworms this year. 
\Ve had a very late Spring, but all things considered this is 
the most promising crop season here up to date since 1868. 
Marquette, Mich. _ r. b. 
ADVANTAGES OF NEW YORK FARMS. 
In reply to a western man, who starts East, I would ask 
him to come to Yates Co., N. Y., before wasting much of his 
time and means looking elsewhere. The writer has trav¬ 
eled some in the West as far as Kansas, and tried hard to 
know the land and learn all he could as a farmer in regard 
to prices of land, productive qualities, etc. He can truth¬ 
fully say that he saw no farm, either in Illinois, Ohio or 
any other Western State, that a sane man would think of 
buying and paying for off the farm in one year. That has 
been done here many times in the last few years. Good 
farms can be bought here for less than the buildings cost, 
very productive land. You may ask, why is this so? The 
writer, a farmer, thinks the two principal reasons are that 
there is no booming done here in the East, also railroads 
running west are always booming the West so they can carry 
the passengers. As Tiie It. N.-Y. well says, New York is the 
best place in the Union to buy a farm now. if you want to 
buy it to make money from it is the best; if you want to 
buy where the society is right it is the best, and if you want 
to buy to make a home, to raise your own small fruits, 
grapes, peaches, pears, apples and all kinds of farm produce 
to perfection, or as nearly as one may desire, you certainly 
can find no other place in the United States equal to western 
New York. What the writer means by land paying for itself 
in one year is paying the mdee of land and also seed, thrash¬ 
ing and all labor expenses. We have good markets here in 
tHe great cities close by in which we save freight charges. 
We can seed land here and cut from four to six crops of hay, 
one to two crops annually of 4 Vi to 2Vi tons per acre. This 
is one of our easy crops. We can raise Red Kidney beans 
here, 20 bushels per acre, worth $2.50 per bushel. Land has 
been bought here in .Jerusalem at $20 per acre that has pro¬ 
duced 25 bushels per acre of Red Kidney beans. We don't 
expect these bargains will continue many years. It would 
seem very strange if they should. We are located here with 
great natural advantages. We have several miles of shore 
front on the beautiful Lake Keuka, a lake widely known for 
its Summer beauty, its vineyards, its Summer resorts, etc. 
Located on its shore in this town we also find Keuka College, 
with its Summer Assembly, furnishing intellectual treats for 
all who may attend. The town has natural gas, a trolley 
road, good markets, and Is in every way an ideal place for a 
home. Farms well improved, in good cultivation, with good 
buildings. 1‘eonle owning homes in this town do not anore- 
ciate them as they should. farmer. 
Yates Co., N. Y. 
