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The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER 
A Notional Weekly Journal for Country ami Suburban Homes 
Established tsso 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John .1. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. P. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. -Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.04, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8}£ marks, or 10Ji francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Ollie.e as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates 60 cents per agate line—7 words. Discount for time orders. 
References required for advertisers unknown to us ; and 
cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. But to make doubly sure we will make good any loss to paid 
subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising in our 
columns, and any such swindler will be publicly exposed. We protect sub¬ 
scribers against rogues, but we do not guarantee to adjust trifling differences 
between subscribers and honest, responsible advertisers. Neither will we be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and you must have mentioned The Rural New-Yorker 
when writing the advertiser. 
In Chicago recently we saw on the card of a res¬ 
taurant, “Idaho baked potato, 10 cents.” That’s the 
first time we ever saw potatoes advertised in that way. 
It was worth trying. They brought a big, inferior 
potato with a large black heart in the center! A 
bushel at this price would bring at least $7.50—and we 
have far better potatoes at home. The papers did not 
fit the potato, for when you name things and tag on 
such a price the buyer has a right to expect the top 
notch. This tuber was in no respects equal to those 
“perfect potatoes” grown in that recent contest. One 
thing, however, was true. That Chicago restaurant 
delivered the finest baked apple we ever found at a 
public table, and never thought it worth while to 
“name” it, as was done with the potato. 
* 
IVnEN my home is established all agents who approach 
me with their propositions will be asked this question: 
“Have your wares received the stamp of approval of The 
R. N.-Y.?” If it cannot be answered satisfactorily no 
business will be done. w. M. 
Portland, Oregon. 
We find that this is coming to be a common senti¬ 
ment among our readers. Thousands of people use 
that rule in buying, and are quite willing to tell all 
concerned why they do it. The subscriber stands first 
with us. He is the most necessary part of the busi¬ 
ness, for he represents the foundation of it all, and 
his rights should come first. The legitimate adver¬ 
tiser, who is doing a solid and enduring business, 
knows that this is right. In the mean competition 
with inferior goods or sharp practice his best protec¬ 
tion lies in dealing with people who have adopted 
some standard or test for reputation. 
* 
You recently printed a picture, “Parcel Post as It 
Should Be.” I go you one better and send “Parcel Post 
as It Is.” This is a photograph of our local mail man 
and all the things were really sent by parcel post and 
received in the mail. They include a big washtub from 
our local hardware man, a 10-pound cheese from Wiscon¬ 
sin, also a wood carving in his wagon and yet a cheese 
and a large framed picture for neighbors. Notice the 
smile on all—except the horse. a. t. henry. 
Connecticut. 
This picture will be found on page 203. Mr. Henry 
no doubt feels as most of us do, that while the pres¬ 
ent parcel post is inadequate, the way to improve it 
is to work it as best we can. We can make this 
partial privilege so useful that it will become a 
necessity, and then it will be comparatively easy to 
improve the service. When we make such a group 
as is seen in this picture a familiar sight in front of 
every farmhouse the rest will be easy. Even the 
horse will smile then. 
* 
The United States Senate has passed a resolution 
providing that: 
The executive power shall be vested in a President of 
the United States of America. The term of office of 
President shall be six years, and no person who has held 
the office by election, or discharged its powers or duties, 
or acted as President under the Constitution and laws 
in pursuance thereof shall be eligible to again hold the 
office by election. 
This proposed amendment will without doubt pass 
the House, and must then be ratified by the Legis¬ 
lature of three-quarters of the States. We believe 
that this will be done in due time, for it is unques¬ 
tionably the feeling of a large majority of Americans 
that the Republic will be safer with a restricted Pres¬ 
idential term. The argument that a business enter¬ 
prise will prefer a man at the head of it who has had 
long experience does not prove that a man should be 
elected President again and again. Private business 
in which a man has a personal interest is a very dif¬ 
ferent thing from a public office. The growing demand 
for the “recall” and similar legislation shows that the 
tendency is to remove the possibility that any man 
shall secure a personal or lifelong grip upon an elec¬ 
tive office. ' ’ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Here comes a New York farmer with two as sound 
bits of philosophy as we have seen in a long time: 
“We breed, our children so like ourselves it’s hard 
for us to get along with them.” 
That’s right, and let us get down closer into it 
and see why. We are so busy making a living and 
as much more as we can that we forget all about the 
time we were children. Thus we do not understand 
the language of boys and girls. We expect them to 
be little old men and women when they are merely 
human youngsters, just as we were 30 or more years 
ago. In many cases, not all, we do not “get along” 
with our children because we are standing still while 
they are just at the growing period. 
“Every man must drudge it at one end or the other 
of his life, and when he is young he can take his 
choice.” 
The great trouble with that is that a man must wait 
until he has gray hairs in order to realize it fully. 
When a man has earned a competence and his chil¬ 
dren know it he is a wise individual who can make 
his youngsters see any glory in hard work. It is the 
nature of most young people in these days to prefer 
eating fudge to drudgery. That is why the son of a 
good blacksmith or of a working farmer has a far 
better chance to make a great statesman than the son 
of a Senator or of a millionaire. 
* 
In 1870 the 15th Amendment to the United States 
Constitution was ratified. Now we have a new one, 
as 37 of the States have already ratified the fol¬ 
lowing : 
“Article XVI.—The Congress shall have power to lay 
and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived 
without apportionment among the several States and with¬ 
out regard to any census or enumeration.” 
The battle for an income tax began years ago. Dur¬ 
ing President Cleveland’s administration a bill pro¬ 
viding for such a tax passed Congress, but the Su¬ 
preme Court declared the law unconstitutional. It 
was necessary to go through the slow process of 
amending the Constitution and this has now been 
done. Congress will now provide plans and methods 
for assessing and collecting this tax. It is not likely 
to affect persons with an income below $5,000 per 
year. We hope it will be so devised as to separate in¬ 
comes which are earned by actual labor from those 
which are unearned either by non-resident or non¬ 
productive citizens. The latter should pay a higher tax, 
since the people provide the income, while the receiver 
gives nothing of practical service in return. This 
form of taxation represents a settled public convic¬ 
tion that an army of tax dodgers have been enjoying 
the special privilege of a free ticket on the railroad 
of life. The incomes they enjoy are paid to them in 
nickels and dimes out of the public purse, and they 
have pinched these coins so hard that the public after 
being held up in this way have been obliged to go 
down into their thin pocketbooks and pay more than 
their share of the expenses of government. These 
facts are responsible for the income tax. We hope 
it will corner the tax dodgers and compel them to 
do their duty by the people who have made them 
rich. 
* 
This Winter we have had dozens of letters from 
individuals and farm organizations in the East asking 
about direct purchase of western grain. Many of 
these people would buy in large lots, and they want to 
get into communication with Western Granges or 
similar organizations which will sell and ship direct to 
the Eastern consumer. In the Western States there 
are many cooperative grain companies and farmers’ 
elevators. These companies handle and ship the local 
grain, and have saved much money for the patrons. 
It would seem as if such organizations ought to be in 
position to develop this direct trade. So we have 
spent considerable time investigating the matter. Here 
is part of a letter from the president of one of these 
cooperative companies in Nebraska: 
Being a native of Massachusetts and still having friends 
In business there I have thought of the thing you mention 
and have tried to work it out; but the trouble seems 
to be that our railroads will not permit their ears to go 
through to the East, which necessitates transferring to other 
ears in Chicago where, there seeming to be no provision 
for such business, our grain would lose its identity in 
going through elevators, and customers in the East would 
not be at all sure of gottiug the grain we shipped. We 
are in position to ship large quantities of very nice corn, 
and have no doubt could do so to mutual advantage of 
buyer and seller if the single item of through ears could 
be arranged. 
Some years ago in trying to develop this direct 
t.ade we ran into the same snag. At that time a 
man from France went to a far Western State, bought 
corn, had it shipped direct to New York for export 
and obtained better accommodations and cheaper 
rates than farmers in New York or New England 
could obtain. 
February 15 , 
This is the season when the horse “gyps” go in 
training for business. Farmers will soon be buying 
horses for Spring work, and in spite of all that has 
been said over and over, they will be tempted to trade 
with these city frauds. Of all the rascals who deal 
in bogus or dishonest goods the “horse gyp” is the 
worst and the smartest. They know how to “dope” a 
poor wind-broken, lame horse so it will show life and 
action for the moment. They know how to bluff or 
fight out of a “contract” or promise. A farmer has 
no business dealing or dickering with such frauds. 
It is worse than playing with fire—worse than walk¬ 
ing up behind a mule and poking him with a stick. We 
make this warning as emphatic as possible right now 
to try to save our readers from trouble and loss. 
The writer was cheated by one of these “gyps” some 
years ago. We took two good horsemen in, and they 
picked out what they called a good bargain. This 
horse proved scarcely able to walk out to the farm, 
and was not worth $20. When you tackle one of these 
thieves you are up against the worst sort of a skin 
game with the chances all against you. Remember 
that an advertisement in a city daily paper is no guar¬ 
antee whatever—these papers have advertised some of 
the worst frauds in the trade. Do not under any 
circumstances try to do business with a horse trader 
unless you know the man is doing a standard and re¬ 
liable business. * 
* 
During the past 30 years we have seen many farm 
movements initiated by outside schemers for their 
own purposes and benefits. When the schemers 
worked the game out, the movement collapsed. Dur¬ 
ing the same years we have known outside interests 
to insinuate themselves into movements initiated by 
farmers themselves for their mutual benefit. In every 
case the outsiders had an ax of their own to grind, 
or a retainer from some interest opposed to the wel¬ 
fare of the farm. These interlopers usually have 
qualities that fit them for leadership. They find their 
way to the inner councils of the farmers’ organiza¬ 
tions, and finally lead the movement to destruction or 
abandon it into the hands of the enemy. When they 
succeed in nothing else they disrupt the organization 
by divisions among the members. We remind farm¬ 
ers of these sinister influences, because we are on the 
eve of an extensive system of farm cooperative or¬ 
ganizations ; and we must learn wisdom from the ex¬ 
perience of the past. We may welcome voluntary 
and disinterested assistance, but it should come to 
work in the ranks, not to gain control for selfish or 
sinister purposes. The experiences of the past sug¬ 
gest prudence for the present and future. It is im¬ 
portant that we learn to recognize schemers when they 
appear, and to brand them when discovered. We give 
notice now that The R. N.-Y. is equipped to put the 
brand of his master or of self-interest on any schemer 
who comes with gifts to lure the farmers from their 
purpose or to cheat them of the benefits now within 
their grasp through their cooperative organizations. 
* 
On general principles it would seem as if modesty 
should prevent a man from alluding to his own work. 
Sometimes, however, modesty is enticed away or 
falls in a fainting spell, and then the man is free. We 
really thought we made a clear statement of the way 
we regard this Luther Burbank Society in the follow¬ 
ing: 
It looks to us like the slickest scheme for milking 
money out through a man’s bump of vanity that ever 
went down the road dirting with suckers. 
We were evidently wrong, for here comes the so¬ 
ciety once more inviting us to become a “life mem¬ 
ber.” We are No. 73 on the list. What an honor to 
realize that out of the 100,000,000 people in this coun¬ 
try there are only 72 thought better prepared to stand 
with the immortals. And a few of the 72 seem to be 
playing the part of angels when it comes to rushing 
into this society. Here, for example, is what Arthur 
Capper of Kansas says when asked to join: 
All these exclusive and unusual privileges have, of 
course, a value not to be estimated in the sordid scale of 
dollars, and yet the only requirement that appears to be 
exacted of members is payment of the insignificant sum of 
$10 a month for a stated number of months, after which 
period the candidate is entitled to “full paid life member¬ 
ship without further obligations.” 
Enticing as this offer is, it suggests a rule that may 
be recommended to young men : Never have anything to 
do with a doilar-and-cents proposition that is expressed 
with indirection. If it has to be swathed in a lot of 
mummy-cloths of verbiage, don’t look at it. 
“Verbiage” is but a name for “guff.” We use the 
latter as it is shorter. 
BREVITIES. 
The cover crops are better off with a snow cover over 
them. 
Wisconsin is remarkable for the thorough organization 
among her farmers. • We doubt if any other State has 
carried this work so far. 
