Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1891 — THEIR ALL AT STAKE. [ARTICLE]

THEIR ALL AT STAKE.

Farmer* Unable to Ntuck Their Grain or Secure Thratlient. If the Immense wheat crop of North Dakota Is to b < saved, men and thrashing machines must bo hustled In there wnhin the next few days. Tho St. Paul Jobbers’ Un'on has aroused to tho necessity of helping out the farmers, and a special coinmittco, which made thorough (our of tho State, has made public tho following report: Successive part'al crop failures for tho past two or three years, coupled with the absolute immensity of their present crop, find tho farmers In that young and newly settled district who ly unprepared t> perform the increased labor thrown upon them Instead of the regular Increase In population by immigration, such as had occurred for many previous years, there has no doubt been a decrease, so that, although harvest hands have been in active demand at high wages, few could bo secured, lor tho simple reason that they aro not thoro. Doth tho Northern Pacific and tho Great Northern Railways have been sending men up there for two months past at nominal rates of fare, but the demand is far from being satisfied. This scarcity of men lias prevented the stacking of grain, as is done in ail the older sections of the North we t, and to-day at least 80 per cent of the wheat stands in shocks In the fields where it grew. In this condition it is unprotected from damage by ra'n, and should a long period of wet weather set In there is no te ling what damage may te done or how much of the magnificent crop maybe ultimately lost. In order to keep all the thrashing machines in tho neighborhood at work, the farmers arc helping each other and thrashing from tho shock. It takes about twenty-five men to keep a machine running in this way, including the number hauling from tho scattered shocks. Thus, while one man’s grain is being thrashed that of ail his neighbors, who are helping him, lies at the risk of damage and loss in their fie ds In many localities whore crops have been poor, or have failed before, there are no thrashing machines to be had, and even this “help-your-neighbor” class of work is not befng done Competent authority says that 100 additional machines can find three months’ steady work in North Dakota at better prices than are usually paid. It is certain that all who can be induced to go then* can do «o. About forty-fivo day 9 mor* remain for plowing before the ground will freeze, when it cannot be done. Ix Portugal peers and Deputies receive $335 a year.