Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1891 — It Costs You Nothing. [ARTICLE]

It Costs You Nothing.

It is witli pleasure we announce that we have made arrangements with that popular, illustrated magazine, the America:; Farmer, published at Cleveland, Ohio, and read by farmers in all parts 'of this country and Canada, l>y which that excellent publication will be mailed direct, free, to the address of any of our subscribers who will pay up all arrearages on subscriptions aud one year in advance, from date, and to any new subscribers who will pay one year in advance, .or to any subscribers in arrears who will pay us not less, than $3.00 on his back subscription. This is a grand opportunity to obtain a firstclass farm journal free. The American Farmer is a large 16-page illustrated journal, of national circulation, which ranks among the leading agricultural papers. Its .highest purpose is the elevation and ennobling of Agriculture through the higher and broader education of men aud women engaged in its pursuits. The regular subscription price of the American Farmer is SI.OO per year. IT COSTS YOU NQ THING. From any one number, ideas can be obtained that will be worth thrice the subscription price to you or members of your household, yet you get it free. Call and see sample copy.

The London Economist advises tinplate-workers of Wales that they must reduce prices and pay the increased duty themselves, or “the days of the tinplate trade of this country (England) with America are over.” These remarks will be regardecLwith the free-trade organs which persist in declaring that America cannot produce tin-plate, and which would be glad to chronicle the destruction of that industry in this country.

The Columbus, Ohio, dispatch hits the fiat shriekers and calamity Janes a hard blow by recalling, some past history concerning cheap money. It says: Men who served in the war will remember that it took at one time $2.65 in greenbacks to buy one dollar in gold. The cheaper currency drove the gold out of circulation. So it would be were a law pass ed to establish “unlimited silver coinage.” Silver would take the place of gold in general circulation, but in the markets of the world, food, raiment and rent would be upon a gold basis. The difference in value between gold and silver would have to be made up in silver. This principle was illustrcted in the Confederate government Tb« time came when a hatful of paper money would not buy a dinner a gold dollar, but the difference of coarse, between “unlimited silver coinage” and gold would not be so great as that which existed between gold and Confederate money. Two of the very foremost M oalamityites” in Jasper county live in Jordon tp. They are each worth from $15,000 to $20,000. One of

them has made all of his wealth by farming and the other admits that the greater portion of his was made in that way. Taking it as it runs farming pays better than almost any other business and a greater proportion of those engaged in it get rich enough to retire from active life, by the time they are 50 or 60 years old, than in most other businesses, j Let those who doubt the truth of this statement, figure up the of farmers in Jasper county who have already retired from active life with a competence, or ate well enough “fixed” to do so if they wished; and in comparison thereto figure the number of those who have grown equally wealthy in business or professions, in the same period of time.

At a recent farmers’ picnic-» Brazil, this state, Senator J. A. , Mount made an address in which he made the incon trover table point that there has never been a time when a given amount of corn, wheat, beef or pork would purchase as many of the necessaries and comforts of life as now. According to the books of an old business firm of Lafayette, in 1840-41 it took then, eighteen bushels of corn to buy an ax, and leave 1 some pocket change. Calico ranged from 18 to M cents per yard, butter 4 to 7 cents per pound, requiring about four poundsof butter to buy a yard of ealicor Now a quart of skim milk will buy a yard of calico. Then it took two pounds of butter to buy a ’pound of nails, now a quart of buttermilk will pay for a pound of nails. Then salt ranged from $3.50 to $4.00 a barrel, corn was 12| cents a bushel and wheat from to 37i| Cents. It took a yearling calf then to pay for a barrel of salt, now the farmer can take a sucking calf, kill it, eat the veal, and sell the hide for enough to pay for a barrel of salt. He spoke at length on the benefits to the farmer arising from diversified industries. He said in the same proportion as the per cent, engaged in farming, decreases and consumers increase, in that proportion the price of land increases. In 1860 about 60 per cent, of all the population was engaged in farming; now about 40 per cent. At the present rate of increase of manufacturers in Indiana and the increase of non-producers of agricultural products the State will soon consume at home all her surplus.