THB ALLIANCE-INDEPENDENT.
MORTGAGE
Of Nebraska For the Tear Ending June
1st, '92, Taken From the
Official Reports.
The Records Analyzed What They
Indicate An Appalling In.
crease of Chattel Mortgages.
A Complete Review of the Subject.
This article is not a "calamity howl."
It'is a presentation of cold, stubborn,
indesputable facts. It deals with mat
ters of official record. In it are pre
sented facts which patriotic men can
not afford to ignore; facts that cannot
ba b'own away with the blasts of ridi
cule; facts that cannot be answered
with empty boasts of alleged pros
perity. The writer appeals to all intelligent,
patriotic citizens of Nebraska to read
carefully and consider seriously the
matters herein set forth without politi
cal prejudice; and having done this, to
answer for themselves the question:
"What are we going to do about it?"
And he further challenges any man
to dispute the figures or overthrow
the conclusions contained in this
article.
THE MAIN QUESTION
is not "How did the people get into
debt?" but "What is the prospect of
their getting out of debt?" The peo
ple of Nebraska do not want to repud
iate their debts, but to pay them. He
who asserts the countary is a slanderer
and a stranger to the truth.
No one will dispute the fact that the
people have b3en getting deeper and
deeper into debt for many years. At
the beginning of 1890 the people of this
state were carrying a mortgage burden
of $630. per family, saying nothing
about chattel mortgages. Such a sit
uation as this ought to startle and
arouse to action every man whose in
terest and sympathies are with the
people of Nebraska. There is but one
thing that could possibly relieve the
appalling nature of such a situaHon,
and that is a turn in the tide. But in
vain have the people worked and wait
ed for that change. They have seen no
tarn for the better, and they havo only
heard of it in the pratings of demagogues.
The mortgage record of the past year
is the last straw that will break the
back of hope for the reiiei without a
change of conditions. There is not in
tbis record a single encouraging fea
ture. There is not a peg on which to
hang a single hope. Every hgure is a
prophet of calamity.
The mortgage like a hugh serpent is
slowly yet inevitably swallowing the
homes and property of Nebraska. Un
less relief comes through changes in
our laws, it is only a question of time
when the home owners of Nebraska
will become tenants.
These may seem like strong state
ments, but let him who doubts them
examine the facts herein submitted.
THE NEBRASKA LAW.
The legislature of Nebraska at its
last session passed a law requiring the
register of deeds in each county to keep
a tabulated record of the mortgages
filed and released, both real estate and
chattels. This law went into effect
June 1st, 1891, although in a number of
counties the keeping of the record was
not begun till later. In Gage county,
the third in the state in population, no
record of chattel mortgages has been
kept. In Lancaster county, tho second
county in the state, this record has
only beeu kept for one month.
The deputy state commissioner of
labor has collected these reports from
time to time, and ente'red them in a
released in each county during tfto
year, also the total amount filed and
released in the state as a whole. The
right hand column shows the net in
crease or decrease of all mortgages in
each county, also the total increase.
Where the record has been kept for
less than a year, the number of months
Is put just after tho name of the
county.
Before entering into a discussion of
the figures shown in tho record let us
THE OFFICIAL MORTGAGE RECORD OF NEBRASKA FOR THE YEAR ENDING
JULY 1ST 1892.
COUNTIES.
Adams
Antelope
Arthur
Banner
Blaine, lOmo's
Boone, Urn's
Box Butte, lira's
Boyd
Brown
Buffalo
Burt -Butler
-Cass
-Cedar,
10 ms
Chase
Cherry -Cheyenne,
11ms
Clay - -
Colfax -Cumlng
Custer, 11ms -Dakota
Dawes, 10ms
Dawson, 11ms
Deuel
Dixon
Dodge, 11ms
Douglas, K)ms
Dundy
Fillmore
Franklin -Frontier
Furnas
Gage
Garfield, 11ms -Gosper
-Grant
-
Greeley - - -Hall
- - -Hamilton
Harlan
Hayes
Hitchcock -Holt,
10 ms -Hooker
. -Howard,
10ms
Jefferson -Johnson
-Kearney
-Keith
- - -KeyaPaha
Kimball
Knox, 11ms
Lancaster, 10ms -Lincoln
Logan -Loup
-
Madison, 10ms -Mcf'herson
Merrick -Nance,
11ms
Nemaha
Nuckolls -Otoe,
10ms
Pawnee
Perkins
Phelps - -Pierce
Platte
Polk - - -Red
Willow
Richardson -Rock
-Saline
-Sarpy,
9ms -Saunders
Scotts Bluff
Seward, 10ms
Sheridan -Sherman
Sioux -Stanton
-Thayer
Thomas -Thurston,
11ms
Valley, Urns.
Washington
Wayne -Webster,
9ms -Wheeler
-York
-
Totals"
a
ss
o
X
H
o
388,781
185,902
1,768
5,458
261,875
18,359
14.000
17.021
426,238
326.019
494.316
437,022
490.018
26,776
34,270
100.957
549,773
393.037
540.046
308,434
180.578
83.304
224,831
26.880
288,602
300,379
297,102
29,093
716.328
144,062
162,303
86.915
866,911
8,709
106,619
1,685
100,341
637,129
636,610
172,880
37,364
1(8.560
163,943
178.066
635,397
369.290
291.929
20.304
24.946
15,501
337,528
666,161
291,079
16,276
5,319
333,163
012,000
349.265
303.752
326.267
262.766
533,387
239,912
, 88,135
375,960
257,129
511,511
319.081
132.926
367,394
21.120
523,870
250,695
566.873
33,741
332,413
92,761
166,126
5.664
350.178
603,474
150
27,704
110.231
394.004
503,455
179.413
19.957
637.5031
22,461.741'
4
a
ss
o
58
H
w
CO
483.812
128,608
I, 473
3.218
206.564
20,308
15.706
757,149
282.328
423,402
430.293
216,295
34.188
43.513
5,329
552,180
286,501
334,471
196,524
110,035
36 aw
203,800
5,280
192,789
284,824
215,062
19.789
685.015
174,932
110.803
99,361
673,412
6,150
90,555
400
88,322
253,217
658,418
133.371
21.677
87.988
236.835
121,377
535,498
336,607
281,599
15.045
33.861
II, 989
159,916
519.065
98,637
13,560
6,403
249,683
.244.422
173.885
258,908
250,174
372.409
224,051
32.180
300,569
99,529
378,961
312.545
163.064
334,730
28,053
460.499
87,8119
503.220
8,749
319,226
53.904
133,464
3.437
197.580
367,774
1,521
8.821
125.620
339 357
257.192
221,358
27,693
580,794
17,094,965
X
o
58
H
O
CO
183,453
2,696
188
23.733
15,325
485
3,615
349.627
16.789
58,567
100,439
21,801
868
6,267
17,202
45,649
71,655
47.824
28,033
50,166
10,953
83,780
320,833
6,542,4:0
259
83,646
11,165
800
21752
403.767
3.355
1,637
200
13,898
289.731
37,518
8,360
13,161
35,522
139
5.052
53.617
28.488
41.080
14,616
50
2,125
14,497
1,714.221
64,784
645
165,033
36.607
18.068
33,a58
39.495
75,5(51
42.296
4.208
48,838
15,573
70.257
25,534
54.685
54.371
3.640
108.250
43.495
102,623
875
34.258
15,607
1.775
1.750
21.213
72.963
320
16.312
27,933
53.5,30
48.294
28.620
897
149.332
12.316,758
187.236
4,100
1,842
20,510
19,402
1.160
461.901
22,988
44.549
71,687
19.506
4,231
1,200
20,253
69 377
34,587
27,837
9,199
38,333
21.241
25.740
225
21,830
151,642
3,382
75,298
13.919
1.014
18,073
303,874
2.146
8,337
5,375
261,142
30,485
8,079
9.290
21,313
6.257
80,330
16,810
23.698
12,064
463
2.556
1.784
1,567,601
35,134
468
82
89,713
26,098
15.327
21.144
35.955
39.420
29.94
2,t87
54,075
7,927
52.25H
82,95(5
49.391
53,531
690
60.695
12.290
62,500
600
2 i.487
6.815
3,767
800
12.956
47,229
500
7,065
19.258
50,977
14.307
B5.543
1,646
160,841
H
H
W
r
SS
o
58
H
O
H
CO
I 358.093
247,700
24.691
15.970
2r0.065
118,387
58,657
110.119
1,028,803
646.895
443.639
2(52,866
553,314
62,612
265,370
100,114
547,926
190,767
351,027
817,651
144,445
210,371
520,565
154,370
343,383
345,690
2,021,579
96.182
547,293
158.094
394.593
284,567
No reco
29.757
167,288
54 644
138,896
532,949
489,177
195,603
190.951
179,106
419,965
12.744
211,681
838.948
171,513
425,591
76,324
77.964
14.088
476.537
65,339
383,149
66.215
30,708
347,077
38.171
292.432
288,599
150.299
432.512
275.000
132,177
122,458
494,171
200,176
302.597
284.791
238.045
103,826
318.247
65.&52
249.523
49,966
251.244
335,374
262.029
50.034
161,026
347,093
7,467
247.651
179,818
248,316
857,052
323.728
50.012
646,230
9.049,951 i 22,915.155
n
P
S
o
S3
H
O
w
CO
257,949
150,042
14,260
9.124
200,914
70.768
5,694
120.990
424,336
397,376
336.966
160,056
360,186
47,(537
96,108
55,001
556,8:19
162,522
131,642
374,206
90,063
167,709
188,190
48.992
229.757
153.622
523,592
61.012
433,335
99,608
231,582
163.426
rd kept.
25.301
86,672
22,052
119,828
320,036
257,314
108,428
68,721
100,861
180,396
9,081
83,981
311,782
79,711
221,385
56.570
47.275
5.2(52
261,470
33.863
421.024
72,856
25.435
174.906
20.028
127,149
160.353
70.600
230,209
1(55,739
75,379
50,528
240,461
SU2,)fl
94.986
197.690
232.861
176.450
46,441
169,130
29.316
182 483
32.781
106.373
214,870
132,147
68,703
78.885
166,655
5,554
122.811
149,492
354.865
413.977
136.883
21,772
545.786
14,565,317
! 1.230
153,848
10,726
7.432
131,25)5
41.593
49.504
7,101
161,282
287,011
191,605
138,391
369,246
4,200
165,086
137,(590
35,978
17 -.849
445,547
575,313
135,753
79,412
411,446
126.950
252 841
376.204
3,894,813
41,351
163,629
24.863
214,197
112,374
293,483
8,224
90,010
44,077
39,610
615,384
217,108
126.975
137,917
10i,994
2I0.8S6
3,80 J
183,181
99,948
136,187
231819
27.5(55
21,3(51
11,907
403,392
3ir,193
184,317
4,393
4,876
T32.971
19 m
280,615
260 741
159,263
218,4'5
B07,aS0
85 013
130.000
323.863
207,294
255,739
114,011
27,186
94,799
53,403
250,023
230,176
170,826
42.455
74,819
17,169
171.336
15,493
143,990
411,873
36J
152.970
23,611
49,349
723,325
147,977
19,756
145,644
16.983.420
NOTE: The minus sign ( ) in the last column indicates a decrease.
The chattel mortgage record was only kept in Lancaster county during May, 1892.
state mortgage record kept for that
purpose.
The table published in connection
with this article has been made up
from these records. It has been very
carefully prepared and verified.
WHAT THE TABLE SHOWS.
The mortgages are divided into
three classes, farm, city a ad chattel.
The table shows the amount .of
the mortgages of each class filed and
take a glance at
NEBRASKA,
her soil, climate, and people, and see if
we can find thereto any adequate cause
for tho conditions shown by this
report.
Nebraska is one of the great states
of the Mississippi Valley. She has a
population of over one million. The
people are intelligent and industrious.
Illiteracy and pauperism are almost
unknown. Persons of tho class usually
set down as "shiftless" arc exceedingly
fcarce.
Nebraska, with tho exception of a
few thinly settled counties, has a very
fertile soil. The climate is also very
favorable to agriculture, except that in
the western part of the state there is an
occasional droulh. Nowhere in tho
United States is there a climate more
favorable for outdoor work. Certainly
nowhere do tho farmers put in more
days' works in the year.
Nebraska has good roads at almost
no expense. Sho is well supplied with
good railroads that were cheaply built
and aro cheaply operated. In fact kind
nature and human effort have united to
create all the conditions necessary to a
prosperous, free and happy people.
It should also bo remembered that
LAST YEAR,
the period covered by this report, was a
season of good rains in all parts of the
state and good crops; also that prices
ranged higher than usual on account of
tho shortage of the previous year and
the great foreign demand. On tho
whole the year ending June 1st, '92,
has been the most favorable period tho
farmers of Nebraska have enjoyed for a
number of years,
THE GENERAL RESULTS.
shown by the record may bo summar
ized af follows:
FARM MORTGAGES.
NUMBER.
Piled, - - 24,538.
Released - 24,505
Increase
33
AMOUNT.
$22,401,741
17,094,905
5,300,770
CITY MORTGAGES.
Filed - - 10,423 12,310,758
Released - 8,788 9,049,951
Increase - 1,035 ,3,200,807
CHATTEL MORTGAGES.
Filed - 115,373 22,915,155
Released -72,313 14,505,317
Increase - 43,000 8,349,837
Number of foreclosures on
farms 1,266
Number of foreclosures on town
or city lots 579
FARM MORTGAGES.
The total increase in farm mortgage
debts within the year is considerably
over four millions. This shows that
the farm mortgagee are not increasing
more rap'dly than in previous years.
In fact there may be a little falling off.
But this is exactly what might be 'ex
pected. It results from the fact that
in many counties the farm mortgage
burden is already so heavy as to admit
of little or no increase.
The farm mortgages have increased
in seventy-two counties and decreased
in only eighteen counties. The de
creases are as a rule very small, but
the increases are generally large. It
is a very significant fact that the de
creases occur in those counties which
are carrying the greatest burden of
debt.
This indicates, not an increase
OP prospebity, but an exhaustion
OF SECURITY.
This view of the fact is emphasized
by the fact that in the counties in the
southeastern part of the state the
oldest settled and most prosperous sec
tion of the state the increases in farm
mortgages are large. But the most
significant fact, and that which abso
1 tablisb.es this position, is that
" teen of the eighteen counties showing
urst chse in farm mnriannp thtr htut
Ichesfrfr