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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1906)
unday Bee. WANT AD SECTION. Pages 1 to 8. Advert I In THE OMAHA DEC Best & West ESTABLISHED JUNE 19, 1871. OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 23, 19(V. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. he Omaha LAND AS SAFE INVESTMENT Monej So Planted ii Bettor Placed Than in tue Bank. CHANCE FOR PROFIT AIl) NONE FOR LOSS What Constitutes the Baals Security for Good lletorna on Capital Pnt In Farm Lands. of Ownership of ."he land by the man who tills It is one of the most Important factors in the progress of civilization In tills or any other country. iiiHtory has repeatedly demonstrated that as a general rule, the man who owns the Und he farms is a more valuable citizen than the man who farms a rented place. This statement should not be construed to mean that cveiy man who Is a renter is an unde.-tlrablu citizen nor that all land owners are better citizens than are the renters; It is not in tend to convey such an idea. The young man with limited capital or, perhaps, with no capital at hla command often rents a farm for u few years until he is able to buy and this Is certainly commendable. There are, however, a class of farmers who re main renters mainly because they are poor managers and never get enough money to gether to purchase a farm. Others who have enough capital are afraid to invest their surplus, fearing that land values are apt to decline and their holdings become less valuable In the future. It cannot be denied that farm land Is at times boomed above Its normal market Value, in which case a reaction la sure to follow. Sooner or luter, however, periods of depression pass, land values are again restored, and usually another Increase in price follows. It Is so with all kinds of property. Are People Leavinir the Country t During recent years we have heard a great deal about people leaving the country to take up work in the city at wages that are more remunerative. It 1b argued by some that the direct cause of this Immigra tion from the country to the city Is that farming Is unprofitable as compared with other lines of business. As a matter of fact, a greater proportion of our people are now living In cities than was the case some years ago. In 1850. for example, when the population of the United States was 23,000, OuO, only 12 per cent of the people lived in in cities of 8,000 Inhabitants or over, while in 1890, when our population was over 76, 000,000, 33 per cent of our people lived in cities of 8,000 or over. These facts certainly demonstrate that our urban population Is Increasing more rapidly than our rural. This; however, does not prove that farming is unprofitable, neither does it Indicate that land is not a good Investment. We believe that land is one of the safest and best in vestments for the small Investor that can be found anywhere. We agree with Hon. Jeremiah Rusk, who, when he was secre tary of agriculture, in writing on American farrrlng 100 years hence, said: "What land will be worth In those days no man can venture to estimate, but of one thing we can all rest assured, and that Is that the richest Inheritance a man can leave to his ' grandohlldren and their descendant will be a farm of many broad, fertile acres In the United States of America." ouo, and In UH4, 6,7oo,0uo. In other words, In 18u0, excluding people living In cities of S.Hju Inhabitants or over, we had one farm to every fourteen persons, while In 1&, on the same basis, we had one farm to every 8.9 persons. This is a fact of great importance, for it shows that our land is not going into the hands of capitalists nor Into the clutches of large owners, which would be a great detriment to the country. Torching upon this point, Axlslant (Secretary ot Agriculture W. W. Hays recently said: Unforeseen financial changes might-turn capital to purchasing 'estatts,' and other ecojionJc change might tend to greatly Increase the percentage of -Uncle Sam's acres owned by 'landlords.' Reducing the proportion of thut class who manuge and 'work' lands which they own lowers the average living. The principal reason' why the common farmers now hold the "land is because, by uniting their capital, their labor and their btalns with the making of a. permanent family home, they can pay so much for the land that the capitalist cannot afford to own It for 1. slng, nor to 'run' it at arm's length without pauper labor. Re muneration In the form of Independent homes for families Is not secured by the absent landlord and by only a few of the inhabitants on the large estate conducted by the owner. Whenever other industries lug capital seeks- Investment in landed estates, and once estates, with expensive central buildings, are developed, it is, in deed, very difficult to break them up Into smaller holdings. European estates help to hold as peasants a large class of people who do hot lack In ability, as shown by the rapidity with which the rise when placed on free soil in America." These well known facts Berve to empha size the importance to every man who possibly can do so to acquire ownership in land. There lies before tlie American peo ple a period of greater Industrial struggles than they have ever experienced. That period will not come In our generation perhaps our children may not witness it. but sooner or later, as our population con tinues to Increase, competition will be come more severe and the struggle for land ownership will Increase. Those who secure land now, while there are still millions of, acres to be had at a small cost, are building wiser for the future than they realize. A Word to the Renter. Strange Spectacle of a Divided Church J . 7 V : ,! m. : ' " f )L.v4'"- 'i 1 FORMER FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH AT THIRTY-FIFTH AND FARNAM-TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO STORE BUILDINGS. An A are of City Building;. The reason why the city population Is in creasing is not because farming Is un profitable, but because this is an age which especially favors city building. It is an age of railroad building and an age of manufacturing. In 1SS0, for example, . our total manufactured products were valued at, approximately, $1,000,000,000, while in 11)00 their value was over 113,000,100,000. Dur ing these fifty years there was an average Increaso in the value of manufactured products of 70 per cent for each decade. , The amount of money paid for labor dur ing the same period Increased from $227, OOO.OOD In 1850 to $2,329,000,000 in 1900, while the number of 'hands employed increased from 967,000 to 5.317,000. The increase men tioned has only reference to manufacturing, railroading, mining, commerce and other industries, which draw men to the cities, have met with equal rapid growth, and this is one of the main causes of the in crease In our city population. Another factor which has contributed to the growth of our urban population Is the Introduction of Improved farm machinery. On this account fewer people are today needed on the farm to perform a given amount of labor than was tho case fifty years ago. One man can now do the work of two or three during earlier times. Fur thermore, our modes of living have changed the man In the country mokes greater demand upon the man In the city than he used to. He buys his meat and he sells his cream instead of first making it into butter. His wheat Is ground at large milling centers Instead of In his own com munity. He dresses better and makes greater demand upon the city ., merchant for clothes, shoes, buggies and all sjrts of commodities. What were considered luxuries a few years ago are now consid ered necessities. Many other things might be mentioned which directly or Indirectly contribute to city building. Stroma Demand (or Land. Further proof of the statement that the city is not growing at the expense of the country for the reason that farming Is un profitable, or that farm property Is not good property la found in the tremendous activity that has manifested itself in land dealings the country over during the last ten years. Stop for a moment and con sider what the mad rush for the Rosebud land in South Dakota last summer meant. Did It not mean that people had the "land fever?" Did it not show that tsere is a strong desire in the heart of every man to own land? The Rosebud land was not to be given away, but was sold at $1.50 per acre and yet 63 per cent ot the land to be disposed of was not as valuable as a great deal of land that ran be purchased from private parties at the same price per acre. It was generally known that there were only about 150 good claims in the total of 2.240 to be sold, stin 107.000 people registered In hopes of getting the coveted prize. 160 acres of land. The same condition of affairs has existed wherever large tracts of land have been opened up. When a large amount of Canadian land was opened for settlement a few yeir go the same rush was seen, all of which goes to show that tho public reillxes the value of land. The agricultural press is doing a great work for tho country In bringing before their readers the wonderful business opportunities and land bargains there are In vorious'parts of the country. During the Inst fifty years farms have not only greatly increased In numbers, which one would naturally expert, hut there are now more farms per rural In habitant the country over than there was In ISM. In that year we hai in th United States 1.600,000 farms; In ISfiO. MWVOOO; In 1K70, 1100,000; in ISO, 4,000,000; In 1&90, 4.500.- We are prone to boast of the wealth of our country, we point with pride to the prosperity of our farmers, we like to dwell upon the Immensity of the crops we annually raise and their enormous aggre gate annual mcney value. We have good reason for being proud of our agricultural prosperity, for the American farmer Is the most Intelligent farmer on the face of the globe. In spue of this, however, we have more renters than we ought to have. No less than 36 per cent of our farmers live and work on rented land. This should not be so. There Is plenty of good land for sale, not only as reasonable, but at very low prices compared with their agri cultural value. Renters should think of the vast opportunities that M-e still open to them. They should not fall to realise that they can get more out of a farm of their own than out of one they rent. They seldom treat a rented farm as they would their own land, and, besides, land that has been rented for a number of years, as Is well known, is Invariably run down and In poor condition to begin with. A3 a rufe, the renter" Is a grain farmer; he is largely a one-crop man. The result is that In some years he secures fairly good profits and in other years he comes out behind. One-crop farming Is not profit able. It Is the diversified farmer who Is making money. The man ' who raises grass and grain, feeds these products to his live stock, thus getting two Instead of one profit each year, and at the same time improves his land, is the successful man, and he is usually also the man who or.-ns the land he tills. Land Certain to Increase In Valne . In view of these facts we would urge renters, whose experience may have led mem to conclude thut farming Is not so prolltuble as it ought to be, to look at this problem in the light that the man who owns his farm has u great advantage over the one who rents and is obliged to move from one place to another every year or two. It is not necessary to buy land that is worth $75 or $100 per acre. There is plenty of good land available at one-half, one-third or one-quarter of these values. There are thousands of acres available and awaiting the push and energy of young men who are willing to put a shoulder to the wheel of Independent Industry. It be hooves young men to keep their eyes open and to seize upon every opportunity to better themselves. If every man coufd see a few years Into the future, as far as prices of land is con cerned, thousands of farmers would be. ready to buy this very moment. This we cannot do. We cun, however, look into the past. We can observe what has hap pened in the United States during the last twenty or thirty years, we can ascertain what land is worth in some of the coun tries older than our own, and from such observations we should be able to draw some helpful conclusions as to tho future value of farming land In this country. Valne of Foreign Lands. In 1850 the average price of farm land In the United Slates was $11 per arce, while in 1890 the average price was $20 per acre. This Bhows an increase in prices of 90 per cent in fifty years. A large proportion of our land has increased in value a good deal more than these figures Indicate and to which many farmers could bear witness, but this reprerents the average increase the reentry over. 'I'he French government. In order to ob. tain a comprehensive view of land values, divided all the land of the republic Into five classes, according to his natural fertility. The land comprised in the first class constitutes about 17 per cent of th agricultural land In France. The second class, about 22 per cent; the third class, 13 per rent; the fourth class, 20 per cent, and the fifth class, M per cent. The valua of these different clnsses of land Is shown In the following table, as reported in a French official povernraent report for 192. Tie figures represent dollars per acre: The old frame First Baptist church build ing at Thirty-fifth and Farnam streets, recently bought by N. P. Dodge, Jr., hus been cut In two and . will be moved this week to Twenty-ninth and Farnam streets, where it will be converted Ipto a store build ing. The history of the First Baptist church, until It went Into Its new home at Twenty ninth avenue and Harney Btreet, something like a year and a half ago, Is one In which misfortune wag not unknown. It was In 1857 that Rev. Mr. Barnes erected a frame building at Fifteenth and ';avenoort BtreetB, doing a large part of the wrpenter work with his own hands. This served twenty years, and was torn down about 1877 and a large brick structure erected in Us place at a cost of $20,OX). Such a building was a magnificent church home at that time In Omaha. The building if the church placed a large debt on the congregation, and for years there was a hard struggle to pay It, until finally the American Baptist Home Missionary so ciety applied $10,000 and practically wiped out the indebtedness. December 4, 1894, the church was de stroyed by fire. It happened in the pas torate of W. P. Helllngs, D. D., who came to Omaha from the First Baptist church at Buffalo, N. T. He began to advocate tho union of the First church with Beth Eden church, which was located on the east side of Park avenue. Just south of Iavenworth street. Both churches voted against the proposition. Urged by Dr. Helllngs, who said the lega tion was much better for a church which expected to grow with the city, the church bought the property at Thirty-fifth nnd Farnam streets in 1895 and in 1S9B moved a frame building from Thirtieth and Cali fornia streets to the lot and erected an ad dition. The whole movement was con trary to the best Judgment of the Baptists of the city and of many of the members of the First church, say those of the present church who were members then. It soon became evident that a mistake had been made, and the church made no progress. Two or three years after the move Dr. Helllngs went enst and the question of union with Beth Eden again arose. 'A vote of the two churches decided the question and the congregation of Beth Eden changed its place of worship to Thirty-fifth and Fan. am, Dr. Allen of Beth Eden taking charge of the new church, which held the name of the First Baptist church. Dr. Put man was the next pastor. Dr. J. W. Conley was called to the pas torate In 1902 and at once began planning for a new church. With the hearty support of the congregation his efforts were suc cessful, and In October of 1904 the present home of the church on Twenty-ninth avenue was dedicated. Including the ground it cost 100,000. Tearing Down a Building that is Still Good I TUB FIELD OF ELECTRICITY. The tugs of the harness of Niagara power are visible on both sides of the great cata ract. On the American side the power houses are above the rapids and less of fensive to the eyes of visitors. On the Canada side one of the new power houses la located at the base of the falls, sixty feet below the top of the rock embank ment, visible from all view points on the American side. Just below the arch pool bridge half a score of cables stretch across the river from high towers. These rabies constitute the transmission line from the Canada power house to the American side and continue on Independent right-of-way from the falls to Syracuse, where the cur rent will soon be utilized as motive power on the New York Central railroad. The distance is 100 miles. This menns that the New York Central Is now ready to operate a vast electrio system,, covering western and central New York, making It possible for one to travel from Niagara Falls to Little Falls on electric cars. The transmission of power from Niagara Falls to Syracuse will mark a distinct ad vance In the transmission problem. It will be the longest line on the continent, ex cept that of one company In California. This line will be the most complete In the' world. The poles or towers on' which will be strung the power cables have al ready been erected to the city line of Syracuse. The cable towers are of steel and trian gular in form, tho legs being hollow nnd filled with cement to prevent injury to the tubular construction from extreme heat and cold, the cement being a neutralizing sgnnt. The power will be conveyed by aluminum cr.bles. which have been found most effi cient in the transmission of electricity, and It is calculated that only 8 per cent will be lost in the transmission to Syracuse. The right-of-way obtained for the trans mission line Is 300 feet wide from Niagara river to Loclsport, 200 feet wide from Lock port to Rochester and 100 feet wide from Rochester to Syracuse. The consummation -of the contract for this large block of power by the New York Central was rumored immediately after the acquisition of the street railway sys tem of Rochester by the Vanderbllt-An drews system. By this move the New York Central supplied the missing link to its great trolley system covering that end of the state. The electrician of the Falls branch and the Auburn branch of the New York Central Is now announced and a great step In the superceding of steam by electricity Is taken. It Is believed that with the perfection of the electric locomotive the New York Cen trol will substitute electricity for steam on Its main line. At present a vast feeder system to the trunk lines has been formed. Passengers will be picked up at their doors along central and western New York and taken in express trolleys to Rochester, Utlca. Syracuse and other points, where they can reach the limited trains on the main line. LIVE REAL ESTATE TOPICS What the Dealers Are Talking About Amon Themselves. DEMAND FOR RENTABLE HOUSES EXPLAINED Interesting; Grist of Ooaslp Grow In at Out ot the Paj-tlcnlnrly Active Realty Bnatneaa In Omaha and Vicinity, "The best sign of Omaha's Improvement," says a well known rental agent, is the number of strangers who are asking 'far houses to rent. It Isn't as It was a year or two ago, when you simply had to ak from what agent you last rented, but now a large percentage of our rentals me to people who give out-of-town reference or to some Omaha Jobber with whom they did business out in the state. They don't even know the streets and by advertising the house and street number you convey nothing to them. They want to know a great deal about the house before they go to look at It, so I ad Iso people who have houses to rent to put it In an agent's hands; it will be rented more quickly nnd at less expense than it the owner tries It himself.' 'I 1 1 1 v 4 7 ' ' ' . .' v. ; "Do y4u know there Is no more acreage property within a mile of a car line?" pursued the talker. "I mean no more cheap tracts of two to twenty acres, where a fellow caa build a little house, plant an orchard and have some chickens, pigs and cows. "Some real estate men have told mn they could sell every aero of ground within half a mile of a car line if they could find some big tracts to cut up. Now, isn't it time to agitate the extension of some of our car lines, so they will open up some of the unoccupied space that lies close In to the city, but is between the spokes of the present car lines? For In stance, If the Ames avenue car would go west a little farther and circle around to the south to Krug park, it would open up a large area for settlement and give the noryi end of town a car lino to Krug park and Benson. The present line is over worked and very inconvenient to the people living in the north end of town, and even more so to those in Hanscom park and West Farnam districts. The park line that now stops at the southwest corner of the park ought to be extended southwest to Fortieth and I Btreets, South Omaha, open ing up the ctountry lying between the park and South Omaha." -1 1N '"'',7'MWnT 1-,' . . )U " 1 " - - -I l. C "I am glad to see The Bee advocating a workhouse to take the place of the local bastllcs," said a property owner the other day. "If Tho Bee will keep that Idea be fore the people It will help to bring about tho complete solution of the court house problem. Mr. Wallace's plan, as given at the real estate banquet the other night, was both novel and worth careful con sideration. His Idea was to have a syndi cate purchase the court house square at a price agreeable to the county and to locate the court house on the block bounded by Harney and St. Mary's ave nue, Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets, placing the court house on Harney street and the" Jntl and workhouse down In tho valley, on St. Mary's avenue, surrounding the block with a high brick wall. The court house square could be utilized for stores and office building, (an Ideal loca tion for Union Pacific headquarters), and it would enhance the value of all tho surrounding property at least DO per cent. "Until some one makes a better sugges tion! I believe Mr. Wallace deserves the palm. I wish The Bee would have a symposium from various contributors as to what we shall do with the court house." ST. PAUL, Neb., March 23. To the Editor . T Is , Uno . k f aw ova a aA Y nntlnorl tx n explied and' the revolution is in progress. - - - " - ( ,,. i, (i . , .... . ,, , account in the Bee of a controversy S. . w . U . .11. ..LI 14B L 11 IHillUOUII UUU 1 terlng at New iork is under way. Alreauy Five years ago a tuilrood operator ot conimaiiuiug lnnueuce said: "In teu years nine it Hiu oa uiuicuit to Una a siuam lo comotive on the uuiiK lines of Urn earn. whn louud U will be on tue scrap heap. 1 will havo btun displaced by me elocinu motor." '-- "Xne remark was receivoC with Incredul ity," comments the Brooklyn fcagle. "Jiiven mn road operators who totsauw a revolu tion in motive power tnougnt tne limit siiuulu be placed at twenty years, if noi a quarter of a century. Tne revolution meant so much. ot only in tneir view, beiore this could be done, must a complete change be mauo in uietiioas, truck construction und orgamuillon, but Influences of power, whicn would naturally be exerted to a con tinuance of old ways and old methods, mubt be overturned. Yet but naif ot tue period named by this far-seeing man has a portion of the Long Island railroad is belli operated by electricity, white the labor of electrifying other parts Is being steadily pushed. Similar work Is being done on the lines of the New York and New Haven. The operation of the New York Central so far up as Croton.ls only awaiting the completion of the terminal Improvements In Manhattan. Though no between a Douglas county real estate mnn and tho Hon. Secretary of Agriculture, over the question of what, if any bennflt the Increase In value of farm land in Ne braska, hod been to the Nebraska farmer, provided the farmer still retained his land for farm purposes? The real estate man seeming to contend that the farmer was not benefited, and the Hon.' Secretary was apparently unable to offer any very lucid TOTJNO MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION BTTLDTNG ITT PRCtrTTCS C? trSTfO LT rr. The removal of the old Young Men's Christian association building at Sixteenth and Douglas streets calls to mind some facts very interesting to the real estate fraternity. In lt6 on the lot was nothing but a small frame residence, which was afterward given away by the association on condition that the iicw owner would remove it, and a big Cottonwood tree, a landmark along Sixteentn street. It was in that year that the association bought the property for $25,000. The owner, J. P. Black of Chicago, had bren In Omaha a few weeks before and had adjudged the property, though this was unknown to the association directors, worth $18,000. After some hesitation he accepted the offer. public announcement has been mode of the ' "planatlon ot the fact he well knew ex fact, it Is well known that the Pennsyl- ,sted- vania contemplates the moving of Its trains ' To me' U Beem onIy the mlBta.ncy of by electricity between Philadelphia and "empung "vo a prooiem wrong enu New York when the tunnels under the North river are completed. Now the Erie takes a step In the same direction, while the Delaware & Hudson is experimenting with a new style of electrio motor. "In the present outlook it would seem as if the only purpose was that of mov ing the suburban traffic by electrical power. It Is merely the first step in the ; estate and one, among other, conclusions coming revolution. The other steps may i I have arrived at. is this. That no farm to. If the real estate man had inquired what Influence had caused the great ad vance In the value of farm property, the benefit to the farmer of such Increased value would have been apparent without the question being asked. In my experience in dealing with real estate for the last twenty years, I have de voted considerable study to the causes for the raise and fall in the value of real President P. C. Himebaugh of the asso- torn down now to make room for the elation was tho man responsible for the Brandels department store. The stone is purchase, and many wise heads of the as- being hauled to Twenty-fifth and Harney soclatlon doubted the wisdom of the act. streets, where it will be used In the erec- II was jusnnea, nowever, oeiore tne aeea lion or ins new wise memorial nonpuai. , TitT'ij, . One of the oldest memoers of the asso- , . " " j ..w, ..v.... .,," '', .J, nv.,,.,., .u. ..n .k- m ' "c- but they clearly visible to rail- high market value until the farmers of that i v.wv. v - """"' - "- road men. Already the New York Cen- same site is costing J. L. Brandels & Sons home, said: j , , . .,,, " Tk. ... .,l ... ,,li1 ti.rlv r-: " J --. Ill AllO IIIUOV DailBjUllltJ VS. UBR bsuiu ims ut practically $0,000, for they gave that much to the association for the lot and building, and the latter can hardly be counted worth anything, for it is estimated the have foreseen the time when the place would be In the center or the retail dis trict and when Its value would be eight electrio ing it western division. When ; both ends are operated by electricity it country were able to pay high prices for IV. We never hear of a farmer coming from Illinois to Nebraska and buying land ot $100 per acre. If an Illinois farmer wants will be but a short time before the some i to buy land, and Is rich enough to pay amount of money realized on the ' sale of times what we paid for It. In fact there the material will Just about equal the cost was a question as to whether It would of tearing down and removal. ever be worth more than we paid." The old building was erected In 1S87 at a This is plainly another instance where cost of approximately $76,000. It Is being truth is stranger than fiction. AnWe. Sit-in! Vine- Woods Wood" Claws. Land Meadow YaMs Copse Forest First 1 y.i Kk'i 1C1 Record 19 2"" M 1 HH 1"0 fi iiv F-"rth .... M l" 111 49 77 Flfth 62 . 78 78 S2 54 This table shows that the best agricul tural land, which Is not equal to much of our land In point of fertility, has a much higher money value per acre. From a Russian report It appears that land In Russia which in ISO averaged a little over $5- per acre was In 18S9 valued at $"3 64 Land used for ttock raising in The Netherlands, according to official re ports, was valued In 189C at $213.53 per acre, while general farming land at that time was worth $113 49 per acre as an aver age the country over. The average value of all land In Belgium, according to gov ernment reports of that country. Is fZbi per acre. What the Belgium government terms "arable land" was valued In 1902 at $'.?2 and what It terms "meadow land" at $200. By comparing these average valua tions with the averago value of our land, $20 per acre, we realize what the figures mean. We have, of course, much land that today sells for $100 per acre and over, but we have much that can still be pur chased for a great deal less than $20 per acre. In studying the values given for foreign lands we should remember that they are average figures and that without question a great deal of the land In those countries is 'worth more. Best Kind of Investment. What do these figures teach? Do they mean that land in foreign countries is superior to ours In point of productive ness? Certainly not. You say Uie dif ference Is due to a denser population in those countries. That is no doubt true. But will our population not soon become dense,, too? Do you realize that the in habitants of the United States have in creased by 100 per cent every thirty years? That our population has doubled itself every three decades? If this rate of in crease keeps up, now that there are over $0,000,000 people In this country, Is It not a foregone conclusion that land values are bound to go upwards and travel rapidly at .that? Is there any escape from these conclusions? Free government land will soon be a thing of the past and the sooner a man becomes the happy owner of a farm the better It will be for him and his posterity. No property that' we can leave for our children Is more valuable than land. It Is not easily squandered; it will afford them, or the farmer In his old nge, an Independent home. Moths and rust will not corrupt It; fire cannot destroy It, and trusts cannot monopolize it. No class of people is so Independent as the farmers; upon them always has and always will rest the pros perity of the country, provided they own the land they till. To recapitulate: Demand for land Is In creasing. Our population is Increasing at a rapid rate and this is bound to cause the price of land to advance. .Per rural Inhabitant the number of acres owned by each Is decreasing. It is better for the country to have many small land owners than a few large holders and a large per cent of renters. Land In the old countries, In spite of the fact that much of It Is held by landlords, has gradually Increased in value, though it is no more fertile than ours. It is more proTltable for the farmer to own than to rent the land he farms. If be owns It he is sure of getting the benefit of increase in prices, and at the same time he can Improve its crop-producing power, which It Is practically impossi ble to do with rented land. Farming is an independent business, calculated to pro duce the best and most useful citizens. For the young man, the middle-aged man and his posterity, no Investment la so sure to bring constant reasonable returns as an Investment In land. Therefore, no man can make a mistake If he buys a slice of Mother Earth while he can do so at rea sonable prices. Twsntleln Century farmer. impu mi r Tn ptiv mnv 1 " inion IUL.U IU OIHl HVVMI creased comfort and cleanliness the rev olutlon would be Justified. Exemption from coal dust and coal smoke would ln- $100 per acre for It, he will buy his land In his own country at $150 or more per acre, pay his $100 per acre down and go in debt for the balance rather than take chance In a country with which he Is not ac quainted. Consequently, before land in Douglas county would sell for $100 to $125 traveling publio than that of In- ' Per acfe " nad to walt tintll the farmers of that county were Rule to Duy It at that power will be applied to the middle sec tions. When one road Is wholly operated by electric power other roads will follow. One road will not be permitted to enjoy a monopoly of the advantages resident In applied electricity. "If no other advantage were secured to the Father O'Brien of Toledo Advisee People to Remain Native Land. crease travel. And that would be the advantage gained by the company. This la not a fanciful consideration. Railroad DUBLIN. March 24. (Special Cablegram operatives know that Increase of comfort to The Bee.) The Rev. Father O'Brien of hd convenience In their . cars has been Toledo, one of the most popular of Irish- followed by such increase of receipU as American pastors, who Is at present in ' to Justify the expenditures entailed. But Ireland, advises the people of this country ' there are other advantages in the way of to remain at home Instead of emigrating Increased speed and economy of operation to the new world. There has been consider- , tht commend the power to railroad men. able discussion in Ireland recently over the 1 tUe whole realm of directed energy marked emigration from England to the there is not to be found such waste as colonies in general and to Canada In par- ' 1 made In the application of energy stored tlcular. i In coal. But 10 per cent of that energy Father O'Brien warns the poorer people l Becured. Ninety per cent goes to waste, of Ireland, telling them that some of the It is true that as yet coal must be con American cities are overcrowded and that sumed to generate electricity. But the relatively and proportionately wages paid power thus obtained Is in much larger are no greater in some sections .of the proportion than when taken directly from United States than In Ireland itself. He the coal. Thus there is a reduction of cites the cases of many of the larger cities expenses. Of course, the Ideal condition and says that it Is to a life of this kind j will be reached when electricity can be that so many of the Irish emigrants go. M. produced without the aid of the steam power. It will not do. In view of the past, to conclude that the discovery of the means by which it can be done Is not In the Former Banker Sentenced. HARRISON. 111., March 24-Thom Casey, former general noanaper of the near future. As It la. however, the sclenra Bank or Salmon & Salmon of Clinton, which . Vo. . . v,. . . failed last summer catching many poor ot triclty has advanced to that stage depositors, pleaded guilty here today in i when It Is recognised as the most ecoaom the circuit court to a charge of forgery. tcai 0f efficients In power. The mata thing and was sentenced to five years in tho , . . . . ... .... . penitentiary. After receiving sentence that tne revolution In motive power Casey was taken In charge by the sheriff Is in progress. The next five years will be and was starud for the penitentiary this . memorable period in tba history of eleo afiemoon. Casey said he was anxious to . , , , , ., begin serving his seutence. laical rlullon," price, and the very fact that he was and is able to buy It at that price Is abundant evidence of his material prosperity. I am not personally acquainted with the conditions in Douglas county, but I am so well acquainted with the condition of the farmers In Nebraska, generally, that I do not hesitate to say that I have correctly stated the case In Douglas county. Here in Howard county, farm land ha Increased In value since 1IA from $15 to $26 per acre, to $40 to $76 per acre, the greater part of the Increase within the last two years, and I know that I am safe In saying that this Increase in value la due to the material prosperity of the farmers of this county. Nearly all of the lands that have been sold for high prices have been sold to our own farmers, or fanners from near by counties. To more forcibly Illustrate my contention and at the risk of Incurring some one's displeasure by using personali ties, I want to cite one or two particular circumstances. The highest prtoe that any farm has yet old for In this county (except some small tract near town), was about 176 acres, soil by Charles Sumovlcb to Jamea F. Irvine tor $11,276. The purchaser was born and raised In Howard county, Is still under thirty years of age and his only souroe of revenue has been a Howard county farm. Another example is the Bangs form of 160 acres, four miles north of St. Paul, that Continued on Second l'a,.)