Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-08-02

sage to America. Three years ago he
leached Iowa, with his wife, and penni-
less. stopping first in Mount Pleasant.
While working there at his trade
wagonmaking, he became convinced
that his best means of further advance
ment, was to secure Nebraska Home
stead. His mode of making this boon
his own, is worth telling to encourage
the others.
He walked from his home to Lincoln,
| 507 miles along the track of the Burling-
| ton & Missouri River Railroad. This
| Journey he accomplished in about fifteen
days. At Lincoln he found shelter in
the Immigrants Rest, building provi-
ded by the B. & NJ. railroad where land
hunters may lodge and live without
charge while seeking farms.
| Looking at the maps of public lands
in the United States Land Office there,
he Judged York county to afford the most
desirable homesteads. He therefore
walked on thither seventy miles further.
Having picked out the farm which suit
ed him best of all those still vacant he
returned to the land Office and filled his
claim to it, September the End, 1871 3,
paying $14 in fees. His homestead con-
sists of S0sacres, in the 34th section of the
11th township in the Sd range west, OF
the 9Th principal meridien.
Repairing again to the farm of bis
choice he made sundry improvements
for a month. He finished him a dug
out and stacked twenty tons of wild
hay.
His purse was now empty, save one
dollar and a half, but he walked to Lin
coin, and thence home as he walked
hither, daily laying behind him about
: twenty miles.
Soon after reaching home, at the enc
of a nine hundred mile walk, he learned
, that his hay stack had been burned by s
prairie fire-having no plough, he hat
been unable to make fire break arount
them. But throughout all, he seems Il
have lost nothing of heart or hope ant
f to have remained as jolly as Mark TOb
, ley Chezzlewit.
Through the winter he worked at hi
trade, sometimes beginning his tolls a
s two O'Clock in the morning. Thus h
s finished three good wagons.
Two he traded off each for mule ant
harness. Then putting on board hi
i wife, barrel of pork, harrow, all o
: wood, made by himself. and some othe
: needmenUs, he drove westward, by tn
same route which he had the last fal
" travelled an foot.
| LUX Will IuICC OIiiOI oCdliOi
n navian Homestead hunters, each with
e wagon and his family in it.
Il He arrived at Lincoln in due time
- rested a little among the old familia
3 hospitalities for strangers, afforded graz
: uitously by the B. & NJ. railroad, throug
% the wliole-souled keeper John Frost, an
;, on the 21st of March 1872, in spite of a
equinoctial wind. set his face toward
his homestead. His journey thither ca
l. hardly require more than three days.
n but, as he must needs be there before til
n first day of April, or be egregiousl
: April-fooled by forfeiting his farm, h
le resolved to make assurance doubly sur
Of Hence he took time by the forelock,
,e Nils Nysten is siXty-twO years oil
n though he declares himself only forty
when just shaved. His example show
E. what others can do. 1t shames man
,e faint hearts that are weaping like wome
e. for lack of q farm, which they have ii
,r privilege Of seizing, like men, had the
:. only manly pluck.
E. Nils Nysten's homestead was one
IS 12,304 which had been entered in Il
ne Lincoln United States Land Office, b
: fore last New Years. Up to the san
date the Burlington and Missouri Riv
nt railroad, along which Nysten wake
n, had sold along their track 478 98S acre
lg to ,525 purchasers, on ten years cred
% six percent interest, and on sales MAJ
e' since 1872 nothing of the principal fal
US due until the end of the fourth yea
d, with twenty per cent. thrown off f
ID prompt improvement. He who cam
=. on these terms make a farm pay for
az self, does not deserve one.
y. j. d. BUTLER.