, 1877-11-10
Wealthy Farmers.


AS matter Of curiosity the writer has
been enquiring into the circumstances of
many of the well-to-do farmers of this valley.
The result of these enquiries is such as will
astonish those who judge of the circumstan.
ces of our farmer friends by their every day
appearance. To head the list, We commenc-
ed with farmer who came to this valley Is
years since with no other capital than his
two hands and a disposition to pitch in and
work. For time he was employed as a
hired hand, but soon took up claim for
himself, and pushed along absorbing land
that adjoined his original claim, until he has
now l2OG acres of land under cultivation,
and in money aid property is estimated to
be worth fifty thousand dollars. This man,
too, has denied himself none of the enjoy
ments Of life. He has taken himself wife,
is raising large family Of children, and
is surrounded with every comfort, all the re-
suit Of his own unaided labor He has never
speculated, or sought to make money by un-
usual means, but sticking close to his farm,
he has found himself at the end of each year
richer than he commenced it, until now at
middle agehe is master of ahandsome fortune.
every dollar honestly earned. We cite this
mans success as an earnest of what Can be
accomplished by well directed industry.
Another is the case Of man who IL the
early part of 1862 was broke up in the vii.
lamette valley from the great frcshet of that
year, and came up to this country with a
few head of cattle and not dollar to pay
grocery bill. This man went to work, was
plodding and industrious, wasted no time in
idleness. and now within thepast few months
has settled up his business, disposed of his
real property, and as the result is the pos
SCISSOR Of over s30, ,OOO in hard cash. As IN
the other case, none Of this money was the
result of lucky speculation, but all made
by close attention TO the farm and stock
range. Continuing our inquiry, We found
another man who at the time of establishing
the Umatilla agency, Ill 1861, came uphere for
the purpose Of working for the government,
and for several years was employed by Mr..
Abbott, then Indian agent. Whilst thus
employed he invested the few dollars he saw
ed in stock, then took up land claim, and
between stock raising and farming, he is now
worth $40, 600, and can draw on his banker
for at least half this sum on sight. This
man, too, has raised family, enjoys all the
comforts of life, and is anything but penuri
Gus. Is liberal in his contributions TO all
matters of public concern, and fully meets
the idea of public spirited citizen.
Another is the case of farmer employed
as a teamster on the portage between the
DaIlcs and Deschutes. He subsequently came
to this valley and drove team between Walla
Walia and the landing. lie next rented
farm and in few years made money enough
to buy one of the best farms in the valley.
This success he followed sY until now at the
age Of possibly forty years he is in indepen-
dent circumstances, owns a handsome resi-
dence near town, ha five boys that call
him father, and is literally as independent
IS a lord.
We could add to the list score OF others
all farmers-who came to this valley within
the last fifteen years, and sticking closely to
stoc;, raising and farming, within that time
have accumulated fortunes ranging all the
way from Sl5.OO0 to $4,000. We have
grouped these facts together for the purpose
Of showing that in this country there IS
money in farming-as Lord Dundeary would
saw, Millions Ill it -