River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-12-04
PARADISE LOST AND RECLAIMED.
How Home Was Lost and Won Back
Again.
san Francisco Bulle t

! Fifteen years ago there was a certain
| family of plain farmer folks working
on rented land in one of the central
counties north of San Francisco bay,
having been fortunate in obtaining one
or two very good crops in seasons when
| the most of the state was failure, they
had perhaps twelve or fifteen thousand
! dollars in cash, teams and implements.
At this junction the head of the famf
| " being of the restless western type,
concluded that it was advisable to make
money faster. So happening to travel
across the lower San Joaquin IN early
spring of a wet season, he was charmed
and forthwith rented, for term of years
large tract of land in that valley, pay
ing cash rent. There was a good crop
| the first year, but three successive fail
ures followed. Then half crop came,
and more failures. Hoping against
hope, they starved, unable to leave I'M
willing, to acknowledge mistake, until
every dollar was gone.
This was in 1871, the process of los
ing all they had having taken seven
years. There we're five children, the
oldest girl cap ible of teaching school,
| three boys old enough to earn mems
wages and a little gill. The Oldest
daughter obtained school in an ad-
| joining county and made regular re-
mittances home. The boys sought
work, but everything was at a stand
still. The father, upon whom success
| sive misfortunes had told heavily, went
/ to the nearest town and sold his rifle,
saddle and some long-treasured yalua-
| bles. Then, Harvesting up their only
team, they left the barren place called
| by courtesy q farm.
Night after night as they sat about
the roaring camp fires they asked each
other, "What shall we do?" at last the
mother spoke, with q woman's keen
home-love and longing, as one night
they camped IN the dry bed of stream
near shaggy peak above valley OF
fertile farms: /" We are wandering with
out motive she said. Let us all
work and win home and begin to-
morrow" SO she unfolded her plan.
The next morning they went into a
! large valley town where they had ac-
quaintances. Within week the father
and three boys were at work in the
haryest field; the mother became a
housek eper in wealthy family, where
she kept the youngest with her; the
oldest daughter was still teaching at an
| increased salary. A family farm-com-
/ panv was being organized, it being I'M
derstood that every possible dollar went
toward the one purpose OF buying q
/ home which all should own. This was
the mothers plan, and its effect was
marvellous. 1t fnade men of the boys;
/ "a 4 r.,fi, "a frsrrr or
losses; it frightened the whole outlook.
Every cent saved was deposited where
| it drew interest. Before long some
/ leading men of the town became in
! terested in the home-bnying plan, OF
i which they had heard, and did what
they could to procure steady work for
| the family. This, however was seldom
| needed, for Their steadiness and anxiety
10 earn their wages were remarkable,
and they were soon in constant demand.
AT the end of the first year the home
purchasing company made a creditable
showing. The daughter, teaching at
$50 q month, had sent s400. The three
sons and their father had averaged $50
month a piece, beside their board,
and they spent nothing they could help
so that 81 200 represented their pile:
while the mother added $3.50 These
| three items aggregated, together with
| the interest, $l,sils. The beginning
was made.
| Four years oil steady, accomplishing
toll followed. In 1876 their accumula-
| lions, compounded semi-annually al
seven per centunl, amounted 70 - $50
II ~. II would have been more but for
sorae sickness in the family. They