River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-21
4 Story OF Success.

In the year 1871 a young Norwegian
landed at San Francisco, knowing only II
few words of English, having little mon
ey and no acquaintance. He remained
only one night in The city, and was soon
in search of work among the farmers.
several weeks passed and he was still I'M
successful. He went to the house of a
wealthy farmer, man OF shrewd but
kindly character, and said to him in eff
feet:
IL need work, and at any price, to
make beginning on. | cant lie idle;
am tired of tramping. Have YOU got any
room for one more hand?'
"No," said the farmer II am tired of
tramps, and have help enough
II am no tramp" said the man, quiet
", and will work, if you will let me,
without wages, and tor only my board
and lodging, until such time as there is Il
vacancy, or can get work elsewhere"
This was the gist Of what he said,
translated, on the part of the Norwegian,
from his imperfect English, and the
farmer told HIM to go work, deciding IN
his own mind to see what sort of metal
was in the tall, falr-haired Norwegian.
The days went by in toll and 9ladness.
and the farmer found that his ''free hand,
as he called him, was the best man on the
ranch. He was the earliest up, he husI
est at all times, and in no sense an eve
server. Always merry, his folk-songs OF
ONE, and his storiesof that weired north
ern land, grew more interesting as his
kno ledge of our language advanced.
Two mont went by IN this sort of
way. The farmer began TO feel ashamed
Of himself for keeping without wages the
man who was evidently the best workman
in the neighborhood, and the most care
full of his employers interests. at pays
to ave such man. he said to himself.
1t is absurd to think of letting him 90 at
anytime.
So the farmer paid him fair wages,
ranch, which was honorable back pay,
and engaged him for one year, the bar
gain to terminate then unless the same
satisfaction was given.
Our Norwegian remained no less than
seven years on this one farm making him
self more and more necessary to the OPP
erations of agriculture. They ceased call
ing him Gus" he became mir. Peter
son, . in the neighborhood. Other labor
ers had come ana gone. He was the sole
representative of the men who were ON
tie ranch when he came there. The most
important gain, perhaps, was that he had
complete and practical knowledge of
tarmsand farm work, of our soil, eli
mate, limitations and possibilities. Last
", he had with stern self-denial saved
every cent he could, and it was invested
| III different ways.
So Mr.. Peterson after seven years of va
cationless work, took a summer trip, rath-
er unaccountably prolonged, to Nor
wegian settlements OF the Western States,
and returned with warm-heart.d maid
enly wife, for whom everyone had pleas
ant word. Then he went to the farmer
and wanted to buy piece of land.
II would rather live near here, and still
work for you ut odd times. | only want
twenty acres, he said.
Twenty acres seemed 50 small tract
to the farmer accustomed TO work his
two thousand acrea, that he tried to per
suadc him to taNe more, but Peterson
still chung to tie conviction that fruit,
flowers, vegetables, windmill t. lift
WlICEs lew CtWSY GllthtHS anu pl8s,
with the close care which he so we'll nm
derstood, would make tNenty acres a
bright and self supporting home. Final
", upon the farmers earnest, friendly
desire, he took forty acres at $50 pei
acre, paying $1,000 down, and let the
rest wait at ten per cent. interest.
With what earnestncss and patience he
has begnn to toni, having no ' his own
home, or how faithfully his wife seconds
his efforts, we have not space TO relate.
The goal Is reached. The crops already
on his forty acres will go far to ard pay
ing off his 9ebt this fail. They spend
little; they live within themselves; they
desire to build up loving and beautiful
cottage home, full of peace, purity and
restfulness. And ey have gone about
in the way open TO the mass of humanity
by simple hard work and self-denial
shall often say something different from
what we mean.