The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
TAR HONE BUYERS.
How & aeiEae was Lost and won Back
Again.
Rrom the sfn kPznaisoa Rullaiin

How & aei.ae was Lost and Won Back
From the SIN krsneiscs Bulletin.
Fifteen years ago there was q certain
family of plain farmer folks working on
rented land In one of the central cOun-
ties 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 81, 900 or Sill, 600 In cash, teams
and Implements.
At this junction the head of the fam
lily, being of the restless western type,
concluded that 1t was advisable to make
money fasttr. 80 happening TO travel
across the lower San Joaquin In the early
spring of q wet season, he was charmed,
and forthwith rented, for O term of
years, q large tract of land In that valley,
paying cash rent. There was q good
crop the first year, but three successive
failures followed. Then half O crop
came, then more failures Hoping
against hope, they starved, unable TO
leave, unwilling TO acknowledge q mis-
take, until every dollar was gone.
This was in 1871, the process of losing
ali they had having taken seven years.
There were FIVE children, the Oldest q
girl capable of teaching school, three
boys old enough to earn mems wages,
and little girl. The Oldest daughter
obtained school In an adjoining county,
and made regular remittances home.
The boyh sought work, but everything
was at stand still. The father, upon
whom successive misfortunes had told
heavily, went to the nearest town and
sold his rife, saddle and some long treas.
ured yaluables. Then, Harvesting up
their old team, they left the barren
place, called by courtesy farm.
Night after night as they sat about the
roaring camp fires they asked each other,
"What shall we dot" At last the
mother spoke, with a woman's keen
home love and longing, as one night they
camped in the dry bed of a stream near
q shaggy peak above valley of fertile
farms: eve are wandering without a
motive" she said. "Let us all work and
win home and begin tomorrow" So
she unfolded her plan.
The next morning they went into a
large valley town where they had &C
quaintances. Within week the father
and the three boys were at work In the
harvest field; the mother became a
housekeeper In q wealthy family where
abe keot the youngest child with her 4;
the oldest daughter was still teaching at
an increased salary. A family farm
company was organized, it being under
stood that every possible dollar went
toward the one purpose of buying a
home which all should own. This was
the mothers plan, and its effect was
marvellous. 1t made men of the boys; 1t
made the father forget his former losses
it frightened the whole outlook. Every
cent saved was deposited where it drew
interest. Before long some of the lead.
ing men of the town became interested
in the home-buying plan, of 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 to earn
their wages were remarkable, and they
were soon in constant demand.
At the end of the arsL year the home
purchasing company made q creditable
showing. The daughter, teaching at $50
q month, had sent $500. The three SONS
and their father had averaged $50 q
month apiece, beside their board, and
they spent nothing they could help, so
that 81, 200 represented their pile, while
the mother added $50. These three
items aggregated, together, with the in
terest, s., 1903. The beginning was made.
Four years of steady, accomplishing
toll followed. In 1876 their accumula-
tions, compounded annually at seven per
centum, amounted to $9.33072. 1t
would have been more but for some
sickness in the family. They then
chose a quarter-section of good fertile
land lying north of San Francisco bay,
in one of the coast range valleys The
price paid was $50 an acre, or $500 in
all. They paid $1,000 down, bought
teams, moved on the place, paid the bal
snce in one year from crops and outside
work, and are making it one of the pref.
test farms in that whole section.
This is truthful account of how q
farm was lost and another gained in its
place by a plucky American family,
whose idea of "home-buying COM
pany" ought to be remembered.