Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-22
WHOLE NO. 1884.
THE WAY TO SUCCESS.
. story of Hard Work aud eslr. Denial.

subtitle with encouragement. No
trade or calling, however hard and
narrow, has failed 10 furnish exam.
! pies OF men who won success Ii is a
thought which should encourage ev.
cry to'ler. The stone cutter has his
Hugh Miller, the weaver his David
Livingstone, the blacksmith his Elihu
Burritt.
1t is not, however, OF men of great
attainments and widely trumpeted
fame that We would now speak, but
rather of an instance OF humble, hon
est success in founding home in one
OF the central counties OF this State.
The story is tull OF hope and encour,
agement to the daily laborer perhaps
it Las a warning for some whose
wasted opportunities stand beside
them as accusing angels.
In the year 1871 a young Norwe-
gian landed in San Francisco, know
ing only a few words of English, hav-
ing little money, and no acquaintan-
ces. He remained only one night in
the city, aud was soon in search of
work among the farmers. Several
weeks passed, and be was still unsuc
cessful. He went to the house of a
wealthy farmer, man of shrewd but
kindly character, and said to him IN
effect:
81 need work, and at any price to
make beginning on. | can't lie idle,
| am tired OF tramping. Have you
got room for one more hand ?"
''No," said the farmer. 81 am tired
Of tramps, and have help enough. g"
81 am no tramp" said the man,
quietly, "and | will work, ii yon will
let me, without wages, and tor only
my board aud lodging, until such time
as there Is a vacancy, or can get
work elsewhere"
This was the gist of what was said
translated, on the part of the Norwe.
gisn, from his imperfect English, and
the farmer told him to 60 to work.
deciding in his own mind to see what
sort of metal was in the tall fair.haired
Norwegian.
The days went by in toll and glad
ness, and the farmer found his "free
hand" as he called him, was the best
man on the ranch. He was the ear
Hest mp, the busiest at all times, and
IN no sense an eve-server. Always
merry, his folk-songs of home, and
his stories of that weird northern land,
grew more interesting as his know-
edge OF our language advanced. More
over, be was no eve-servant, but gave
the working hours OF the day to his
employer with rare fidelity.
Two months went by in this sort
of way. The farmer began to feel
ashamed of himself for keeping with
out wages the man who was evi.
IDENTIFY the best workman in the neigh
borhood, aud the most careful of his
employers interest. at pays to have
such q man" he said to himself. at
is absurd TO think of letting him go at
any time.
So the farmer paid him fair wages,
dating from the day he stopped on
the ranch, which was honorable back
pay, and engaged htm for one year,
the bargain to terminate then, unless
the same satisfaction was given.
Our Norwegian remained no less
than seven years on this one farm,
making himself more and more nee
essary to the operations and require.
ments OF agriculture. They ceased
calling him GUS" he became "Mr.
Peterson" in the neighborhood. -
Other laborers had come and gone
lie was the sole representative of the
two who were on the ranch when he
came there. The most important
gain, perhaps, was that he had com
plete and practical knowledge of
farms and farm work, of our soil, eli
mate, limitations and possibilities =
Lastly, he had with stern self. denial
saved every cent he could, and it was
invested in different ways.
So Mr.. Peterson after seven years
of vacationless work, took SUNNI or
trip, rather nnaecountably prolonged,
to the Norwegian settlements of the
western states, and returned with a
warm. hearted, maidenly wife, for
whom every one had pleasant word.
Then he went TO the farmer, and
wanted TO buy piece Of land
81 would rather live near here, and
still work for you at odd times /
only want twenty acres, he said
Twenty acres seemed so small a
tract to the farmer accustomed 10
working his two thousand acres, that
he tried to persuade him to take more,
but Peterson still chung to the con-
viction that fruit, flowers. vegetables,
wind mill to lift water, few cows,
chickens and pigs, with the close care,
which he so well understood, would
make twenty acres bright and self
supporting home. Finally, upon the
farmers earnest, friendly desire, be
took forty acres at $50 per acre, pay
ing 900 down, and letting the rest
wait at ten per cent. interest.
With what earnestness and pa
tience he has now begun to toll, bav-
ing now his own home, or how faith
fully bis wife seconds his efforts, we
have not space to relate. The goal
is reached. The crops already on his
forty acres will 90 far toward paying
off the debt this fall. They spend
little, they live within themselves
they desire to build up loving and
beautiful cottage home, full of peace.
purity, restfuiness. And they have
gone about it IN the way open to the
mass of humanity-by simple hard
work and self-denial.
/ This sketch is, except the names
used, transcript from natural occur
rences. The man of whom we speak
/ is a Norwegian, but the lesson is
equally full Of encouragement for
hundreds of others. He has won
some foothold, and so can other toll.
ers. Ten years from now, if we keep
track of our hero, we shall probably
I find him well known and respected
everywhere, owning a highly cult
waited farm, educating his children in
/ oar public schools, taking the best
American naners. and in all resnects