Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-08-05

A WOrkingmam who has Achieved Ia.
dependence Tells what Can be Done
In Northern Michigan.

In regard to the practical solution OF
the question which now engages the at
tention of hosts, even millions, of Ameri-
can workingmen, /, O., how most easily
to get bread, raiment and shelter, your
correspondent believes that he has
truth of most vital Importance to these
burthen-bearers, to reveal-in fact
soul and bOdy-saving truth.
Ten years he was cast into the labor
army, penniless. and with less than half
a mans physical! strength, earning the
lowest wages, and losing fully one half
of all his earnings. At last he was driven
into the wilderness, and forced to either
cut his way through solid forest to
home of his own, or to go to the poor
house.
At last, having hewed his way through
to resting place, where the labor mar
ket, whether up or down, does not effect
his destiny, and this in spite of the most
hopeless conditions ever imposed upon
man, and at last finding himself the one
in many hundreds of able-bOdied men
who has escaped to home Of his own
(all the rest still homeless and trusting
to wages for living,) he feels that he
has earned the right to act the preach
er" and point the homeless hosts the way
to liberty.
His experience in the army of labor, if
written in full, the simple truths of the
habits and ways of living, of the hosts
who work for wages, their imprOvident
and careless habits, and child-like de-
pendence upon capitalists for work,
home and guidance; did he dare write
the whole truth, as 1t was forced down
his throat, it would bring him the name
of the champion liar of the earth, or a
raving mailman.
The higher the wages paid Gotten S.
and So per day. the more helpless and
demOralized he saw them the hour that
wages stopped. But this is enough on
this point. want to tell of the few
the.One in hundreds-whOm l had seen
DESERVING the wage gang and striking
out entirely alone, eitherfpenniless, or
with less than a 500 capital, coming in
to this forest, with nothing but labor,
mailing to plat of woods FIVE to ten
years ago, and striking" their way out
to competence.
want to explain, so plainly that the
blind can see, that industry and ecOnO-
my will bring to every able-bOdied man
in the United States home, peace and
plenty, and complete exemption from
ninety-nine One-hundredths of all the
woes that now afflict the army of labor.
To do this, l will not offer argument,
but state simple facts, and bring into
view the work which thousands of
thOusands-Of poor men have done here
in Michigan since 1875.
Let me take just one sample case i'm a
very large host, to illustrate truths
which pretend to offer, to show how
every man in host can do, if he will
try manfully and strike in the old style
business way.
Two Swedes, johnson brothers, took
eighty-acre hOmesteads, joining i'm the
woods, about twenty-fOur miles north of
Evart, in the Summer of 1878. They
had thirty-ive dollars between them,
which they invested in food and two
axes, with few camp utensils. After
putting up small cabin they went to
chOpping down the timber. They chop
ged logged off" eight acres, rolling the
logs by hand, having no team, and after
the land was well burned over they
made wooden hay-rakes, sOwed their
wheat and narrowed it into the ground
| by hand power alone.
This was in September. 1878. They
worked for wages the next winter, in a
| logging camp near, and since then have
1879, although a poor wheat year,
brought them over one bushel of wheat
per day for all the work at clearing, har-
vesting, etc.
To cOndense fOur-years' strike" into
as many lines, to-day they have over
ninety acres of improvements, good sub
stantial buildings, young orchards,
eighteen head of cattle, young and old,
teams and tools, well-flled garner and
pantry, and that goes to make life of
man on earth success. They owe no
man a dime and have never made a
| SHARP trade" or speculation; winning
all $4,000 capital by labor alone. j men
ton the two successful strikers as but
| two in ten thousand who are preach
| ing" with AK AMI plOw in the North
| Michigan wilderness to-day sermon
| that says in cast steel terms: "HOme
/ lessness ana drpenience upon capital
| through life L., american working Is as
/ unnecessary and uncalled for as want OF
air and water"
The living work OF this host lies here,
as plain as wheat and solid wealth can
speak the truth. Aud it says in man
ner that cannot be misinterpreted-
plain that he who runs may read and
| know-"never before In all the annals
of the human race upon this planet has
there been such truly glorious OppOrtu-
mites Qiberty) for poor men to acquire
capital and all that the term implies,
and escape the oppression of hard task
makers, becoming as true freemen as
can be found to-day in Northern Mich
gan" These pioneers, settled upon
ROmesteads and Flint and Pere Mar
quette Railroad lands of Osceola pro-
claim the glad tiding that home and a
competence can be acquired to-day Dy