Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-06-14
Two Characters.

A man who has lived rs long as the
agricultural editor, and has had his
eyes open, has seen many good lessons
fully demonstrated. Let us take two
actual characters, young men who mar
ricd and started in life about fOrty-five
years ago. One was the son of a rich
farmer who had been able to raise his
children to Industrious habits. and final
w finish their education by sending
them to college. About the time of the
end of the schooling the father died
and left his son with four-hundred
acre farm close to town unfortunately.
with good buildings and the farm well
stocked. Soon after, he married 4
worthy woman whom he became ac-
Quainted with at school.
He took charge of the house and farm
hired large number of hands and was
apparently prospecting. He had enough
to do to superintcnd his farm and visit
town. The product of the farm prob
ably paid the hands, though doubtful
His credit was good and he used it.
He had no bad habits. and was recOgg.
niZed rs an acceptable member of an
orthodox church. Debts, as the sequel
showed. We're constantly accommodating,
but his ncighbors had no intimation of
it, as his credit was so good he could
carry large debt without their aid.
At the end of twenty years he was sold
out by the Sheriff. and he had to resort
to the occupation of hired hand to sup
port his dependent family.
During the lifetime Of his father.
there was on one corner of his farm Il
faithful old tenant. He had some
worthy, Woodworking boys, who went
to the common school in winter and
worked on the farm in summer John,
one of the tenants sons, Il year after
he was of age, married wife, his
equal-industrious, economical, yet a
model housckeeper. She was the
daughter of a tenant on a neighbOring
farm. He rented farm of eighty
acres in the neighborhood. Between
the time of coming of age and marry
ing John had saved his earnings and
purchased span of horses. With the
aid of his wife John cultivated the en-
tire farm and had good crops. No
hired hands to pay. When his crops
were sold he had a considerable sum of
money He invested it carefully, with
the ardent hope that in a few years he
and his true wife would own an eighty
acre farm of their own, the height Of
their ambition At the end of three
years of hard toll, but happy life, he
had enough to pay two-thirds of the
price of the desired farm. At the
end of five years it was all paia
for and good comfortable hou:e
erected on it. They were then rich,
they were happy. But John and his
wife did not relax their industry. and
though more liberal in their family sup
plies, yet at the end of each year there
was a large balance in their favor. Soon
they added another eighty acres. Now
he had to hire help, but be stayed home
and worked with them. After this he
added yearly at least eighty acres more
to his farm. At the end of twenty years,
the period at which his neighbor. who
started with his hands full, was sold out.
John owned farm of fifteen hundred
acres, and had considerable railroad and
bank stock, and was a kind-hearted
man. aiding literally in subscriptions to
build churches and ready with open
hand to help the poor. And he and his
wife are now living comfortable and
happy old age, well known to the writer.
Are these two cases the result of luck,
OF of honest industry and wise manage
ment? AnSyoung man starting now
can travel in the track of either of these
characters, whichever they choose
IoaCa State Register.