Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-09-22

4
more of "old man Smith of Boston,
and in a few days [ wrote the follow
ing letter to him:
ssDEAR SIR A young man in his
goth year, recently of Boston, is now
living on your farm in A., n.
III. He was in search of work on |
farm, and came along to the old |
house just at dark one night about
fortnight ago. Having no where else |
to stay, and the night being rather
cold, he went in there, and has been
living there ever since, working
where he could get job from the
people about. This young man
would like to 60 on for awhile living
there; for he has no other abiding
place. He would take the farm of
you the coming season, or if the farm
is for sale, would buy it if the price
is not too high, and pay for it as fast
as he could. / am the young man
above referred to-, and my name is,
CHARLES E. WINDER."
A fortnight later | received the
following characteristic letter from
Mr.. Smith:
"Well, Charles E., [ have receiv-
ed your rather odd letter. That
farm-which you seem to have taken
possession of-has cost me over 500
in several ways, but any man who
will pay me $3.50 for it to him will /
give full possession. [ do not sup
pose you have cent to pay me; but
it is not much use for me to order
you off, for you will stay if you have
a mind to, unless l take the trouble
to come up, or send up, and drive
you off, and | shan't do that. So,
ahead, Charles E. plant and SOW
and reap to your hearts content this
year and whenever you can raise the
$3.50, the old farm is yours. And if
you are in earnest (Which / don't be-
lieve) | wish you success.
DAVID C. SMITH.
Whenever / felt blue, | used to
get out that letter and have laugh.
The farmers were now doing their
springs work-planting and SOW
ing-and ] borrowed neighbours OK
team to plow three acres OF the old
stubble ground, paying for the use of
the team by my own labor.
1t was all hard work. Every faiI
day was a toll. / used to sleep like
a log there in my straw. But, some
how, | began to enjoy it; the world
| looked brighter. After my crops
were in the ground 1 mended the
/ fences about the fields and the house
and worked out and got new glass
panes for the windows. These l SCI
myself on rainy days.
By June the people began to trea
me as friend and neighbor. In
t deed, they commenced, laughingly
l to call me their ''new neighbor." A
e first, coming among them as L did
l they distrusted me. But when the,
saw that l was not afraid to TAX
e hold and work, and that / reall,
], meant business, they turned abou
y and treated me like a fellow citizen
e l was shown a great many kindl
d favors.
It 1t was no great task to do my owi
e work in hoeing; and was able t
}, work out enough to purchase set O
e haying TOOLS. consisting of scythe
l. snath, fork and rake. For there wa
l. tolerable good crop of grass in th
:. fields and down in the meadow
1t which | resolved to secure to the las
o straw. | began my haying on th
e first day of July. For three weeks
e worked early and late. l had n
y team for drawing the hay into tn
!: barn. Every pound of it l hauled
!. myself, on a little crack" which
sc rugged upon pair of old carriae
N wheels that found abandoned b.
side the road. In these three week
l I got in about nine tons. Seven tor
ct of this hay sold the following viii
Sc ter, in the village nine miles below
t. for $76. l did every stroke of ii
le work alone and unaided; and aft,
le that | worked out at haying eigl
p days at $1.25 per day.
My oats were now ready for ha
vest. This occupied me about
l. week; and when threshing machir
came into the neighborhood about
= fortnight later I had my crop thresl
he ed out. After deducting toll l ha
60 bushels.
In / then made trade with Mr.. Gun
le mings and traded 60 bushels of GA
for one of his cows and Mrs. c.
W threw into the bargain milk pail an
four tin pans. This was my first il
d. vestment in live stock. After that
ut had plenty of new milk, and ais
t. butter which churned myself in
ye 20 cent earthern pot. But / did NJ
let anyone else see or know of n
Id dairying process.
On the Oath day of September
began digging my potatoes; al
m from my well dressed field l dug l.
a bushels of as handsome Early Ro
Id potatoes as one would wish to see.
i'll / picked out a barrel of the We
r. best and sent them to "Old M
ID Smith in Boston,"
In January | chopped ten cords
n wood for Mr.. Cummings and i'll pa
IS. ment had his OK team to draw n