Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-08-13

charming one; the Paper Mil creek
ia Marin county with enough
cooking utensils, coffee, sugar, -four,
blankets and .etceterss to last three
months "
Thus we eased down our fall to our
city acquaintance we were piculc>
ing N the country.
My wife, rosy in health, could dc
| her own cooking and washing, /
could chop the wood and make the
| firSsi and our seven year-old Bob
could wash the dishes and help his
mother - because we were out PFC
nlclng, aud no one knew we were
poor
My wife became the manager, aud
when / talked of the future, said to
me:
Now, my lear old boy, you had all
the trouble of managing for eight
years; now let me run the craft for
one year. You just board with me;
pay your board; l will trust you till
you unemployment. All | ask is one
year"
Five years have passed, and we are
1
upon the line of the North Pacific
Coast railroad. Our house is roomy
and comfortably. Two acres and a
half Of our land is garden and orchard.
We have fruit in abundance. We
raise our own vegetables Our gar>
den is watered from a living spring.
A group Of splendid redwood trees is
upon one corner OF our little farm.
| Above us, on, the mountain side, are
great laurel and bay trees, with their
rich perfumes, and the little picture
home is grAndly set in framework OF
mountains, covered with chaparral OF
greenest shrubs. Tamslpais stands
up grandly from our background the
bright blue waters of the bay stretch
out Ia brilliant perspective before us.
We are passing rich, with i've OF Gods
beautiful and fruitful acres beneath
eur feet We look Np at nigdt to
the jaweled canopy Of heaven, and
every gem That glit.ers there is all our
own
1t was accomplished thus; Ny wife
sold her piano for $500; tho balance af
the furniture brought $500; to her
lady friends she sold her laees agd
dresses, her rings md her ornaments,
till she gatheres together the sum OF
l$E700 The farm cost $50 and acre
$500 The house contains q parlor,
with b3ck-room attached; three bed
rooms, with spacious kitchen, and all
at cost of $3.50; $lG0 was devoted TO
o substantial picket fence; $40 worth
lot galvanized iron pipes, pat together
with screws, by myself, gave us a
complete water works. We paid $63
| for COW barn | acted rs assistant 10
a competent carpenter; S35 purchased
us q good milch COW, and "A heiter calf
now grown to cowhood, gives us an
abundance of milk Our fruit trees
are five years old. aud cost AS 20 plant,
S100 We paid $40 for chickens, and
our establishment was complete. Our
house was unfurnished we had no
stoves, but we had roof over our
heads, and five acres of soil TO which
we held title in fee simple.
| had had three months leisure. l
had gained heart and confidence, and
had found in my wife clear headed
business woman. i then went TO San
| Francisco and obtalnsd a situation at
$l50a north.
TAe five years have beon Eve happy;
luneventtul, prosperous years. Our
/ house is furnished; a piano replaces
| the one sold q horse and spring wagon
lis on cquipage; our orchard is baar-
ing fruit; we have cutter, eggs chick
ems, milk, cream, fruit, vegetables =
all of Our own raising. Our wood is
cheap water free andtaxes light We
keep man servant, who more than
pays his wages In our small farming,
the produce of which he sells. Ny
wife has no bills at the White house,
and I have neither wine, livery for
club bills to pay. / earn something
by literary contributions to the press
We take the leading English reviews.
Our children are being educated BY a
country schoolmastcr, VT o graduated
at Harvard, and to whose salary (paid
by the county, a few neighbors and
myself aid a small stipend Va Our
children are strong aud healthy and
well behaved. We are happy, lhder
pendent and contented. we, have d
bank account, and are steadily pro
crossing TO position who're we may
laugh at the frowns of fortune and
snap our fingers at the copyealional
ties OF society. ....t