Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-13

cuafluiuS one, Tue Gap6f MIL creek
in Marin county. with enough
cooking utensils, coffee, sugar, -four,
blankets and etceteras to last three
months.
Thus we eased down our fall to our
city acquaintance we were picnic>
ing IN the country.
My wife, rosy III health, could de-
her own cooking and washing, |
could chop the wood and make the
fires, and our seven-year-old Bob
could wash the dishes and help his
mother = because we were out pic
nlclng, end no one knew we were
poor.
Ny wife became the manager, and
when [ talked of the future, said to
me:
Nov, my Gear 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; | will trust you till
you unemployment. All [ ask is one
year"
Five years have passed, and we are
now the owners of five acres of land
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. Tamalpais stands
up grandly from our background; the
bright blue waters of the bay stretch
out III brilliant perspective before us.
We are passing rich, with five of Gods
beautiful and fruitful acres beneath
our feet. We look Up at night to
the jeweled canopy Of heaven, and
every gem that glitters there is all our
own.
It was accomplished thus: NJ y wife
the iurnIture brought $500; to her
lady friends she sold her laces and
dresses, her rings md her ornaments,
till she gathered together the sum of
Isl, 700. The farm cost $50 and acre
1900. The house contains a parlor,
with Darkroom attached; three bed
rooms, with spacious kitchen, and all
at q cost of $3.50; $100 was devoted to
a substantial picket fence; $40 worth
| Of galvanized iron pipes, put together
with screws, by myself, gave us
complete water-works. We paid $63
for cowbara; acted as assistant to
competent carpenter; $35 purchased
us good mich cow, and a heller calf
now grown to cowho0d, gives us an
abundance of milk. Our fruit trees
are five years old, and cost us to plant,
500. We paid $40 for chickens, and
our establishment was complete. Our
house was unfinished; we had no
stoves, but we had a roof over our
heads, aud five acres of soil to which
we held title in fee simple.
I had had three months leisure. I
had gained heart and confidence, and
had found in my wife a clear-headed
business woman. / then went to San
Francisco and obtained situation at
! $3.50 morth.
The five years have been five happy,
uneventful, prosperous years. Our
house is furnished; a piano replaces
the one sold; a horse and spring wagon
is QUE equipage; our orchard is bear
ing fruit; we have cutter, eggs. chick
ems, milk, cream, fruit, vegetables
all Of our own raising. Our wood is
cheap, water free and taxes light. We
keep man servant, WHO more than
pays his wages in our small farming,
the produce of which he sells. My
wife has 40 bills at the White house,
and I have neither wine, livery nor
club bills to pay. I earn something
by literary contributions to the press.
We take the leading English reviews.
Our children are being educated by a
country schoolmastcr. wto graduated
at Harvard, and to whose salary (paid
by the county, a few neighbors and
myself add a small stipend Our
children are strong and healthy and
well behaved. We are happy, indie
pendent and contented. We have a
bank account, and are steadily pro
crossing to a position where we may
laugh at the frowns Of fortune and
snap our fingers at the conventional
ties of society.