The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-09-17
FARMER Az FIFTEEN.
What c Brave Boy In Minnesota Has
!, .,a. T. Done. ~ fss-=f-

-,s Done.
Crookston (Minn) Correspondence Chi
cago Tribune: Charlie, Jollanson, popu-
larly known throughout the Red River
valley as the ~ Bonanza Boy Farmer"
expects to clear nearly ST, 600 on the prod
ucts of his farm this year.
| HThe story OF the Johanson children
Charlie, Frank and Lena-is one of more
than ordinary interest. It, is a striking
example, ana an object lesson of what
can be done by three determined children
practically alone with only a. roof to
cover them. ~. - ~. I'll
Twelve years ago John Johanson left
his home In Norway and came to the
United States. He left wife and two
boys-Charlie, aged 5, and Frank, aged
Intending to send for them as soon as
he located and furnished a home for.
them in America. He had only just
enough money to get him to New York
and to support him, after "a fashion, for
a few weeks after his arrival. He had
leased the little plot Of ground in Nor
way, where his little family lived for
seven years, and had paid the full amount
of the lease before leaving. His wife,
with the little help that their Oldest
boy could give her, had undertaken the
task of providing for the support Of her
/ self and children until such time as John
could send them money to follow him.
| Johanson was a frugal, thrifty and
|
many obstacles when he first landed
and was thrown among strangers, he kept
| up his courage with thoughts of his little
4 family so far away (Which had been in
! creased by the addition of a baby girl
! born shortly after his departure), and he
soon accumulated enough money to buy
1 a few farming utensils and team Of
! broken down, almost worthless street
! car horses, together with an old wagon.
| These he obtained in Chicago. ~, 4
With but few dollars in his pockets
/ he, one bright April morning in 1885,
I left Chicago with all his belongings, head
4 ing his horses toward the great North
/ west. After many weary weeks of trav-
/ cling over rough and unimproved roads,
/ the half-starved man and WORKOUT horses
4 arrived in Crookston. Here misfortune
Il overlook him. One horse sickened and
\ died, and the other broke his leg and
had to be shot. 1t was a crushing blow
\ to Johanson. Over half of his earnings
! for nearly two years were gone. It meant
i two more years of struggling with; the
4 world before he could have his family
4 with him, but the logged determination
which had charac terized his actions from
| the time he landed asserted Itself, and he
went to work at anything he could get
\ to do. He lived during the winter on
4 what he could pick up by doing odd Jobs
for the country merchants and others.
/ In the spring Of 1880 Johanson obtained
| work on farm near here and, the crops
Of that year being sbountiful, the price
kept busy at good wages until after har-
j vest The farmer, William 4 Jorgenson
i for whom he worked, was one Of hissown
countrymen. He explained the land laws
Of the country to Johanson and told HIN
{ | where he could obtain q homestead. Z 10.
tlanson had already taken out his first
papers. thereby declaring his intention o1
becoming citizen Of the United States
i ana il, the fall OF 1890 he entered q home.
1 stead on 100 acres Of farming land about
4 thirty miles from here. He bought 8
horse and some lumber, tools, nails etc.
with the money he had earned during the
summer and before the first snow o.
n winter had fallen he had put up q small
shanty on his claim. There he lived al
4 winter, undergoing great deal OF naru.
ship. TIE next summer he worked for his
II old employer, but in 1892 he worked his
u own farm, produced his first crop o.
wheat and cleared enough money to en-,
I able him to send for, his little family.
Il Before the joyful letter containing tht
money to pay the passage of his wife sane
children from Norway "a TO CrookitoE
reached his good wife she was no more
4 She had contracted a cold, which brough
y on quick consumption, and she died jus
q few days before the letter arrived a.
the little Norwegian town. The children
II were just about to be farnled cut to theil
friends and neighbors when the lette
II arrived. ~ Il S533 Isl S.s
After the receipt Of the good ..iiling
from America the United States eonsu
at one Of the larger towns was consultet
with, and he secured passage for TIN
"A children on one Of the ransatlantit
q steamers, and TIE young travellers wer
n soon on their way 70 their ne w home. fs
n The entire resEc visibility 20: their ar
and safety .elI Ei,Dn Charlie, who VA!
not quite eleven years old ssss. Zach chiit
& Twas tagged as fellows: SO