The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-02
ONE HAPPY MAN.
He Lives Up in the Colorado Mountains,
Far Away From II Postoffice.

far Away From Il foStomce.
From the New York sun
Yes, lam happy and cCntented here.
said the Englishman who always laid
stress on the fact he was English by
| birth.
Here" was cabin built of logs and
| plastered between the chinks with mud.
| situated high in tn" Colorado noun
tains, and % miles from postotfice. 1t
| faced on valley or park of some 1000
acres, bounded by natural walls of rock
with sloping sides dotted with confer
| Gus timber There were two or three
big trout ponds and some 100 acres Of
| hay meadow and the rest was pasture
| and creek bed. Trout abounded in the
creek, although it was only few feet
wide and scarcely knee deep. Deer Oc-
casionally came down through the tim
Der that lined the hillside. half a mile
below, where the creek turned abruptly
into canon. The only means of access
from the outside world to the park was
| through this canon. where a cattle trail
| had been converted into rough wagon
track. Most men city bred and edu-
Gated would be anything but contented
in such a spot. But the Englishman
explained.
You see, I'm poor" he said. poor
as the proverbial church mouse from a
city point of view. incidentally l pos
sess the taste of a milliOnaire's son.
I'm only the youngest son of an English
gentleman. who was a youngest son
himself. l came out to the States when
l left school as soon as l realized that
it was impossible for me to go to Ok
ford and entirely probable that l should
wind up in the poor house if | didn't
do something to earn a living. /
couldn't go into trade. One member of
the family had tried that and the CO.
vert snerS and unConcealed snubs that
had been his lot had pointed moral
for me. After while Of COW
punching out here l drifted back to
New York. l could not keep within my
income l was always broke, and I
wasn't happy or contented There were
a thousand temptations to spend money
and d hundred things l wanted to do
that / could not afford. And, anyhow,
| like the country better than town. So
! came out here at the time of the
Creole BOOM but | saw this place while
| was wandering around. trying to fol-
low leads of ore that were visible for
miles, as the prOspectors say.
Il saw a chance to make some fish
ponds here and as l knew something
of pisciculture | took up homestead.
Within a year | was more contented
than at any time in my life. | have a
few cattle now and | ship fish from my
trout pond and get 35 cents a pound for
EN- My income is not fourth of what
it was in New York, but l get lots more
genuine happiness out of it. I've cult
waited a taste for observing nature at
close range. I'm a better man than |
ever was before. l never drank to eX-
, cess nor was | particularly fast in any
respect, but | mean that my general
moral tone is higher now than it used
to be. l possess the healthy mind in
the healthy body. I read scientific
books now where | used to waste time
on novels. | get my daily newspaper
and that is the sun, seven at time its
true, and some times Ia when my neigh
Dor misses his regular weekly trip to
town. But ! read one every morning al
breakfast and it's Just the same as if l
! had bought the copy from neWsboy. |
subscribe to two or three magazines
and any books that attract my atten-
ton through the reviews generally find
their way to me sooner or later
You never go to town yourself them"
inquired his visitor.
Mighty seldom. | hate the bPaStly
little hole. Now and then | take Il trip
into the valley. There are some friends
of mine living on ranches there, and |
make the round of them and rather en-
joy semi annual exchange of ideas |
come back here With whatever rust had
accumulated in the previous six months
rubbed off"
Don't you find cooking and caring f-y
yourself a nuisance?'
Not in the least said the ranch
man, taking his pipe from his lips. 7
| tried keeping a hired man, but that was
| intolerahle. | prefer my own society,
especially at meals and in the evenings.
My neighhor who is only three miles
away, you know, brings up whatever
| need from town. He can be hired oc-
casionally if | need help, but | seldom
do. His wife does my washing. ] cant
say that | like washing things, al
though | can do it when necessary. I
only have two horses and COW to care
for regularly, and they. like the dogs,
are part OF the family and like to al
| tend to them.
what do I do in case of sickness?
Haven't been i'll day since l came up
| here first. That's the beauty of the life.
| | eat plain but wholesome food. | drink
| water or cocoa. | seldom touch tea.
| because it eXeites my nerves at TINS al
| titude: never coffee. Now and then in
| winter | take toddy of Scotch wills
| key. Of course, I've had colds and tenn