Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-01-19
WILL GIVE LUCK A CHANCE.
A Man Who Tried tEaFd work with
Wells and Lightning Rods
md WiGduiIfs.

81 used to think that hard work
counted for more than luck" said the
man who had a thrown-down appear
ance, ''but after hucking against the
idea for ten years I've had to give up.
I'm out of a job and dead broke, but I'm
going to walk around on my uppers and
see what luck will do for me.
81 went into drive wells a few years
ago." he continued, as he jingled three
or four cents in his palm. Bought the
right for four counties in Kansas and
could see S., 900 profits year. Put in
nv last dollar and started out to drive.
In driving a well for a farmer you may
calculate on hitting water within 80
feet That's what you base on when
you figure on the job. A farmer won't
pay by the foot. It's so much for well
yielding all the water he wants. I put
| down 80 feet of my first well and only
| struck dust 1 went down 60 feet and
could smell little dampness. The pipe
was down full hundred feet before we
| got water. put down IA wells and was
teetotally busted. 1 had picked out the
counties myself, but they were the
dryest in the state. 1 drove 40 feet of
pipe for the last without getting any
| water.
''Then I turned to lightning rods.
| got an agency and an outfit and started
| out to do the farmers of Illinois. Say,
you may not believe me, but out of ten
| barns which I protected in one town.
ship eight were struck by lightning
| during one storm. The farmers got
after me in mob, and, besides having
my leg broken and my nose knocked
| Of Y,I,11 7 cd MT
and broken up in business.
"As soon as l could limp around again
I got the agency of a windmill for part
of Indiana. The only one put up was
for an old farmer who wanted it to drive
a saw for cutting wood. I had to war
rant so much power, you see, and he
had his saw ready as soon as the wind
| mill was up. All the time we were put
ting up the mill it blew a gale, but no
| sooner had we finished than the gale
dropped to zephyr. Say, now, well for
Is straight days there wasn't wind
enough to ruffle duck pond, and the
farmer declared my mill fraud and
made me take it down.
"After I'd been out of job for a year
an old uncle started me in the chicken
business. Ever figure on it? Bless
ure out a clear profit of $4,000 a year
has no business to live. There are SO
many hens, so many eggs, so many
chickens. Easiest thing in the world to
figure on, especially where an incu-
bator goes with it. I leased five acres
of ground, got an incubator and 200
hens. and for few days had my nat
, on my ear. Did you ever hear of the
chicken disease caRed pip? Well, ii
broke out among my hens, and they
went pip! pop! till the last one turned
up her toes. 1 didn't get two dozen
eggs out OF the whole lot. Then 1 fell
back on my incubator to hatch and
grow a new lot. Matched out $50 little
chicks, and then-please excuse my
emotions. One day that incubator blew
= up with bang and scattered my her
farm all over the county and laid me III
in bed for three months.
81 have been offered a patent churD
a washing machine and a hay forl
e agency, but have respectfully declined
= No more hard work for me. I'm walk
ing around looking for lost pocketbooks
] and big rewards, and I count on luck Il
t uncover a gold mine or notify me of {
1egacy."-N. Y. Sun.