The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-02-04
Old. Lame and broke.

Old, Lame and Broke.
The actdal experience Of any man is
always interesting TO those who are
struggling to get on In the world,
| without the hope OF making Q great
| fortune. Birmingham 10 full Of life ITO
| ries that are known TO q few n told
| by many, to visitors, as hearsay.
Five years ago there came q man 70
| the city who had been q farmer n
country merchant In q neighbortng
State. He brought o few hundred dol
lars with him and lost 1t trying TO keep
a store in q suburb. He got sick and
was cared for by some people VINO
knew him, and on recovery Q nosa
dollar nor q relative In the State. He
was 90 years old, and one foot wa dis
abled. He had before him Visions OF
the poor house, or q walk back to MS
old home. He thought the matter OF
his future was . plain down grade 70 o
poor relations grave.
Just at this juncture o man whom ne
had known In the past invited him 70
spend a week with him in the country,
| He went and the pure air and rest put
hone in his heurt aud he proposed TO
care for the cattle and the fowls on d
| place for his board. and the offer was
accepted. He worked all that winter
on these terms. At night the old man,
whose name may be called John Jones,
| Matted some door mats Of shucks Tor
the house and q large one for his WI
room which had NJ carpet. He could
| not read by lamplight and continued
10 plat on mats of shucks and grass,
and found that he could sell them
readily In the city. When the spring
work begun Jones had S45 In small
money, saved from his mat sales. He
resolved to try for himself again and
rented some land neal his friend and
stocked IL with fowls and hogs. He
continued to feed his friends stock for
his board and worked o small crop OF
his own, of vegetables and potatoes.
| He paid his rent and had Sis when
winter begun and felt rich. He bought
| 40 acres OF land 20 acres Of 1t already
cleared and worn out, for SUI. Inere
was a fence but no houses, o good
we'll and some peaches n plum trees
in healthy condition. BE bought the
land at S66 90 cash, and the balance
in que and two years.
! With his own hands MIR. Jones QUILT
a chicken house, a Stable and pig lot,
all of pine poles, during the winter,
and worked for his friends rs usual.
| His foot never got well and he hobbied
the mile between the two places back
and fourth. He made q little money
with his fowls and hogs, his door mats
and baskets, plated Of shucks and
grass. The baskets were so thick that
eggs could be kept In them In the
winter without freezing. He bought
some lumber and helped a saw ana
Ratchet carpenter" to build him o ne
room cabin OH his land, which cost
him SIS. With a little more than goo
in cash he moved to his new house,
using a shelf for o bed, and with 80
worth of furniture and cooking uten.
sils. he went to work for himself. fuii
Of hope and energy.
He had 10 reasonable success, but
he had food for the winter aud nearly
soOO on the first of October. When his
next note for his land fell due he PAID
both notes, made his room comfortable
withlfurniture and utensils. and went
10 work az usual on his baskets II
mats and bought q COW d a morse,
hoth ON credit from neighbors. he
killed and sold eleven hogs Il got
SO for them. paid for his COW, worth
SI5. and paid SIS OH the debt for d
horse, which cost him $50,
When .prinp came again Mr. Jones
found himself with very little money,
but with seed and utensils, fences In
~perfect condition. and with o call 70
sell, butter to sell, fruit looking well,
fowls in plenty and twelve hogs and
piy.. His horse was his only debt. He
could not plough and had to depend
Oh his fruit, berries, fowls, butter and
his garden. All did fairly well and the
horse was paid for, q comfortable two
room cottage built, two cows
purchased and a pole barn built, to
hold the potatoes, pumpkins, onions
and the hay he saved for the horse.
There was Sl20 on hand in cash.
The first.cabin was turned over 70 o
mau and his wife, who wanted TO cul.
tivate the land, and last year the old
WORKOUT patch looked like u prosper
Gus farm. The gullies were filled, anb
pota,oes and garden stuff were raised
In abuudnn & The whole place was
alive witt 70" IL and a pretty herd OF
cows ra gee. the country near the
farm. The year has been q good one,
and Mr.. .Jone, has no debt, has some
money, "A good horse and buggy, and
while a little more gray and q little
more lame, does not have any fear OF
the aims house, for he could easily
sell his belongings for $1,000, and 1t
produces for him more money than he
needs and every comfort and good
health.
4 This is u true story Of what n man
past sixty years o: age has done. with
out a dollar Of capital and with n
lame foot. Need any strong man stay