The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-09
Farming Under Difficulties.

A Southern exchange tells the fol-
lowing pretty story that may hint of
energy and perseverance to others. 1t
says:
Five years ago there came to the
city man who had been a farmer
and country merchant in a neighbor-
ing state. He brought few hundred
dollars with him and lost it it trying
to keep a store in a suburb. He got
sick and was cared for by some peo-
pie who knew him, and on recovery
mad not dollar nor relative in the
state. He was 60 years old, and one
foot was disabled. He had before him
visions of the poor house, or a walk
back to his old home. He thought the
matter of his future was a plain down
grade to poor relations grave.
Just at this juncture man whom
he had known in the past invited him
to spend week with him in the coun-
try. He went and the pure air and
rest put hope in his heart and he pro-
posed to care for the cattle and the
fowls on the 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 call
ed John Jones, plated some door mats
VI SiiuNhS lOt AlOuSS anu d large
one for his own room which had no
carpet. He could not read by lamp
light and continued to plat mats of
shucks and grass, and found that he
could sell them readily in the city
When the spring work began Jones
had $45 in small money, saved from
his mat sales. He resolved to try for
himself again and rented some land
near his friend and stocked it With
FrNNnr lie
his friends stock for his board and
worked a small crop of his own, of
vegetables and potatoes, He paid his
rent and had S115 when winter begun
and felt rich. He bought forty acres of
land, twenty acres of 1t already clear
ed and worn out, for 5000. There was
a fence but no houses, a good well and
some peach and plum trees in healthy
condition. He bought the land at
sG6 2-S cash and the balance in one and
two years
With his own hands Mr.. Jones built
chicken house a stable and a pig
lot, all of pine poles, during the WIN
ter, and worked for his friend as US
ual. His foot never got well and he
hoebled the mile between the two
places back and forth. He made lit
tie 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 and hatchet carpenter" to build
him one-room cabin on his land
which cost him $2S. With a little more
than $50 in cash he moved to his new
house, using a shelf for a bed, and
with Sc worth of furniture and cook
ing utensils, he went to work for him.
self fun Of hope and energy.
He had no remarkable success, but
he had food for the winter and nearly
5000 on the first of October. When his
next note for his land fell due, he paid
both notes, made his room more COM
Portable with furniture and utensils
and went to work as usual on his bas-
kets and mats and bought COW and
horse both on credit from neighbors
He killed and sold eleven hogs and
got $50 for them, paid for his cow
worth s15, and paid SIS on the debt for
the horse which cost him $50.
When spring came again Mr.. Jones
found himself with very little money
but with seed and utensils, fences in
perfect condition, and with a calf to
sell, butter to sell, fruit looking WE'LL
fowls in plenty and twelve hogs and
pigs. His horse was his only debt He
could not plow and had to depend on
MS frult, berries, fowls, butter and his
garden. All did fairly we'll and the
horse was paid for, comfortable two
room cottage built, two more cows
purchased and a pole barn built. to
hold the potatoes. pumpkins. onions
and the hay saved for the horse. There
was $40 on hand in cash.
The first cabin was turned over to a
man and his wife, who wanted to Gull
tivate the land, and last year the old
worn-out patch looked like a prosper
Gus farm. The gullies were filled, and
potatoes and garden stuff were raised
In abundance. The whole place was
alive with fowls and a pretty herd OF
COWS ranged the country near the
farm. The year had been a good one.
end Mr. Jones has no debt. has some
money. a good horse and buggy, and