The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-06-04
BOY ONCE SOLD AT
AUCTION HAS
MILLION
REMARKABLE STORY OF CAREER
OF DEXTER j. PERKINS,
A FARMER.
OWES RISE TO INDUSTRY
He Is the Chief Citizen Of the Town
In Which He Was at One Tine
Practically Z Mere
SIavc.

Bostcn Mass, June SOFA in cai.d
hood from the auction block, today,
in middle life, the most meeessfuI for
mcr a Danbuly. N, IT, Is The life
sto y sf Dcxtar ]. Perkins. Like a tale
of The Arabian Nigh3s Is the story Of
bis bitter struggles aad Of H. final
victory and success.
Forty five years ago he was sold
f"om The auction block today he pays
taxes on more lana than any other citi'
zen in Merrimac county.
Perkins IL today the owner Of 1900
acres of valuable land ana Of richly
stocked farm nat win compare favor
ably wi h the bcst in the tate, but
tho are people living who remember
the plight Of hi younger day7, He is
worth a lea million
Up to comparatively few years ago
a custom prevailed in New Hampshire
that empowered city anA town officials
to auction off children whose parents
were either dead OF u:,aole 10 support
thpm
3ullr ms were the means of convey
ing information about the approach ng
sole, which consisted in offering the
children to The oaa who was willing -
provide fo. them at the lowest price.
Crowd1 Gather At Sale.
On the day of the auction the far
mera aud yillaga5 for miles around
would assemble to bid and to watch
the proceedings.
The chairman Of The board of
'fselectmen on sucit occas ems would act
as ne au tlcneer. eg-o,iingithe worth
ana health OF the little ones standing
beside him. AMI would then call fer
bids
For days precious 10 the ale the
io%u ercrs would tramp evely foot Of
the cpnntry ide putting up bulletina
ard dulmg the progress Of the sale
wopll aet as assistants TO the auc-
tioneer.
Once d year and sometimes oftene~
this custom was followed ont ON the
village quares, and Z was AZ one of
the last Of thg that Dexter J. Per
llin4 wa offered for sale to the loves
bidder.
His mother was deld and he father
thr ugh Illness was unable 10 suppou
The six children she left, Of whom
Dexter was the second younges'.
For a few months aHer the death Of
the mother the town had helped the
family. but hnally. the fathers illness
growing more pronounced the sc ect-
men prevailed upon him to allow the
children 10 be bid for by farmers ami
cl liens Who would give them good
homea.
what became of the ether members
of the little fam ly, the residents Of the
town did not know and Mr.. Pagkins
himself dislkes 10 talk about IT, but
all recall the spirited bidding for Dex-
Ter. seven years Of age. who even thcn
was known as one of the brightest Of
the village children
Erings Unprecedented Price.
William Barclay, a Local farmer and
an nglishman knowing nll wel the
worth of the boy. secured mis- services
after bidding TO the town a price that
! had never been reached before in ans
Iof the similar sales. and Dexter took
4 his place in the hons, ;old of Mir. Bar
clay much a. one of the old genile-I
man> own children.
IN the Lai gain hat Mr Barcla5
made with the town il wa tipuatcd
that he was 10 give the boy a sum OF
money vita which o. start In lf1. isl
the latter remand with him nm il MS
majority Was reached.
The boy found gool home and ID /
return began to work for bis foster
parent in a manner that soon reyealei /
his wonderful energy.
Az first he was sent T. the VILLAGE I
schools as other children were. aad /
aite- the - ion he would assis, ia
the household work.
Sep by step b broke .ntJ all kind
Of farm laborins. and al the enJ of
atout seven years truck ont for him
self as a farm lahore.
For the nex, Ten years Mr. Per6irs
remained ia tha vicinity working for
other men. and having saved some
money invested in a patch OF hillside
land where he "noac fam" nos
stands.
This De cleared anu converted into
paying venture before extending % .
holding any further.
Buys Many Farms.
Naturally bright ani fairly well reai I.
he hegan To be loOkei mon as one 81 h
tae prominent mea Of the village. and
thea the announcement -ame that he
wa TO marry Miss Plooma Messsr. a
schoCl teacher.
lear D. year his holEnEs grew
larger. He bought several OF the absn
donei farms Of the neigaboJhoo5 aud