The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-09-06
Can be Independent


dinner at the house of a farmer who
lives about ten miles south of Lake
Nebagamon. near the Brule river,
Wisconsin's celebrated trout
stream. The story of this farmer is
one that ought to be told, as it illus
trates in clear and definite manner
the method adopted by one man to
get out OF the rut of day labor for
wages and become an independent.
self-relient, prosperous tiller of the
soil.
This particular man-so the story
runs-had been a wage Garner from
early manhood to almost middle life,
and he was not an Garner of high
wages at that. He has worked in
the woods, in saw mills, on the
rivers, at any kind of an occupation
that would furnish him with suffi-
cient money to meet his obligations.
1t goes without saying that he had
not accumulated bank account and
that, one year with another. he had
just about made "both ends meet"
He was a day laborer-notEing
more-depending on retaining health
and strength to make living.
ON "FAT OF THE LAND"
About four years ago this man
made homes tead entry on govern
ment land. He entered 100 acres of
land and established his residence
there, building a shanty and clear
ing small tract the first year.
The first winter he worked in the
woods and his wife cooked in the
lumber camp where he was employ
ed. In the spring they returned to
their homestead and have resided
there continuously since, the man
being employed in clearing land
aud. raising crops.
The result is that they have lived
off "the fat of the land" for four
wears. They have had milk. BUTTER
poultry, eggs and vegetables in
abundance-many things that they
denied themselves or used sparingly
when they lived in manufacturing
cities and villages in their days of
age earning. The wife is good
cook and the table is supplied with
many things that are luxurles in the
homes OF well-to.do city jewellers.
They have telephone in the house,
a horse and buggy with which to
visit their friends when the spirit
moves them so to do. and they are
more comfortably situated than they
ever were before in the whole course
of their lives. ~,
Is WORTH $4,000.
But that is not all. This farmer
has about forty acres of land cleared
and under cultivation. He has a
team of horses, four COWS, farm
machinery, such as selfbinder,
mower, horse rakes, and implements
of that character. He has not yet
put up his permanent buildings, for
he has devoted his time. TO clearing
land and fitting it to support the
stock, which he purposes raising,
for he is contemplating devoting his
attention largely to animal husband
ry.s He is working no harder now
than he did when he was earning
81 so d day, and yet the property he
has accumulated while working for
himself is worth at conservative
figure $4,000.
This is not story of what man
can do on a new Wisconsin farm, it
is the story of what one man actually
has done. And it is but one of
many. The driver of the livery
team who acted as pilot on this trip
pointed to one farm after another
during the days journey and told
the same story. II thought" he
said that these men were fools when
they came out here and bought this
land or made homestead entries. [
thought they would starve to death
or kill themselves with hard work.
State OF WISCONSIN LIN Circnit Court for