The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-12-06

up against him for bacon and butter
and canned goods that they should
have produced at home, were thu
things that occupied the father.
thoughts-when he was not thinking
of selling out and leaving the coun
try. There was nothing outside Of
the house to interest the boys and
girls, and literature was little OIL
none. Work in summer and loaf IN
winter was the program. What could
be expected of them? This condi
ton is true Of many homes made by
early settlers, and in this case we fol.
lowed each clue as we found 1t, and
took measure of feelings as we found
them. Here is our report to date:
In the town Of Mackay we found
the father loafing around a saloon,
and we said to him, See here; this
thing has gone far enough old fell
low. Why don't you go back and
court your wife over again and have
a home while you are both alive.
You ought to be mighty proud of
your children and of their mother,
and you have just got some fool
idea about nothing and broke up
your home. Isn't that right" And
he answered, eyes that's, but ! can't
help 1t now. Things have gone too far
to make up. There Is nothing to 1t
from now on. l am just plugging
around here doing nothing"
The sons are scattered about, each
one doing his level best to make a
home, after having done enough on
the old ranch to have had a nice
home apiece if the guiding hand had
made proper use of the natural ad-
vantages. The whole situation was
summed up by one of his married
daughters whose home we happened
to visit, and the matter came about
in this way: The writer said, 81
stopped on the hill and looked over
your premises quite a little before
coming to the house, and I see that
things are laid out and built with an
eye to convenience and the fitness Of
things. l belive you and your hus-
band intend to have nicer home
than a lot of others in the valley"
Then came the reply:
Eyes, we have measured and stud
led and planned good deal to get
things located in the right place. The
house suits us, and we find great
satisfaction in it. 1t Is the first time
ever had things the way I wanted
them. The barn, you see, is only
started, and we may be long time
getting 1t finished, But the dimen-
sions and arrangement of each stall
and bin are so the work will be
easy and nothing need be exposed to
the weather or wasted. We had a
lot of trouble getting the yard grad
ed so it would irrigate just the way
we wanted it, but we have that done
now, and the trees set, and we in
tend to take good care of them. Do
you remember how it looks at our old
place? We never had any trees nor
flowers, nor any fruit unless we
bought it, and of course it was ex-
pensive. I sometimes think that II
we had lived there for another TWEEN
ty years it would have been the same
old story-big store bills and poor
ly set table too. Everything grows so
we'll here, it seems a shame not to
have all the fruit and vegetables a
person wants"
"You could have had all those
things at home with less work than
1t took to pay for what was pur-
chased at the stores I SUPPOSE" ,
why, we could have had every
thing. 1t makes me angry whenever,
I think of 1t. II you come this way
in twenty years from now, I'll bet
you will see a different looking home
here from what you saw at our old
place. and If this baby lives he. will
not be going away feeling any bitter
ness about missing sweet things Of
a home while he was growing up"
We called at another place once
q year for four years, trying to in
duce them to subscribe for local
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