Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-07-10
PIONEERS LAUD
NEW WISCONSIN
TWO CHAPTERS FROM LIVES OF
SETTLERS TOLD BY THEM
SELVES.
BOTH FIND PROSPERITY.
Minister Retires from Pulpit, and Finds
Wealth and Happiness in
Northern State
BOTH FIND PROSPERITY.
TRUE STORIES ARE CONVINCING.
BY EDGAR 7. WHEELOCK.

Secretary Wisconsin Immigration and De
Velopment Association)
As an indication of what can be done
IN northern Wisconsin by men of small
means the personal testimony Of two such
men quoted below is i'll point. These
men bought wild land, moved upon it
with Their families and not only made a
living, but cleared their farms and be-
came independent, prosperous farmers. 1t
should be remembered that there are
thousands Of such farmers in the north
ern part of the state and that % per
cent. of them had little or nothing when
they sought homes il the new Wisconsin.
Many Of them had a hard time, it is true
and were forced to practice the strictest
economy i'll order to make ends meet
some OF them worked a part Of time in
lumber camps or in the mills and fac
tories TO earn money with which to buy
necessities OF life In the early DAYS
there was no market for forest products:
now everything found on the land can he
sold. The hGmebulders in some counties
are even beginning to sell pine stumps for
fuel.
A Preachers Story.
In the old days the homebuilder was
forced 10 seek work away from home TO
earn money 10 live on while he cut down
pied and burned the very timber which
today brings him enough money to nav
for his land, and, in many cases. for
clearing 1t also. The following letters.
written in 1908, tell their own story. and
they could be supplemented by hundreds
OF others relating similar experiences and
equally gratifying success. Here is the
first one:
Dear Sir: Your request for statement
from me as to my experience as new set
tier is inclosed herewith.
| came here from lie Seuer county Mimi.
IN 1901, to look over the country with a
view to getting a piece of land and set
tllhg on i. liked the looks of the coun-
try and found piece of land that shifted
me near Ladysmith | went back home,
borrowed enough money from an old friend
TO make my first payment on forty acres OF
After making my first payment and get
tlng my family and household goods here |
had Just So in cash left | built y log
house ON my land and moved in with my
wife aud three children and went to work
The first winter l cut logs and wood and
made on an average so a day, and at the
same time cleared some of my land. The
next spring | cleared off clean three
touphs of an acre of land and raised 500
worth OF potatoes and vegetables besides
having enough for my own use during the
winter.
have now under cultivation fifteen acres
lot land have also two cows and thirty
Ichickens. Last summer we earned S15
month selling butter from our two cows
Our chickens this VIII ter are earning Sl.To
IL Week.. L maintain tndt with four COWS,
lseventy-five chickens, and twenty acres of
land Under cultiyati;n man can make a
good living in this country. l would not
take $1,000 for my property. All l owe is
$3.50 my land.
You ask, why did GENE here and settle
on a piece of land? When | came here |
was fifty years old with Il family of three
children growing III. | had preached for
1Iwenty-hve years and had not saved a cent
4 began to realize that if | was ever going
10 have home of my own | must start
soon. This is why l happened 10 come
here and | am glad, indeed. mas / came.
This is a country where poor man has an
opportunity to start in with small means
and by industry and prudent saving earn
himself a home and lay aside a little for
tune. Yours truly,
REV w n KING