Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-10-22
FARM HANDS
MAKE: MONEY
rive Men Who Were Working For
Wages Ten Years Ago Own
$4,000 Worth of Land

From a farm laborer at a monthly
wage of from $25 to $40 a month
TO the owner of 500 acres of land
worth $65 per acre, is a long step.
ana in no other country than the Pa
louise could it be made in 10 years
but 1t has been made here Not ONLY
one man, but Ave, all whom were
working on the same farm, for the
same man and getting the same
wages, less than ten years ago. now
are all extensive land owners and are
rated among the rich men of this
county.
rms story was brought out this
week by the purchase of 220 acres of
the Ezra Monlux farm by s. III.
Breeze, one of the prosperous farm
ers OF this section. Mr.. Breeze
bought the land from e. T. Conan.
president of the Exchange National
Bank, of Spokane, for SOS per acre.
The land is unimproved, except be-
ing in cultivation and surrounded by
a good fence. In telling The Herald
reporter of the purchase Mr.. Breeze
SAID: Ten years ago | was work
ing as a farm hand on the land,
which | have just bought and had lit
tie idea that would ever own it,"
Inquiry brought out an interest
ing story, which shows the wonder
full chances which this country has
offered and still offers to men of in
dustry and good judgment. Mr..
Breeze now owns 500 acres of as
good land as there is in the Palouse
country and rating it all at the same
price paid for the Monlux land, his
real estate alone, is worth S32,5OO.
But that is not all that he owns. He
has some good buildings, livestock
and machinery and other property
and before the purchase of the Mon
lux tract was rated as wealthy
man. Asked as to the statement that
he had worked on the land as farm
laborer Mr.. Breeze said:
Less than ten years ago | was
employed by Mr.. Monlux, who was
one Of the most extensive farmers of
this section at that time. / had
come out from the east and sought
work as farm hand. There were
five men working there then, all of
whom plowed in the same field, drew
the same wages and worked togeth-
whom | am one, now own 1880 acres
of land in Whitman county. The
other four are Frank Henderson, who
owns 800 acres of the John Metsker
farm; Otto and Carl Jones and John
Peterson. Carl Jones now owns the
old Gene Ringer farm, and Otto and
John Peterson have large tract of
land near Colfax and own some valu-
able livestock, including some pure
bred horses. Rating all of the land
at the price | just paid for the Mon
lux tract, and these five men own
land worth $96,200. | doubt II
there Is another case of this kind
anywhere in the country, where five
men, who worked together on the
same farm, are all living in the
same county and own that much land
less than ten years later. 1t speaks
well for the advantages altered by
this country"
MIR. Breeze is right. This is an
unique experience, probably not du-
plicated anywhere in the United
States. The results not only speak
volumes for the country, but shows
that the five young men who worked
together as farm laborers for Ezra
Monlux "The Big Farmer" of this
section ten years ago, were made of
the right kind of stuff and are the
kind of men who develop and Inn
Irove a new country and who will
succeed in any undertaking to which
they put their minds and their energ-
les. Mr.. Breeze Is rated as one OF
the best farmers of this country. He
raised 62 bushels of wheat per acre
this year and seldom has less than
As to so bushels of wheat, while he
always as a nice bunch of fat cattle
or other livestock to turn of every
year and his example is standing
refutation of the statement often
made that live stock cannot be made
to pay on a grain farm" Otto Jones
and John Peterson, under the firm
name of Jones & Peterson, are laso
extensively engaged in raising live
stock and made fair share of their
fortune with livestock. They have
some of the best horses in Whitman
county.