Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-04-08

be to hear about her relatives Still
living in the Bygd or valley wher'
she lived as a child, and she would
ask questions about places and differ
ent things, and about friends slit
used to know, but of whon. she hac
heard nothing for about A years.
had spared myself no effort in orde.
that / might be able to tell her about
everything, spending about two hour:
in the graveyard near the church ii
which she was baptised and con
irmed, noted down in my note book,
the names Of those that were buried
there and of whom..I had often heard
her speak. Little did l dream, while
l was there among the graves of de.
parted friends and relatives of my
mother, that.,she also would be in hel
grave before l could reached home.
1t had been my intention upon
reaching North Dakota to find some
kind of employment, so as to be able
to replenish my sadly depleted purse,
and after l had earned'enough for my
ticket | would continue my journey
westward to Washington, and from
there make my way to the coast of
California. But while at Bowdon and
in the employ of my cousin Even
Thorstenson, l heard of Prof. Doer-
ing, and that he was looking for a
Imam who would undertake the job of
having charge of his car of stock and
immigrant outfit, to be shipped from
Bowdon to MANAGES, Cuba, via New
Orleans and Havana. l knew the job
would be a difficult one, but thought
I might as well undertake it as the
other fellow. So accordingly l went
to see Prof. Doering and within half
on hours time the matter was ar
ranged and / was to have charge of
his immigrant car, he and his family
coming after by passenger train. 1t
was arranged that Mr.. Doering should
provide my board and other incident
al expenses incurred on the journey,
and of course the shippers contract
provided for a free ride for the ship
per himself or a man in charge.
AS l was out on a touring and sight
seeing trip anyway I gladly welcomed
this opportunity to get a free ride
nearly from the Canada line to the
tGulf of Mexico and then on to the
Sunny Isle of Cuba. The prospect
Of spending a couple of months or so
In a climate where a fellow would not
have to waddle around in from one
to two feet of snow, besides running
big chances of having to thaw out a
frozen nose or an ear or two several
times during the winter also appealed
to me. But had l foreseen all
the difficulties 1 would encounter,
l doubt very.much if L would have
undertaken the job, that is, not alone.
For two it would have just BEEN a
picnic.
Two days after l had first seen Prof.
Doering, l was on the road in a car
that would not be unloaded before it
reached New Orleans. The car was
a very large one, being Soft. long and
very high. The doors we're very wide
and cumbersome at the best, and
added to that they were broken
and hung..on tracks that were in bad
need of repair. To start with I
could only close n door, the other
one being so banged up,that it could
not be closed. l had. this door fixed
however at the Minnesota Transfer
Yards by the a Inspector. The car
was damned to its upmost capacity
~away.up to the ceiling. The machin-
cry, farming implements, furniture,
and boxed goods were a%ll.packed in one
half Of the car, and cattle and hay
occupied the other half of the car
l had thought there would be a place
left for me, my grub box in the center
of the car. where I could sit or lay
down and look at the country 1 was
passing through, but no such luck.
Mr.. Doering was shipping a lot OF
poultry to his new home in Cuba, &c
of them were little bits of peppers
only two or three weeks old, geese,
ducks, and turkeys. The poulty were
placed in two large coups and as there
was no room for them anywhere else
they were hung up under the ceiling
Of the car neal the doors, so that
brought them directly owe head OF
the little space 1 had to turn my sell
around in. However l got along fair.
ly we'll, at times though while 1 was
sitting contentedly by my grub box
eating with an appetite of a lumber.
jack the a would give a sudden lurch
or jolt and the water l had placed In
pans in the coups for the chickens
would spill and come trickling down
my neck.
It would seem that one would not
have much to do but to gaze at the
country from the car door and other
objects as may be seen on such a trip
but it seemed that l was busy all the
first half Of my trip, but after thai
I took in the sights having packed all
Things away to a nicely, though ]
never missed any thing worth seeing
4 had six head Of cattle to lool
after, four cows and two calves. On,
- %lo o4u,c ~ n rn11S. ~-atA,