Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-13

sentinel and from the chimneys, wraiths
of blue smoke curled ana lost itself in the
indigo distance Of the hills. The fold, with
it's buildings. weather. beaten and silvered
by the years, lay hard byi the gate stand
ing Hospitality open the barns filled with
grain and hay: the firewood corded against
the north wall--a realised dream OF peace,
plenty and comfort, / spoke Of It, turning
to him as I did so, and the flesh OF him
pinked a bit as he answered;
my home for many years I've been here
lorty two"
THIS is the Utah valley, where the United
States government is building it's great
strawberry valley irrigation project And
/ was talking to ]. $. MeBeth, president of
the Strawberry Valley Water Users ASSOC
citation. I was looking over the 470-aore
farm which he owns and tils; was speak
ing of his home; his sheep and his horses;
when he told me he was from Iowa Al
most / could have said. II knew IT," He
was and Is different. OF few words, and
those mildly spoken, generous, he yet re-
tains in his early eos, the thrift and fru-
gality that has made Iowa one OF the
wealthiest states of the union. Even as /
talked to him he told me OF the prepare
tons he was making to so to GOshen-the
dipping pens-at O'Clock the next morn
ing. For forty-two years he has lived in
the Utah valley; for forty two years he
bas been the moving spirit IN every enter
Prise that had It's object the betterment Of
the country or Of his fellows. For forty
two years he has fought the good fight,
winning fortune, place, power wife and
home out here in the new west; and still
fighting for the children and grandchildren
that cluster about his knees, climb upon
his back and tousle the hair of grandpa.
DO you think it was easy to get him to
talk OF himself? Not muchl had to
cross-eXamine like "a Philadelphia law.
YER" learning as l went along this golden
truth; Grit wins Industry Is a faithful
soldier; thrift good messenger frugality
fine servant; but grit, nerve, daring,
win; win 10 spite Of everything; win Tor
every man; for me, for you, as they win
now; as they have always won for Jim
McBeth.
lie was ~ years old when he left Job
as farm hand nine miles from Iowa city.
He was a well paid farm hand. getting SIS
each month, but he had enough to take
him 10 Omaha, then a shanty town, on the
muddy banks Of the Missouri The builders
Of railroads were at work. Creighton was
stlinging the telegraph wires: the scream
Of locomotives pierced tho black nights Of
the valley ana their red eyeu cleaned In
the Council Bluffs yards. BuffslOes wert
being hunted; Indians were boing trailod
gold was being washed from creeks and thu
settling sun beokoned and called. There
] were msny, many boys who answered the
same voices; but at Omaha the giumoi
taded Tor Jimmie MoBeth farm hand
and he Joined The outfit that John A. West
was sending out 90 the construction camps
Of the Union Pacific right of-way He was
called mule skinner" IA those days, ana
! al Lurnune-though there was no Laramie
1 then-he buckled himself into his lines ana
| went 10 acrapins the black plains OF WyO-
ming into some sort of a grade tor the
steam cars" 10 run on Those were the
DAYS when a man with a pillow guided bis
mules with one hand while he held on 10 q
earhine with the other the days when the
Indians resented the eomiRg OF the white
men's monsters; days when soldiers
guarded workmsn and the pony express
brought the letters and news from heme.
Perhaps there were not % many tempta-
tons them perhaps there were more. ara
Jim" AeBeth didn't yield to them 30
easily as boys DO noWadaya AZ any rata
he saved his money and before he got 10
Ogden he had three mule teams Of his own
and was contracting the labor OF six mules,
two men and himself 10 the contractors
cleaning ~ some money every month ana