Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-11

| as the taxes were raid. together with
| the interest money at per cent.
With their meager fortune of $3.50.
they purchased one COW at $40 and
half dozen eve lambs at SO each.
Then slV0 went for a strong. service
able horse, and $50 more for such har-
ness and equipment as was absolutely
necessary to get along with at the
time. This was all second hand mate
rial, purchased from kindly neighbors
who had become interested in the for
tunes of the city family.
The Oldest Of the children. son Of
IA, found plenty Of work among the
neighboring farmers. and with his
father, before the cold weather set in,
haG accumulated a supply of vegeta-
bles. Hour and meat sufficient for the
family's uses during the winter. At
the end Of the first year, they had
paid 800 on the farm. with interest
ard taxes. and had added to their live
stock. another COW. large flock of
hens. and one dozen sheep as well as
several hogs.
In $40. his family not only owned
the farm which they had purchased.
but had remodeled the house until it
was o handsome, neat. convenient
dwelling, and had built u large barn
and other outbuildings. The Son grad
uated last year at the University OF
Maine. and the daughters are now at
distant schools topping out their cdu-
cation. The farm is under 2 nigh state
of cultivation. producing bount.ous
crops. and wood and timber lot Of
100 acres adjoining has beer pur.
chased.
But we started cut, and the story
has to dedl with, two families. The
other family, remained in Lowell, the
man continuing at his trade. at sl2
per week. vt the end Of the first year.
he had earned perhaps three times as
much as had his friend who went to
the Maine farm. One of his sons was
old enough to go to- work, and did so
on completing his course in the gram
mar school The family were living
rather an easy. comfortable life. in the
small modern cottage. with bath. and
other conveniences and, in the letters
which went back and forth between
them and their old friends on the farm
in Maine. they boosted not little of
the accomplishments of their children
in the city schools. and wrote much Of
the fire clothing which they purchased
from tire to tire.
At the end of the second year anoth-
er son had completed the ninth grade
and mad gone to work. The head Of
the family had received an increase in
his wages which now amounted to SIS
per week. 4 daughter. too. had be-
come competent to add something to
the family exchequer by working in
the counting room of some manufac-
tory. The income of the family had
doubled in two years and, as the mead
of it wrote to his friend in Maine, they
were living on Easy Street" But
with the addition to the family income
came increased expenses. and not Il
cent more was saved at s25 per week
in 1901 than had been saved at 81
per week in 1898.
And thus the years went on, until
1910. when the city family, or rather
what was left Of il. came to Maine to-
visit their old frienGs on the farm. II
had been hard work to save money to
indulge in vacation. The elder son
was married and lied down 10 life in Il
cotton mill. living as his people had
done, from hand TO mouth The eldest
daughter had made an equal accom-
plishrlent, and had two or thrc" small
children to share Ter hand mouth
existence. The father of the original
family had reached an age when he
feared tile competition of younger,
more active and up-to-date work.
men. He did no. know how long he
might be able to hold mis- job.
younger daughter was inclined to be
wild. and was giving her parents no
end of worry. She believed herself to
be society belle. and had been en-
couraged in and led up 70 it by fine
clothing and the pl aise of thoughtless,
Nould-b be friends. Now. at middle age.
the father and mother were facing the
hardest period of their existence, with
tie possibility of the head of the fam
lily being out of work and the conse-
quent hardship sure to follow such a
catastrophe
The farmer and his family, in their
big hearted prosperity, urged their
city friends to come TO Maine and so
to farming. and offered to assist them
in every way possible to establish
themselves in the most independent
calling known.