The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-08
He Bought Run Down Farm an
Turning 1t Into a Profitable
Investment

progress toward future independence
long as he lived in town, where house.
| hold expenses would run a race wifi
| his salary check. Back to the land
| seemed the best, in fact .he only. way
out for him. He could invest a little
money to better advantage than in any
other way IL he bought Il few acres ac-
cessble to his daily work, where he
could make a self-supportlng home in
the course Of time. Besides, he had a
latent love OF the country, for, while
he had always lived in towns and cities,
his father and mother had been country
people, who had given up the farm to
go to the city when their son was
small child.
soon after Mr.. Randall began to
teach school he also began to put aside
little every month from his salary
About twelve years ago he married and
soon afterward began systematic
search for his farm. 1t took long
time to find a place approaching his
ideal for the small sum of money he
could pay for it. After the usual dis
heartening experiences of the seeker
for green ieds--cXperiences which
tempt one to believe that n good part of
mother earth is but briar, patch or
a rock pile-Mr. Randall found "a farm
that had possibilities, and bought II
with thc savings Of fourteen years.
1t cost $4,000. contains sixty-six
acres. is located four miles from the
high school, within walking distance of
the local station an a railroad tina,
gives good train service to its patrons.
Consequently. Mr.. Randall holds down
his school Job with one hand while he
tlls his fields with the other. so to
speak.
The farm is in good shape now. but |
when it was bought it was "a cross be-
tween lemon and the realization of a |
dream. The land was in rundown !
as the former owner was one |
Of those out Of date, bull headed old |
men who pride themselves upon never |
taking up with newfangled notions.
Naturally, his method OF farming i'm
poverished his land. for he took every
thing out Of it without putting any
thing back into il. forgetting the old
adage which says, you must feed your
land IL you would have it feed you"
But the siXty-siX acres were we'll sit
there were plenty Of outbuildings in
fair condition, the dwelling house was
good. with some beautiful old elms
shading it. The soil was sandy loan
With little brook flowing through part
# the land
This embryo farmer took his family
here to live as soon as school closed
n June, 1909. and went to work en-
Enthusiastically to cut down and plough up
he weeds and briars. about all to be
ound on the place except some hay on
I'D, almost exhausted fields.
\ man was hired, a COW, a horse and
few chickens We're bought. and a
arden was planted, also a little field
orn About all Mr.. Randall had to
now FOR that first summers work was
''e'NN up uDout IlItN buSnelS OF .
orn six tons Of third or fourth grade
ay. barrel or two Of apples from n
NV guarded old trees. and a plentiful ,
upply Of vegetables. Still. the family ]
ad lived well, Mr.. Randall had had
he exercise he needed to harden mus :,
les unused during the months Of teach
lr' and Mrs. Randall and the four chill ,
rem were bright eyed and rosy checked, :
o he considered the summers work far ,
rom unproductive. even though he had q
q crops To show as the result Of his =,
rst season as a farmer.
Early in the next spring 1910, things ,
cyan I" hum. Two more horses an q
Their COW, fifty more chickens. some Il
igeons and pair of pigs were added ',
the stock. Various pieces Of farm :,
machinery were bought, such as a ,
lowing machine, horse rake. disk har. f
Nv. corn planter. besides a on,-hors, il