Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-06-17
YOUYC IOWA MANS SUCCESS
He Buys $4,000 Farm on Six
Years. Work.
Started Empty Handed nnd First Rent
ed 90 Acres--Bank Loaned Him
5000 TO Buy Stock--Iiow He
Made Good.

Charles Shade, president of the
First National bank OF Rock Rapids,
Iowa. tells the story of the remarkable
success of a young farmer of his vicin-
ity who started in, empty handed.
and in six years was able to buy a
s2s, 900 farm. When the purchase was
made he paid down $500 gained in the
skye period, and had free and
clear So worth of stock and ma
chinery The account of the farmer s
progress was considered SO striking
by the National City bank Of New York
that it is retold in the June letter in
Mr.. Shades words as follows:
The young man referred to is Ger
man by descent-was born and reared
in our own country. His people are
hard working. frugal farmers. so that
he has had the proper training in his
profession and has been taught TO
make the most of his opportunities in
cultivatng the soil His name is John
Busch.
After reaching his majority he be-
gan farming on his own account in
the Spring of 1908 by renting eighty
acres of land from one of his neigh
hors. giving one-third Of the small
grain and paying cash Of 81 an acre
for all the land put into corn. His
father gave him two horses and he
used his fathers machinery to put in
the crop. We loaned him $500 to be
used in buying hogs and cattle.
CROP OF 1908 STARTED HIM.
In 1909 he rented a half section OF
land and out Of the proceeds Of his
crop of 1908 he purchased farm ma
chinery of his own and more horses
Tho season of 1909 and 1910 were good
crop years and during these two years
he added more stock to his farm and
more fully equipped himself for the
handling of 800 acres of land by the
purchase of more horses and more ma
chinery. During all of this time we
continued to carry him on the frs,
loan of $500 by renewing the note
each year, he paying the interest
In 1911 we loaned him an additional
$500 making his total Indebtedness tc
US sl,loo. The seasons crop Of 1871
was very large and the price was
good, out Of this crop he sold suf
ficient amount of grain to pay up all
the money borrowed from us and to
liquidate other small debts he had
made in buying, machinery, cattle
horses. and hogs, so that in the Spring
Of 1912 he had all OF his debts paid
with good herd OF cattle. a large
stock Of hogs, horses. and machinery
sufficient to carry on the $50 acre
farm. The crop of 1912 was not an
average one, so that the profits of that
farming this same land during 1913 and
1914. putting the larger part of it into
corn. The market price for corn was
large and as he had practically all of
the work done without outside help
other than one additional farm hand,
his expenses were light.
HAD $4,000 AFTER 1918.
Out of the crop of 1913 after paying
current expenses and without selling
the cattle and hogs, he had about So
G0 in money which he left with us on
deposit,
During the crop season of 1914 ne
planted zoo acres of corn. This crop
averaged about sixty bushels per acre
making 10000 bushels yield. This
corn worth better than N cents
per bushel The accumulation of cat
tie and hogs had been very rapid.
so that by the first day of December
1914, out of the proceeds of this crop
and the sale of cattle. and hogs. after
paying current expenses. he left with
us $4,000 additional money, making in
all $1,000
He purchased a 160-acre farm. In
November, 1914 and promised to pay
for it s2S,000-ss 900 cash down and
loHg time on the balance at per cent
The land was decided to HIM and he
gave mortgage back for $40, 900 We
loaned him sl,"oo for sixty days, as
sistinG him to make up the $4,000 In
January he disposed of hogs sufficien,
to pay back TO us the $1,000,
HAS FARM AND STOCK NOW.
So that this young man now has S.
600 paid in on a splendid quarter sec.
tion of land which is we'll improved
ana mas ten years to pay the balance
OF IT at . per cent. He also owns
eight head of horses, % head of cattle
~ head Of brood sows and more than
seed and feed ample to carry him
through this season
When you take into account that
this young man started empty handed,
IT seems to me that 1t is a remarkable
case. This man has also been handi-
capped by not being married and has
done his own housekeeping.