The Republican journal., 1915-07-01
sELF.MADE FARMER AT FIFTEEN

In the Interesting People" depart
ment of the July American Magazine
appears an article about Melvin Spot
ford Hatch, a fifteen-year-old North
Carolina boy who at thirteen bought a
farm with money that he himself earned.
What normal American boy who is en-
couraged in thrift and enterprise can &C.
complish is described in this article, an
extract from which follows:
IA young boy in the mountains OF west
ern North Carolina, Master Melvin Spot
ford Hatch, bought small truck farm
on the outsk irts of the town OF Hender-
sonville when he was thirteen, finishing
payment for it by the time his fifteenth
birthday had arrived. last September.
Thousands of boys are as favorably
situated as he is for doing the same
thing; it is only that they could do it and
he did it that makes the difference. His
methods have not been spectacular; he
bears not the slightest resemblance to
the heroes of various popular boys
books, nor has he been spurred by any
dire necessity; he has not been goaded
into action in any way or required to
drudge away his boyhood; he has merely
been given sympathetic encouragement,
and been allowed to do his own thinking
and planning and to reap his own reward.
The fact that at fifteen he has achieved
success that might be envied by full
grown man land that without the loss of
single day at school or the loss of too
great part of his boylsh pleasures) is
to be attributed to three virtues that
should be commonplace: thrift. industry,
and good judgment.
''The purchase of the farm was ham
died in an entirely businesslike manner
No favors were given or asked on either
side, Eighty dollars was the first pay
ment, and a mortgage at the legal rate
of interest was given for the remainder
of the purchase price. The house was
promptly rented for five dollars month,
which took care of the interest and taxes
and left small sum over toward the
payments on the principal. At this rate,
the farm would be nearly paid for by the
time he was twenty-one without single
extra exertion on his part, and all the
money he earned might be spent for
baseball bats, tickets to the moving pic
ture shows, and other things dear to the
boyish heart; some of it did go in these
directions, for, be it understood, he is a
real live boy; some of it, too, went in
donation to the town hospital and to an
orphanage, for he is public-spirited
citizen as we'll as good business man;
however, our hero Of the commonplace
did not rest on his laurels, but looked
around FOR more opportunities.
Gas before said, the town was sum-
mer resort overlooking with boarding
houses; it was also minus system of
garbage collection, so the landlady of the
nearest boarding house was more than
willing to fall in with proposition to
buy two pigs for Melvin to keep on his
fathers farm.
SIN addition to being landed proprie-
tor, Master Hatch has also steady in
come, acquired solely by his own exer-
lions, for he has small sum of money
loaned at good interest, as well as the
steady rent of the house, and, most hope
full sign when the country's needs are
considered, it is evident that the siren
song of the city will fall on deaf ears in
coming years, for the other day he said
to his business adviser, his mother, 1
think it would be a good thing if were
to mortgage my land and buy more, SO l
can be improving it and be ready to
make my living on it when am twenty
one. l ought to be able to get it in good
shape in the next six years.