Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-09-08

NORTH CAROLINA BOY
SELF-MADE FARMER At IS


In the Interesting People" depart
ment of the American Magazine APP
pears an article about Melvin Spot
ford Hatch. a 1~5-year-old North Caro-
lima boy who at 10 bought a farm with
money that he himself earned.
IA young boy in the mountains of
western North Carolina. Master Melvin
Spofford Hatch. bought a small truck
farm on the outskirts Of h town of
H"endersonville when he was Ii, finish.
ing payment for it by the time his 18th
birthday had arrived, last September.
situated as he is for doing The same
thing; it is only that they coul do 1t
and he did that makes the difference.
His methods have not been spectacu-
lar; he bears not the slightest resem-
blance 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 re-
quired. to drudge away his boyhood; he
has merely been given sympathetic en-
couragement, and been allowed to do
his own thinking and planning and to
Is he has achieved q success that
might be envied by a full grown man
(and that without the loss of a single
| day at school or the loss Of too great a
part of his boyish p%leasures) 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 nan
ner. No favors were given or asked on
either side. Eighty dollars was the first
payment, n a mortgage at the legal
rate of interest was given for the re-
mainder of the purchase price. The
house was promptly rented for IS a
month, which took care Of the interest
and taxes and left a small sum over to-
ward the payment on the prlnclpai. a.
this rate, the farm would be nearly paid
for by the time he was 81 without q
single extra exertion on his part, n
all the money he earned might be spent
for baseball bats. tickets to the moving
picture 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 1t, too.
went in a donation to the town hospital
and to an orphanage, for ne is a public
spirited citizen as we'll as a good busi-
ness a however, our hero Of the
laurels, but looked around for more OPP
oortunities.
LAS before said. the town was a sum-
mer resort overlooking with boarding
houses; it was also minus a system of
garbage collection, so the landlady Of
than willing to fall in with a PROPOSE
ion to buv two pigs for Melvin to keep
on his fathers farm.
in addition to being a landed pro-
prietor, Master Hatch has also q
steady income, acquired solely by his
own exertions. for he has a small sum
of money loaned at good interest, as
well as the steady rent Of the house.
and, most hopeful sign, when h
try's needs are considered, 1t is evident
~ &c., ~ AI~ ~$A,, ~ry{II Cali
on deaf ears in coming years, for the
other day. he said to his business adj
wiser his mother, I think it would be a
good thing if I were to mortgage my
land and buy more. SO I "a be i'm
proving 1t and be ready to make my
living on it when l am 81. I ought to be
able to get in good shape in the mex
nix years."