The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-12-03
FARMING EASY
AT ROCKFORD

Were you ever in strange land
in the winter time? And in addition
to that did you have just IS cents
and no more? And did some hungry
stranger accost YOU and ask you for
enough 20 buy food? That is the
way one of our well-to-do farmers
found himself situated in this county
when he began business here in the
year 1897. That isn't all, he divided
his coin with the other fellow, and
on going down the street hunting for
employment he looked into a saloon
and saw the fellow showing that same
coin across the bar. With generosity
Temporarily frozen in his own bosom
the subject of our story went on hunt
ing till he found a place where he
could work for his board until some
thing started, and he accepted the
position. His name Is G. c. Sjo-
strom pronounce it Sho strum) and
we want to point out few character
istics by which he has come into the
enjoyment of better things.
Mr.. Sjostrom lives at Rockford,
some ten mics west of Blackfoot on
rural route number two. He is the
owner of $50 acres of land a mile and
la nalf from the switch and beet
dump; raises hay grain, sugar beets,
etc., has some cattle and hogs, part
of the latter being pure blood Poland
Chinas. has a fine large stone house,
stone barn, stone and cement water
tank with gasoline engine and wind
mill, stone garage, Ford car, and
numerous other things that he did
not have when that bum soaked him
for something to eat on 4
Just few more lines and we are
done. The important item in this
story is to tell you how the fellow
does it. Since he loaned the coin to
the bum, he got a few dollars to-
gether and went to Logan, Utah, and
took as much of the agricultural coll
lege course as he could, including
the Industrial part where they work
with tools and learn exactly how to
cut and fit things in wood and iron.
He learned as much as he could about
how to figure; how to put expense
into one column and revenue into an
other and then make one swallow the
IOtHCl. Il0 uOu nuCu 90 u0
could about working the soil so 1t
would grow richer, and how to care
for aniamls so they would grow big
ger and not be too long about it.
Then he came back into Idaho and
goGnto the game. He soon got into
debt and then he was a poor pay
master because he didn't have it. He
held fast to the idea that II he could
not pay. his hogs and cows would IL
he could only board them well. In
the summer season he made bitches
and graded land and tended crops,
and in the winter time he hauled
rock and gravel and sand, and operat-
ed his tools making things that were
to be parts of a barn when he got
lat it. Then at odd times when he
did not have to neglect his crops he
mixed mortar and carried the hod
and heaved rock and operated ham,
mer and saw till he had a barn.
Whenever he was going to build any
thing, and that has been about all
the time, he was getting materials
ready and placing them where he
could easily put them in position. He
has been a steady worker doing the
very best he could-just like he was
when he took that position" working
for his board waiting for something
to turn up. He said under his breath,
"I will be an old-timer here some
day." And he will If he stays long
enough. While you are reading this,
II 1t is after supper In the evening,
Mr.. Sjostrom is probably down in
the basement of that new modern
house Of his, following the most fas-
cinating thing there is on his mind
installing the new heating plant.
He has studied up on plans, bought
the outfit, slowed 1t away ready to
install as soon as the fall work was
done, and little by little he will COM
pete the job. and find pleasure in the
task.
This man Sjo3trom doesn't intend
to work at this gait all his life. He
sold his hay crop this year to sheep
man under the agreement that the
sheep are to be fed on his beet land,
and when he gets q little farther
along he will probably have some
sheep Of his own to do the eating.
and he will gradually let up on his
strenuous gait and let the animals
do the work.
In the year 1902, Mr.. Sjostrom
entered into very important con-
tract. His associate in the deal was
Miss Bennetta Ann Furniss, of Iona,
Idaho, and they have plodded the
road to independence together, each
doing cheerfully q generous part Of
the partnership work. They have six
children, four Of whom are attending
the graded school at Rockford.