The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1916-11-24
INVESTED $l58;
CLEARED $4,000
THREE YEARS WORK PUTS
WHITEHALL FARMER
ON HIS FEET.
Tames Wild Land and Makes Good
Farm Of It; Neighbor Pays Him
$4,000 in Cash for His Holdings;
Will Spend Winter in California.

Three years ago Charles Gassman
arrived at Whitehall. All he had in
the world was team Of indifferent
work horses, a Balm wagon of ancient
vintage, $14S in cash ana a wife. He
had driven across the state of Mon
tana looking for a home. He wanted
to get as close to Butte as possible, be-
cause he had a business head on his
shoulders and he had his eye on the
Butte market.
He found an open piece of land on
the Little Pipestone creek and filed
on it. He built himself a little dug
out-home. and a dug out stable for
his horses and started in to tame his
wild possessions.
Had Good Neighbors.
1t was hard work. His patience was
sorely tried. He had very little mon
ely when he had paid in his filing fees.
But his neighbors We're good to him,
and the merchants Of Whitehall. where
he traded, kept him supplied in the
necessities Of life. He paid when he
could, which was not oftef. but ere
dit on the books of Whitehall business
men comes easy to the man who is
known to be trying.
His work of tanning the wild land
and making it productive was success
full. The first year he accumulated
few chickens and COW or two, and
his livestock began to accumulate
around him. That year he barely
made living.
His first crop of consequence was
potatoes. He sold his potatoes in
the Butte market at a good price. His
early potatoes went to satisfy the an
petites Of commands who affect such
establishments as the Cheouamegon.
and he spent his winter nights trying
to figure out the right way to pro-
nounce the name of Casev's famous
restaurant, where the good livers of
Butte are fed by machinery. with a
tramwav to carry the "dead wood'
away. It was about all the amusement
he permitted himself.
Then He Took Stock.
He prospered. When he harvested
his crop this fall he paid off every
cent he owed. He took stock Of him
SELF Most of his acreage was under
cultivation. He had built fairly
comfortable home. There was no hot
water system or heating in it, but he
had o good base burned. He had raised
a flock Of chickens, six colts, five head
Of cattle and a boy. He also had a
passable barn. His inventory was en-
tirely satisfactory. He had several
laps around the world ahead Of the
wolf and there was money to his ere
dit in the Whitehall bank. He was
just thinking of hitching his new mare,
that he had bought up at the Belmont
ranch the week before, to the rubber
tired buggy and driving to Whitehall
10 see Harry Huber about putting cleo
trio lights in his house, when Mrs. Will
liam Sleeman of Piedmont drove up.
"I want to buy this place. she
said. "What will you take for it in
cash 2"
"You can have it for $10,O00," re-
piled the homemaker
ct will give you $4,000" said Mrs.
Sleeman, the good bargainer.
1T will take it," said Gassman.
The deal was made. The next day the
man who had started in three years be-
fore with a capital of $15S, left for
California with draft of $4,000 in his
pocket. He will spend the winter
there.
Not so bad for an investment of
1858. There are thousands of in
stances of money as quickly made in
Montana. But most Of the farmers
are wisely holding to their posses