Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1917-07-17

Thirty years ago, at the time his
health failed, Bob Seeds had been in
the transfer and retail and wholesale
business in Tyrone, Pa, fora number
Of years. spending most Of his time in
his office. The local family physician
sent him to a Philadelphia specialist
who kindly advised him to go home
and arrange his affairs for he was
about to die. But" says Bob, "when
Mrs. Seeds began talking about what
she and her second husband expected
to do made up my mind would not
die and bought an abandoned farm two
and one-half miles from town.
"The old place had been abandoned
for seven years, and business men who
knew me called me a fool saying, If
you wanted to farm why didn't you 60
and buy good placer"
The roofs were letting In the rain,
bricks were falling from the tops of
the chimneys, the gates had no hinges,
burdocks grew as tall as a man all
around the buildings, stones Uttered
the fields. Mrs Seeds cried when she
moved into the old farmhouse.
"She would cry just as much If we
were to leave the old place now," says
Bob. Although an invalid, Bob Seeds
set himself to work picking stones off
the fields, filing holes and low places
around the buildings with them His
neighbors laughed But Bob kept on,
a picture of his finished farm always
ia his mind He was the first farmer
in Pennsylvania to raise alfalfa. He
bought a Holstein granddaughter of
King of Pontiacs, $4,000 sire, and
a grandson of King Segis with which
to start dairy h6rd-on a farm aban-
, doned seven years. His hogs are pure
bred Durocs, and they live In the
and Pittsburgh. Bob spent sixty days
building that mansion and when he
was through started out on a lecture
tour billed to talk on 1.-THE Influence
Of Home" but switched during the
course of his first lecture to THE In
fuence of the Hogpen."
The chickens on his farm are pure
White Leghorns; the barn is new and
clean and has concrete floors; the
spring house, or milk house. is fitted
with concrete trough; the old farm
house is rebuilt, with a wide Colonial
porch and fine lawn, with fifty grape
vines bordering 1t. He has built bird
houses In his trees and owns a fine
Scotch collie dog In short. Bob Seeds
is a successful farmer-on an abandon
ed farm.
His boy runs the farm now, while
Bob lectures. for he has become one
of those whose time is always filed.
He startedtout to spread the good
news about the alfalfa and pure blood
ed stock But the people who heard
him would not let him stop at that.
They asked him back again and arain.
and each time be went back meant
something new to talk about The re-
suit is that Bob has many lectures at
his tongues end. one of the best of
which is "The Mistakes of Life Ex-
posed humorous. rollicking account
of some of his personal mistakes, trag-
ic no doubt at the time, but translated
through his own courageous attitude
into mainsprings of success.
He has lectured up and down the
country-in the far west. the middle
west and the east. Two years ago he
was guest of honor at the American
Bankers association banquet In New
York He sat beside ex-President
Taft for dinner. And a little later
when he began to speak he made those
bankers forget all their troubles as
they seldom had before. They wanted
him back for the next year, but Bobs
time was taken for that date. Penn
sylvania State college wanted him for
the same time to speak at the annual
banquet, but his date book took him
west.
Will be at the Charles Town Chau.
tauqua, August 20-27.