The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-08
BIG ENGINEER
WOULD ANSWER
CAL.L !. !. SOIL
Boy Who Ran Away to Work On
North Dakota Farm in '94
= Wants to Come Back
WOULD START AT BOTTOM
Ready to Give Up Big Chicago
Business to Become ''Ordi-
nary Hired Hand


from the Chamber of Commerce
building in Chicago, consulting eng
ineer of many years practice in the
Windy City inscribes communica-
ton to the North Dakota council of
defense which Secretary Thomas AL
Ian Box holds to be unique in its pa
triotic expression of an earnest de-
sire to return to the soil. The writer
says:
Il am positive that my business is
nonessential in these times, when ev-
cry RED FLOODED American should
use his ability toaccomplish the most
good. Having been raised on a farm,
run away from home at II, and landed
in Towner county, N. D.; worked on
farm, done everything that had to
be done, from driving a gang-plow to
feeding thresher, bucking straw,
firing the steam engine with straw,
hauling water for the same, ETC., and
ETC., hence l believe l have a fair
knowledge of farming, and, while I
have not done any Of it since 1894,
yet have had considerable to do with
farms at different times during the in
tervening years and in different parts
Of the country, and ! believe can
still do man and half's work at
anything on the farm.
"While threshing in North Dakota
we slept out of doors, in barns, ETC.,
and / have slept out of doors many
months since and became accustomed
to all kinds of hardships, and have
longed to be back doing real, hard
work on farm many times during the
last few years. ;.e s. ID,
II therefore believe / can do more
real good for the country working on
a farm, especially during the war,
than working at anything else, and l
believe the farms need real men, men
who are not only strong physically
and who know how to do any kind of
farm work, but men who have initial
i've, a business training, and ability to
adapt themselves to the business of
farming, which is the most important
business today.
"While know it would be impos-
sible and perhaps impracticable for the
writer to attempt to manage a large
farm. altho l could readily do so, yet
| would be willing to 60 to work on
any large farm in any capacity, hav-
ing in mind qualifying as manager at
some future date. If l take up farm
ing, it will be with the intention of
following it the balance of my life.
81 have son in the l08th U. s. eng
ineers, and my wife and l are now
alone, and, as she was born and reared
on farm and desires to 60 back to
one, there is nothing to prevent our
going in a perfectly harmonious and
contented manner. If farm hands
are scarce, or will be in the near fu-
ture, am quite certain I1can pick up
between so and 100 good men who are
in business in some capacity, but men
who were raised on farms, and who
will be patriotic enough to put on a
pair of overalls and shock wheat
men who want to do their part to win
the war, believing in this way they
will be eliminated from the Stacker
list.
personally, l am A years old, six
feet four, weight, 200 pounds. The
only man in North Dakota who is
well known whom l know quite well
is Dean E. J. Babcock Of the school
Of mining and engineering of the Uni
versity OF North Dakota. We have
mutual interest in the carbonization
of Ignite coal which will make North
Dakota the largest exporter of high