The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-03-13
THE REVIE WIS SPECIAL
FARM NEWS DEPARTMENT
I'D.
John H. D. Gray
Live News About Crawford County
Farms and Farmers

work, coupled with energy, will bring
success. Nothing else will.
when l came back from the West
had little money, every cent earned
by myself. What have today is the
increase on that money. Men will tell
you that the first thousand dollars Is
the hardest to earn, never worked
as hard in my life as l worked after
l had my first $4,000"
| Young Hopley invested his Colorado
savings in q piece of land in Cass
county-eighty acres-for which lie
paid SIS an acre. He still owns the
land and says he would not sell it for
$3.50 an acre. But he contends that
the price Of land does not determine
| its productiveness. If it can not be
made to pay the price is immaterial.
His father bought his first land-a
Fquarter section-from the Government
for 1925 an acre, but, writes Mr..
Hopley:
"He could not make the payments,
even at that price so the land revert
ed to the United States. They might
as we'll have asked 500 or 5000; ii
you can not pay it or earn it the price
is. immaterial. Four years ago l
bought land without even fence
around it for $3.50 an acre that had
seen the owner buy for SO an acre.
OF course that had been forty years
before. But l am earning more on
that land at $3.50 an acre than he did
when it was $40. ~ i ....,
Il contend that the man who pays
5000 an acre is getting it cheaper than
my father did at $1.25 and at $25.
Not only are crops greater and worth
more but money is plentiful nova
days."
When Hopley had accumulated
$4,000, he branched out in the cattle
business with his brother. but after
three years, he pulled out" as he ex.
presses It. He has conducted his
business alone ever since, except for
his first venture in horse importing,
In which line he was one of the pion.
GERS. His first big overseas ven.
ture was made in 1884, when he re.
tE.ned from Europe with twenty-five
head of Clydesdales, in which he had
invested evety cent OF hts ready
money. Eventually he became ono Of
the big horse importers OF the coun.
try. Since 1884 he4 has crossed the
ocean every year. and sometimes twice
q year. He was in Europe when the
war broke out. 1, Ia, -
a But he would not take up this line
II he were to start over again, he de.
clares, for he believes the opportuni.
ties for the man who feeds cattle and
sheep and hogs for the market are al.
most limitless. And here are Q few
words for the young man who comesf
back. from the war with back to the
soil" ringing in his ears and singing
in his heart =. .....-..- 3,st + y. : ~
Men say that Peter Hopley is sue.
cessful, yet l have not done anything
more than any other man could have
done. or more than, could do over
again II l were young .rt 81 ~
Folks often say, to me-, 'Hopley,
you had exceptional opportunities. You
came here when tho country was1
young and land cheap. You rot in on
the ground floor, OF course you work.
ed hard, but you were lucky. What
could you do nowadays? What would
you do II you were young man, poor
and without your present experience?
You couldn't make it,,
They make me tired. If i were a /
young man again-twenty-five or thir-
had my wife here with me,
I'd make good again, and here Is how
l would do it: i would hire out to a
farmer as farm hand. / would get
$50 month, for that is the wages
Of our hands. and they are not as
good men as was. But that is not
all. ! would get house to live in,
and fuel. would get garden, chick.
ems and COW. At the end of year,
l would have earned 5000 and l would
have every cent of that 5000. I would
have fed the family aud kept our
selves on the products of the garden
the chickens and the COW. | would
work another year. BY that time III
would have $1,000. will allow 5000
for unforeseen and unavoidable ex-
penses. would have $1,000 left. But
that Is only half Of the story. BY thatI
time would have a credit Of $1,OOO'I
to $1,000 because the banker would
know me, would know was a hard
worker and good saver. He would
see me coming in. every month with
my pay check. He would look at my
account and see that l was not draw
Ing out any of my money. Believe me,
the banker soon gets to know the man
who deserves to get ahead, who is
worthy Of credit l.... ~, ..
We'll, at the end of two years, l |
would have 1000 in cash and credit,
We'll say, Of $500 or more. would |
buy two good cows and about three
teaMs of horses-good horses. but !
cheap, and out of which l could get
hard work. would go around to
some sales and buy good secondhand |
for, you can pick up bar
gains that way, Just as good as new
and for half the price. would buy a
flock of sheep and few sows Then
would rent farm, and my wife and |
would start in for ourselves. We'd |
raise all our. own, food, we'd be up
with the. sun. and we'd work all day.1
After while Id go to the banker
again and say: Mr.. Banker, I've got
so much ready money: have so
much stock; l owe SO much. l want /
10 go over to. Omaha and buy some
feeders; there's good money in it,
And Mr.. Banker would be glad to
end me the money to buy those cat
lie, too. He'd know I was paying my
store bills, that my wife wasn't vast.
ng money, that we were working and
'aVing, and deserving to succeed. In
en- years, I'd have good stake. That's
low I'd start again" - ~ 4