The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1927-08-10
Continued from first page)


ers are retiring and moving to the
city, to leave a pleasant home and
prosperous business in one of the best
towns in southern Iowa, and become
shack to the land-ers," our friends
looked aghast. We told them that we
were planning to come to southwest
ern Minnesota, in the beautiful coun-
ty of Redwood, and build a dwelling
house and other necessary buildings
upon a quarter section of land we
had owned there for a number Of
years. We speedily discovered that
those who knew us best in the COM
munity in which we resided for more
than quarter of century were
convinced that we were making
a costly mistake; nor were those
among whom we were coming 10
live any more certain OF our WIS
dom. The die was cast, however, so
leaving good friends and nelghoors
of many years standing, we came to
our new location. 1t would indeed be
an experiment, for both of US had
been born in the city, and our entire
married life had been spent in town.
We had not been long in our new
environment until we discovered that
we had moved into community very
like in characteristics to the one we
had left, made up of friendly, upright
citizens, law-abiding and willing to
give and take on equal terms in all
the relationships of life. We enjoy
ed meeting them when the occasion Of
fered, we liked them and they seemed
to feel for US the same good will.
After some experiments we found
the logical and practical method for
us to conduct our business affairs was
to rent out our tillable land on the
share plan to one of our worthy
neighbors, leaving US free to care for
our livestock and to develop and keep
up the farm. This arrangement has
persisted for number of years and
has been eminently satisfactory on
both sides.
wish space would permit of telling
of the summer of 1915, during which
we built our cozy, modern bungalow,
34x40, our commodious barn, and
drilled our deep, soft water we'll
such improvements being placed in
what, when we began building, was a
cornfield with corn knee high which
had to be pulled out to make place
on which to build the house and barn.
Let me here tell those who are in
terested that our well and water sys-
tenn has been a highly satisfactory
investment. Our well, luckily an
artesian one, is 235 feet deep, water
coming to within some 10 feet of the
surface, fine soft water and an mex
haustible flow A windmill pumps
the water into $50 gallon tank ag-
ainst air pressure, the tank being To-
Gated in the Easement of the house.
This system carries the water to
various faucets in said basement, and
to the first floor of the house, inclu,!.
ing a bathroom, modern in all re-
spects, end to TIRE barn as well. Next
to our water system we consider our
airy, well lighted basement the most
useful part Of our equipment.
To those who are contemplating
building let me emphasize the advan-
tages of large basement, every inch
of space in which can be utilized. The
concrete coal cellar, placed under
ground outside the basement with
communicating door, has also proved
fine feature.
These were he conditions we met
when in November, 1918, we m,ved
our household goods end gods" and
established ourselves upon the tract
of land we had decided to call Sunny
Crest Farmland Home, Just a house,
a barn, we'll, in the edge of a corn
field. Not tree near our dwelling,
nor shrub, a vine, nor a spear of
grass; not foot of fence to enclose
and give that feeling of security and
enclosure so necessary to the spirit of
the home.
The possibilities were great, but
could we realize them? We had a
fertile soil, an abundance of pure wa
ter, favorable climate, an agreeable
neighborhood, and a fair measure of
health and stronghold we possess
those inner qualities so necessary to
win success from those conditions?
Time alone would tell, but we had en-
barked upon our Great Adventure,
that of developing what we hoped
would be an ideal farm home upon
the prairies of Minnesota.
An incident which occurred during
the time the house was being built
gave form and color to our plans and
an objective to work for. One day the
senior partner of the firm went upon
q business errand to farm not far
distant from US. The house, weather
beaten old and devoid of paint, stood
in the center of large grove through
which the sun could scarcely pene-
trate.
The owner and his family resided in
this house and the land was being
farmed by them. No view was afford
ed of the distant road. Many farm
buildings and an abundance of ma
chinery standing about, and much
livestock roaming around the farm,
attested that the owner of the large