78 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



land for more than thirty years; and we did our 

 share toward the erection of three school houses 

 for no sooner was one school house built than the 

 district lines were changed and our land found 

 itself again among the heathen. Then we were 

 taxed for draining swamp-land; then for a great 

 ditch to drain the roadway. It was the old story 

 of taxing non-residents in season and out. Before 

 the land was finally disposed of I found out that 

 cord-wood could be sold in Chicago at such a price 

 as to make it profitable to clear the land. As our 

 tract was situated not far from Lake Michigan, 

 I supposed that transportation would be cheap. 

 But I discovered that the railroads would not trans- 

 port a cord of wood to the boat landing because 

 every cord moved out of the district tended to in- 

 crease the price of their own supply. This land 

 was sold at last for about $25 per acre and not 

 one tree ever felt the keen edge of a Roberts' ax. 

 Thus fathers propose and children dispose ! 



If someone in those pioneer days had shown 

 the farmers of Varick that by clearing the best 

 half of each farm and by producing only two- 

 thirds as much as on the whole, they could realize 

 more net income and avoid much hard labor, there 

 would still be a goodly portion of virgin forest 



