SPRING OF >97 221 



they are not sufficient at Four Oaks. We could 

 not work the teams. 



Up to March, 1897, Sam had full charge of the 

 chickens, and also looked after the hogs, with 

 the help of Anderson. Judson and French had 

 their hands full in the cow stables, and Lars was 

 more than busy with the carriage horses and the 

 driving. Thompson was working foreman, and 

 his son Zeb and Johnson looked after the farm 

 horses during the winter and did the general 

 work. From that time on Sam gave his entire 

 time to the chickens, Anderson his entire time to 

 the hogs, and Johnson began gardening in real 

 earnest. This left only Thompson and Zeb for 

 general farm work. 



Again I advertised for two farm hands. I 

 selected two of the most promising applicants 

 and brought them out to the farm. Thompson 

 discharged one of them at the end of the first 

 day for persistently jerking his team, and the 

 other discharged himself at the week's end, to 

 continue his tramp. Once more I resorted to 

 the city papers. This time I was more fortu- 

 nate, for I found a young Swede, square-built 

 and blond-headed, who said he had worked on 

 his father's farm in the old country, and had 

 left it because it was too small for the five boys. 

 Otto was slow of speech and of motion, but he 

 said he could work, and I hired him. The other 

 man whom I sent to the farm at the same time 

 proved of no use whatever. He stayed four 



