CHAPTER L 



THE HEADMAN GENERALIZES 



JACKSON'S prophecy came true. The old lady 

 died, and before the ground was fairly settled 

 around her the improvident son accepted a cash 

 offer of $75 per acre for his homestead, and the 

 farm was added to mine. This was in Novem- 

 ber. I at once spent 1640 for 21 miles of fenc- 

 ing to enclose it in one field, charging the farm 

 account with 112,640 for the land and fence. 



This transaction was a bargain, from my point 

 of view ; and it was a good sale, from the stand- 

 point of the other man, for he put $12,000 away 

 at five per cent interest, and felt that he need 

 never do a stroke of work again. A lazy man is 

 easily satisfied. 



In December I sold 283 hogs. It was a choice 

 lot, as much alike as peas in a pod, and gave an 

 average weight of 276 pounds ; but the market 

 was exceedingly low. I received the highest 

 quotation for the month, $3.60 per hundred, and 

 the lot netted $2702. 



It seems hard luck to be obliged to sell fine 

 swine at such a price, and a good many farmers 

 would hold their stock in the hope of a rise ; 



