12 Our Farming. 



new diverted my mind, and I went quite willingly. The years of 

 hard study there made me forget somewhat my love for ma- 

 chinery, and I did study hard, for I never half did anything 

 except hoeing in father's garden. No particular credit to me; I 

 was built that way. 



In my junior year in college my health failed from too close 

 attention to books and working nights too much. The doctor 

 said I must quit at once and go to work out-doors, or soon be the 

 subject for a funeral. I quit a year, then tried again, and again 

 was taken sick. As soon as I could get out I went at the first 

 work that offered out-doors, and without five dollars in my pocket. 

 This was buying butter with horse and wagon from town to town, 

 for a dealer who furnished the funds and paid me, I think, one 

 cent a pound commission. This was in the fall. I pushed things 

 and gained in strength and by New Year's day had about $300 in 

 cash and forty pounds more flesh. This work was done for 

 W. B. Straight. His father, S. Straight, a member of the solid 

 firm of Straight, Deming & Co., of Cincinnati, saw what I was 

 doing, and when the son got through with me he offered to fur- 

 nish me money to buy cheese and butter, without interest, and 

 give me half the profit. I accepted the offer and also went back 

 to my boyhood home and coaxed a farmer's daughter into going 

 into partnership with me. She has always claimed I married her 

 for her money. I find by looking over my books that on March 

 ist, 1865, the day we were married, there is an entry to her credit 

 of $i 13. Well, this was a pretty large sum to me then. I had a 

 horse and harness and was in debt for a wagon and hadn't ten 

 dollars in money. I was married in my old clothes, without one 

 new thing, and couldn't think of getting my girl even a ring. 

 What do you think of that, boys ? 



Well, trie business prospered. The horse and wagon was 

 exchanged for a rented corner in a warehouse, and soon a large 

 three-story brick block was occupied. But it was a very risky 

 business. We made $1000 for our share in one month, the spring 

 after I was married, on butter, and lost it all that summer. This 

 feature of the business was distasteful to me, although we made 

 something on the average, and for this and other reasons, I sold 

 out my interest to my partner, S. Straight, whom you have prob- 

 ably heard of often as the great butter and cheese king. As to 

 the wisdom of my getting out of the business, it is safe to say 

 that, after struggling on for some twenty -five years, I doubt 

 whether he has as much money now as he then had. Mr. Straight 

 offered me over $1000 a year to work for him after I sold out. I 

 tried it only a few days. Wealthy men offered me all the money 

 I could use to go into the same business on my own hook. 

 For a wonder, the boy had wisdom enough to decline. I was also 

 offered a very fine chance to go into the cattle business, West, by 

 a merchant worth some $40,000. I have lived to see him fail and 



