72 TOMS EXPERIENCE 
at once, and thus cultivate his own Jand instead of 
mine, or some Other man’s ?” 
“Tf he has something to start on, it is. But it 
takes something for moving expenses, land office fees, 
a house, a team, a plow, and for the family’s living 
until the sod crops can be grown, anda great many 
even who have enough ahead for all these things are 
afraid to make the venture. They think it better to 
endure the ills they have than fly to others that they 
know not of. If they had some one back of them with 
capital for a couple of years, they'd get able to go 
alone, and soon have homes of their own. Thou- 
sands of determined men do go on government land 
with barely enough money to get to their claims, 
and somehow they manage to pull through, and 
you'll see them in a few years comfortably fixed and 
independent. But of course they have a hard time 
of it for awhile. But even their privations are as 
nothing when compared with those of the old pio- 
neers who settled the heavily timbered States, such as 
Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.” | 
~ “Well, Iam pleased with yoar plan, Tom,” he 
said, ‘and think I'll try it on a quarter-section or 
two, anyway. But it’s late, and we all ought to be 
in bed. So good night.” 
MR. BRIGHT INVESTS. 
The next morning Mr. Bright decided to purchase 
two quarter-sections, it ‘they could be had: for a fair 
price, and send iout tenants for them on his return 
