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 
