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 $640 for 24 miles of fenc- 
ing to enclose it in one field, charging the farm 
account with $12,640 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; 
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