28 The Condition of the Western Farmer. [306 



the raw prairie into a habitable and income-producing farm 

 is not an easy task, and quite a little capital is needed to do it 

 satisfactorily. Prof. Rodney Welch makes the following 

 estimate of the necessary expenses : T 



Registering, etc $50.00 



Horses and implements .... 500.00 



Furniture, small stock, etc. . . . 200.00 



House (sod), stables and seed . . 150.00 



Breaking forty acres sod . . . 100.00 $1000.00 



To this must be added the cost of sustenance for self and 

 family during the year, or perhaps two years, which inter- 

 vened before regular crops could be raised. The country 

 being new, little work could be found by which the income 

 could be helped out. It would be perfectly safe to say that 

 the ordinary immigrant had very much less means than the 

 amount mentioned, and was much hindered in his work by 

 his lack of sufficient capital. Those who came out to their 

 claims with practically no capital were usually forced to leave 

 before much time had passed, though here and there a pros- 

 perous farmer is to be found who started out with not even a 

 team with which to plow his land. 



There were several things which tended to lighten the bur- 

 dens of the settlers. One of these which helped them in 

 many cases was their previous service in the army, for a very 

 large proportion of the settlers had taken part in the Civil 

 War. The amount of time spent in the army is deducted 

 from the five years' residence on the land which is otherwise 

 required of the "homesteader" before he can acquire title 

 to his "claim." Besides this advantage, a pension gave to 

 many the wherewithal on which to live until they could raise 

 their first good crops. Much trouble and some expense was 

 saved the settlers of Harrison township by the fact that they 

 were located so near the government land office. The fact, 

 too, that they were within a few miles' distance of lands that 

 had been under cultivation for ten or fifteen years had a very 



1 The Forum, Vol. VIIT. r No. 5. 



