of running things — a way that may have helped 

 him in business — kindliest neighbors withheld 

 their advice. His lavish outlay of money for ex- 

 pensive buildings and woven-wire fences seemed 

 a foolish waste to them. They knew there were 

 other things to be taken care of first if one was to 

 make ends meet, unless, of course, his means were 



unlimited and the farm was only a plaything. 



* * * 



"Nature hasn't given me a square deal", said 

 Turner after harvesting was over and he had 

 balanced his books. The crops had not turned 

 out as he expected. The farm had not paid in- 

 terest on the investment; in fact, had not paid in 

 any way. The books showed a large deficit. There 

 was also a pretty big charge to "worry and per- 

 plexity". Contentment and a competence even on 



a hundred acres were still a great way off. 



★ * * 



During the winter of the third year Turner 

 went to California. There he got a new "slant" 

 on his quest for contentment and a comfortable 

 livelihood. He found that many of the farms, or 

 ranches, as Calif ornians call them, were very much 

 smaller than his own. It took him some time to 

 figure out the object of this. He talked freely with 

 the ranchers, found out what they grew and what 

 their incomes were, made a study of methods, and 



[5] 



