State Convention—Success vs. Failure. 449 
twenty dollars. I said, make me all the cider I want, and I will 
buy the apples, and what you make over and above what the mill 
cost is yours. They made from four to five dollars a day. They 
gave the money to their mother to put away. They gave her their 
rabbit-money, chicken-money, ferret-money, and cider-money. 
Their mother was their banker. When those boys wanted a pair 
of boots, or coat, they never came to me for a dollar. I sent to 
New York and got a pair of geese that cost me fourteen or fifteen 
dollars. The consequence was, I improved my geese. I took a 
goose on change that weighed eighteen pounds, and I could have 
sold it for fourteen cents a pound. The boys laid claim to nil this 
money. The boys got it. It is all in the family. I have one boy 
that came home this winter. He has been to Iowa seeking his for¬ 
tune. I asked him what he was going to do. He said he didn’t 
know; he could not get anything to do. I went to town and 
bought three axes. I told him to go to work clearing off land, 
and I would give him twelve dollars a month for all the time he 
wanted to stay. My boys never want to go; it is the hardest thing 
to get them up to the village. Get your boys interested in ducks 
and geese, rabbits, stock of any kind, or anything else; get them to 
manifest an interest in taking care of something; get the boys in¬ 
terested, and when they want something to read, get them some¬ 
thing to read. My boys take periodicals; the money don’t come 
out of me. That is the way to keep them at home. If they want 
a horse and buggy, let them have a horse and buggy. 
Mr. Daubner: I am acquainted with Mr. Johnson, and every 
word he says is exactly so. He owns nothing; his boys and family 
own it all. It is a wonder to me where he gets money to buy his 
glass of beer with. 
Secretary Field offered the following resolutions. 
Resolved , That the thanks of this Convention are due, and are hereby most cor 
dially tendered to the railroads of the State, which have so generously and magnan-- 
imously extended reduced fare to the Convention. 
Resolved , That we cordially extend our thanks to the press of the State for the 
gratuitous notices given of our Convention and of the proceedings, and especially 
we desire to thank the State Journal and Madison Democrat for the daily account 
of our proceedings given to their numerous readers. 
The resolutions were unanimously adopted. 
Secretary Field said, before the final adjournment, he desired 
29-a 
