From my earliest recollection it had been fathers desire to go west. He always contended that if he could get out to the great expanding west, the land of unlimited opportunities, he could accomplish much. Mother looked upon the move with dread and for years could not be induced to give her consent to leave her native state. But now when the result of the past winters lumbering operations were known, she concluded to offer no further objections to the movement.

On the first day of August, 1856 the family of seven set out on our trip to the great west. The entire family possessions, beside general good health, was a few household goods, a little money, and ticket via the lakes to Chicago, Ill.. It was with regret that I left my place with Prince and Tenney to accompany the family. The company, too, seemed anxious to have me remain with them. But of course neither father or mother would consent for me to remain behind, and now forty-four years afterwards I am very glad that I, too, went west. Our course was about due south to Utica sixty miles, where we took the cars over the New York Central R.R. to Buffalo. Here we took deck passage on the propeller New Brunswick bound for Chicago, Ill.. Ours was not a fast boat. It stopped at all principle points along the way where passengers or freight was taken on board or discharged. Quite a number of passengers were bound for Chicago. We were favored with fair weather and all seemed to enjoy themselves finely.

I am not positive as to the length of time it we were on the boat, but I think we arrived at Milwaukee, Wis. on the 10th of August. Here a number of passengers and a considerable freight was unloaded. Upon inquiry it was found that extensive improvements was being made upon the docks and harbor and there was a demand for hands at fair wages. Although our passage had been paid to Chicago, it was thought best to stop here and go to work. The financial resource of the family was decidedly low. The cash altogether amounted to seventy five cents and there was but little else of value. Hastily getting our small belongings into a cheap tenement, three of us, father, brother Frank and myself were ready to go to work the next morning at wages amounting in the aggregate to $3.50 per day. Thus we were able to provide for our immediate wants and something more. We had steady work here until about the first of October. By this time we were all getting anxious to leave the city. We had always lived in the country and it was with gladness that we moved out twenty-five miles and located for the winter near Mukwonago, Waukesha County. Here we found work among the farmers and was able to live quite comfortably through the winter. I found quite steady employment upon the farm Wilder Ch---- and others.

In March father rented and moved to the farm of Oren Moffatt, just over the line into Walworth County one and a half miles south of Mukwonago. It was a good farm of one hundred and twenty acres. The following season was favorable and we produced a bountiful crop. In the fall father sold out his interest to Moffatt and moved to the adjoining farm of the Hon. John F. Potter. Here in addition to the regular farming operations father had engaged to clear off and break up eighty acres of new land. This proved a laborious task for which the compensation was inadequate. The family remained upon the place two years, at the end of which time they moved to Waupaca County, where two sisters of father resided. The three years that had elapsed since coming to the west had served to but slightly improve the financial circumstances of the family. They had moved four times.

During the three years I had worked at home a portion of two seasons and from there had attended school about three months. Otherwise I worked out by the month, mostly among the farmers of the neighborhood, except that I attended school three months during the winter of 1858 and 9 during which time did chores for my board with Mr. Martin Pollard. Among those for whom I worked was Mr. Pollard, Mr. Chafrin, Mr. Webb, Mrs. Captain Chamberlain and Mr. Potter, all residents of East Troy, Walworth County. I have no complaint to make against any of them. They all used me well, and I guess I earned the wages paid me. I had now arrived at my eighteenth birth day and had ended my school days. I had not attended school to exceed twenty two months all told. This should not have been so. In this free land of free schools every boy and girl is entitled to better treatment. Fathers frequent movement from place to place, made qwerally with no opportunity to obtain an education, nor were they always sent to school where they might have been. It has been seen that out of twenty two months of schooling that I received, fifteen was obtained by doing chores for my board. I do not complain of this, but mention it to state in this respect I enjoyed much better opportunities than my brothers or sister. I was inclined to be studious and probably I derived as much benefit from that amount of schooling us would the generality of boys. Most of my spare time was passed in reading. A book or newspaper afforded me as much pleasure as many other boys would find in athletic sports. I formed comparatively few intimate friends and these were among those older than myself as a rule, and from them I could frequently obtain wholesome advise. Among those it affords me pleasure to mention the first wife of the Hon. John F. Potter of East Troy, Wis.. She was a noble woman, even thoughtful and kind to those around her. As a boy I received from her most helpful advise and encouragement. From her library she loaned me many books, and kindly advised me in selecting them. This lady lost her life during the Civil War, caring for sick and wounded soldiers in Washington D.C.

Early in the spring of 1859 I went to Fond Du Lac County and engaged to work for a farmer by the name of John Micklejohn who resided five miles east of the city of Fond Du Lac. I was to receive $13.00 per month and work six months or so long as both parties was satisfied. I found Mr. Micklejohn to be one of the most energetic thorough going farmers I ever knew. He was at that time improving an extensive farm and everything was done with a view to permanency and beauty. He was a peculiar man in some respects. He possessed some most excellent traits of character, was public spirited and charitable, a good provider for his family and honorable in deal. Yet in some respects he was the most disagreeable man I ever saw. He had no control over his temper and seemingly had rather quarrel then eat. It was impossible for him to engage in conversation without flying into a passion and indulging in a stream of personal abuse. He would curse his neighbors, his family, or even his stock. But strange to say he never cursed me, not once. I often wondered at it. It certainly was not because he was afraid of me. He was a large man about six feet three inches tall. I was not yet grown, but I was not in the least afraid of him. I was told he would be a hard man to work for, but I did not find him so. I certainly had no reason to complain of personal ill-treament. But these out breaks were so frequent and unreasonable, especially toward the members of his family that I became thoroughly tired of it. It was when I saw him strike and nearly kill one of his small children because of its inability to swallow some medicine, that I made up my mind to leave him. I had worked two months. He disliked to have me go but he paid me in full, and gave me a present of three dollars besides.

I now returned to Walworth County and went to work for Mrs. Captain Chamberlain who lived near Potters Lake. I remained here until about the First of November when I went to Evanswood, Waupaca County, to which place father had moved three months previous to this. Father had two elder sisters residing at this place, who with their families had lived in Wisconsin a number of years. I have heretofore mentioned the names of Aunts Eleth-- and Louisa. I had never met them before, but I found them to be intelligent and agreeable. Aunt Louisa I especially liked. Letters written by her to me during the Civil War, were full of patriotism and encouragement. Her only son was a soldier in the union army, as was also two of her three sons-in-law.

I did not like this portion of Waupaca County very much. The soil was sandy and poor. Such as had produced good pine timber, but not of best for the production of farm crops. Yet the people were as a rule industrious and managed to make a good living. All seemed to be contented and happy. Many of the people here came from St. Lawrence Co., N.Y. and they found the conditions as to soil and climate almost identical with that of their old homes. Why should they not be happy. I spent two winters in this neighborhood and I found the people hospitable and kind. At that time no railroads had been built into Waupaca Co.. The only means of transportation, besides wagons, was via the Wolf River. A small steamer made daily trips up from Oshkosh to New London and returned, passing within two and a half miles of Evanswood. Father bought forty acres of land near here and built a house and made some other improvements upon it. It was pretty much covered with a small growth of pine timber, and as I remember, it presented a rather poor prospect for a home.

Upon my arrival at Evanswood I obtained work in a saw mill for a while. I boarded myself and was paid seventy five cents per day, taking my pay in pine fencing at five dollars per thousand feet. Money was scarce and rather hard to get hold of, but fencing at the above named price passed as currency. I had no trouble in disposing of mine to farmers who came after it from Green Lake Prairie, thirty miles south. Later I worked in a shop with a mechanic by the name of Carlton Babcock. We made bobsleds, ox yokes, ladders and pike-poles which we disposed of quite readily. We kept busy through the winter and made fair wages.

Chapter Three --->