Gradually I got the yard cleaned up and planted a few things the first year in a very haphazard way. I was ready to weep when I made my first planting of seeds. In my inexperience I felt more like I was burying than planting them. I never expected them to come up-but they did! God seems mighty good to the amateur in California.

It required several months' savings to buy material enough to build a porch and the task was an arduous one. The calculations, especially, were very laborious affairs, and in some instances required more time than the execution of the plan.

Then came the plumbing. It took about six months to put that over; and I felt that I had made a mistake in my calling when I saw the bill the plumber presented!

Then came the rooms at the rear and a detached shed. I was getting to be quite a carpenter by this time.

Altogether it took two years' savings and hard work, in my off-duty hours, to complete the house and build the shed. But it was bully fun and makes the word home apply to the result with real meaning.

Throughout all this time I was busy in the

She

There's a stretch of lawn about eighty feet in front of the house on which we have twelve fruit trees. In front of this is our rose garden -we have eighty plants and about forty varieties. All of the walks and flower beds are bordered with cobblestones which we found and carried home. We would borrow a neighbor's wheelbarrow and go on cobblestonescouting expeditions. Those were exciting times.

Well, my job of building a home is just about finished, and in the meantime our town has grown from 2,000 to some 3,600 in population-so you can see there were others who bought weedy lots and had visions. Our little home is almost paid for now, and the detached shed is going to change its name and bear the dignity of "garage;" for in it I plan to house one of the ubiquitous products of Detroit's most famous carriage factory.

Notwithstanding that some folks claim it is cheaper to rent than own property, we do not agree with them. We were living in a rented house, and had to rent a "stall" in the garage for the car, as well. Upon figuring up our expenses in connection with the leasing proposition we found that were we to borrow the money our interest would exceed the rent by only a few dollars a year. We decided to do this borrow the money; and by keeping up the interest and paying off a portion of the

commenced to realize that we had one of the most desirable pieces of property in town. As one lady said, "It is only five minutes' walk to any place."

At the time we bought the lots we had formed no idea as to when we could build, but knowing it would be some time we accumulated all the material we could find that would assist us in laying plans.

After consulting five hundred or more sketches we found nothing to meet our require

principal each year, in a short time the debt will be paid and the property our own.

The lot we chose was one that perhaps from the beginning of time had never been cultivated, and it was unsightly so far as the big weeds and the old barbed wire fence that enclosed it were concerned. But it is only a block from the main street, and scarcely two blocks from our store, and is located on the northwest corner of the block, which permits of a sunny south front.

In all these years the mass of people never really saw this location, but every day brought new attractions concerning it for us, and after some difficulty we finally found the owner and purchased the two lots on the corner. Then as soon as we began the improvements the natives

ments in entirety; but by combining ideas gained in this way with original ones of our own we worked out an arrangement that suits us very well.

Then it was necessary to get estimates from contractors and decide whether to let the entire contract to one man or to hire the work done by the day and look after the details ourselves. When the figuring was completed we concluded that the latter plan would be the most satisfactory from the standpoint of proficiency in work as well as for financial reasons; but it meant untold responsibility on our part.

My business tied me down to the extent that I could not spend as much time about the building as I should have spent in order to save money, consequently certain parts were done

according to the carpenters' ideas rather than our own. One of my greatest difficulties all the way through was that when I explained how we wanted the work done the workmen. would declare such a course an impossibility. At times I nearly gave up in despair.

the top, one breathes in any amount of Colorado's most invigorating air.

This room opens into a hall, which leads to the combined bathroom and dressing-room, where it is always warm in winter and where one never chills, even though the temperature

After the cement cellar and foundation had been completed we were unable to continue the work for several weeks, and each week seemed endless, we were so anxious to be settled. But finally the work started again in earnest, with carpenters, lathers, plumbers, and wiremen all on the job at one time.

It was amusing, but aggravating as well, to notice the interest the public began to take as soon as the first board was laid. Everybody stood ready to pass out a word of criticism. One man positively knew the make of a furnace we selected would be unsatisfactory; there was just one kind that was any good at all, and that was in his house. Another contended that our hall would be very dark, in spite of the glass door at one end, as well as other openings. But we held rigidly to our course, our idea being to suit ourselves, not the public. We paid little attention to what others said.

One of my hardest tasks was to instruct the bricklayer, who was deaf as a fence post, in making the chimney for the fireplace. Then came the placing of the grate in position. No one in town was familiar with this particular kind of work. I was also a "greenhorn," but I went at it as though I knew every detail.

And now, as I sit and watch the fire burn, I think of the drops of perspiration that fell from my brow the day we set the affair in place!

The living- and dining-rooms are separated only by colonnades, the lower parts of which are book-cases. This combination is very convenient in entertaining, as the two rooms are one in reality.

I shall not bore you with other details concerning the arrangement, except to say that to build a house without a sun-parlor would be folly.

Ours has three windows on the east, four on the south, and one to the west. This is our favorite room, since it is a delightful place to receive a sun-bath any time of day; it also furnishes an ideal sleeping apartment at

zero.

The walls and ceilings are painted, and it was a great pleasure to study combinations of colors and make selections for the different rooms. But, oh! when you hire an expert (?) painter and it takes him two and one-half days to scrape off what he splashed on the woodwork-then you promise yourself you'll never build another house.

This year we hope to put the finishing touches on the place, including a coat or two of paint on the house and garage. We expect, too, to haul off surplus dirt, sow grass seed, replace trees that have died, plant a hedge along the west side of the driveway, and arrange the flowers.

In conclusion, a few words of advice. The first most important thing is to have your plan so fixed in your mind that no changes need to be made after the work is once started, and especially should one guard against "doing over" what has already been done. This takes time and is very expensive. Be "Johnnie-onthe-spot" and watch the details as they progress, for it pays. For instance, one hundred more bricks were used in our fireplace chimney than were necessary. Again, a railing on the back porch above the cellar-way was made strong enough to prevent a steam engine from going down the steps-no need of all this strength. And, lastly, insist that your materials come up to the standard. Watch this, for if you don't the lumberman or hardware merchant may slip an inferior quality onto you.

Our house cost us $2600 and is modern throughout. It isn't as imposing as some others I might mention, but it's home. The picture I am sending doesn't do it justice; the photograph was taken just as a storm was coming up, which somehow cast a spell of gloom. And the yard looks bad, the unevenness of it giving the house a "slanty" appearance. But by the time this article gets into print-if it doesall that will be fixed. A year or two from now you won't know the place!

Building a home is largely a matter of going

I was the proprietor of the only drug store in a town having 500 population. I didn't have much capital, and I rented a small house, paying $10 a month for it; later I bought a store building, with living rooms on the second floor.

In due course of time, however, our family had been increased by three, and we felt the need of more room and of more air for the little ones. We had saved $1000, and we decided to build a home that would cost us $2500.

The next consideration, of course, was a suitable location. We had considered this point. for months, and finally we settled on a plat of ground comprising one acre less two lots, which had previously been sold to a Mr. Anderson, who had built a residence thereon. This land was owned by a man named Drake, who had the reputation of being an old miser and of being very sharp in his dealings. He owned different pieces of land, and it was his custom not to let either consideration or modesty hamper him when he named a price to a prospective buyer.

I knew what it meant if I went directly to Mr. Drake and told him I wanted to buy the lots in question, so I called my friend Anderson in, and we decided that the best course to pursue was to have Mr. Anderson approach the owner, stating that he would like to buy the balance of the tract; later a transfer could be made from Anderson to me.

Anderson called Drake into his office and asked for figures. True to his instinct, the old man doubled his price; he wasn't to be caught napping.

Mr. Anderson and I got together again and decided on a little piece of strategy. We concluded to appeal to Mr. Drake's weak point, his cupidity. It couldn't resist the sight of money. So we got $175, all in one-dollar bills, and piled this money up on Anderson's desk, and then sent for Mr. Drake again.

Mr. Anderson said: "Here is a stack of money. If you had rather have it than your lots, cart it away!"

It worked. Drake looked at the bills with bulging eyes, gasped "I'll take it!" and began scooping it up. I was called in from an adjoining room and we rushed over to the bank, where a warranty deed was made out. Anderson was a big man, over six feet in height

and weighing 275 pounds. His laugh was loud and hilarious at all times, and on this occasion, just as soon as Mr. Drake had departed, it was more boisterous than ever. People out on the sidewalk came in and wanted to know what the trouble was. We told them, and the joke went the length and breadth of the little village. Mr. Anderson was touted as the only man who had ever got the best of Drake. Although I furnished the brains of the scheme, I received none of the credit. But I got the lots!

I now proceeded with the building, first obtaining plans which were satisfactory. I let the contract for excavating the basement, and I then hired a stone-mason by the day to build the foundation walls, using native stone commonly called "nigger-heads," which I got nearby for the hauling. We made the walls 21⁄2 feet thick up to the surface, then above the ground we used brick, with an air-space between the rows, so that the walls would be frost-proof. We have never had a particle of frost in the basement up to the present day.

I insisted throughout that the house should be well and substantially built, and of the best materials. There are four good-sized rooms and a reception hall and pantry on the first floor: three bedrooms and a bath on the second floor. For the lumber, brick, cement, laths, storm sashes, doors, and screens I paid $1100. I checked over all the material myself, as it was delivered.

We had a well bored at a convenient place, and we struck water at a depth of forty feet. The well cost me $40, and we have an abundant supply of good, pure water at all times.

In one corner of the basement, under the kitchen, we constructed a 150-barrel cistern, and now have plenty of rainwater stored up for use as needed.

In building the house I hired carpenters by the day, paying them $3, and they did fine work. So our total expense for carpentry work was about $200. Painting and finishing inside cost me $175. I did all the lathing myself, with the assistance of a boy. I put in a hotwater heating plant, with Ideal boiler and American radiators, and this cost me $275. Sewerage cost me $100. We finished our house complete for about $2400.

Sixteen years ago I purchased a store from an elderly gentleman who was anxious to retire and help organize a bank. He asked $6000 flat for the store-either that or the figure that an inventory might show. We compromised, and I got the store for $5500 without invoicing.

This was on Friday, the middle of December, and papers were drawn up and signed. When the doors were locked that night the keys went into my pocket.

I could hardly sleep. A new era in life was to begin on the morrow for a young man who was very anxious to succeed.

I was at the store by seven o'clock, and after the usual store cleaning I decided to change the window displays and make the front look as nice as possible.

It was soon noised around in the small town that old man Hudson had sold out, and naturally the people were anxious to see the new man and to see how we would conduct the store.

The very next week I got in touch with the town paper and contracted for six inches of advertising space for one year. I also ran a few locals each time; and I changed the ad every week. I also selected Friday as the day to change the windows, and this was done every week.

I then began to rearrange the show-cases and make changes in the interior of the store and get the stock in shape to make it easier to handle the trade. Business began very soon to show improvement over what my predecessor had done.

I made lists of all surplus stock of the different lines in the store, and devised ways and means to balance the stock and dispose of the surpluses. There seemed to be a lot of cheap soaps on hand, and I decided to blow off steam with a soap sale. By this time I was full of ideas and plans, and it just seemed I had to do something or explode!

There was a big stock of witch-hazel soap that retailed for ten cents. On the outside wrapper was a colored picture of a pretty little girl. So I decided to place this in the window. I also arranged on the top of the show-cases piles of various kinds and then advertised a soap sale for one day.

I had a popular little girl of the town dressed like the soap-wrapper picture, and placed her in the window to hand out a free cake with each purchase amounting to 25 cents of any kind of soap. This witch-hazel soap given free retailed for ten cents.

It was quite a venture, and if the idea had failed to pull I should have felt like thirty cents. But the idea didn't fail. I sold lots of soap and, better still, I got my store and my enterprise talked about.

The sale was a success, and while everything was running at its height I had a photographer take a picture of the front of the store and of the pretty little girl. I had a half-tone made from one of these pictures and our local paper printed it free of charge. I have always found that everybody is ready to help a young fellow who really does something. It's the dead ones and the extremely "smart" ones who don't get any boosts.

I was encouraged to think up more schemes for business, and from that time on we kept things moving. We joined in on celebrating the different seasons of the year, such as Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I always helped the townspeople in whatever they undertook. On the first Fourth of July we subscribed to the public fund, and also fixed up our windows and entered the contest for a float in the big parade. We captured a prize for this, and also for the best decorated store front.

At the holiday season we were prepared with new goods and new ideas. To make our display large, we took our shelf bottles down and placed them in the back room and then filled these shelves with all kinds of gifts. Back of these were the Christmas colors, neatly arranged, and the display looked very attractive. We placed extra lights in our windows for the month of December and decorated the whole interior of the store.

There were six of us selling goods the last few days before Christmas, and on the day before the Glad Holiday some of us had no opportunity to eat until closing time.

We closed the year with lots of empty places on the shelves and in the cases. But I felt good; don't you forget it, I felt good!