Seeking Fortune in America

by F. W. Grey

March 1912.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
	PAGE
"Thousand Pounders"—Ontario Agricultural College—Political Meetings—Volunteer Artillery—Value of the Agricultural College	[1]
CHAPTER II
Calgary—A Cow-puncher—"Roping"—Life on a Ranch—A Calgary Hail-storm—“Gun-plays” and "Bad-men"—Sarci Indians	[11]
CHAPTER III
Road-agents—“Roping” Contests—Broncho-busting—Strathclair—A Blizzard—Lumber Camps	[24]
CHAPTER IV
An Injured Knee—The "Laird"—Kit destroyed by Fire—Hunting round Strathclair—Trapping—“Batching”	[31]
CHAPTER V
Chicago—American Business Methods—Work as a Carbonator—Chicago Fair—“Hard-luck” Stories—Remittance-men	[38]
CHAPTER VI
Looking for Work—An Englishman’s Disadvantages—Addressing Envelopes—Running a Lift—Bogus Advertisements—Various Jobs	[47]
CHAPTER VII
Life under Difficulties—Drawbacks of a Public-school Training—Hints on Emigration—Pneumonia—Unemployment in Chicago, 1893	[55]
CHAPTER VIII
Hard Times—Health restored—Rabbit-catching—Hunting in Iowa—A Gentleman Tramp—The Hobo Business—Free Railway Travelling	[64]
CHAPTER IX
Toronto—An Interest in a Mine—The Railway Strike of 1894—Stranded at La Junta, Colorado—Strike Incidents—Troops called out	[73]
CHAPTER X
Golden—Pack-horse Difficulties—Camping out—Prospecting in British Columbia—On an Asphaltum Mine in Texas	[80]
CHAPTER XI
Cline—Bunk-houses—Work on a Rock-crusher—Mexican Dancing and Music	[88]
CHAPTER XII
Trouble at the Dance—A New Superintendent—Shots in the Dark—Arrest of Bud—With a Surveying Party	[96]
CHAPTER XIII
Swimming-holes—Hunting in West Texas—Fishing in the Nueces River—Jim Conners—Foreman Betner—A Runaway Car	[104]
CHAPTER XIV
A Sunday Fishing Party—"Bad-men"—Ben Thompson and other Desperadoes—The Story of a Hot Spring	[113]
CHAPTER XV
Coyotes—Wild Turkeys—Lynching and Jury Trial in Texas—Pistol-shooting—Negro Vitality	[122]
CHAPTER XVI
A "Periodical"—Italian Treachery—Bitumen Extractors—The Mexican Disregard for Orders—In Charge of the Stills—A Vote Canvasser	[129]
CHAPTER XVII
Elections in Texas—Feuds and Shooting Affrays—Family Pride—Prohibition	[138]
CHAPTER XVIII
A "Grandstander"—The Sheriff takes Possession—Night Watchman—Monte Jim—Further Trouble	[148]
CHAPTER XIX
Promoted to Foreman—Overwork and Eye-strain—Mexican Traits—Amateur Doctor—A Rival Asphalt Company—Its Failure	[157]
CHAPTER XX
More American Business Methods—Trip to Corpus Christi—Trouble at the Mine—West Texas as a Health Resort—Expenses of the Simple Life	[165]
CHAPTER XXI
"Northers"—Almost Frozen—The Mexican Indian—Cold-blooded Ingratitude—Mexican Untrustworthiness	[172]
CHAPTER XXII
Employed by a Paving Company—The Growth of Los Angeles—Its Land Values—A Centre for Tourists	[180]
CHAPTER XXIII
"Graft"—Seeking Contracts in Los Angeles—In Charge of Street Work—Crooked Business	[189]
CHAPTER XXIV
Bribery and Corruption—The Good Government League—Servant Problem in California—The Climate and its Effect on Wages—Off to Guadalajara	[196]
CHAPTER XXV
The Barber Company—Guadalajara—Mexican Mendacity—Don Miguel Ahumada—His Humanity and Justice	[204]
CHAPTER XXVI
The Mexican Workman—His Remembrance of a Grudge—The Commissaria—Private Feuds—American versus English	[213]
CHAPTER XXVII
Bull-fighting—Mexican Etiquette—The Police Department and its Difficulties—Treatment of Habitual Criminals—The Army	[219]
CHAPTER XXVIII
Federal Rurales—Robbery by Servants—Wholesale Thieving—Lack of Police Discipline—A Story of Roosevelt	[229]
CHAPTER XXIX
Tequila—Mexican Respect for the White Man—Personal Vengeance preferred to Law—Mexican Stoicism—Victims of Red Tape	[237]
CHAPTER XXX
Accidents at the Mines—Mexico City—Peculiar Laws—"Evidence"—A Theft of Straw	[243]
CHAPTER XXXI
Solitary Confinement—Mexican Rogues—The Humorous Side—A Member of the Smart Set—The Milkmen	[249]
CHAPTER XXXII
Carrying Firearms—The Business of Mexico—Its Management by Foreigners—Real Estate and Mining Booms—Foreign Capital—Imports and Exports	[257]
CHAPTER XXXIII
Climate of Guadalajara—American Tramps—Courtship under Difficulties—Influence of the Priesthood—The Metayer System	[266]
CHAPTER XXXIV
Curious Customs—The Abuse of Concessions—Flagrant Examples—Prospects for Foreigners in Mexico—President Diaz—Mr. Denny’s Life-story	[273]
CHAPTER XXXV
Mr. Denny and a Mining Claim—Wholesale Killing averted—Stories of Shooting Escapades	[282]
CHAPTER XXXVI
Macdonald Institute at Guelph—Agricultural College—Their Value to Students—Back to Work through Texas	[292]
CHAPTER XXXVII
Puebla, the Misgoverned—Justice under Colonel Cabrera—Royal Family of Chihuahua—Tampico—Presidents Diaz and Madero	[300]

Seeking Fortune in America

CHAPTER I

"Thousand-pounders"—Ontario Agricultural College—Political Meetings—Volunteer Artillery—Value of the Agricultural College.

The Western States and Provinces of North America thrive on our “thousand-pounders” and “remittance-men.” Some years ago in one small prairie town of Iowa there were 105 young Britons on the books of the local club. One of these (dubbed Sitting-bull after a famous brave) was doing fairly well in a milk-walk; a few others earned livings as farm hands; the rest were, said the natives, “doing no good.” How should they, unless to the manner born? Four young sons of farmers and parsons, all neighbours from Owersby, Walesby, and other Lincolnshire "by’s," bought a “raw” farm on instalments in the Red River Valley. A land-seeker was sent there by the owner. “He has not got us yet,” said the lads; “we are ready with our instalment.” But he got them at last, with their improvements—homestead, stable, well, and many acres under plough. That is how the “thousand-pounders” nourish the West; not that these Lincolnshire men had so much between them, but many collapse with even more capital, for lack of experience. And even afterwards the experience, thus bought at a long price, does not generally lead to much.

In 1890, 1280 acres of carefully-chosen land awaited me in Manitoba, bought from and traversed by the Manitoba and North-Western Railway. To qualify myself for farming this land I went to Guelph, in Ontario, Canada.

The Ontario Agricultural College is recognised as one of the finest institutions of its kind on the continent of America, because of the thoroughness of its methods and the class of graduates it turns out. There are graduates of this college holding professorships in many of the agricultural colleges of the States, others in charge of large farming interests, and also of some of the largest dairies in the country.

Students have come here from Mexico, Argentine, and even from Japan, sent by their respective countries. I am sorry to say that the majority of us English students did not come up to the general standard, frittered our time away, and thought more of standing high in the estimation of the girls down-town than in that of the professors. The great handicap under which an English student labours at the college is the fact that he has no practical knowledge of farming while he is trying to learn the technical and scientific part. I could not, for instance, appreciate duly the fact that there were over a hundred different varieties of wheat, when I could not tell wheat from barley growing in the fields. At a live-stock examination I once attended, the examiner had two sheep in the room. “Now,” he said, “here are a Cotswold and a Shropshire ram; I want you to give me what are the best points of each class, and then try to find them on the rams in front of you.” I had all the good points of both sheep as per text-book on the tip of my tongue, and got them off in good style, and then proceeded to demonstrate them on the specimens in front of me. When I got through, the examiner said, “Very good indeed, but unfortunately the one you are describing as a Cotswold is the Shropshire, and vice versa.” And the worst of it is, that to this day I do not know if he was joking or not, as he gave me a “pass.”