April 16th 1905 - Planting crops, building sod house

The 16th day. Borrowed a team of big oxen from a Russian who was on a homestead two miles away, my oxen being too small to play, plowed two acres and enough sod to build a sod house. Next day we planted potatoes. I shall never forget planting them if I live to be 100 years old for we had to cut through the tough sod with an axe, cut a hole and put the set in and then place the piece of sod that was cut out on the top but thank God we had lots of rain that summer. the rain and sun heat rotted the sod good so that we was able to hoe the rotten sods over the growing potatoes and we had a very fair crop.

After planting the potatoes we had to start to build our sod house. this was out of my experience but the Russian showed me how so we got the house built. We now had lost all track of Sundays, yes even days.

I had some settlers effects on the road by freight came, to Saskatoon to see if it was in. No it had not got in; nothing for it only to get a few groceries and come back. A good week lost. We would have to have a bars so I started to build it but before finish it I came to Saskatoon for my effects. This time they was in but they wanted to collect freight charges on them from Winnipeg as I had paid on them all the way from New Bedford, Mass. U.S.A.

I knew what I should have to pay because I had followed out all instructions given me by the Government officers. I would not pay another thing. I could not pay what they wanted to charge me. I met the Immigration Officer and Mr. Colder told them my troubles, gave them my papers. They tried to get them for me, no they would not let me have them so the Immigration Officer said he would have to write to Winnipeg which he did but I wrote myself also.

I did not know what to do no, it was a great loss of time for me and my money getting low for I had not very much to start with. $275.00. I could not stay around Saskatoon till I got a reply from Winnipeg. "I would not go back empty" says a man I spoke to about it. He told me a merchant in Saskatoon shipped freight from Saskatoon to Battleford he advised me to see him which I did. "Yes I can give you some, what sort of an outfit have you" told him "Can they take 30 hundred?" "Yes I think they will take that".

Well he loaded me up to 30 hundred at one dollar per hundred to Battleford. My homestead was just about half way. There was no railway through just then, I needed that $30.00 you can bet, I earned it, but it was a God send for me just the same.