Autobiography, Section 2 --- Life Story, Long Version
the life of Joe Mills
Hello this is Joe Mills wrighting. I was born in a little village in
Nottinghamshire, England in a village named West Leake, in the year of
1871, my Father died when I was 4 years old and left Mother with eleven
of us children 7 boys and 4 girls, ther was one girl younger than me the
rest of us was older, us 4 youngest ones Mother had to earn a living for
us at a wash tub washing clothes day after day to make a liveing for us
4 and herself Just like a slave, but the elder 7 was working out, earning
ther liveing but when I was Nine, Mother hired me out on a farm to make
my own liveing first year I worked for Mr Barker next year for Mr Heath
next year for Mr Alex Crawford untill I was 16. in the mean time he took
me to the London show to help take care of a bunch of shire houses at the
all England horse show, that was his main business raising horses, he used
to ship horses to Ontario Canada so he got my 2 brothers Herbert and
Edwin to come over with them they came over with the horses and they liked
it here so I asked Mr Crawford if I could take the next shipment he agreed
and he sent me over with 12 stallions and 4 mares about 2 years after my
Bros came over, we had a rough passage 8 days stormey rough seas then we
got in amongst the sea full of Ice bergs that was in the fore part of
Juley when the bergs gets into the atlantic ocean the captain went onto
the bridge of the ship and staid there untill we got into the clear water
clear from Ice bergs his daughter waited on him 3 days and nights all the
time he stayed on the bridge well we landed at quebeck on the 10th of
Juley 1889. unloaded the horses put them in the barn for 2 days rest,
then we loaded them to Port Credit a town on the south side of Lake
Ontario the next move we had to lead them about 6 miles to the little
village named Spring Field, about 20 miles west of Toronto. ther
was 2 men there that sold the horses on commission man named Armsby and
Chapman. when I landed I had one English pound or sovering worth about
4 dollars and 82 cts & didnt know a soul onley the horses but I helped to
raise them, after they was sold I went to Toronto, and got a job workeing
for a man named John haten[?] a market gardner he had apples cabage and
nearley all kinds of vegetables. I tok the job of delivering them to the
cumesters untill spring Bro Herbert was at Topeka Kansas he wrote and
told me if I would come there he had a job for me working for E Bennett x
Son so I went ther too. Bennett imperted a hundred from a 100 to 125
stillions a year they sent me with horses to the Kansas state fair then to
the county fairs. I came in contack with a farmer name J B Sims he wanted
to heire me to work on his farm for 16 dollars a month so I went and worked
2 months for Sims by that time I got word from y Bro Herb he said that if
I would come there he could get me a job at 20 dollars a month so I told
Mr Sims about it, I told him, I was going to quit he wouldnt have been any
more surpriesed if I had of struck him with a club. so he says whats the
trouble Joe I said nothing then I told him that my Bro had a job for me in
Iowa, were he is so that we could be together again at 20 a month so Mr
Sims says that I will gieve you 20 a month as long as you want to stay with
me and work for me, but I want you to keep it to yourself there was 2 other
fellows workeing for Mr Sims at that time he says you are worth more to me
than these other fellows. them at 16 and me at 20 but I was anxious to
get to be with my Dear Brother again so I went were he was. he had a job
working for another horse importer named Sexton Comstack nad Merrey at Lost
Nation Iowa a little town. I worked for the company a while then Murrey had
a herd of read polled cattle Murray was one of the horse import companey,
he had a 40 acre farm where he kept his cattle. so I hired out to him to
take care of his cattle his Mother lieved on the farm and kept house a
verrey nice old Ladey the Morrey and familey he was a lawyer they lieved
in Maquoketa Ia onley a couple of miles from the farm the first thing I
knew it was the Iowa state fair so we load the cattle then he sent me with
them to take care of them at the Des Moines Iowa state fair and to all the
county faires then after a while he sold the cattle then his partner another
lawyer by the name of Murray and Far x Far had a herd of red poles, so when
Murrey sold out his partner wanted me to take care of his hurd which I did.
Mr Far sent me to a lot more fairs to take care of his cattle I worked at
the faires till they was all don in the fall. he had a farm a few miles north
of Maquoketa Iowa about 4 miles, were he wintered the cattle so I stayed on
the farm all winter he had 80 cords of wood which I hauled to Maquoketa
and 100 tons of hay which I hauled to Maq during the winter between chores.
hi sold the cattle and my job was done. but at that time Mr Robinson
came along buyeing feeding cattle for feeding purpose Robinson a butcher in
Davenport Iowa. he had a large ranch at McCausland Ia. several 100 acres so
I hired out to him. some times he would bring in as maney as 6 car loads at
one time. I had to do the feeding till they was ready for market, he
depended on cattle for his meat market in Davenport then he would ship the
balance of them to other market. then I fell in Love with a girl and was
married to her. I rented farms near Lost Nation Ia. I had a chance to buy
2 farms for 60 dollars an acre but Bro Herbert wouldnt sign up with me so
I got discouraged. I knew and worked for a fellow by name of Van Sickle
he got a farm between Warren and Argile Minn so I corresponded with him so
I went there and got 160 acre farm there too. but at that time that part
was wheated to death I had a poor crop and wheat was onley 60 cents a
busschell. I would of had to mortgage everey thing to of liveid on that
winter, so I rented a 200 acer farm in arround Hartley Ia where we lieved
in 5 years we raised 2 thousand dollars allso a carload of extra cattle
then the banker from Hartley came around sayeing that he had a hoption on
farms in and around Spring Valley so I went Wife and I to Spring Valley
for a week lookeing for a place to sute me. we fineley found the 80 acres
which we bot for 70 dollars an acre there was a small barn on it but it was
not big enough so I remodddled it and made it larger. I also built a grain
carey pump house machiene shead hen house and spent 3 thousand dollars
remodling the house allso a hog house 20 x 40 feet, then we fenced it all
around with 32 mesh woven wire and cross fenced it. the the arthritis got
the best of me so I had to give up then my Wife got arthritis dropsey gang
green that finished her. we moved our furniture to Violas in Kansas City
were she passed away in 1944. then I went first to one then to another
between the 8 children then to this home. [Nursing home in Stewartvill, MN]
when my money was goneI applied to the old age pension of which I am on now.
but I feel more sicure now than I ever did in my 89 years. I was allways
wanting to get a home of our own of which we did but prices of liveing
went up so heigh that 12 thousand bucks didnt last long if prices had of
staid down were they was while we was makeing it and paying for our home
our money would of lasted us as long as we lieved. but now since I am on
old age pension I have nothing to worrey about if I need a Dr he comes and
takes care of me they toock me to Rochest hospitall a while ago for X
ray examination then 2 years ago last xmas, I was in the Worrall hospital
for a month they paid for all of that too. I had a terrable itch, now I am
feeling better and I feel like a million air they bring my meales up to me
baith me once a week shamve me twice a weeke wait on me for aney thing that I
need and all I dread now is the thot of being kidnapped ah, ah. I am afraid
of that not for money but my good looks blar blar.