Page 80 - Ninety Miles From Nowhere

dozen, but as is truce of most cattle ranch areas, milk and eggs were scarce. So in Magdalena eggs cost ninety cents or one dollar a dozen. Ida got ninety cents a dozen for hers, and that was a very high price then! So she took in $180 of good hard cash a month - and at that time that amount would buy many times what it will today.
The hens paid for all the car expenses, all groceries that had to be purchased; any feed needed for the animals during the winter, including their own; clothing, gifts, and all incidentals; and even replacements for the calves, pigs and hens.
At the end of ten years, the McClures had paid their debt in full, they had proved up on their homestead, and had bought more land until they owned thirteen sections of land with a good house upon it and had leased other land from the government - all well stocked with cattle.
I know it seems impossible that the few calves they could buy at first could pay off the debt so quickly, but each year they bought more calves to fatten, and when their own heifers began to produce, the number of calves was greatly increased.
As they prospered, they bought more hens, resulting in more money for replacements. And I’ll have to admit that a new windmill and a new car, bought by Imogene out of her teacher’s salary, really helped to rush things along.
Of course foremost among the reasons for their success was the fact that the entire family was very frugal. Nothing was ever wasted. Both Jim and Ida dressed like
sharecroppers, unless it was necessary to dress up for a special occasion. Then Jim put on an expensive pre-depression suit and looked wonderful in spite of his long, lanky figure. Imogene, of course, dressed appropriately for her position as a teacher.
And it has occurred to me those old biddy hens made more money that I did teaching school - $180 a month to my $100.