Note: This was originally handwritten and saved by one of the children. I typed this from a copy that existed. Several places were difficult to decipher but is extremely interesting nonetheless.
My Life – by J. I. Eshelman
I was born 1883 Feb. 9 on a farm near Leitersburg near the Antietam creek where I was till the death of Mother 18 months later my first spiritual lesson was – there but not knowing at the time (was only 18 month old) but was told later that made quite an impression of me in later years.
Before Mother died she was very low unable to speak above a whisper for several days and the family thought she had passed over, she sat up in bed and spoke in a strong voice, and told the family she had saw a glimps of Heaven and said their sorrying and wheeping had brought her back to tell some of the glories she saw and she laid down and quietly passed away.
Then Grandmother Strite took Brother, Sister and I (Brother 5, Sister 4, myself 1 ½) and we were there till at the age of 20, I married a poor country girl like myself and we started out in life for ourselves.
After Mother’s death Father sold out farm and Stock and went to Hagerstown and went in the Grocery business on a large scale for the time.
Was in business for about 6 or 7 years and then one afternoon we got word that father lay in his hotel room unconscious from a leaky gas jet and he never came to again. Then I was 8 years old without Father or Mother. His estate was closed by almost disinterested parties bills never collected so farm & stock was about gone.
I worked very hard on a large farm for my Uncle that lived in the other end of house where Grandmother kept us (Grandfather being dead). I went to school during a few winter months and worked evening and morning and on Saturday and there the entire summer. The first summer I got $3.00 a month and increased as I got older and finally at nineteen I got $15.00 per month.
But I also was getting some real experience and lessons I didn’t fail to store up for future use.
I had another Uncle lived next farm and there were sure difference in them. When we wanted to do a job of work, it was first find the tools they were liable to be anywhere, and then when we found them it was almost impossible to get anything done with them the condition they were in. There the horses were so badly kept and fed we could scarcely drive them during the summer.
The other Uncles horses were always fat he had to tie and hold back and we had to let loose and shove.
I learned quick a lesson to take care of everything Tools & horses that when I wanted to work I could get something done.
I also learned that people and horses were not machines and are only efficient a certain length of time. I learned to work while you work and play while you play.
I also saw that my uncles were influenced by what they called big men in the stock business. They got into Registered durkam cattle, and almost every time they went to these big guys sales they ended up with less cash. But they would come around and brag up their cattle and then a smooth the up and get them back again and so it went. But that learned me not to be influenced by men that thought they were so much above the average and learned me to stay on a level with common people that we are only (illegible words)
I also learned much about livestock that was valuable in later years.
Then after we started out for ourselves with about $300 dollars that Father left me, and my wife nothing we went to house keeping in the city of Leitersburg and borrowed money to go in partner with my Brother in law in the store business. And then I got another lesson to be very cautious in who you go in partner with for we stopped again with nothing but to be sure nothing from nothing leaves nothing and I also learnt that nothing added to nothing leaves nothing, so there I was again wife & baby with nothing not even a job, so we moved out of town in an old log hut with a nice patch of ground, and I went back to the farm for .75 a day. But not too long before I went to Hagerstown for a job in a store didn’t know much about Hagerstown but I went to Fathers old stand that was run by a Joseph Zeigler, there was a clerk or silent partner there that knew me pretty well and was the instigator of getting me a job at $6.00 – 7 miles from home, then get back and forth. So I bought a bicycle. 7 miles evening and morning, worked from 6 to 6, and on Saturday till 11:30, 12 to 13 hours work, 7 miles evening and morning on a bicycle, when the weather was bad drove my horse. Well this didn’t last long. Mr. Zeigler’s health was bad and the Dr. told him to move to the country and he sold out, so that made a change around there. Harry Myers & Elliott & Myers heard about it and came after me to come up there, he would give me 8.00 a week. So I spent several months there and good it was only several months. I didn’t know how to take care of myself and he didn’t care, all he thought about was more business.
(the following note was stapled in at this point in the story)
—————-
A lesson I got in my Father’s old stand I got back in a small storage room and found some of my Father’s old books and till I was through with them I made up my mind I would never loose all I made in credit business. There was enough money on those books to buy a nice farm, never was collected…
——————-
But I must say I got more than 8.00 a week there I got more business & business training in a short time and that was what I was after.
We didn’t waste nothing there, and everything had to be just so. I stored up the good for future use and I also stored up the bad for the same. Every body around the place disliked him and many worked against him made it very hard for him he had to be there all the time to direct things and keep everybody at work. I learnt to try to win the confidence of my employees and let them know I cared for them, and expected them to do the same. After a few month there over one Holiday Season, Howard Lehman at Reid station came after me to move in above the store and run the store and warehouse business for him. Well I don’t think it best to change to much but we had the chance to be together my wife & I so we took it. There I got another lesson I never forgot. Mr. Lehman had more patience with me than I ever could have with anyone but I am sure it helped me.
Well we were there a while till one day there was a friend came in the store and we got to talking things over and he said why don’t you get into something for yourself. I just laughed and said that takes money and I don’t have any so we left it that way for that time. A few days later he came back and told me he had $500.00 laying in the bank I could have if I would go down and rent Grandmother farm that was going to be for rent in the Spring. I thanked him kindly but what was 500.00 toward going to farming? A good horse cost 200.00 but a cow 65 just turned round now cow 200.00 horse 65 well we parted again. But I got to thinking perhaps Grandmother could help me some so I went to see, she just laughed at my wild adventure but promised to talk it over with the Uncles and she did and in a few day told me we could have the farm. So I had an opportunity to put to practice what I knew about farming.
First I learnt how to keep tools, machinery and stock we didn’t work early & late we stopped at 6:00 no matter what was doing and left all hired help off not saying anything about Mrs. & I we worked till we were done, my Horses had to be tied & held back instead of being beat along and all the time worked, we worked we were ahead with our farming and the neighbors couldn’t understand. Here my wife hard for 5 years we butchered hogs & cattle handled lots of live stock (again using what I learnt in live stock) besides our regular farming.
We made several Stock sales farmed. Butchered sometimes twice a week went to Waynesboro market and Hagerstown we had 5 miles to Waynesboro & 7 to Hagerstown and no trucks or cars, we were there 5 Summers and made sale, we had about $1000 of our own when we went to Marion and bought a store I saw advertised in the paper.
A beautiful room but not much business. So I went on the road with the first store truck a large covered wagon, drawn by two beautiful bay horses bought for the work. New wagon and a set of double harness mounted in brass, I hired a young man that took interest in the business and in the team and we soon done more business on the road than we done in the store.
Well when we really got busy Mr. Swartz had the other store he seemed to get excited and offered to sell his stock so I bought it too then we had them both. There I got another lesson not to want all the business that didn’t go so good people want competition. So we closed the one up and left it go for who ever wanted to start up.
Then the blacksmith shop and implement business came on the market and my cousin liked that business and he wanted to go in pardners and buy it so we did but that didn’t last very long and he sold out the shop and I took the store, Had the express office & Post office. Well I was doing pretty good there, till Mr. Swartz the one I bought the store from, got Mr. Besecker to furnish the money and he would fork for him and they would get the business back again.
Mr. Besecker had no experience and Mr. Swartz cut prices gave credit to suit himself, and made it very hard for me, So I bought a big from sold out to the Swartz Bro. at a good price and left the town. Mr. Besecker lost several thousand and gave it up.
This is just about 10 yrs. of our married life.