M. H. CALBECK AN ARTICLE EXTRACTED FROM THE PEABODY NEWS 1901 Contributed by Charmaine Keith (charmain@southwind.net) 12 November 1998 --------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. --------------------------------------------------------------------- In M. H. Calbeck, who lives three miles east of town, we find another man who made his money in Marion county. He came here in '74 from Iowa and began farming on rented ground. This was "grasshopper year" and proved to discouraging introduction for him. He did not raise any crops and when fall came had to go back to Iowa and get a job gathering corn and chopping wood to carry him through the winter and when he landed here his earthly possessions consisted of a span of Jack rabbit mules, wagon, harness and plow, and he was $180 in debt. The next spring. However, he came out and tried again, farming a quarter section of rented land. Success crowned his efforts that year. He raised good crops and be began to "chipper up" and to think Kansas was not such a bad place after all. After harvesting his crop that fall he concluded to go back to Iowa again on some special business that required his personal presence to successfully conduct, in other words get married. He also took a flock of sheep to winter on shares. The next spring he took his part of the sheep and drove them through, his wife accompanying him driving the wagon. They had a hard, tedious trip, but diversity and high hopes lent a charm to the trip and made it enjoyable. Mr. Calbeck was a resourceful, energetic man of many ideas. He kept his weather eye open for any opportunity that presented itself of making an honest penny and kept his powder dry. He did not try to put all his eggs in one basket or try to hammer a fortune out of the soil alone. He used his brains also. He made up his mind to make a stake by the time he was forty-five and bent every energy towards accomplishing this end. He is now forty-six and results prove that he "did not aim at a star and hit a skunk" As we said before, he herded sheep on shares; he farmed, bought and sold cattle, took a contract of supplying the Rock Island with stone when it was built through here, and for private parties in Peabody, and he worked for wages. By shrewd judgment and hard work he managed to accumulate enough money to buy eighty acres of land, on which now stand the residence shown herewith; this was in 1880. Later he purchased another eight, and at various times as his finances permitted, nine more eight's, until he now owns 880 acres of land and it is all his own too, without a plaster on it or a smitch of the pen against it. He has followed no set rule in his cattle and sheep business. When he thought the market was right for a rise in cattle he would watch for a bunch that could be bought cheap and take them in and feed. As a general rule, he bought calves or yearlings and matured them. He generally has from 100 to 200 head of cattle on the place, though sometimes none at all. In his sheep business he has done the same and only handles a general utility animal with mutton and wool values combined. He pays no attention to fancy or blooded stock and only that which he thinks will be a moneymaker. He makes a point of going contrary to the crowd. When he sees the cattle, sheep, or other business getting over crowded, he gets out of it and starts something else. When indication points to a big crop of anything he puts in something else. His beautiful "Pleasant Ridge" home may be seen for miles in any direction, and is one of the handsome places of Marion County. No better farmhouse can be found anywhere. A picture showing his sheep and the farm house is printed. He has not about 800 head of sheep, and at the time the picture was taken, has just finished shearing them. He has made considerable of his money out of his sheep and is considered quite an authority on sheep by those that know him. He has several times been called upon to contribute articles upon this subject to different magazines and trade papers. His family consists of his wife and three sons, Bernie, aged 22, who lives on the farm adjoining him on the east and Roy aged 18, and M. H. Calbeck Jr., aged four years. Mr. Calbeck has been called "Lucky Calbeck" because it seemed that every thing he touched proved to be profitable, but hard work and sound judgment were back of all his successes. He believes in the virtue of elbow grease and dogged persistence and many times has turned defeat into success by his perseverance and unyielding determination to succeed. The harder the task the more pleasure it gives him to accomplish it. --------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ---------------------------------------------------------------------