I left my native Illinois in the year of 1867 at the age of 17. My mother died when I was very small and my father was killed in the Civil War. I headed west in quest of adventure. I end up spending the winter in a small settlement in Montana. I end up settling there, eventually marrying the daughter of a local rancher. We get in the livery business and begin producing mules. This is the story of pioneer life in a harsh environment.