.........In the fall of 1900 he sold his house and lot in Fairmont (Martin County, Minnesota) accepting a good team of horses and the balance in cash, as payment. He shipped in an emigrant car containing the team of horses, his household goods, including tables, chairs, beds, bedding, clothing, dishes, kitchen utensils, etc. and 100 bushels of potatoes. His wife and only surviving child, at this time, were also in this car as stowaways of course. He kept their presence a secret by keeping the doors closed. He had a good bed in the car and they also did their cooking in it. One thing he admits probably helped him. While his car was on a side track at Watertown (Codington County, South Dakota), he was making himself a pot of coffee outside when a brakeman came along. Fortunately, he knew this man and he helped protect Freeman. Arrival in Eureka (McPherson County, South Dakota) he was met by the Scott family who had emigrated the spring before. The Scott's hurried to his car which was just ahead of the caboose, to inform him that the marshal was on his way to investigate his car. Mr. Freeman opened the door on the opposite side from the depot, helped his wife out, and she with her sister-in-law walked away. When the marshal came, only he and his son were there and they showed no interest in the boy. The trip to Eureka had required about two days.

In Eureka he bought a wagon from Robb (Freeman was unsure of spelling) an implement dealer, and proceeded northward to Emmons County, to file on land near the Scott's location. He arrived in Eureka on the 20th of October and arrived at the Scott's place two days later. The following day he filed on SESE24, N1/2NE25, and SENE25 of 130N-78W, adjoining his father-in-law's land to the west.

He lived with his father-in-law that winter and in the spring began the construction of a stone house on the westernmost forth acres of his claim. It was built of stone walls, cemented with a mixture of dirt and straw to fill the crevices. He was also holding a job as carpenter doing general repair work at Fort Yates (Sioux County, North Dakota) and earning $3.00 a day. He was therefore quite busy. He had built the walls up to a height of the windows when a couple of Russian brothers, named Meyers (possibly Meiers), offered to complete the walls to a height of eight feet for thirty dollars. This offer was glady accepted, for it was cheaper than he himself could do it. The house was L shaped, the longer portion about 16 ft. x 32 ft. and the shorter about 16 ft. x 20 ft. It contained three rooms and 6 windows, one of which was a double window, in the living room. The other two rooms were a bedroom and a kitchen and each contained two windows. There were two outside doors and double doorway openings between the rooms. After the walls were up he built a roof of rafters, _ ? _, and shingles, and finished the rooms. This was his place of residence, except for occasional absences of comparatively short periods, until about 1918, when he sold the farm and moved to Linton.

In the spring of 1901 he also broke about 10 a. of land mostly with his two horses, but from his father-in-law he obtained the use of an extra horse to complete this work. He planted sod corn, jabbing holes in the sod with his spade and dropping a few kernels in each hole. In the fall he picked it and obtained a little feed.

For water he had not far to go. About 15-20 rods from his house was a spring which bubbled the year around. It never froze in winter until the temperature fell to about 20 degrees below zero. So he never dug a well.

The years 1901 and 1902 were those of greatest prosperity for him. At this time he was employed by the government at Fort Yakes as a carpenter at $3.00 per day. During this time he was not required to live on his claim. A furnished house was set aside for his use and he was also allowed a certain amount of coal, which was more than sufficient. The portion that he did not use he hauled to his homestead, although his wife and child also lived at the fort most of the time. Mr. Freeman also had a cow and his wife baked and sold milk to the soldiers. The demand for milk grew to such an extent that Mr. Freeman had to buy another cow. Then a couple of companies from the Philippines were transferred to Fort Yates and he bought two more cows. Sometimes Mrs. Freeman's income from baking and selling milk amounted to $90.00 a month. Mr. Freeman was earning $75.00 per month, making a total of $165.00 per month, which, considering they had no rent or taxes to pay and free coal and range for the cows, was very good.

During this time they did their trading with Carrigan at Fort Yates, or with Mr. Wilson at Winona (Emmons County, North Dakota). In 1903 he was transferred as carpenter in the civil service to Genoa, (Nance County) Nebraska. After his return from Nebraska he engaged in general farming.

During 1902 his eldest son Floyd attended school about 2 1/2 miles southwest of their home. Prior to this he had gone to school at Fort Yates. At this country school, a widow named Mrs. Sleasing (Freeman unsure of spelling) - (Ed. Note: Probably is correct spelling. Andrew Sleasing lived in same township, Wife Alta, Daughter Ada.) taught. She had a daughter who also attended. The McConville, Tracy, Bales, Hanley families and others sent their children to this school. The school was about 16 ft x 24 ft. It had six windows, three on each side. It had two doors, one outside door and one leading from the entry and cloak room into the schoolroom. The seats and desks were factory made, there was, of course, a blackboard, also a globe, but no maps or library. A large iron heater stood in the middle of the floor and wood hauled from the river was the most common fuel. Coal was also burned. The schoolhouse was built of lumber and is still used as a school, located at the same place.

Mr. Freeman never was a church member and very seldom attended. The same was true of his father. His mother and wife were members of the Methodist church and during their residence on the farm in Emmons County he sometimes accompanied his wife to the church at Dale (Emmons County), North Dakota. This church was about 20 x 30 and was constructed of lumber. It was already there when the Freeman's came to this country. It had a steeple, but no bell. It had about 6 windows and one door. Rev. Lemmery of Linton came occasionally to hold services. All of the Scott family, including Mr. and Mrs. Samuel L. Mark (possibly Mauk), Frank, Alta and Nina with her husband Charlie Adzet (possibly Adzit or Adsit), came to Emmons County from Whittemore, Ia (Kossuth County, Iowa) and vicinity in the spring of 1900. The Tracy and McConville families had come long before that date. Mr. Cabbagerider only a few years before, and Mr. Knudsen and his wife came there about 1901. Mrs. Lutze did not arrive until about 1904.

Mr. Freeman was elected a delegate to a party caucus held at Linton about 1902. At this caucus Bill Pagel was nominated for sheriff and D. R. Streeter for the Senate.

During their residence at Fort Yates they often attended dances and balls. At one of these, a masquerade ball, Mrs. Freeman dressed as a flower girl. Mr. Freeman still has a couple of photographs showing Mrs. Freeman in her pretty costume.

Mr. Freeman recalls one severe snowstorm during his residence at Fort Yates in 1901. He was leaving the carpenter shop to go to dinner and the wind was fortunately at this back. The wind was very strong and blew the powdery snow about his face like flour so that he was unable to see his hand before his face. There was a large gate back of his house which was the last in the camp, and the gate led to the road leaving the camp. If he had gone through this gate he would inevitably have been lost in the storm, but fortunately he ran into a gate post and knew where he was. He knew he had already gone too far, so retraced his steps and found the house. The blizzard raged about 24 hours. Every house in the fort had 4-5 bushels of snow in it after the storm...........