Fermin Echeverria, Part 2

Pedro and Fermin headed northward riding on a buckboard.  Fermin would be given provisions for his stay with the sheep.  This was flour, sugar, coffee, salt, salt pork, rice, prunes, raisins and beans.  A Dutch oven, an ax, a bedroll and a canvas tent rounded out his equipment.  All his supplies were carried by the two burros he was given.  His salary for a month was $35 for watching and carrying for the sheep 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Fermin worked for Pedro Arrese for two years.  Because he had no place to spend his money he saved it.

He did finally met up with his brothers a few months after starting work for Arrese.  Miguel and Matias had formed an outfit with Mike Ohaco.  With some of the money he had saved, he also invested in that outfit.  The outfit needed money to pay for winter supplies.  During this time, Pedro had given Fermin a raise of $5 a month, but when he found out that Fermin had invested in another outfit, but just not any outfit, his brothers, Pedro reneged on the raise.

Just seven years after arriving in Arizona, Fermin he was able to purchase his brother, Matias, interest in the Ohaco Sheep Company.  Matias was drafted into the military.  The next year, Fermin would find love and get married.  Story continued tomorrow.

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