Seeing the need of better horses, having only the small Indian ponies he with others bought a stable horse from a Mr. Murphy of Mendon who had just brought four stallions into the valley. Later he bought out the other share holders owning the stallion, Tom, a Frenchhorse, himself. This horse proved his worth and was the sire of many fine colts. True they were temperamental as a movie star but under proper care and training they did well in the work of the day, being not only good in the field but on the road. A note was made here by the writer. Just the other day a speaker from the USAC in speaking of the stallions that had helped to raise the standard of our horses from the humble Indian pony referred to the stallion owned by my father as one that had helped in this great cause.
Wishing to build up his cows to a higher standard he bought and brought into town the first high grade bull a Devon. Later he bought a Guernsey and later still a Jersey bull. In this way came to have one of the finest herds in town.
A Professor Sandburn from the state college and a gentleman from Wisconsin visiting my father told him that he had in the Devon a real foundation on which to build. He bought brindle heifer from a neighbor Richard Howells which was the dame of many fine cows. This breed was not only good milkers giving a large mess of very rich milk but they were good for beef. In fact they were a real duel purpose type. For some reason we ran out of this breed.
Father with the help of his sons kept a few sheep which he breed up to a standard using the best rams he could buy. At first having only a few he feed them at home during the winter. Later as his herd grew he wintered them on the desert. During the summer he grazed them in the mountains east of town at first taking small flocks from the near by towns to make up a herd.
Believing in making farm work lighter he was one of the first to buy and operate modern machinery. Uncle George Woodhead and father were the first own and operate a molasses mill. First in old Paradise and later in the new settlement. Making molasses out of sugar cane. He bought the first grain drill and self binder later a header. He had already bought a mowing machine and rake. Was a part owner in the first thrashing machine brought into town.
Just has he thought the best was none too good in the line of stock and machinery he was ever looking for the best grain to grow. Being one of the first to raise dry farm wheat. One day going through his field he noticed some extra large heads and thinking he had found something good he with the help of his sons gathered some by hand. He grew this wheat watching it carefully and finally putting it on the market for seed. And so the Lofthouse wheat "a fall wheat" got its start later to be known all over the west and into Canada. Under a State test in 1903 it proved to be the heaviest yielder of any wheat then grown, going 18 bushels per acre.
Thinking there might be mineral in the mountains he spent a great deal of money in the mining game. Even though it was a losing venture he did not complain as he felt that it was a good cause and might have helped in building up the community.
Looking down the stream of time and realizing what it might be worth in after years he with others tried to interest the town folks to buy the rangeland east of town when Mr. Samuel McMurdie offered it for sale at 25¢ per acre. The people not having the foresight said no it will never be sold and we will be able to use it as we are doing now, but they were wrong. At this writing in 1936 the range land is in other hands and not for sale. Some of it is being cultivated.
Again when the community was offered the pipe at cost. A Bro. David James a plumber of Salt Lake city and who had once lived in Paradise, made this offer. A Bro. James Bishop offered to oversee the work for free. To put in a water system using a nearby mountain spring if the people would do the work. Father done much to put it over, but the proposition was turned down. When the town finally put in a water system in 1919, by a narrow margin of votes, it was at great cost.
Author long dead