Mr. Haycox is an elderly member of the Reconstruction and Reclamation Corps. Unlike other workers in the Corps, though, he has a very specific job, which is to serve as caretaker for an old farm. The farm’s previous owner, Gottwald, stipulated in his will that the farm must be left in its antiquated, pre-machine state. As such, Mr. Haycox is tasked with running the land the old-fashioned way, devoting himself to the outdated practice of farming—something that entices Paul and compels him to buy the property.