Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-12-03
What TiCO Wisconsin Girls Hare
Done.

Done.
Tn our rambles 'up the Chippewa" n
few days ago we chanced upon husky,
brown-faced girl blowing out twenty
acre corn field. She was rugged in a
sntff-colored "bloomer" with a good hon
est number seven boots. There was no
sham about her. She was evidently all
girl. and she was working with will
She had been in the field since early morn
ing, taking long strides behind spirited
horse. with the lines thrown across her
shoulders and both hands firmly ut the
plow. II was just "good fun" she said
To take care ol twenty acres. and away
she strobe through the long rows-turn-
inc sod5, and never 4 thought OF rest OF
.whoa," I'll The diuucr-horn sounded
across the field.
On inquiry we learned that our corn
field heroine was one OF two New Hamp-
shire girls who migrated with their par
ents to Eau Claire some dozen years ago.
They had little means, but they were OF
good working stock. They bargained for
a quarter section of wild land, and set
about making n farm. There were no
boys in the family. Tho girls were young,
bright, healthy. and full ofpluck and Wig
or. Their mother dres ,ed them in bloom
ers. and gave them their choice indoors
or out. From the start they took the
place of boys; they were not afraid OF
dust or sunshine they never complained
never tired out they seldom missed day
from the fields through all the seasons,
from the earliest spring TO latest autumn.
AS they grew older they grew tough and
wiry, and were alike ready at handling
teams, breaking colts, building bridges,
opening roads, fording creeks, clearing
meadows, loading hay, binding grain, or
mounting straw stack. In good seasons
they cut eighty tons of hay and eighty
acres of grain. In rainy seasons they had
to bring out their hay on poles nee-deep
through sloughs and marshes. In winter
they attended school, took care OF sixty
head OF cattle, drawing hay from the
swamps in coolest weather. They hired
no help excepting in harvesting They
did their own trading and marketing. and
could never be outwitted by any OF the
store chaps at Eau Claire.
The girls are now eighteen and twenty
years of age, and have done more farm
ing than any two boys in the county.
Their father, beginning with nothing, is
now rich with broad fields and thou 'andS
ofready stamps mostly achieved through
the gri, and energy of the daughters,
During the present season the girls have
"lel up" n little on their outdoor accomp-
lshments, and are only cultivating twenty
acres of corn for their own amusement.
They have built them fine residence.
They attend balls and parties. go trout
ing, drive their own teams, and occaaion-
ally give the boys chance to show their
spunk and galant"y.
Ofcourse such girls are objects of excite
ment and interest in the neighborhood.
They are looked upon as capital prizes,
and young fellows are ready to break their
necks for them. They are now in their
freshest bloom, with thoughts OF love and
romance beginning to steal about the back
oftbe neck and brains, and, whatmay seem
strange, they are neither coarse nor mas
culne in Appearance they are simply
round. trim, sprightly, full-breasted girls
resolution in their eyes, and plenty of
good sence in their heads.
1t may be interesting to female politl-
clans to know that these Chippewa valley
girls never whine about their right" or
position" They saw rough work
to be homework most needed in our
western country-and asking no odds of
nobody, they "went in bravely on their
music and did it. They made no noise
aboutit. They have not cackled at conven-
tions. They have never sat with Miss An
thony nor with Lucy Stone Blackwell.
They have fairly won higher seat
among the queens of American industry.
GErening Wisconsin.