The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-08-11
<"s|%~ go F<zk t.l's
Fields OF Labor for womnn.

number OF women who ard danendent
upon their own exertiops, for suppost
must challenge the sympathy Of ali gen,
erons minds and of ali who desire the
welfare of society. The present ago
seems to ha favorite period forlthe So
luton Of problems of social reform, and
those which concern women hove occu-
pied special attention, Whilst the ques-
t1on,o admitting women to the right of
suffrage is ono which u large maiority
even Of the sex. would not entertain, yet
no one could reasonably oppose any ex-.
pedient by which woman might be per.
mltted lI to compete with mep. in such
pursuits of industry as arc adapted to
her character and capabilities. We eee
1t stated By correspondent Of 'IHe
Golden Age" that there are quite nun.
ber. of women holding homesteads ia
Kossuth County, Iowa, although they
are not oil actual farmers. One Of them.
however, is mentioned, who has twenty
Six acres in cultivation, q neat little
honse built OF pine lumber, two COWS
and several young cattle. Sho has taught
school three or four months every sum
mer and winter, to procure means with
which to improve her acres, as she COM
meneed with nothing. Next summer,
she says, she will devote her entire en-
ergles to her farm and dairy. She will
plant grove, q fruit garden, a lerge
garden of vegetables. and good patch
OF potatoes, doing most of the work
with her own hands. The remainder OF
the field she will rent. She came from
Maine. and finds the rough, dry winds
OF the prairies much better for weak
lungs than the heavy fogs Of New Eng,
land. ,sir . 7o.
Another instance il mentioned of q
young Welsh woman, Miss Owen Evans,
who applied at the Office Of the Clerk Of
the United States District Court Id
Helene, Montana Territory, and declared
her desire to take the necessary steps to
become :oitizen Of the United States.
When the Clerk satisfied himself. uponi
examination that she had right to be.
come Citizen of the United States. she
received her certificate, and called upon
the Clerk to- make ont her deolaratory
statement under the pre- -emption law,
Tor l6O !R6fes OF land in Deer Lodge
Valley, the description Of which she fur
nlshed. The statement was made out
and forwarded, and now stands on tho
records OF the Land Office at Helena as
No. l, 900. This girl is building house
on the farm thus eheaply acquired, and
is fencing it, and has on it already no
lneonsiderable amount Of stock. n
These are said not to be the only in
stances of the kind in the West and
Northwest. It must, however, be borne
in mind chat the fertileaW Western prairies
ESPECIALLY after having been onoe broken
np) do not require as laborious cultiva-
ton as Eastern fields. and hence might
be titled by women, though, at the same
time, q good deal of hard work is re-
quired. On the other hand, women are
very generally engaged in Europe in
farm duties, and as to the mere ehperir.
tendence' OF farm, one Of the most pro-
minent oSa English Duchesses is probably
able at this moment to look after her
husbands estates, practically, as intelli-
gently as himself. There are. ut all
events, some descriptions of agricultural
work, connected with vineyards, fruit
growing, &c., WHICH might be pursued.
Oy women, and, at the same time, be
more conducive to their comfort and
material advancement than menial labor.
But agriculture is not the only field not
occupied by women in this country in
which their sex is usefully EMPLOYED in
Europe, aud might be SO here. There
are many trades, particularly the finer
mechanical pursuits, for which tfiey are
quite as competent rs men. Theodore
Tilton has divergeil lately into the prac-
ticai and really humane, in a letter to the
St. Louis Labor Congress, in which,
after pointing; out the propriety OF wo.
men entering into competition with men
in many branches Of industry, he earn
estiy addresses himself to the chivalry OF
the working-men, and adroitly and elo-
'quently appeals to their generosity, as
he instances the supposed Want of en-.
ployment of their own widows and
daughters, wives. and sisters. Re thus
touches q chord to. which their own
hearts must respond. In fact, not only
the working-men, but every humane
man, who looks around him and seos the
multitudes of women who. have no earth
~ protector; "who hive no other liveli-
hood than they can earn with their own
weary hands. and who have no other
comforts than they can purchase with
their own meagre wages" but must re-
joice att the opening OF any new sphere
where they can improve their condition,
or, at all events. lay foundation for fu-
ture comfort and independence.
4 .IBahin,ore San
An aged colored man living near Jack