Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-04-27

he came by way OF Ottawa ana prescott
TO Toronto.
A Romance OF Actual Life Worth
Reading.
Twenty years ago read in one of
the numbers Of Harper's Nogozine " that
the history Of almost every person, be he
or she ever so humble, Is worth being
told" The remark never passed from
nv mind, but impressed with it as fact
/ went ont to see woman who has been
making history for herself worth listen
ing to, in the city OF Atlanta.
Left an orphan, near Swansea, In
Wales, al the age Of seven years and six
months, she was cared for By an uncle-a
farmer who kept a dairy milking one
hundred sheep and from sixteen 70 twen-
ty-five cows. The ewes milk was used
almost wholly for making cheese. She
married and lived ten years in Wales,
when, in June, 1863, her husband g took
notion 10 come to the United States,
her uncle pleading with her not 10 follow
/ him. She remained one year and one
month, when her wifely affections pre-
vailed, and she set out with her two chill
dren--two having died--to cross the At
Iantic in search Of her husband, from
whom che had not been receiving letters
for some time. Landing in America. and
not being fully appraised Of its vast ex-
| tent, but thinking, she says, that one
would be as easily found here as in Wales,
she began TO make inquiries for q certain
name, end others. With her two children
| she kept going up and down this broad
| land, until the 81 900, which she pos
sessed when she landed, had dwindled to
| $500 In two months, when, in despair, she
| went 10 New York To take passage for
/ Wales, and while in the great city
/ and still making inquiries, she had the
| glad land yet sad) satisfaction OF finding
| her husband sick in one of the hospitals
1 for INDECENT strangers! Here she com
menccd waiting upon her husband her
| self after renting room, and doing all
her own cooking, washing, ironing, be-
sides buying what coal she needed and
carrying ii home upon her arms, or upon
her head when her arms were too tired.
II was seven months she thus toiled.
| When her husband became able 10 work
be set about it in the earnest hope Of re-
cruiting his shattered fortunes, and after
he had accumulated Il small amount, con-
Guided to try the sunny land Of Dixie.
Coming 10 Georgia, he settled on Mariet-
Ia street, nea. the rolling mill, when he
was again taken down upon 4 sick bed,
and here for over two years and a half his
perseyering and energetic wife struggled
and fought against adverse fate in Il man
ner which Is not only rase and praise
| worthy, but carries along with il lesson
OF encouraging moral heroism that may
be made profitable 10 thousands. Having
little home worth about $500 and owing
forty dollars, this woman went TO work
upon little over half an acre OF land as
market garden " in small way" and
/ buying COW on credit of Uncle Jesse
Wood she, aided by her little son Thomas,
carried the milk and vegetables TO the AT.
lanta market daily, and soon she bought
Of the same gentleman another COW, and
In a reasonably short time paid for both
OF them. During all this time she had
six boarders, whose washing and ironing
she did, besides attending upon her sick
husband and doing the work OF the family
with the help Tommie could render her.
Soon she had six cows, and then she
bought horse on credit for sixty dollars.
After toiling on this way for a few years,
gaining in means all the while, and her
husband at length becoming able TO go TO
work in the rolling mill, she in 1872, with
eighteen cows, and horse and vehicle
with which To do her marketing, moved a
little out OF the city 10 the east Of Marietta
street, and here, last Saturday, l visited
her dairy farm on purpose 10 gather these
details, which she readily and freely gave.
She has now sixty three acres OF land,
twenty one cows, one horse, three mules
and two wagons has fourteen lots in the
corporate limits of Atlanta; raised last
year 475 bushels Of corn; opposes the in
discriminate buying and use OF COM
mercial manures is shocked at the idea OF
snuff taking; has a heart 10 feel for the
poor and distressed; is even now reliev-
ing the pressing wants OF a suffering lady
has lived To see one OF company of five
ladies (who were some years ago sitting
upon porch and rocking in their easy
chairs and making uubecoming and
unfeeling remarks about good for-noth-
ing foreigners only being I'll to trudge
through dust and mud like beasts
OF barden,) come 10 her TO Dor
ow a little tin bucket full OF -four for the
rhildren. She has four living children,
and has recently taken very poor widow
lady and her little boy from the Home Of
Atlanta, and Is giving them fair chance
for an independent lite of honest toll. All
| this Is the history of one in our midst, far
from the land of her birth, whose life
must believe should not be without It's
lesson TO US, for while many who may
possibly regard such a life OF toll as too
much for lady to undergo, yet, when we
contemplate the rich reward she may yet
reap In the education and independence
of her children, as compared with many
whose mothers and fathers would "scorn
at the idea" Of such a life Of toll and So
cial humiliation, may we not rise up TO
the true dignity and just appreciation of
honest labor, and taking of our sleekest
beavers cast them high up into the air and
give three hearty cheers for honest toll,
| aud three times three cheers tor Mrs.
Rachael Francis, the Welsh dairy woman
Of The Gate Cityr--Cor. Atlanta (Ga.) Con-
1 ststutt0n,
THE death OF the celebrated horse