River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-09-19
POLLY sTRADER THE rRAppER,

fOLL1 SIhADEh mi RAAI bhp
Away out upon the frontier, on tie
bank of one of those beautiful lakes thet
abound in Minnesota, lived Mr.. Hensy
Strader. Poilv's fa her. He had emigr=
ted from Pennsylvania in 1856, and hsSd
made "claim1 on the finest quarter-ses;-
ton of land within circuit OF ten miles.
According to the "pre-emption laws" tlse
person who settles on unoccupied lard
and observes certain formalities, has tite
right TO purchase that land from the COY
eminent at any time before it is brought
into market, at one dollar and twenty-five
cents an acre. But il he koes mt buy IL
before the day of sale, it is sold at aus,-
ton to the highest bidder.
Mr. Strader had three children, Harry,
his eldest, Polly, and little Jimmie. Ali
the money that the father could make py
farming in summer and trapping in win.
ter, he spent in improving his claim. AS
the land was not likely to be advertised
for sale for some years, he did not thihk
it pecessary to make any provisions tor
buying it at once. But Mr.. Strader was
raj ken suuueufy 80 ssss1 >li.-~sy 49,
burden of paying for the claim and sup
porting the family, came upon Harry,
then only seventeen years Of age. Not
wholly upon Harry either, for rom the
time her father died, Folly, who was jest
fifteen, resolved to share every burden
will, her brother. She was stronger than
many boys of her age, and had always
been fond of out door life. In fact, she
was what YOU would cali a tom-bGy,
brinulI of life. restless and energetic.
i IL IN a
canoe, and as the prairie chickens would
come into the yard, she had become an
adept with the shotgun. The naighbCrs
used to say she was too wild, that sac
never would be good for anything.
But within a week after her father died,
she had taken hoe and gone into the
field by tie side of Harry. All through
the hot days she did her part; and as
the winter drew on, she practiced wah
the rifle until she could shoot about rs
we'll as her brother. And through the
long cold months she tied on her snow
shoes as regularly as Harry did his, and
by dint of helping her brother, ana tax
ing lessons from him, she learned all the
craft of the trapper. She knew toe hab-
its of muskrat, mink and otter as well as
any man in the region. Harry used to
make her iace grow red, sometimes, by
declaring that she was GLORIOUS gir;."
By the next spring came the com
mencement of the war. | cannot stop to
tell YOU Of all the discussions that We're
held in the Strader's cabin, on the subject
of Harrys enlistment. They ended in
Polly's telling him to go, that she would
support the family, and that the Land
wouldn't come into the market right off,
ANYWAY. And whether right or wrong,
Harry enlisted. That summer Polly sue
ceeded in cultivating that portion of the
land that was broken and fenced in such
way as to get tolerable crop. Bat
during the summer there came the sad
news that Harry was wounded, and MUST
lie for a long time in the hospital, aad
then, perhaps, be discharged, on accoueat
of his disability to do further service. 90
add TO their distress, came the startling
intelligence that the land was brought
into market, and must be pre-empted he
fore the first of January, or it would De
Sold
There was merchant, five miles away,
by the name of Van Dyke, who bought
furs of the settlers, and sod them pro
visions. An utterly mean man, there was
no advantage to be taken that Van Dyke
did not take. He was delighted to hear
that the land in the neighborhood was TO
be sold, for he was perfectly Satisfied That
the widow Strader could not raise the
two hundred dollars necessary to puf-
chase her land, and he chucked as he
thought OF the prospect of buying 1t at
the government sale, and thus getting
ali the improvements for nothing. In
deed, it was shrewdly suspected that, rs
Van Dyke had some influence with officers
ofthe land-office, he had something to do
with the bringing of the land into the
market also early day; for, as he was
money-lender and speculator, there
were many ways in which a land sale
would be to his advantage.
Polly applied to Mr.. Van Dyke Tor IA
loan on mortgage on the land, but wigs
refused. Hoping against hope, she wet
to work to raise all the money she could
very early in the fall. Leaving her
mother AMI little Jimmie to secure the
CT ops, she commenced to trap. SGe
started out at daylight every morning.,
and was picture for painter as she
pushed off her canoe. Her long hair lay
on her shoulders. her head was covered
with regular trapper's cap, made ef
wolf skin, with the VOLTS tail hanging
down behind. She had been pretty SUE
cessful, but at the prices offered by Ms
Van Dyke, she had nothing like enough
to buy the land. Polly was very hien !
spirited, and she vowed that Van DYES I
should not have a single skin that sig /
captured In vain he assured her that the
price he offered her was the highest thsc (
could be paid. Mr.. Van Dyke, yo. |
have not money enough to buy my furss' .
At last came the news that Harry VS. I
about to start for home. He had bees .
and was scarcely able TO wallyt I
put at any rate if was a comfort to kno': I
hat he was coming home again. 1t was
now the middle of November, but ths,
ky was yet clear. and the prairjes, searessi
With the frost, looked like fielos Of gols
beneath the autumn sun. ADD eyer~
light, the prairie fires made the sky glox
n every direction. Polly had made :.
careful account of her resources, and sale
bat at least she had enough to buy tbs
orty acres on which the house and tn
principal part of the improvements were,
That was one consolation, at any rate
They would not be without a home, il
hey did have to lose the meadow ans
timber land that they priced so highly;
)ne morning as she was running bullet:
md filling up her powder-horn, Mr.. Vas;
Dyke came in and handing her letter
aging
This was In the office for you, and Z
bought | would bring it along over, as S
vas coming. Don't want to sell your furS
his morning, eh2"
81 am obliged to you. Mr.. Van Dykes
or bringing the letter, but you can't have
ny of nay furs."
"Well, you might let me have thae
lack fox, any how, as personal favor
want to send it to my brother. I'vG
aiken fancy to it. II amt worth more
han FIVE dollars, but I'll give you ten
Polly had captured black or silver
ray fox a few days before, the only onesl
he had ever seen, for it is very rare in
Iced that such a fox is taken so far south Il
he had no idea of its value, but ten dol,
airs seemed 10 her large price, and shes
vas at first inclined to yield; but remem.
,ering that she was dealing with scoun-5
rel, she said: MIR. Van Dyke, believe
bat told you that you couldn't have
nv Of my peltrleS