, 1879-06-21
TWO MICHIGAN sold MAIDs,n y


P"
the Eaton County papers announcing the de,,a
Of QUO OF couple Of old la1tes residing tn tbs
Township Of Ka1atno, who hnd moYed luto ,be
woods when. TINT county WAS almost wilder.
ness, and cleared them up farm and cultivated
1t Just as the "lortls Of creation ars In the
habt Of DOING They werc Known In the CON.
munlty a. "the old maids," OF Is "Auut
Rachclr and "Aunt Samantha" Th!pktpp
their history might be read with souo interest
by those who admire pluck and believe In won.
ans right to enter any aold Of labor she chooses,
called upon the surviving partner Of tbl,
heroic couple and CLEANED from her the follow.
Ing brief account OF their lives:
Their names we're Rachel Mitchell and Ssmsn.
tha Wyman. They were In nowisc se!ated TO
each other; and Ind never met until they bad
grown to womanhood, md had neither Of them
uonc any outdoor labos uutll they bud reached
middle life. Aunt Rachel, tho survivor, WIS
born ut Monmouth, Me-, May II, 1Soo, and Is,
therefore, now little paat 10, unl though
bronzed with the outdoor labor Incident to lie
lie OF the hardy piopeer. she possesses noneot
the coarsauess Of manners ulat VIC might be ap.
to picture to ourselves In q wunon Who Tor
nearly thlrl Of Il century, had not only brasrl
oil Of the priyattons mud hartlshps Of our nobla
fronttor woman. but had actually endured tha
u1fA8utQb 0k lu9 1fIQtlSE3WHIl ucFe1lI. Aule
Samantha, rho died April Ii, was born iu Yer.
Thclr fathers had both dled whlla they ve,e
but infants, and they, like other girls under
like circumstances, were early furrcd to Labor
css, working at her trade In Mour,c County,
New York. whittier sho Ind dritted, whau
Rachel, WHO Ind been a EtrI Of all work, aft
met, her rtn'1Gala sOn thelr first acquaintance Al
unneuaf attachment. spranG up batween them,
k~5t
tic TINT bound them. Rarnel learned the talor.
ess tradn of Samantha, md for years together
tAey piled the needle without Thought Of tls
rs1do farm life in store for thcN. 'l'lcJ entered
Into lttc Rartnerahip almost on their first &C.
qua.ntanrc, though no written contract TO llus
effect was ever drawn a1p.
In answer to the question as to whether ttere
was not aotnG disappointed love affair CONNECTED
with this strange untou, and whether ltcre cyet
was any special agreement TINT they sliouId re-
no; nothsl!E OF that tn tlIt history Of either Of
us. We hoper' tproalised cnch other tIAt wa
shouldn't marry: II wasn't neceasary. Wo kneT
We shotlla never marrY.m,
the emigration tover, they canlo westward, stop
plug short time iu 'Yps!lant!, but Bual'T
settling down 10 their trade in Marshall, WAers
with their needles, they earned ts,a farm IN
which they have spent 81 1nnny ycars Alter te.
Inain!nE ID Michigan ycaE or 10 thuY returned
to Now York, leaving quantity OF money IN an
agent's ha,lds, With it,structions to purchase
tfcn small quantity Ut lui,d near aiarshalL
1llcir intention was to return to thut towH aud
invest whst they could spaFu from tlme to t'ms
A sescrc 1t Of sickness Of samantha-from
which slle Dtvcr fully rccUYere1-pststotea
their return to Michigan until thu "intsro
1880. In the meantime, their agent, d!*re-
Earting hts Instructions, had lnvcyted l1eI
lno1oY iu p!eec Of iund In tie townsalpot u
kalamD, Eaton County. soMe twenty-five n!4tt
froul Marshall, Whare They Ind desguc1 to i've,
aud near "bere they had directed hn1 to pui,
chase. Gu returning to MshlEan, Kas'ei sl,as a.
upon farm.'ife, ulu Us ane related lles rtsoy.'
aid soluu III her curly experiences lp tue woods
It occurred TO me that the heroes wese uot u.
dead yet. Many bravo heart, Whose coaiass
would be unaauutud upon the Held of battle,
would have stIruuk from tho task before tllsst
determined women. In company wtta auoiaes
family they reached tic vicinity at telE kud on
tllr 7td OF, January, 1910. Tbs snow being neat.
II two fcet deep and tic couatFV I'll altaes1s als1
tho stontest heart. The man who hail invssa
In with thetn was discouraged at the sttuatiea'
aud he wanted to Return Without nnparkunK'
Ills "wonlcsi FOLKS" together, viii! 5s'naato4
Wara cFYny aud but ior the 9taYe heass ~. asa
dutef,niMed courage ot Aunt Rachel the nehs
day woui lave seea them Oh u'sir baGk uasA. ass.
She sultl ahe had cI,c to stay, nlld suuld neYf.
return until ahp was aattstcd that shu eouiuns ~.
live there. The question Of return bcinR t1us as
q vacant ioe l,uuse, moved Into and oeeapiiean
uut, tlley cou'u build atss Of tlts' OWE o,,, si
ttbfs time Jtachel employed heFault AZ 's, ouaGV
work, even 10 choppmE down timber, !oEEtt's E.tgs',
brust-pli'ng, and auY ind every Giaa sn1nst o. mi
health was such that khe uas a0ie TO ~ ~ ut Ut
tIe hard work out OF doors, n,r, In taet. ~ ~.
10 nil Ut tllt heavy hunseWork, fnucu " w.. 10,
tng also dono bS Rachel, tur solis ,s nesas sys,y