, 1879-12-04
Two "Old Maids" in Michigan

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A few weeks since brief notice ap-
peared in the Eaton county papers all
nouncing the death of one Of a couple of
old ladies residing in the township of
Kalamo, who had moved into the woods
when the country was almost a wilder.
ness, and cleared them up farm and
cultivated it just as the "lords of crea.
ton" are in the habit Of doing.
Their names were Rachel Mitchell
and Samantha Wyman. They were in
nowise related to each other, and had
never met until they had grown to wo-
manhood, and had neither of them done
any outdoor labor until they had
reached middle life. Aunt Rachel, the
survivor, was born at Monmouth,
Maine, May II, 1909, and is, therefore,
a little over TO- Aunt Samantha, who
died April Is, was born in Vermont,
May 81, 1911.
Some time between 1886 and 1910,
catching the emigration fever, they came
westward, stopping short time in Ypsi-
lanti, but finally settling down to their
trade in Marshall, where, with their
needles, they earned the farm on which
they have spent so many years.
In company with another family they
reached the vicinity of their land On the
7th ef January, lS49. The snow being
nearly two feet deep and the country an
almost unbroken forest, the scene was
one to appall the stoutest heart. The
man who had moved in with them was
discouraged at the situation, and wanted
to return without unpaeking. His
"women folks" together with Samantha,
were crying, and but for the brave heart
and determined courage of Aunt Rachel
the next day would have seen them on
their back track She said she had come
to stay, and should never return until
she was satisfied that she couldn't live
there. The question of return being thus
settled, they proceeded to business, and
finding vacant log house moved into
and occupied it until they could build
one of their own. From this time
Rachel employed herself at out-of-door
work, even to chopping down timber,
logging, brush-piling, and every kind
of labor that men do in new country.
Samantha's health was such that she
was able to do but little hard work out
of doors, and, in fact, did not do all of
the heavy housework, much of this being
also done by Rachel. For some years
after Rachel had been in the habit of
doing everything else on her farm, she
hired men to SOW her wheat until she
finally found she could do that as well
as any of them. She related many Of
her early adventures in the woods.
One evening Just at dark the violent
squealing of one of her hogs apprised
her of the fact that bear had seized
it, and was making for his haunts in
the forest. Calling her dog she gave
hot pursuit. and finally succeeded in
rescuing the porker from the jaws of
bruin, but in SO damaged a condition
that they had to kill and dress it before
morning. She said that she got so that
she could do as much chopping as man,
and preferred outdoor to indoor labor.
Her farm is nearly all improved and
we'll stocked with sheep, cows, hogs,
fowls, etc. 1t has a good orchard and
fair buildings. There was one thing,
however, she said, that had never been
on their farm, and that was q mortgage,
and they had never been seriously EN-
barrassed with indebtedness. This is
something, no doubt, that many of their
neighbars cannot say. Aunt Rachel is
only about feet high, but very stout,
weighing about $50, and quite rugged
for one of her age.
Sunday Law in New Jersey.