The daily gazette., 1880-10-21
4 SUCCESSFUL WOMAN FARMER
AN INDUSTRIOUS LADY OF ULSTER
COUNTY wHo Is FOR HANCOCK.

AN INDUSTRIOUS LADY OF ULSTER
COUNTY wHo Is FOR HANCOCK.
KERHoNKsoN, Oct. 13.LOne Of the
most enthusiastic admirers Of Gen.
Hancock In this section is Miss Libbie
Schoonmaker, whose career as farmer,
stock raiser, and school teacher has
made her notorious IN this part Of the
State. Miss Schoonmsker, who 10 .
woman about 38 years Of age, is . strik-
ing example of what woman with .
will Of her own can do toward getting
along In the world. Fourteen years
ago, at the death of her father, Johannes
Schoonmaker, she inherited a large .esss
tate, consisting principally of farming
property, heavily encumbered with debt.
1t was the old homestead, and Miss
Schoonmaker could not bear the idea of
seeing II pass into the hands Of strangers,
and was determined that 1t should not.
Although then only "a years old, and
with no mare practical knowledge Of life
than an ordinary country lass, she
assumed sole charge Of the estate, de-
termined to clear IL of debt. Is Having an
old mother 81 yeais Of age, half sister,
also helpless from old age, two orr
pbaD children Of a deceased brother, and
brother in the last stages of consuPp-
tion to provide for, this make her task
double hard. "A little experience taught
Miss Schoonmaker that It was impossi-
BILE to support her large family and keep
up the interest arising from the heavy
Indebtedness Of the estate from the re-
sources Oof the farm She accord
ing'y began to devise some method Of
L faa ir,u ho nd Aanfdal
school teaching. She was engaged to
teach In her own peignbolhood at the
modest sum OF S8 per month. In this,
as in everything else, she showed re-
markable tact, aud her salary in short
time was raised to $40 per month. She
has continued school teaching ever since,
overseeing and directing the work OF her
farm, night and morning, aud during
summer Vacations going into the harvest
field with the farm hands to pitch on
hay, rake, bind,i &c. She has canned
from teaching school over $500, paid
OFT the debt Of the old homestead, and
besides greatly improved the property.
Besides leaching and ialsing corn and
grain, she has been All extensive stock
raiser. As q fai mer she has no superior
In this section. Her wheat crop aver
aged this year foriy-two bushels to ths
acre, the largest yield In the county "
In personal appearance Miss Shoon-
maker is tall, with a robust but come
ly form and a pleasing, intelligent
countenance. She is exceedingly kind
hearted and generous, and will spend
her last cent for the benefit of a friend
or acquaintance. A short time ago
she learned that a ,brother-in-law livI
ing in Pennsy ylvania was in destitute
circumstances She went to him and
found him helpless from an incurable
disease, with family depending upon
him. 'Ben," she said, "what can /
do for you ~ "Nothing, Libbie,"
was the reply. "You have your
hands full already. We will have to
go to the county house, | suppose"
l"Never, Ben, as long as live. Come
and, enjoy the comforts of the old
homestead with me. l will keep you
and your family as long as you i've"
| Miss Schoonmaker has had many
suitors for her hand, but, although
naturally ihcliued to matrimony, she
steadily refusesto marry, on the ground
that her husband might in time object
to be bnrdened with the support OF
the old people and herhelpless brother
| inUlaw and his family, which might
cause domestic troubles. Besides, she
says she has enough to do now with
out having to support husband, too,
which she might have to do if she were
to marry. JNo. o, SHERMAN,
| Kerhonkson, Ulster Co., N. Y.