The Iola register., 1880-11-12
A Successful Woman Farmer.


MISS LIBBIE ScHooNMAKER. whose
career as farmer, stock-raiser and
school teacher has made her notorious
in this part of the State, is woman
about ifty-eight years of age, and
affords q striking example of what a
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 in
herited large estate, consisting prin-
cipally of farming property, heavily en-
numbered with debt. It was the old
homestead. and Miss could
not bear the idea of seeing it pass into
the hands of strangers. and was deter
mined that it should not. Although
then only twenty-four years old, and
with no more practical knowledge of
life than an ordinary country lass, she
assumed sole charge of the estate, de-
termined to clear it of debt. Having
an old mother sixty-two years of age, q
half sister, also helpless from old age.
the two orphan children of a deceased
brother. and brother in the last stages
of consumption to provide for, this made
her task doubly hard. A little experi-
ence taught Miss Schoonmaker that it
was impossible to support her large
family and keep up the interest arising
from the heavy Indebtedness of the es-
tate from the resources of the farm.
She accordingly began to devise some
method OF increasing her income, and
decided upon school teaching. She
was engaged to teach in her own neigh
borhood at the modest sum of eight
dollars per month. In this, as in every
thing else, she showed remarkable tact,
and her salary in a short time was
raised to forty dollars per month. She
has continued teaching ever since, over
seeing and directing the work of her
farm, night and morning, and during
summer vacations going into the har-
vest field with the farm hands to pitch
on hay, rake, bind, etc. She has earned
from teaching school over $500, paid
off the debt of the old homestead, and
besides greatly improved the property.
Besides teaching and raising corn and
grain, she has been an extensive stock
raiser. As farmer she has no superb
or in this section. Her wheat crop av-
eraged this year forty-two bushels to
the acre, the largest yield in the county.
In personal appearance Miss Schoon-
maker is tall, with robust but comely
form and pleasing, intelligent coun-
tenance. She is exceedingly kind
hearted and generous, and will spend
her last cent for the benefit of needy
friend or acquaintance. A short time
ago she learned that a brother-in-law
living in Pennsylvania was in destitute
circumstances. She went to him and
found him helpless from an incurable
disease, with a family depending upon
him. 'Ben,' she said, s.what can / do
for you?'' Nothing, Libbie,'' was the
reply. "You have your hands full al
ready. We will have to 60 to the
County-house, suppose" ''Never,
Ben, as long as live. Come and enjoy
the comforts of the old homestead with
me. I will keep you and your family
as long as you live"
Miss Schoonmakerha has had many suit
ors for her hand. but, although natu-
rally inclined to matrimony, she steadi-
ly refuses to marry, on the ground that
her husband might in time object to be-
ing burdened with the supportof the old
people and her helpless brother-in-law
and his family, which might cause do
mestic troubles. Besides, she SAYS she
has enough to do now without having
to support husband, too, which she
might have to do if she were to marry.
-Kerho,akson (Uzster County, ~ Y,)
Cor. N. y Sun.