The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-06-02
s.BELLE CLINTON"
The True story of "Dakota Pioneer
Girl,

A good illustration Of young woman s
shrewdness, the good fortune that comes
to help those who help themselves, and
the unwholesome "craze" of the news
papers of the day to make every active,
sensible girl out a heroine, is found in the
plain statement of facts as to the story of
"Belle Clinton, the Dakota Pioneer Girl. y
A wonderful story of her self-sacrifice
and courage is told by a Chicago paper in
glowing terms. It is copied into several
of our State papers, and finally has been
put into the ''patent outside" The f..cts
are these: Belle Clintan's name is Sally
Hamilton. Her home is near Marshall
| town. She graduated lumber of years
aca from the college at Ames, and became
a ecnool-ma'am. After three years of
teaching she wearied of it, and as class
mate had married and gone to Dakota with
her husband to take up a homestead claim
and had wri ten her enthusiastic letters
urgiag her to come also, she left her
school and proposed to two young men
who were going to s'team it'' to Dakota
that summer that they should take her.
self and sister with them. The journey
from Marshalltown, Ia, to Mitchelvllle,
Oak. undertaken as sort of camping
out adventure, is all the roughing that
Miss Hamiltor ever did. She was met at
Mitchelvile by her friends and taken right
home. She decided in a fortnight to take
Mp homestead claim adjoining their home.
Her friends. house is few yards from
She had comfortable house of one room
built a few yards the other side. She
boards and sIpeps at her friends house., and
after hrpakfas she takes her books or sew
ing over TO her room and stays until din
ner. and returns after dinner until supper
time. The two houses are within easy
sDeakine distance. Her room is very COM
Portable and prettiIy furnished, and occasi-
onally lady friend has spent the night
with her 'Eacross the fence:' but she is
nevnr alone. She walks very little, riding
Win fiff iElHfliS 10 lo"h, vi uoooG iiCI
Ian : when she ch0ses, for pleasure. AS
for e'hardship, isolation, self-sacrifiee,
manual labor, ,'-pioneer life Miss Sally
knows nothing about it from experience.
The homestead law requires that six
months of every year for five years shall
be spent s'on the ground.' She goes
west in May and stays through tht golden
October DAYS. She spends the sum .ner in
a delightful climate, and, with an old
schoolfriend reads good deal, does all her
sewing and comes back to Iowa to spend
the winter. When the five years are over
she will own as valuable quarter section
as there is near Mitchelyille. She is a
slight young woman, short in stature, q
years of age, and has ''smart" air about
her: but there is no heroic endurance OF
| the impress of thrilling adventure in her
face. The result of the Chicago papers
story was that she received over 225 let
ters addressed to Belle Clinton, inquirine
about Dakota, and asking advice about en-
| igrating. And she has SO increased the
number of immigrants over certain Iowa
railroad that the General Manager has
given her a life-pass, SO that her annua
| trip costs her nothing for rail fare and ac-
commandments Noiaes StGte Register