The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-11-16
A BRAVE GIRLS ROMANCE.
row MISS CLINTON AIDED EMIGRA
TON AND Won A HUSBAND.
Taking up n Homcstcad I'm Dakota,
She Pounds a Colony and Cap
fnrcs an Editor.


lures an Editor.
Belle Clinton's fame has touched two
oceans. To the people of Nevada she is
known as Sallie Hambleton-the grave,
gentle maiden who since she came here a
| little sunny-haired lass in the parental
ark has glided quietly among us from
| the door of her fathers pretty cottage in
! Linn street. The catechism she learned
in the Methodist Sunday school, the
three RS in the old schoohouse, and
the ologies were pursued at the Agri-
cultural college till broken health called
halt. One long winter she studied
this problem of her own. Given phys
ical unfitness for the avocations by which
Iowa young women ordinarily earn live
lihood, how is independence to be Sc
cured2 and in the following summer,
1880, she set about its practical solution.
| An expedition inspired by her zeal and
consisting of herself, her mother as
chaperon and commissary of the party.
her sister May, and two young friends of
the "male persuasion" set out in pral-
RE schooner for the great Northwest.
| Two weeks of journeying over Il circuit
GUS route brought them to the home
of her college classmatc, near a station
which was ringing for the first time with
the shrek of the locomotive. This was
the nucleus of the now booming city Of
Mitchell, the mart of Southeastern Da-
kota.
Near the residence of her friend Miss
Hambleton selected her homestead and
timber lot, and in the land Office Of Da
wilson county entered her claim. After
weeks stay the pioneer party returned,
brown, vigorous and enthusiastic. The
spring took our homestcader again to
Mitchell, and she supervised the build
ing of her shanty, the breaking stipu-
lated by law and the planting of her
timber. Her cabin was supplied with
such comforts as circumstances allowed,
and the place became known to passers-
by as schoolma' ans claim, where the
flowers grow"
Just before Thanksgiving of that year
she rolled the stone against the door OF
her cot and turned for winter shelter to-
ward the old roof-tree. At Boone.
chance then led the senior editor of the
Representative, then pencil-pushcr of
the Boone Republican,, to seat
beside her in the railway car, and the
two friends discussed her experience as a
homesteader until the train reached Nc
vada The main points of her expert
ence were embodied in an editorial of
the Republican. A newspaper CORE
spondent was, at that time, on tour
which included several towns on the line
of the Northwestern. Whether he
caught Miss Sallies story from her own
lips or others, found it in the Republican
paragraphs, or in his own fertile imagi-
hut Il
is that in his next published letter was
incorporated, with slight embcllish-
ments, the outline of the pioneer girls
doings. 1t was given as railway con
vcrsation between himself and " Miss
Belle Clinton, of Nevada, the smartcst
girl | met in town"
In December letters began to arrive adj
dressed to Belle Citation, and they were
unhesitatingly assigned to Miss Hamble-
ton. They hailed from all points from
Maine to California, a single mail often
bringing half a dozen. Before winter
was over the number received had swelled
to several hundred. They were from old
men. young men, widows and maids, and,
with rare exceptions, were honest inquir-
les for information by persons desiring
to become homcstcadcrs. OF course, they
were honcttly and faithfully answered,
and, with the opening of the spring of
1882, a considerable number of Belle
Clinton's correspondents became Dakota
settlers, and the influence on emigration
exerted by the press report of her enter
prise is indicated by the fact that, on the
strength of it, one Greene county sturdy
old German alone started off sixty
Young men. for" said he
"what girl can do, of course
they can" In recognition of her SER
vice the officers of the Milwaukee, railroad
passed her over their line; and
the second six months, shortened by a
long visit from her mother, were spent on
her claim.
In April last the third half year of oc-
cupancy was begun. The right of q
brave, gentle woman to strive honorably
for independence had made her cabin Il
castle impregnable to either open invader
or secret foe; but destiny no moat oil
fortress walls can stay In an editorial
room in San Francisco a native of the
city of Brothcrly Love, whose kindred
were still beside the Schuylkill, prepared
copy" for the Journal Of Commerce.
His home, the tireside of friend, was
/ OHc udy DioNtH up ~ NS"'iA' i'SiAN
, Clinton the Iowa maiden, pursuing q
worthy purpose in path unbeaien by
her sex, had been named in mum
berlcss exchanges; and, in al
hour of loneliness, he sent
her a word of encouragement. The
kindly message drew Il courteous re
Spouse, and-it is the old, old story
thus started, the moving shuttle was un
hindered until it had woven fast two
lives In June after Mrs. lIambletor
had joined her daughter in Belle Gin
tons rustic shanty, the prince first bchclc
his princess face to face" His visit t.
Mitchell was followed by one to he
parental home; the engagement ring gilt
tered on her finger the Dakota claim wa
proved up, and in the George llamblo ton
cottage in Nevada, rejoiced Il reunited
household Anew weeks of busy prepa
ration followed, and then the nuptlal
were celebrated. Belle Clinton's romance
was completed, and from the marriage
sacrament went forth Mr. and Mrs Rober