The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-10-11

don't believe she has enjoyed it half as
well as Martha has her work. Do YOU,
father?"
'She does not look as well, certainly" +"
ne answered.; "but seriously, mother it
is easier for girls to make money that
way than to be confined to teaching or
sewing, especially when they have al
ways lived on farm and know how to
manage. Tastes differ, of course, and
besides, every girl would not have the
requisite knowledge to make such q
scheme successful.
81 know" said Susie, "but most girls
could If they would. Cousin Martha
told us OF two girls who took up claims
near them last summer. One had money
enough to pay for her claim, the other
had only money enough to pay expenses.
but her brother promised to advance hel
the money when she was ready to prove
up. They built their shauties together
and lived together. After paying for
their claims they sold them for n thou
sand dollars apiece. Pretty good for
them, wasn't it, grandma"
eyes; 1 am glad they made so much.
Some women do have hard time earn.
ing their own living
"There are Helen Marston and Philip
Tiffany coming up the walk, "said Susan.
"They will be pleased to see you, Martini.
] suppose Helen wants to hear about
Ned"
They were soon seated in the parlor,
and naturally the conversation turned
upon the subject of Dakota farming.
Philip said he wished to ask some uucs-
tons before he could decide to 60 there.
Hn 70 1,,,f
tain that it would be best to do so.
'You want to know how large home
stead you can hold" said Susan.
eyes something like that. You all
know my means are limited, and need
to be reasonably sure it will pay before
[ make an investment"
hard work and rigid economy, and that
only by his assistance had his parents
been able to keep their home and cdu-
brothers were now able to fill his place.
and he was free to make home for him
self ; perhaps some day for certain
bright-cycd young lady. Who knew :
"Ned and [ went up there in May,
two years ago." said Martha. "Fathc,
gave us two hundred dollars apiece, but
Ned was two years older than T, and had
saved five hundred for himself. We
each bought us good strong team of
work horses, wagon and harness for
three hundred dollars. Together we
bought good breaking plow,
what furniture we should need, and a
good supply of provisions, for one hum
dred and fifty more. We saved car fare
by having good oil-cloth covers over our
wagons, and, packing our outfit snugly
inside, drove our teams through. Father
and uncle knew how to arrange it, for
they moved to this State in the same
way, only they camped out and slept in
their wagons. We did not care to do
that, preferring to stop nights with farm
ers along the way. We had an oil-stovc
and prepared our own dinners"
"You drove n team from here to Da
kota ?" said grandma.
Certainly I did, and enjoyed it, too.
When we arrived at the place Ned had
selected for our homo, I stayed, with only
a neighbours little girl for company and
slept in one of the wagons, or rather
wagon-boxes, while Ned went after lum-
Der to build onr first shanty with. The
little girls father helped him take the
boxes off and pack the goods snugly on
the ground, then drove one team for him
going after the lumber"
ooh, my p said Helen, "I wouldn't
have stayed there for anything. Didn't
you feel afraidt"
ono, think not, though I must say
it was lonely. We slept well. We were
favored with dry weather until we had 4
roof to cover us.
"Didn't YOU feel like Robinson
Crusoe?" asked Helen. "How near
we're your neighbors ?"
"Two miles the nearest, and it was
twenty miles to town."
'Did you put in any crops that year @
inquired Philip.
Eyes; rs soon rs we were comfortably
settled, Ned commenced breaking M
my claim, for the shnnty was on his, and
he wanted to get in his crops before
| making other improvements. Ho brok G
twenty acres and planted corn on it. On
the next ten he planted potatoes; then
ten more he sowed to flax. / tended
the garden, and we had plenty of vcge-
tables for our use. I forgot to say father
gave us a COW, some hens and two little
pigs. In August Ned bought mower
and hired man for month. They put
mp sixty tons of hay, besides digging IL
we'll"
'Did you have that much hay on your
OWE land ?" asked Philip.
81 don't think he cut it all on our land.
There is good hay on part Of it, but
there was so much unclaimed land then,
he could go where he fonnd the best cut
ting. This year he had to stay on our
own land, bnt there was as much hay as
ho cared fO ont "
"Yon did not get your land all in ono
body, did you, even going as early as
you did ?"
''No; We made our first claims together
and took timber claim adjoining.
There can be only ono timber claim on
one section. in November we paid for
our claims and orr homesteads in the
best place we could find where timber
claim could join them. That brings our
farms in good shape-three quarters to-
ecther in each one. though they arc
three miles apart. We moved our build
ings all over to the homcstcads, and arc
putting all our improvements there now."
GLOW much did yon raise the first
year on the forty acres ?"
1--WE had two hundred bushels of corn,
five huuGred bushels Of patatLea and