Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-09-04
DAKOTA'S GIRL FARMERS.

Young Women Who Own the Land They.
Cultivate.
From the New York Sun. "
Mitchell, D. T., July 8.-Most OF the
young ladies who own and work farms
in this Territory have a great abhor-
renee OF notoriety, because ofthenum-
Der of bores that are sure to hunt them
up, either in person or by letter. A
floating paragraph about a young
woman who has farm near: this place,
which appeared in the. newspapers a
few months ago, brought her more
than a hundred letters inside OF three
months. These missives We're ofevery
variety under the. sun, and included
nearly everything, from an offer of adj
vice on manipulating to propositions
of marriage. While speaking with her
yesterday on these subjects she said:
II had some of the funniest letters
you ever read About adozen OF them
were from men who. wanted to marry,
evidently lazy, shiftless lot, for not
one of them could spell, and in every
case the letters indicated ignorance
even OF the common courtesies of life.
They were principally from widowers,
and all began by Saying that they had
been thinking OF going to Dakota for a
long time. suppose they all thought
that would Jump at the chance toget
them. never answered any OF them.
Some of the letters. were from old
ladies in the Eastern and Middle States
who wanted to give me good advice,
and others were from girls, widows and
old maids, asking how I managed to
get along, and what was necessary for
them to do in order to get themselves
established as we'll as | am. [ answer
ed some of these, and two Or three OF
them have written to me since.
'"The worst nuisances that / have
to deal WITH" she continued, "are the
men, young and old, who come out to
see me. They are about the toughest
lot ever heard of. | have had to
drive some of them off the place, as
they seemed determined to stay. [
suppose it is SO everywhere, but it
seems strange that woman can't go
ahead and accomplish something for
herself without being worried to death
by all the old bummers, cranks, wild
| overs, and dudes within q thousand
miles. One young fool came to see me
last spring, and after following me
around a sixty-acre lot twice, just be-
cause I treated HIM decently, actually
had the nerve to ask me if my thoughts
| ever turned to matrimony. l told
him that they never had, though |
didn't know what might happen II l
came across just the right person.
That seemed to help him on a. little,
and he asked what sort of q person it
would have to be. told him didn't
know, and called his attention to the
fact that my off horse was d little off
| his feed.
"EHow would l do?' said the young
fellow, and says:
"If had ten-acre lot full Of fell
lows like you l wouldn't take the
trouble to scrape you up with horse
rake
cone elderly man from Pennsylvania
came here last fall and, stopping in
town, he would drive out here every
day. He began at first by pretending
he had deep religious interest IN me:
Then he wanted to know how [ stood
financially, how I got my farm, and
how much l made from it. 1t took
him several days to get what he wanted
to know, and then he intimated awish
| on his part to take tea with me, and
spend an hour or two in the evening
at my house, as there was something
that he wanted to say to me. tried
to get rid OF him, but he was old enough
to be my father and was so decent
about things generally that I finally
| consented. Alter tea he took couple
of chairs out on the east side OF the
house, and when we had both seated
ourselves, he said.
:''I have been thinking for a long
time about marrying again. I've
GOT
:'Now, you stop right where you
are said /. or I'll set the dog on you.
If that's the nature of your remarks,
Well adjourn this meeting right here.
I've got work to do, and | don't want
any fooling around
"'You never saw man get up and
git like he did. He never said O. word,
and have never seen him since.
II rather like some OF these young
chaps from the city, though-the kind
that are not making love, but who
are always wanting to help you: They
think they are SO strong, and when
anything is to be done they are SO
quick 20 take hold but, gracious good
ness, I could break good many of
them in two, if I wanted to. They'r
good boys, though: and III never say
| anything against them.
This young lady, who is as brown
as q berry and as solid as a russell,
with all the spryness and grace Of the
gentlest OF her sex, owns 100 acres OF
good land, and has it under q pretty
| fair state OF cultivation. Some old
farmers might make fun of a few things,
and she readily admits that she has
much to learn, but she manages to
make her living and considerably more.
Her mother lives with her, and with
! the assistance OF stout maid of-all-
work they get along without the male
help Before the young woman came
here she tried to make her living as a
dressnaaker in a small Michigan town,
but she failed at that, and finally de-
termined to come here and settle down
on farm. She laughingly says that
she does not know how long she will
keep at it, and there are those who
suspect that before long somebody
will come whose suit will not be in vain
Up near Blunt there are two young
sisters, not more than rs years old,
who own and work a farm OF 200
acres. They went ON their claim be.
fore there was a building Of any kind
there, taking tent along to live in,
and, with the assistance OF q car
penter for few days, they built their
house and sheds and made ready for
farming operations. These girls came