Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-01-01
THE HITHERTO" CLAIM
Mrs. Ross Story OF Her First
Years Experience in Dakota.

Mrs. Ross Story OF Her FRS
Years Experience in Dakota.
1t was a not, sultry day, toward tn
last of July, on the Dakota prairie
The mercury had stood in the ninetie
for a week; the prairie CLEANED yelloy
In the burning sun. Every bird wa
still. The only sound was the merr.
chirp of the grasshopper. The prairi
breeze famed them back to life.
was a ''new settler" having conn
from my New England home to tax,
D up quarter section of farming Ian,
nnder the land laws which allow un
married women the same rights ant
privileges accorded to men in the hav
ing and holding of claims. On thi
day had ridden to the Post-ofiice,
distance of four miles, and was return
ing by a. different route when some
thing very unusual for the prairie me-
my eye. Here was a claim very differ
ent from that of the ordinary settler
The ripening corn, the acres of wheat
and oats, the thrifty cottonwood
trees, transplanted from the creek
miles away, all these showed marked
skill and unceasing care. The house,
too, though small and poor, was very
different from the usual .'claim shanty;'
it had at least two windows, and only
one is required by law. All around the
low door grew the tall marigolds, glow
ing hollyhocks and mgnonette, with
long spikes of fragrant bloom. TWAS
an oasis in the general desolation.
refined in my Indian pony as L neared
the house, which stood near one cor
ner of the claim, and stout, happy
faced woman appeared in the narrow
doorway. / was about to start on
when she called out:
won't you come in, Miss, an have
q glass O. water? It's hot day we're
hav.n'."
/ could not resist the genuine friend
illness of the voice. 1 dismounted and
hitched the pony in the shade of the
house.
..Come right in an sit by, spell"
the stranger went on, as she led the
way into the house and placed large,
chintz-covered rocker for me. Your
Welcomes can be! / don't know You,
but s'pose you re the young lady I've
heard of as has taken claim ~, range
III, air you?''
She stopped long enough to hear my
affirmative answer, and went on:
well, now I'm real glad to see you.
you. It's skeery sort O. thing to do,
come out here an take up a claim, all
by yourself, La, [ amt told you my
name. I'm Mis- Ross, an yonder's
Reuben I'M the corn-field," with nod
toward the west window.
can this is the Hitherto Cla.m
Mebbe you see the name on bit O.
board as you come in. -"
As she stopped for breath, I said,
CHANGING admiringly at the fower-bed
by the door: '.It's unusual to see
flower garden on claim; it cheers one
up wonderfully.
don't it, now? It's all Reuben's
work: he brought the seeds from his
mothers garden, in York State. Reu-
ben used to say they was the only
thing that looked bit home-like, except
me-" she added, with proud glance
through the tiny west window.
.sYou ought to have seen the time
we had to make 'em grow at first.
They was homesick, | guess, like us.
But now. they're happy an contented,
like us.
..You found it hard. then, to leave
YOUR home and settle in DakotaP" /
asked.
..Hard! I was that homes;ck the
first few months / came near dyin' of
i. 1t all come about from that that
we named our place the Hitherto
Claim Mebbe you wouldn't mind
hearin' about it, if you ain t in q hurry.
I'll get my work, an you set there an
rest.
/ settled myself in the ample rocker.
with such sense of comfort as | had
not known since l had been a settler.
You see twas a year n more ago, a
wear in April, that we come out here.
Things had got pretty dull in John
sonvifle-that's where we lived. Want
any business goin' on, an Reuben was
out O. work months at time He
worked in a wagon factory, Reuben
did, an master hand he was at it,
too, If / do say it.' (Another glance
toward the corn-field, where l could
see a broad-shouldered, middle-aged
man at work.
.sWe'd heard of the Dakota fever
but nobody from our place had gone,
an Rueben used to read everything he
could find about Dakota, for he'd lots
of time, bein' out o work. an one day
he saws to me: Sarah, says he, don't
Won think we'd better GO to Dakota an
take q claimp' Well. was so upset at
the thought o. leavin' Jacksonville,
where I'd been brought up, an where
INV folks all lived, that / Just couldn't
,.nswer at first, but at last I see how
,,,nch better 'twould be for us to 90
ssonoewhere, times bein' so hard there,
90 I said, brave as / could: Yes.
Renben, If you say So hopin' all the |
time he'd change his mind; but he
.a;sln,t. an SO ! got ready.
ut was hard, though" and the |
.oarse sewing dropped from her
singers, as she wiped her eyes on a
.s of her green gingham apron; cit |
- -. hard. for besides leavin' my father |
-, = mother an sisters, Reuben an / |
ed laid in Johnsonville Cemetery the |
, ri, .hild we ever had. Well, we
c come out here, an it was worse'n I'd
III ~ idea OF. We brought all themoney
hsd an we knew we couldn't make |
& Sa rs. much longer'n fall. when we cal