Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-06
DAKOTA'S GIRL FARMERS.
Young women Who Own the Land
They Cultivate.
New York Sun,

young ladies who own anc work
farms In this territory have great
abhorroace Of notOriety, because of
the number of bores that are sure to
hunt them up, either IN person or By
letter. A floating paragraph about
young women who has farm near
this place, which appeared in the
newspapers few months ago,
brought her more than hundred let
tiers inside of three months. These
nissives were of every variety under
the sun, and included nearly every
thing from an offer of advice on
wheat planting to propositions of
marriage. While speaking with her
yesterday on these subjects she said:
II had some of the funniest letters
you ever saw. About dozen of them
were from men who wanted to marry,
evidently a shIftless lot, for not one
of them could spell, and 10 every
case the letters indicated ignorance
even of the common courtesies of life.
! They were principally from widow
ers, and all began by saying that they
had been thinking of going to Dako-
ia for a long time. suppose they
all thought that I would. jump at the
chance to get them. never ans wer
ed any OF them. Some of the letters
were from old ladies in the Eastern
and middle States VINO wanted to
give me good advice, and others were
from girls, widows and old maids,
asking how / managed to get along,
and what was necessary for them to
do in order to get themselves estab-
lished as we'll as ] am. [ answered.
some of these, and two or three Of
them have written to me since.
1.-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. l
suppose 1T is the same everywhere, but
it seems strange that a woman can't
90 ahead and accomplish something
for herself without being worried to
death by all the old bummers, cranks,
Widowers, and dudes within thous~
and miles. One young fool came TO
see me last spring. and after following
me around sixty-acre lot twice, Just
because treated him decently, actual
! " had the nerve to ask nae If my
thougts ever turned to matrimOny.
told HIM that they never had, though
| didn't know what might happen If
came across just the right person.
That seemed to help him on little,
!. and he asked what sort of person it
would have TO be. told him I didn't
know, and called his attention to the
fact that my OFF horse was little off
his feed.
''How would I do9' said the young
fellow.
eff I had a ten acre lot full Of such
fellows like you [ wouldn't take the
trouble TO scrape you APP with a horse
rake.
Zone elderly man from Pennsylva-
MIA came here last fall and, stopping
In town, he would drive out here
every day. He began at first by pre-
tending h. had deep religious interest
IN me. Then he wanted to know how
[ stood financially how ! got my
farm, and how much made from it.
It took him several days to fine
ovt what he wanted to know,
and he then intimated wish
on his part to take tea with
me, and spend an hour or two in tbs
evening at my house, as there was
something that he wanted to say tc
me- | tried to get rid of him. but he
was old enough to be 10Y father and
was so decent about things generally
that | finally consented. After tea he
took a couple chairs out on the cas-
side of the house, and when we had
both seated ourselves, he said:
"I have been thinking for long
time about marrying again. I've
got
CHOW, you stop right where you
are said |, or I'll set that dog or
you. If that's the nature of your re
marks, we'll adjourn this meeting
right here I've got work to do, anC
[ don't want any fooling around
You never saw man get up anC
git like he did. He never said word
and / have never seen him since.
81 rather like some of these young
chaps from the city, though-the KIND
that are rot 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 81
quick to take hold; but, gracious
goodness, ] could break good many
of them in two, if I wanted to
They're good boys, though, and
never say anything against them"
This young lady, who is as brown
as berry and as solid as 2 russell
with all the spryness and grace of tn,
gentlest Of her sex, owns 100 acres o
good land, and has 1t under prettl
fair state of cultivation. Some OLD
farmers might make fun of few
things, and she readily admits tina
she has much to learn, but she man
ages to make her living aad consider
able more. Her mother lives witt
her, and with the assistance of stou
maid -of-all-work Ghey get along with
ont any male help. Before the youn!
woman came here she tried to max
her living as a dressmaker in small
Michigan town, but she failed at that
and finally determined to come her
and settle down on farm,