The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-01-29
THE HITHERTO" CLAIM
Mrs. Ross Story of Her First
Years Experience in Dakota.

1t was hot, sultry day, toward the
last of July, on the Dakota prairie.
Themercury had stood in the nineties
for week; the prairie cleaned yellow
in the burning sun. Every bird was
still The only sound was the merry
chirp of the grasshopper. The prairie
flowers dropped to the earth, and no
breeze famed them back to life.
was ''ncw settler" having come
from my New England home to take
up quarter section of farming land
under the land laws which allow un-
married women the same rights and
privileges accorded to men in the hav-
ing and holding of claims. On this
day had ridden to the Post-office,
distance of four miles, and was return
ing by different route when some
thing very unusual for the prairie met
my eye. Here was 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 mignonette, with
long spikes of fragrant bloom. TWAS
an oasis in the general desolation. |
reined in my Indian pony as | 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 you come in, Miss, an have
glass o water? It's hot day we re
hayn' y
could not resist the genuine friend
illness of the voice. | dlsmounted and
hitehed 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,
chlntz-covered rocker for me. You re
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, ar you?n
She stopped long enough to hear my
affirmative answer, and went on:
We'll, now I'm real glad to see you.
YOU It's Skeery sort O thing to do,
come out here an take up claim, all
by yourself, La. [ amt told YOU my
name I'm Mis- Ross, an wonders s
Reuben in the corn-tield, with a nod
toward the west window.
"An' this is the Hitherto Claim
Me6be you see the name on a bit O.
board as You come in.
As she stopped for breath, said.
glancing admiringly at the flower-bed
oy the door: Its unusual to see a
hower-garden on claim; it cheers one
up wonderfully
Don it, now? It's all Reuben's
work; he brought the seeds from his
mother garden, in York State. Reu-
oen used to say they was the only
thing that looked a bit home-like excent
tbror'sh G she added with a proud glance
.NV5ousn ..Vs the tiny west window.
oAAs " nave seen the time
w we had to make 'em grow at first
py ppney was homesick, l guess, like ms
n,la pas now they're happy an contented.
You found it hard, then, to leave
asked. IL O"hotaF
g.. hard! | was that homesick the
sfS1 /. lew months / came near dyin' of
y IL all come about from that that
r's, NJ named our place the Hitherto
lam, lam. Mebbe you wouldn't mind
nn Tssrln about it, if you ain in a hurry
III 4 get my work, an you set there an
,.;it settled myself in the ample rocker
sa.h such a sense of comfort as | had
NOs ~ known since had been a settler,
GU see twas a year n more AGO. a
year IN April, that we come ont 49, -, q
lnlngs had got pretty dull in John.
son'ille-that's where we lived. Want
ons oas business goin' on, an Reuben was
Wo.,to wv work months at a time. He
S3 a9fKed in a wagon factory. Reuben
~ an master hand he was at II
to,, ou, Il | do say it," (Another glance
~ so"afo the eorn-feld, where I could
man at work. ''ie-aggeo
WED heard of the Dakota fever. !,