Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-13
a BRAVE GIRLS HARD LUCK.
Turning Farmer and Working for
Honest Independence.
Fronl a NJ ~ 81.

fires, which have brought desolation and
poverty to hundreds in this section,
brought a husband to one young woman
A year ago last spring Fannie Jordan
took up farm Of 100 acres ABOUT nine
miles north Of here, and struck out for
herself. She came to Dakota from
Illinois, though she was born IN
the East Not much was known
about her for several months, as
she was shy and retiring, but when sne
finally became ACQUAINTED with her neigh
bors they discovered that the glrl had me
real mettle in her, and predicted that she
would be rich before she was 80. IhOuSh
far from muscular, Fannie was the pc
ture of health. and she easily carried on
the palm a. the best-looklng RlrI farmer
in the county. Like the majority OF ner
SISTERS she had no time to devote to the
gallants of the neighborho0d, and for a
wear and a half she led a hard, grinding
existence, practising the closest economy.
and working from early morning until
late at night.
Some Of her friends finally discovered
that the girl had history, as many such
heroic adventures in this country have.
She had lived in comfortsbl BILE circum-
stances in a rural Illinois town until the
death of her father revealed the fact that
he had lost not only his own property,
but a trust fund belonging to a relative,
not yet of age, by his fatal propensity for
Specializing in the Chicago grain market.
The girl felt her position keenly, and,
though she had expected soon TO be mar
Red she TesOlutely turned from her
lover and sought the far West
She had read Of the success
achieved by young women as farm
ers in this vicinity, and persuadng her
mother that this was their only hope OF
reraining their independence, and at the
same time making good the deficit Of their
husband and father. the two converted
what little property they had INTO cash
and came here. Before their departure
the girl absolved the young man from his
pledges. but in answer to his repeated re-
quests gave HIM some slight hope that at
a distant dav, II he still remained Of the
same mind, she might consider PROPOSE
ton from him. Under these clrcum-
stances the work Of breaking and work
ing a farm in a new country was begun.
The first year Fannie and her mother
had no help, and they did not succeed in
raising much. Not more than a quarter
OF their land was under cultiA alton, and
the crops were poor indeed. This year,
with the assistance OF boy, they did bet
ter. They got more than half OF the farm
in wheat, and the crop was an exception
ally good one. Besides this, they had a
fruitful garden. from which they supplied
their own wants and derived a small
revenue. Their wheat, on which they had
already borrowed money, was to have
been thrashed about two weeks ago, but
the machine did not arrive. and it re-
manned in great stacks near their barn.
Figuring on the results OF their two years
work, mother and daughter found that
there was a chance that this years crop
would clear them of debt. and that with
one or two more favorable seasons they
would be able to see the results Of their
toll IN hard cash.
The prairie fire was a danger which they
had not taken into consideration. When
Fannie heard that fires were reported alta
distance she ran burrows around her
buildings and wheat stacks, and in other
ways prepared for the visitation. Her
nelghbors did the same, and when the
fires appear.I near at hand nearly every
body went out to fight them. Fannie's
mother remained at home when the girl
was gone on these errands. On returning
10 her place one evening last week the
young woman found fires ia her way, and,
being forced To make long detour, it was
dark before she came to q point where she
could see her farm. The fires were raging
fercely, and she made up her mind that
her farm was threatened. if not already
burned over. Somebody had set back
fires. with the intention Of stopping the
cOnfagTatiOn, and this was the result. AS
fast as her weary and trembling limbs
could carry her the girl dashed on, and
few steps more sutiiced to convince her
that her home and everything that it con-
tanned was lost. When she arrived at
the place the house was in ruins, the barn
WAS ready TO fall, and the great wheat
stacks were glowing heaps OF embers.
The earth was hot under her feet. and the
air almost sitting. She called for her
mother, and called again. No one
answered. She became sick with fear
and foreboding. and thought of flight, but
there was no place to which she could 20
for help. The fires were all around her,
making the heavens lurid and the air
heavy, and so in the pres
ence Of her crushing disaster, the
girl sat down and wept. All
night long she sat by the ruins of her
home, and when the morning light APP
peared she made a careful search for her
mother. She was not in the ruins OF the
house, and the girl breathed easier, but in
the ashes Of the barn the old lady's
charred remains were found. She had
evidently gone there after doing all in her
power TO save the place for the purpose OF
taking the horse and making her escape.
but, overcome with the heat, or possibly
unable TO manage the beast, both mad
persisted together.
Fannie's mother was buried on Sunday
by the neignbors, most OF whom, like the
girl, had lost nearly everything. What
was IN be done nobody knew. Where all
We're penniless and wretched there was
no advice that could be followed, and all
seemed stunned by the calamity which
had come upon them. On Tuesday Fan
nie visited her farm for the last
time, intending to leave that day for the
railroad and seek assistance, she knew
not what or OF whom. Her poverty was
absolute. Her debts were greater than
her equity IN the land. Everything
that she had on earth was de-
stroyed except the clothing that
she wore. She stood by the ruined home,
and looked out for miles on blackened
prairie. The sky was overcast with
leaden clouds, and the wind blew crisp
and cold from the north. Above and be-
low everything was dark, but the sombre
view was not blacker than her own fu-
lure. She buriednh face in her hands
and turned from the desOlate scene lust
in time to hear the clatter OF hoofs on the
roadway, and looking up the girl saw the
fellow from Illinois whom she had left I'm
despair eighteen months ago. He rode up
10 her, jumped from his horse, and adj.
dressed her quietly She had little 20 say,
and there was not much that he could
say, as his appearance caused a fresh
food Of tears TO flow. lie told her that
he had read OF her mothers death
and OF their losses by fire, and