The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-09-13
CHAPTER XVII.
nrsoL4TIoS.

L HESpIATtbS.
Erastus was six days i'm making the
journey to Mussle Slough. and desc
late looking country he found it.
For miles aud miles. at this season OF
the year. not a green thing appeared
upon which 20 fasten the smallest hope
of ever changing the waste into fertile
fields of grass and grain
The settlers already there seemed
| upon the verge of starvation But three
or four inches Of rain fell during the en-
tire year, and for months at time the
soil was unnoistcned even by dew.
Those who possessed little money
when the. came had expended it in
futile efforts to produce crop and all
were now dependent for the means Of
subsistence upon small patches OF
ground near the lake. distant in many
instances from four to seven miles from
their claims.
Even these patches had to be con-
stantly guarded from drove. of raven
Gus and half wild cattle belonging 10
the herismen who gave little attention.
and who We're lily disposed toward any
attempts at inclosing or cultivating the
| land which, although seemingly little
| better than a desert, nj certain periods
Of the year produced thin growth Of
wild alfalfa upon which their stock fed.
being i'll the main driven TO better pas
lures as the dry season advanced.
These patches of ground were made
fertile by their nearness 10 Lake Iulare.
and by being but little above the level
| OF its waters.
Neritablc GASES in the desert these
spots seemed, and upon them the set
tiers raised the few bushels of corn and
beans and vegetables which formed
their sole means of subsistence while
prosecuting the work of redeeming their
claims by the herculcan task of digging
an irrigating ditch upwards of twcni,
miles long, by means of which they were
to obtain water from the river above
them. and convert the desert into q
garden.
But if these GASES furnished garden
spots for the settlers they were also de-
sired by the hcrdsmen. for few q
whose cattle they supplied pasiurag.
the year round. and being without til,
means Of fencing them in, the protec
ton of Their little crops meant Il con
slant watch upon the cattle. and one
which consumed the ent re time O
some member of each family.
| Owing to the lack of feed, but few
were able to keep teams, and that the,
continued the unequal contest for thei
homes can only he understood when i
is known that Of all the rich farmin.
lands of the Stat. not an acre remained
for prescription or purchase except Al
secondhand, and rs rule, in large
bodies, being held by corporations OF
individuals who claimed it under pre-
tended grants from Spain or Mexico
given before California was ceded t
the United States. or by act of Congress
since that time. So that this barren,
sandy plain offered the only hope for
poor men in California Of obtaining a
portion of the inheritance of the race.
Besides, they had confidence that,
once irrigated, it would produce abund.
dainty. and well repay all their labor>
by future yields of fruit and grain.
All efforts to induce men with capital
to invest in the enterprise of cutting the
| ditch and depending upon the sale Of
water privileges for ACCOMPLISHMENTS
had failed tie idea that any amount
of water could render the sand OF the
plains fertile being secuted as vision
airy, the land being judged not worth
paving taxes upon and the settlers had
undertaken the task themselves. all
unaided, and had been two years at
work on the main ditch when Erastus
+, Hemingway arrived in the COM
| munity
So dreary and forbidling was the
outlook that he felt tempted to leave
again Immediately, bu., knowing that
no land remained open for presumption
elsewhere in the State. al last he de-
cided to stay and cast his lot with those
who were SO manfully struggling to
overcome TIE difficulties by which they
were surrounded
| Guided in part by the advice of sucl
arrival, he located claim of one hun.
dred and sixty acres, and made ar
engagements TO live for time in the
family of a settler who was on claim
adjoining his own, agreeing to pay /
small sum weekly for such food ant
accommodations as they could offer.
Of the half dozen men who accom-
panied Erastus to the Slough, not on,
had the hardihood to remain. All wer,
too much discouraged by the outlook
and either returned to the old neigh
borhood or sought places for rent il
other portions of the country.
When he had staked out his claim
Erasrns hitched up and drove across
the country until he found pasturage
and rancher who was willing to ie
| 4 h<.o ,lt-
such time as the light rains, which
might be expected to tall a few months
later, should revive the seemingly deat
grass of the Mussle Slough country
He then returned to the Slough on foot
and went 10 work with his fellow-set
tiers upon the ditch, which was thcil
only hope.
For weeks and months he worked in
company with these men, MANY OF
whom had worked through all the
weeks and months of the two presiou:
years: ill-fcd-often without bread Of
any. kind for long periods at time
sleeping upon the ground almost as fire.
qncntly as IN a bed, working at nigh,
as well as by day, their families camp.
ing in wretched little huts at the lake
/ pAiSlGS Vi tI9CldUICS anu
corn upon which their very existence
depended
When the rain came and vegetation
started up, the colts were brought down
from their pasture and made to do a
portion Of labor on the ditch; their
young master taking the best care Of
them possible under the circumstances.
| He had written home soon after posi-
lively deciding to locate at the Slough
but had refralned from giving yer,
accurate description of the country OF
OF his prospects, not wishing to excite
any anxiety in the minds of his friend.
regarding his welfare. In reply he haG
received letters from the family telling
HIM Of affairs in the old neighborhood
Then for some weeks he was silent, mo-
feeling that he had anything Cheerful
to communicate, and dreading, ye
longing, to hear further regarding the
engagement between Lucy and Mr.
Annels"y.
Meantime the dam which was to saw.
the Parsons settlement from the over