The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-07-22
Her SAD Journey.


was witnessed by passe-s along Main
street In the middle Of the street was a
long "prairie schooner" drawn by two
lean Indian ponies, and on the drivers
seat, holding knotted clothes lines for
reins. was a woman dressed in faded cal
leo. with her face shaded by 3 coarse,
wide-brimmed straw hat The woman
inquired of a policeman the way to po-
lice headquarters, and there told Captain
Martin Moran a strange story Of desti-
tuition.
Nine years ago John Gibson, his young
wife and little three-year-old daughter
left their home in Des Moines, Iowa, for
the South. They went to Benton county
in Arkansas and homesteaded a claim
four miles from Nebo. The ground pro
duced the narrowest kind Of razorback
hogs ever found in the State made famous
for this form Of creation, but it produced
little else.
When April came last year John Glib
son lay down on his deathbed in the
rude little place called home. The miss-
ma had been too much for him and con
sumption had put its stamp upon him.
On the night of nearly the last day in
the month he called his wife TO his side.
Work with the hoe and behind the plow
had given the woman stronger arms than
she had when she left her city home.
It gave her. too, q sunburned face, but
It did not dull the expression Of a keen
brown eye To add 10 the very burden
Of existence two little girls and a baby
boy not a year old had been added to
the family since the migration.
The dying man took his wife's hand
gave her as his blessing the care Of the
family and the few acres Of almost bar
rem land which he had struggled over
for line years. To his children be gave
the horses two Indian ponies, not Of
much value, which represented the result
of many days of sweat and toll.
For year. lydia Gibson, the widow,
cared for the children and ''the place. -
Then, on the anniversary Of her hus-
bands death, she gave up the struggle
for existence there.
She sold what little stuff she had IN
der the home roof and determined to
come TO her brother, Edward Misell, a
Pennsylvania Dutehman" who removed
to the West from Lancaster county, liv-
ing near ST. Joseph, in this State.
She hitched the two ponies, the child
ren's ponies to the long wagon, patched
the mildewed canvas cover and stretched
it over the ribs. There were many davs
to be spent on the road, so she put in all
the bedding the little house contained.
Then, with the money raised by the sale
of "the stuff in the house she bought
some -four and sides of salt meat. The
cellar was emptied Of everything eatable,
and the house door was nailed close. The
three fat little bacon consumers were put
under the canvas beside their mother,
and the horses heads turned away from
a lonesome grave under the pines.
The nights were cold and there were
many rainy days, but the rosolute little
woman journeYed on. Missouri roads
are not the best in the world, and when
the wagon has no springs and the horses
must depend upon the grass to be had
from grazing along the roadside, and the
rain hss made deep mudholes, progress
must Of necessity be slow.
q could scld the ponies" she said,
"and bought a railroad ticker, but he
gave 'em to the children an sst me t.
to keep en-"
Tuesday night the little family had no
supper. The provisions had given out,
for the rain had caused much delay. The
night was passed in the road south Of
Westport, near some farm houses. Yes
terday morning the women from the
houses interested themselves in the wan
derers and gave them some food and di-
rected them TO police headquarters in
this city.
Mrs. Gibson has asked her way mile
by mile, and has been TO the road from
here TO St Joseph by way of Kansas
City, Kan, and Leavenworth, but it viii
take her four days to reach her brother.
When she told her story 20 Captain Of
Police Moran, he called Policeman Nc
Millen Of the Humane Society.
The woman did not want much, only
some bacon and -four, and these she was
given, ana she began again her long
ride.-KdIlsas On Star.