The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-01

xAzHl&V j ana SC6flln
nv qualities, belong.
wv ing to one Of the
first families,
where Mr.. Greeley was a frequent
guest, used to revolve his conversations
and glowing editorials in his young
head as he walked to and from the col,
lege. until young man go west
seemed to be inscribed on every sign
and doorpost and haunted him day and
night.
AS different members of the family
owned land in Iowa. when he was grad
uated and had fully made up his mind
to go there, they gave him the deed OF
800 acres. some valuable presents and
several hHndred dosasars in money.
will not take your readers through the
details of his arrival, his good fortune
in finding q man Friday, his first plow-
ing and seed sowing. shanty building,
his first experiments in washing, iron
ing and cooking from day to day, in
digging well and cistern, with drive
OF twelve miles TO rhe nearest village
for all the necessaries of life. including
newspapers and letters. | shall say
nothing of the parching winds and heat
of summer, nor the solitude and hard
ships of the long cold winter, nor the
ebb and flow of hope and courage in the
boys heart, nor of the tears he shed,
that no one saw though afterward con-
fessed.
But with returning spring came the
seed sowing so full Of promise, colts,
calves, pigs and chickens, the nucleus
of fortune in the near future in fowls
and cattle on thousand hills He la
bored hopefully all summer. when, lol
one day the heavens were overcast with
dense white clouds that looked like
snow flakes. "Beholdr cried Friday,
1.-The grasshoppers all is up with us
now!" Our boys hopes were thus sud-
denly dashed to the ground. He saw
these pests alight on his young trees, his
grains and grasses and feed. until not
green thing was left in his possession.
As nothing could be done until another
spring. the young man sold his live stock
and spent the winter at home.
Fortunately, soon after returning west,
he met at avillage ball q plump. rosy little
girl from Maine, with luxuriant auburn
hair. fair skin, blue eyes, tiny hands and
feet--a happy. joyous little soul. who as
yet had known no care. As they glided
around, keeping time in the may waltz
and quadrille, Cupid, that mischievous
little god, did his usual work. !,
A two story house with four rooms
orv,aarob cooy, offoz. I;1ya ,,,a,r,o IN bo
place of the shanty. and the little girl
from Maine sat singing, sewing from
day to day by the window.
She was girl of immense courage and
executive ability and proved the boys
chief anchor, and for fourteen years
they made a brave struggle, happy to-
gether. in the face of many adverse
winds. was related to the young mans
family by marriage. and had always
taken a great interest in his welfare.
and made it a point in my western
Lyceurn trips to spend few days with
them every year. have seen that little
wife, not weighing much over hundred
pounds, drive an immense lumber wag-
on and two large horses twelve miles to
town, to bring back load of lumber.
But with droughts one year and floods
another. with prairie fires and hog
cholera, cattle diseases and the difficulty
of keeping help for work either outside
or in, the young people grew weary and
longed for their native air by the sea.
Having a chance to rent their farm to
advantage they promptly decided one
day to give up the struggle, and forth
with packed what goods they could not
sell, and without pang said farewell
TO the farm forever. AS they had no
place in view, the little wife went ahead
to reconnoiter in Connecticut, New Jer-
sey and Long Island for convenient
abiding place, while the husband at
tended to the moving.
He chartered car thirty-six feet long
bound eastward for 800, and in one
END stored their furniture, in the other
he made stalls for two cows, one mare,
one pig, fifty hens and turkeys, oats.
corn, hay, salt and barrels Of water.
In the center was an oil stove, a lounge,
table. rocking chair, boxes Of coffee,
sugar. butter, utensils for cooking and for
the toilet, among which sat the young
man reading the daily papers and an
immense black Newfoundland dog, who
kept faithful watch when his master
went out ON foraging expedition for
something to eat and drink, foralthough
he had his own coffee and the hens laid
all the eggs he could eat, and the COWS
gave all the milk he could drink, yet
the dog must have an occasional bone
and the master some meat and fruit,
whatever might be purchased by the
way. In cooking on the oil stove he was
subject to many accidents; sudden
bump of the cars would sometimes put
out his fire, upset his table and scatter
his viands on the floor.
Sometimes at night his bed would be
pitched into the animals domain, when
in their own language they would all
express their dissatisfaction at such an