The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-02-19
On A SALT MARSH.
Our Experience While Occupying
Government Land.

Some years ago my husband. baby
and | were in one Of The far western
states living in sort OF pioneer fash
ion while trying u make successful a
business newly started by himself
We had lately come froIn New York,
where we had friends aad good home
and lots of comfort and many luxurics
But Philip, my dear hua band, wasn't
satisfied with our easy -fc there. He
was too proud to be mcr ,ly wcll-paid
clerk in my fathers thriving store, and
he even fooiishIy Imagined that he
owed his position n4orc 10 charity on
account of his marrying me than to the
real merits he possessed
BESIDES he was am bitious - be rich
and his own master. 50 neither he nor
myself took much pleasure in our nap
py circumstances. Ne wanted To jump
from the FRYING pan into the fire,
though we dIda't think SO, and soon,
after couple Of years spent in di>con-
tent a. To our future, we determined to
go west" and grow up with the coun-
try.
was a strong, brave and energetic
young woman when we reached the
wild western town where we located,
and looked upon the hardshipS We
were undergoing before we became
wealthy and great as very romantic
and delightful
And SO did Philip. Although he was
ever careful not to make my burden
heavy he never spared himself in the
big undertaking before Us.
But his business didn't grow fast
enough to suit his high aspirations and
he was continually looking out for
some new scheme for making money.
One night. after baby was asleep and
we sat cozily before the fire, he told me
of some immense salt meadows still
further west which the government
was dividing into large tracts and Civ
ing them to settlers Now" he said.
with Il beaIning face. IF vvc should To-
cate on one of these tracts before they
are taken and live there for a few
wears, we could then be the owners of
property that will certainly bccomc
very valuable in time, as the country
grows in its neigh borhood- Then we
can soil out and go back TO New York
with q fortune"
If had discouraged the idea then
know he would have dropped it.
But / was even more sauEuine of the
results than he, and fell IN with the
scheme at once, only advising that we
should hold on TO our present Lusi-
ness. too, and endeavor to run both,
which he gladly agreed to-
In a months time he had his shantv
erected on our salt marsh tract, and
thitncr we went with the necessary
household effects in n prairie wagon.
baby and all
The weather was warm and beau
tiful when our hopeful little family of
Squatter- arrived on our dominion.
which was to be our fortune. and the
rough and rather frail log o. bin looked
like palace 70 my ambitious aud ro-
mantle Cves.
Twas in the center of our big tract.
and the saline deposit, covering the
marsh for miles and mites. glistcnrd
and sparilled in the bright sunlight
like the Grst light fall of snow used TO
when on the green meadows about the
old homestead in our native eastern
state.
Not another donicile but our own
could we sec, nor hill. nor even a bit
% woods. All was 4 wide. drcary, dead
l.vrl-vhite mostly with salty scum and
black and bare in spots with what
looked like dried mud, such as the bot
tom OF a pond disclOscs when the water
* drawn off
Not a @iJn nor sound of life save
the dismal croallingS of the lonely frogs
was there to our knowledge for many
miles around.
We were in a desert uninhabitable
apparently for man or beast. sure to
starvc if orr supplies were not often
renewed; with no protection from the
deadly tornadocs in summer and the
too Ii .Iy,yx III
the winter save our little mud-plastered
log shanty.
What place for woman and a
baby,
But the prospective fortune we would
have to travel homo with. and the
glory of doing something heroic for
husband aud babe, oraced me up, and
with a merry shout / took possession
~ our new home in the saline desert
and commenced house sekeeping in a very
primitive style.
was cheerful and made no end nf
fun over everything, for knew il |
showed the white feather then Philip
would quickly have given MP the tract
to take me back TO civilization.
OF course we never expected to be-
come permanent residents of the place
nor even stay there the year through,
only be there off and on for awhile,
just long enough to secure the title and
sell out when the boom came-for salt.
1t may have been sharp practice on
our part against the government, but /
wasn't tncn enough of a politician TO
know it-and Philip never told me
Running our two businesses ncccSSi-
tated frequent travels back aud forth