Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-01-30
OUR "SQUATTER' DAYS.

while trying to. make successful a bus
mess newly started by himself
We had lately come from New York,
where we had friends and good home
and lots Of comfort and many luxuries,
But Philip my dear husband wasn't
satisfied with our easy life there. He
was too proud to be a we'll paid clerk
in my fathers thriving store, and he
even foolishly imagined that he owed
his position more to charity on account
of his marrying me than to the real
merits he possessed.
Besides he was ambitious to be rich
and mis- own master so neither he nor
myself took much pleasure in our hap
Ply circumstances We wanted to
jump from the frying pan into the
FIRE though we didn't think SO, and
soon after couple of years spent
in discomfort as to our future we de.
teruined to go West and grow up
with the country.
was a strong. brave and energetic
young woman when we reached the
wild western town where We located
ana looked upon the hardships We
were undergoing before we became
wealthy and great as very romantic
and delightful.
And 50 did Philip. Although he
was ever careful not to make my bur
den 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 costly before the fire he
tod M Of some immense salt mead
ows still further West which the gov
eminent was dividing into large tracts
and giving them to settlers. Nov
he said with a beamlng face, .if we
should locate on one of these tracts
before they are taken aud live there
for few years We could then be the
owners Of property that will certainly
become very valuable in time as the
country grows in its neighborhood.
Then we can sell out ana 60 back 10
New York with fortune
II ! had discouraged the idea then
/ know he would have dropped II.
But ! was even more sanguine Of the
results than be. ana fell in with the
scheme at once only advising that we
should hold on TO our present bust
ness. too, and cndeavor to run both,
which be gladly agreed to
10 a months time he had his shanty
erected on our salt marsh tract. and
thither we went with the necessary
household effects 10 a prairie wagon
BABY aad all.
The weather "as warm and beautt-
ful when our hopeful little family OF
slua.ters arrived on our domain.
which was to be our fortune, and the
rough and rather trail log raDin looked
ike palace 10 my ambitious and ro-
mantle eyes.
Twas in the center Of our big tract
and the saline deposit covering the
marsh for miles and miles gligteued
ana -parkled in tho bright sunlight
like be arst light fall Of snow used to
when on the green meadows about the
old homestead in our native eastern
state
Not another domicile but our own
could we see, nor a hill nor even q
aEA VI DOI1s All " d. IL " lLts. bFEbEF,
dead level-white mostly with salty
scum and black and bare in spots with
what looked like dried mud, such as
the bottom OF pond discloses when
the water is drawn off.
Not a sign nor sound Of life save
the dismal croaking OF the lonely frogs
was there TO our knowledge for many
miles around. We were in a desert
uuinhabitable apparently for man and
beast sure to starve If our supplies
were not often renewed, with no pro.
lection from the deadly tornadoes in
summer and the forty degree below
zero billiards in the winter. save our
little mud-plastered log shanty. What
place for a woman and baby.
But the prospective fortune we would
have to travel home with. and tho
glory Of doing something heroic for
husband and baby braced me up and
with merry shout / took possession
OF our new home in the saline desert
and commenced housekeeping in a
very primitive style.
! was cheerful and made no end OF
fun over everything. for | knew If /
showed the white feather then Philip
would quickly have given up the tract
10 take me back to civilization.
OF course we never expected 10 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 II may have been sharp practice
on our part against the government,
but wasn't then enough Of politi-
clan 10 know it-and Philip never
told me.
Running our two businesses necessi-
tsted frequent travels back and forth
for rh.,ip but a. there couldn't be