St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-02-06

"A. H. Mcrcur. in n " Observer
"
ON A SALT MARSH.
Our Experience While Occupying
Government Land.
Some years ago my husband, baby
and l were in one of the far western
states living in a sort of pioneer fash
lon while trying to make successful q
business newly started by himself
We had lately come from New York,
where we had friends and a good home
and lots of comfort and many luxuries.
But Philip. my dear husband. wasn't
satisfied with our easy life there. Tie
was too proud to be merely a well-paid
clerk In my fathers thriving store, and
he even foolishIy 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 his own master, SO neither he nor
myself took much pleasure in our hap
py 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 discon-
tent - to our future. we determined to
''Ro west" and grow up with the coun-
try.
I was q 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 30 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 beaming face, If we should 10
cate on one of these tracts before they
are taken and live there for q 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 and 60 back to New York
with . fortune"
II / had discouraged the idea then
know he would have dropped it.
But WAS even more sanguine of the
results than he, and fell in with the
scheme at once, only advising that we
should hold on to our present bust
uess, too. and endeavor to run both
which he gladly agreed to-
In months time he had his shanty
erected on our salt marsh tract, ant
thither we went with the necessary
household effects in a prairie wagon
baby and al.
The weather was warm and bean
tiful when our hopeful little family O
sauatters arrived on our dominion
which was to be our fortune. and tn,
rough and rather frail log cabin loolxct
like . palace to my ambitious and 70
mautic eyes
Twas in the center of our big tract
and the saline deposit, covering tn,
marsh for miles and miles, glistenet
and sparkled in the bright sunlight
like the first light fall of snow used t.
when ON the green meadows about tn,
old Homestead in our native easteru
state.
Not another domicile but our owl
eould we see. nor hill, nor even a bi
of woods, All was wide. dreary, dea.
level-white mostly with salty scum ant
black and bare in spots with wha
looked like dried mud. such as the bot
tom Of q pond discloses when the watc
is drawn of.
Not . sign nor sound of life saw
Ahe,dismal croakings of the lonely frog
,v.s there to our knowledge for manl
miles around
We were in q desert uninhabitabl
.nparently for man or beast. sure L
starve il our supplies were not ofteI
renewed: with no protection from tn
deadly tornadoes in summer and tn
observation-disclosures billiards il
~. wiutcr save our little mud-plastere'
log shanty.
What : place for q woman and
baby! !,
hove 70 travel home with. and tn
olorv of doing something heroic 70
husband and babe. oraced me up. an
vith : merry shout took possession
:. our new home in the saline deser
.nd commenced housekeeping in yer.
primitive style.
w.s cheerful and made no end O
fun over everything. for | knew il
showed the white feather then Phili
v,,,uld quickly have given up the trac
t, take me back to civilization
~ course we never expected to b
.or,. nermauent residents of the plac
nor even stay there the year through
onlv be there of and on for awhile
inst long enough to secure the title an
s.II ont when the boom came-for ssl1
Itmav have been sharp practice o
c,r mart against the government, but
v..n.t then enough Of . politician
Lrow it-snd Philip never told me.
Roaming our two businesses necess
s,t.a freouent travels back and fort
- philin bat as there couldn't be th
least danger Of me being discovere
,Ione in such . desoaate and un'nvitan
d..er& wasn't . bit afraid, or. st leas
lpestended wasn't