The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-02-17
WAVERLAND!
A Tale OF Our Coming Land
lOrds---A Story of Ire
lands Wrongs.
BY SARAH MABIE BRIGHAM
CHAPTER XIII.-TENANTRY IN AMERICA

CHAPTER xII1.-TENANTRY IN AMERICA.
The day following the one on which the
duke finished his purchase he said to me;
''Now, Waverland, we will visit Lord
Sanders estate and see how his tenants
feel on the landlord subject
''To which of his estates shall we go?' !
asked
''To the nearest one. 1t will only take a
few hours to reach it.
The morning was bright. A gentle
shower had fallen in the night Every
thing seemed rejoicing in the warm sun
shine. We passed out from the buzz and
hustle of the noisy city into the calm, cool
air of the country. We saw large herds of
horses and cattle lazily feeding in great
pastures, under the shade of oak, elm and
maple trees. We passed through country
that lay before us like an immense map
marked off by different shades of green,
vast corn fields with their deep rich green,
wheat and oat fields shaded to bright
tint. On, on we sped, past large farm
houses surrounded by orchards full OF
growing fruit, great red barns that told OF
care and comfort, towering wind mills
that could rival the imaginary giants of
Don Quixote, full corn cribs laden with
the golden ears, past villages full of bust
ness, fine churches, large school houses,
cozy dwellings and substantial stores.
Commerce, culture, society and religion
were all provided for in response to the
needs and industry of man.
Then came change-little rough shan
ties, straw barns, and rail cribs without
corn.
We entered little tumble-down village
without church or school-house. There
the conductor told us, was the place our
tickets called for.
care we still in Americas" I asked
''This seems more like Ireland and a ten
ant village"
''It is tenant village" said the duke,
as we walked from the steps of the old
rickety depot.
"Can it be that tenantry has been sc
long in America as to have caused its
loathsome form to cover this fair land9"
"Now, Waverland, I did not come to
hear you preach. / came to see the chan,
ces of success with American tenants, u
said the duke, as we crossed to little
low, wooden shanty with one window, q
door and hole in the roof for the stove
pipe to pass through The duke knocked
at the door and woman about thirty
opened it. was surprised at the neat ap
pearance of the interior of the cabin. The
ceiling and the walls of the room had been
papered with newspapers and looked clean
The woman was bright, intelligent look
ing, and neat in simple gown. She had
been washing and little boy was putting
cobs, picked from the pig pen, into the
stove to make the kettle boil. A bed ir
one corner of the room looked neat anG
clean. There were three or four shelves
made by running cord through small
holes in each side of the boards and hello
In place by knot on the under side, full
of books / saw Emerson's prose works
Dickens stories, Uncle Toms Cabin, u
and good many other good friends in
that little rough shanty. When we had
taken the seats she had offered US, 1.-TWO old
wooden chairs, which, with a rough deal
table, completed the inventory of the
household frlrniture,) the duke asked:
"Are you living on one of Lord Sanders
farms?''
eyes, sir" said the woman, 1--WE rem
from his agent"