Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-02-09

IAuAoSCS VlUtlOuO @ WOulu
not feel at home anywhere, We got some
chickens from a friend at Fort Lincoln
but they proved to be game chickens, and
fought bitterly among themselve and we
were greatly annoyed by having a crowd
oflounRers gazing through the fence at the
rear Of the lot at the chicken fight that was
nearly always going on in the back yard
and which we were powerless to stop, for
once they began they ended only with the
death OF one Of the combatants, while the
survivor at nee sought out o new antag-
Onist. At length, like the Kilkenny cats,
the ROSTERS had killed each other off, all
but one, and he died from wounds received
in his last combat. Then we got a nice,
peaceable fowl from Mrs. Marshalls
brood of young Spanish chickens, and
thereafter peace reigned in the farmyard,
and we had eggs and brOiled chicken ad
libitum.
Then DR.. Slaughter purchased a pig
Nicholas Comerford for $22. In a few days
we found the pen full OF little pigs. Oh,
such a lot Of tiny, cunning, wigglinR crea-
lures, eleven in all, with little ships Of
trails curled up at the end Of their backs in
the cutest fashion imaginable. We adj
mired them exceedingly, and after we had
counted up how much profit there would
be on the original pig, if all the eleven
lived to grow up, and be sold for $$22 apiece
we thought ourselves the most wonderful
farmers in the world. But alas! there
were too many Of them. Like the old
oma who lived in a shoe, the mother pig
hadn't room for all, so we had to give some
of them away; then after that some Of
those remaining were so inconsiderate as
to die. Still there were seven left, and
seven times twenty-five was an awful lot
of profit just for pig.
Sad to say none of them lived to grow
up. We were tempted, and slew them all
one after another at %infrequent intervals.
But we had seven royal dinner parties, and
seven sumptuous dinners, whereof the
center piece was a whole roast pig with
accomplishments, a la Capt. Clarke. But
what is life worth anyway, if we are hot
happy, and do not make our friends happy
while we stay.
After that we got tired of the old pig and
sold her for $40. .
Our experience with a cow wa not less
improbable. I wanted a COW, so we could
have cream all the time and DR.. Slaughter
bought me one with the express stipula-
ton that he was never under any circum-
stances to be called upon to have anything
to do with her. She was a docile little
Jersey with mild, reproachful eyes, wal
ranted not to kick, and l am afraid to tell
what she cost. There were very few cows
in the country then, and the price they
brought, would, if stated, be deemed al
exaggeration. This n had belonged tt
an officer at Fort Stevenson who had beer
ordered to another department.
All went we'll. The cow was a treasure
Suddenly without warning our house
keeper, left us. We were paying her bu
1926 monthly, and the offer of S$s35 from an
officer at Fort Rice was not to be resisted
Here was a dilemma. Her place could no
be filled only by inexperienced girls VIII,
knew little more of the mysteries of house
keeping than 1 did myself, and accus
toned as I had been to the trained servants
of the south, and the care less,free luxury O
the army mess, I was as helpless a beinl
Mrs. Anthony's lessons now came int
play, and L blessed the old lady every da,
of my life, as 1 realized the value of her in
structions, and profited by the remem
brance of her methods. SoOnI had mas
tered the details Of cooking, and so ia
pleased my husband, that thereafter, n
matter how many servants we had. h
would never have his coffee made, or beef
steak broiled by any IL but myself, and
was pr0uder Of that because of the Difficult
ties overcome than l had ever been of an
social or literary triumph l had eve
achieved.
But the COW. was a difficult matter.
just couldn't learn how to milk. Ny hus
band generously resclnded the contrac
we had made that he should have nothin
to do with the cow. He held her by tn
horns while l vainly tried to make tn
milk come. Not that she needed to b
held, for she was docility itself, but he
horns looked very formidable, and l fe]
safer that way. But l could not mill
although l tried harder and gave nor
earnest thought to the matter than I ha
ever done to anything of the kind befor,
l even laid awake at night to dis
cover some scientific calculation of tn
cause OF my repeated failures. But i
vain, and it wa small comfort to kno1
that my husband, for whose attachments
had great respect, couldn't learn to mil
either. One evening we had a visitor. 1
young officer from a neighboring fort ma,
called, and finding us all out in the Gov
shed, came down tc see what was going or
I had now progressed so far in my ne1
accomplishment that a very tiny stream Q
milk would flow. but it wouldn't 60 into tn
pail. 1t flew in attenuated spiral stream
in every direction but the right one. Gu
friend was much interested, and afte
quoting some pastoral poetry and gallant
c%omplimenting the milkmaid. sat down O
a log to watch the proceedings. Unfol
tunately the very first stream of the milk
fluid that I succeeded in coaxing out, flev
straight past my shoulder and struck hir