Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-06-29

The ruling of the land department Oh
the government is accountable Tor
UNIQUE social condition in the pine land
district. The homesteaders are driven 10
the necessity of maintaining family
residence on their homesteads. In some
instances, at least, this causes a family
division. The rule requires the wife to
live upon the land but the husband has
not been restricted in the matter. 30
while the husband conducts his business
in, perhaps, another county or state the
wife lives on the pine lard homestead.
The pine land homestead is, therefore,
responsible for an unusual social con-
dition.
The matrons and maidens of these
divided families wear overalls. These
homesteads have made fashion. There
is no skirt or bloomers about this pine
land befurcated garment. 1t isa common
overall without visible special features.
These ladies are surely Drawer in pants
than in skirts. They live in those dark
forests where the sun never shines;
where the cries of wild beasts echo from
the canyon; are as fearless as men just
because they are dressed in pants.
The Mormon missionaries are at work in
this region. l don't write this to scare
the husbands of these widows. These
disciples of Joe Smith are making house
to house visits but they have no terrors
for the women in overalls. These women
are not afraid of the Kangaroo mice even
which scamper about the cabins. There
is surely something in this to be studied
with care. The only pest that makes
women in overalls nervous is state land
agent.
Always before these pine widows came
the mosquitoes and the no. see-'em gnats
were regarded unbearable pests. Now
they are borne with patience even by the
timber cruisers. The bears and cougars
have all vanished since the women came
Since the women have no husbands to
scold it is said even bear does not scare
them. They talk to the bears when they
see them like they talk to their husbands
when they are at home. One bear sought
a prospector's camp and stood still till he
shot nine times at it point blank. 1t is sup.
posed some of these pin(nga) widows had
scolded this bear so she would not get
out of practice before she returned to
Moscow.
The timber cruiser is special feature
Of the pine land boom. He is supposed
to be as wise as the neighborhood horse
doctor and as good as preacher. He
works all day and entertains all night,
by reciting anecdotes and tragedies. One
of the fayorite stories told nightly to the
women in overalls is about the losing of
Sam Mcfarland. Sam wandered away
from camp one morning and made the
cyookedest trail even made in the pine
woods. Cruiser Charlie Carlson hunted
for Sam for four days. Now when
Carlson goes into the mountains
with tenderfoot he makes
him give bonds for his appearance at
camp, at least once day.
The pine belt on Elk creek is lovely
summer resort. wagon road has been
built from Kendrick into the heart of
this forest. There are fish, game and
huckleberries, to say nothing about the
social attractions. The overalls fashion
and the other attractions will make the
pine woods the popular summer resort of
the future. Sam Mcfarland is hero of
the pining widows on account of his adj
venture. He will be the mascot of the
future social gatherings in this fashion
able resort. NEWTON HIBBs.