Evening star., 1901-08-10
IN HARVEST TIME
Difficult to Get Kitchen Helpers in
Kansas Then.
WIVES AND DAUGHTERS DO THE WORK
College Girls Are Not Above Cook
ing for Harvesters.
NO OTHER WAY OUT OF 1T

Written for The Evening Star.
Some of the daughters Of Kansas have
thrust so much greatness upon that sunny
old state by their public work that they
overshadow the vast number who, in other
ways, have contributed so largely to its
upbuilding.
Out over the vast wheat fields, where the
dew and the sun WOO from Mother Earth
the countless tiny yellow nuggets that are
more precious than gold. is scattered an
| army Of noble women who are builders of
homes and helpmates Of man. They are
| the mothers, wives, daughters and sisters
of the independent and stalwart Kansas
farmer men, and many are their trials and
tribulations.
When the wheat is ripe the Kansas far
| mer man generally remarks in an off-hand
manner to the wife of his bosom: well,
mother, 1 will begin cutting the day after
tomorrow" Mother is not taken by
surprise, for she knows when the golden
wheat heads are heavy enough to cut and
has been preparing herself for some days.
hunting up extra table linen and dishes and
sorting out the bedding used in harvest
time, for all harvesters do not furnish
their own quilts and blankets and sleep in
the hay, although great many do.
The handy gasoline stove is pushed aside,
a fire started in the big range, and mother
anu &lTlS proceed TO Ddke HUuutdluS Va
bread, cake and pies and boil numerous
hams Mother Is fortunate II she has
buxom girls Of her own to lend hand, for
1t is almost impossible to get women to
indeed, than to get men to help the farmer.
Mother will not have to work herself
into sick bed and the girls will be ahead
new buggy, piano or year at some uni
versity.
That's the Reason.
Just across the road Farmer Johns folks
are having time with the "help" ques-
ton. Their Barbara, the daughter Of
thrifty Russian neighbor, has just announc-
ed: "Mees John, l must go way home to-
morrow
Tomorrow, Barbara. Why, we are to
have the harvesters tomorrow. You must
not think of going" gasps the frightened
Mrs. John, for she is not very strong
woman and has no daughters to call to
her assistance. You must be joking, Bar
bara!'
mo, Mees john mine fader send for me.
He mus cut his wheat dis week"
But, Barbara" pleads Mrs. John, ''you
have nine sisters. they can help Pa your our
father, and you promised when hlreo you
to stay with me over harvest.
ia, Mees John, but mine fader did not
know he would have so good wheat, ana ne
want me to drive de header box, un save
tree dollars de day. Four OBJ us girls drive
de header boxes, und four oh us stack, un
Mary help de mutter cook. See, Mees
John?'
through the harvest from cutting to
'threshing' cooked for the harvesters with
only the help Of ten-year-oid boy.
Long Hours at 1T.
Cooking for harvesters means hard work
and long hours. There is no corner gro
Gerry to run to for a can Of this or box OF
that. The vegetables must be dug, picked
or pulled, prepared and cooked Bread
cakes and pies must be baked. and plenty
Of them, for there Is no bakery at hand
that may be called upon in case OF short
ness in the pantry. Breakfast must be had
before daylight; then light lunch sent out
to the field at 10 o'clock-a heavy dinner at
noon-lunch or some cooling drink sent to
the field again about 3 o'clock, and heavy
supper prepared between o'clock and T.
Then, often in case of a coming Storm or
If it has been too hot to work Tor several
hours in the afternoon, and the harvesters
work until 8, there Is An extra snack to
set up; then, the mountains OF dishes are
to be washed and the dozens OF little
fore the weary head can seek its pillow.
Is it possible for one woman to get
through with so much hard work?
Yes, and the women Of Kansas who have
faced the harvest cooking alone for years
until the mortgage was raised are count
less Perhaps they are old and worn before
their time, perhaps they are broken In
strength and health. but they have helped
to make the state good place for their
children to live In, to stick to and to die in
Hard Problem to Solve.
The struggle is over now, and the Kansas
farmer, as a rule, can afford to keep help
for his wife, but the only thing that trou-
hles him now is where to find this help.
Not many years ago the Russian. Bo-
hemian and other poor farmers, who had
more girls than dollars were very glad to
have them "hire out" but now, when so
many years have been good ones, and no
mortgages hang like dark clouds over the
farms, the girls are needed at home, for
they very often do a mans work, especially
In harvest time. thereby saving to the fam
lily fund good deal more than their wages
outside would amount to.
There are a great many Russian settlers.
They are thrifty people and soon become
Independent. The great wheat crops which
have blessed Kansas for the last three or
four years have made many of them rich,
and it is almost impossible to get a Russian
maid of-all-work now. Apropos Of this
particular friend Of the writer had little
Russian maid, Katie" for nearly ten
years. and fully expected to keep her for
"sit up with the boys" but alas! this last
harvest time Katie folded her tent and
silently stole away" She was quite diff
ferent looking damsel in her snug-itting,
up-IO-udIS uTSSS dIu peuO"eTeu udI ITOu
the funny little girl In full skirts and short
sack-that with every movement of Katie's
plump arms revealed the not very dainty
chemise made OF flour bags-stiu plainly
stamped with the miller's name
Katie has gone!" walled her mistress.
"Gone after all my trouble with her. It
took me whole year to teach her to cook,
but she had become a perfect jewel"
"And she has left you after ten years.
After all you have done for her." said.
Eyes. She came to me and said: 'Mees
Jones, I mus leave you; my fader wants
me to drive de header box After I had
come out of my swoon 1 said: Katie, you
know my girls are coming home from col
lege tonight, and the harvesters will be
here What shall I dor
You mus make de girls work, dat's all.
A pleasant