The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-04
WOMEN RANCHER {
An Ex-Teacher, Former Actress
and an Heiress.
WERE TIRED OF THE OLD LIFE
They Have Become Successful
e., Fruit and Cattle Raisers, b

rotary Of Agriculture Wilson's comment on |
the highly successful way three women man
aged their vineyards in Fresno, Cal. Secre- |
tary Wilson had heard of their interesting
work and made a trip to their farms when he
visited the Pacific coast.
These women vineyardsts are Miss Lucy
Hatch, formerly school teacher Miss Mel
lie Boyd, an actress, and Mrs Walter N.
Sherman, a Philadelphia heiress.
Some years ago each became tired of her
surroundings and resolved to try farming. !
They knew absolutely nothing of it's require
ments when they began, and the surround
ing farmers laughed and joked at their frs.
efforts. To-day their vineyards are the mod
els of California, and their brands of rasins, |
butter, olive oil and canned goods are prize
winners at fairs and expositions. ..'- L !
Now the farmers, instead Of testing at their
experiments visit their places for pointers,
and not only invite them to, read papers be-
fore their annual gatherings, but elect them
to office. Mrs. Sherman is president Of the
Woman's Horticultural Society of California.
She helped draw up the important papers for
the first rasin- growers association.
Some twenty years ago large tracts Of land
in the San Joaquin valley were broken up
into small holdings by group of Spectators,
who blazoned far and wide the possibilities
of the section fruit Eden. "A quartet Of
eastern school teachers caught the enthusi-
asm and resolved to drop teaching and try
the calm delights of farming as pictured
| in the alluring prospectus.
1t was decided that two Of them should go
to California and start a vineyard, while two
remained at home to teach school and send
their savings to help the two farmers i'm
prove the land. In this wise Miss Lucy
Hatch and Miss M. f. Austin came to Cali
fornia and bought 100 acres Of land.
1t did not take the two stay -at-homes very
| long to get tired of sending money out west
| to keep alive the slow growing vineyard. At
the end of the year they became discouraged
and sold out their interests to Miss Hatch
and Miss Austin. So these two women, who
| had spent their early womanhood teaching
IN New England private schools, started in
| to prove that women pedagogues could be-
| come practical agriculturists.
With no previous training, and with only
| the Invaluable lessons thrust upon every
woman wage Garner, they began their work
| Gradually their vineyard and Its raisins be-
gan to win name. So great WAS their ulti-
mate success that when Colonel Forsyth, one
| OF the largest raisin shippers in California
marketed his first crop, he bought the use Of
their brand, for at that time the high-class
eastern dealers would buy no other raisin
Since Miss Austn's death Miss Hatch has
| labored alone, but the vineyard retains It's
excellent standard, Hedge row.
| Perhaps the most picturesque figure in this
| group Of unusual women is Miss Nellie Boyd.
Her vineyard Of forty acres seems small COM
pared with the broad lands over which Mrs
Sherman and Miss Hatch rule. But in the
light of Miss Boyd's past her success as a
practical vineyardlst is most surprising.
/ New York theater-goers of: fifteen years ago
may remember Nellie Boyd's positively fare
| we'll appearance" For many years she had
been Days leading soubrette. One day she
announced during a rehearsal that she was
going to resign at the end of the run of the
play to try ranching in California
At that time Miss Hatch and Miss Austin
had been delving away and improving their
vineyard for ten years The ranchmen had
In measure, been educated ND to "wimmin
farmers" and thought that good teachers
might somehow make purity good truck rails
ers, but when they learned that Nellie Boyd
was an actress, they declared that it must be
| some new stage joke. Who ever heard OF an
| actress becoming a farmer?
| For "a week she regarded suspiciously
as being the advance agent of some fresh
theatrical advertising scheme. At the end
OF that time she forever laid at rest all these
wild guesses about her intentions. Having
looked over the places, she selected one, and
settled down to the arduous work Eof making
it pay.
Before the country gossips had time to re-
cover from this shock they were treated to an
other thrill. A young woman quietly slipped
into Fresno. looked at the available ranches
whereabouts, and bought a 5S6-acre tract The
price $2S001 That just suited the sur
rounding farmers.
This new asoirant DIN the field was Miss
Minna de Witt Eshleuan of Philadelphia, now
the wife of DIR. Walter n. Sherman. A de-
cade ago, her father, .lDr. Isaac S. Eshleman
was one of PhiladelDha's prominent physi-
clans. When DR.. Eshleman's health failed
he determined to retire from practice and
seek relief in California. Shortly after his
arrival he gave each Of his two daughters
$50, 000
| make the most of it, he admonished the
? | DIR II that IN 1894 without ha m
: petus of stern necessity, and unschoold in
farm life, Minna Eshleman bought 5S6 acres
of practically unmoroved land near Fresno.
In course of time she developed its possibil-
ties, added more land, and combined various
enterprises with it, until now the Minnawawa
ranch with tho industries it represents could
not be bought for SITS, 600.
Women of such rare personality could not
fail to create "atmosDhere' that would
rebound to the general good. During the
picking season there are several thousand
hands employed on the various large and
}; small vineyards that girdle Fresno. Many OF
= the women laborers are owners of small hold.
), ings, and while waiting for their vines to beal
they earn money picking fruit by the day
The average intelligence among them is much
higher than would be expected.
a To bring these workers in touch with each
| other and give them common meeting place
| the owners of Hedge generously bought
a centrally located building, that was con
verted into a colony hall, where the people
= hold meetings and give entertainments. Mis-:
: Hatch still allows them the of the build
Iing rental free.
~ And here Nellie Boyd has had a chance
to exercise the talents that once charmed
: the theater-going public She is Away:
d ready to train the young people in play
- and many raw country youth and mait
g have gained poise and manner through thi,
;. training, which is a polishing process they
o cannot resent. Miss Boyd has not only acted
5. and served stage manager for the country
: side, but no big Fresno holiday entertain
}, ment is attempted without her assistance.
9 Mrs. Sherman has taught the struggling
8 settlers how to beautify their little homes
8 without expanding money. From the famou:
: rose gardens of Minnawawa, with its 18O
d rose bushes, embracing 25e varieties, slip.
o are periodically cut and distributed amont
n these people. Many rough board cottag,
+ owes it's picturesque tangle Of vines and it.
t refreshing little flower garden to the influence
y Of Mrs. Sherman.
a Mrs. Sherman not only raises peaches ant
= apricots on her own farm, but buys I'D thu
# crops Of other orchards to feed the increas
It ing demand Of her cannery output. She find
r that by personally experimenting the putin,
# up of the fruit from 500 to $500 is saved ol
e every car load. ~,z >.ss,..- -
! The big Minnawawa dairy supplies the but
y ter to stock a creamery in Fresno and keel
1T two peddling wagons going In the Gamer
| nno :