The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-11-11
.How I ACCUMULATED A COMPETENCE"

Twenty years ago was left a
widow, with four small children, my
husband having died of consumption.
We owned forty acres ofland, slightly
improved, in Missouri. This I sold
for six hundred dollars, of which I
paid three hundred dollars for doc
tors bills and debts contracted during
my husbands illness.
My father, who some years before
had invested heavily in lands near ST..
Joseph, and lost them through litiga-
tion over the title, was just starting
West, aged and poor, to become a
pioneer in the new State of Kansas.
Having team and wagon, I decided
to go with him so, turning my at
tention to camping necessities, pre-
pared for the trip.
In my fathers family there were
two younger sisters and brother.
We reached our destination the last
of May, / having helped my sisters in
their work in exchange for the help
I needed with my team. On our ar
rival, I bought a homestead for one
hundred dollars, and my children and
I became residents in a log house.
1t was very lonely and discouraged
woman who put her children to bed
that first night, while the mournful
wall of the coyotes sounded over the
prairie.
We were located upon a little stream
called Oak Creek, and the timber
proved another of our blessings, the
deep banks furnishing wind break
for Our stock in winter. Ny supply
of money had now dwindled to sew
enty-fve dollars. By careful manage
ment our clothing would suffice us
until near spring therefore, food and
| a supply of fuel for winter were our
principal concern. Hiring some sod
I broken, we were able early in June to
plant such vegetables as do we'll in
new ground. Buying a dozen chick
ems, small pig and COW cut down
my cash supply, which became SO
dwindled that passed many anxious
days. But our garden yielded us
something in the fall, and corn-bread
and milk is healthful diet for healthy
stomachs.
Through interchange of work, and
some of the pumpkins and squashes
from my garden, my brother was paid
to cut the heavy wood for my winter S
supply. My children and cut and
shocked the small crop of poorly de-
veloped corn. It being an open
winter, this, with the tall grass, which
had not before been grazed, enabled
our stock to live through the winter.
A bitter experience was that winter,
yet we came out in the spring well
and with few of our precious dollars.
Ny little daughter, now grown very
deft and faithful, could be left certain
days of the week to act as little mother
to the other children, while helped
sick neighbor, who had five partly
grown and growing sons, and this,
with the addition of trees they needed
for fuel, paid for the extra breaking
and the blowing Of my land.
Our corn, vegetables and melons
out, we worked with a will again to
prepare for the common dread of the
poor-winter. We tended the crop,
and raised number of chickens, and
I was so fortunate as to sell some
more timber. Our corn did fairly
well, and by autumn we were much
better prepared to get through until
spring than in the previous year, ex-
cept for cash, and in that we were
stranded indeed. But we took on,
own corn to mill that winter, and
once in while there were dozer
eggs or pound of butter to sell al
the country store, and to the store.
keeper we hired our team for freight
ing, as his small supply of goods must
be hauled several miles. This brought
us feed for our horses, and something
additional.
We partly covered a bank, for pro
lection for our stock, to which fine
spring calf had been added, put uT
perches for our five dozen chickens
and so struggled through to another
spring, when by like efforts we added
to Our possessions. Our chicken.
then became a source of income, aut
we had another spring calf SO wher
our pair of turkeys, hatched the pre-
vious summer from eggs bought of {
neighbor, brought us ten nice young
turkeys, fed on grasshoppers and in
sects. we felt that with Our stock W.
could manage to live.
Five years we struggled on, anC
then my boys were able to do plow
( ing and planting, and we had little
herd of cattle and quite poultr,
farm.
Having some education, I had neve
ceased to teach my children in m,
scant leisure time, and now they wer'
given the benefit of the district school
while we boarded the teacher, anothe
aid financially, who, being womal
of character and education, added al
uplift and charm to our home life tha
hitherto had been unknown.
But drought and hot winds shriv
eled our corn, our little herd OF cattl
had to be sold at sacrifice, excep
two milk COWS, and the feed for ou
stock must be bought, as well as foo'
for ourselves. Here were more anx