Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-06
WOMEN At WORK
ON CLAIM ALONE
ARE II AND 21 RESPECTIVELY,
AND NOT AFRAID
Walk Eighty Miles to Enter Land
and Propose to Hold It-Reared
In South Dakota, Put Up
with Diseomforts
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
CHAMBERLAIN s. D., Nov. s.
Out on the broad and level prairie,
where only the tall, waving grass is
oompanionable, an old woman and her
daughter are each building a home.
Their story is one Of Incredible pluck
This mother and daughter the one old
and emaciated, the other young and
strong, walked all the way from the
land office here to the place where
their claims lay, forty miles, because
they did not feel able to hire a stage
and had no means of conveyance Of
their own. After locating the land
they walked back to this place to en-
ter on the land. They presented them
selves at the local land office and
made known their wants.
The clerk looked at them curiously
and smiled. do you mean" he said
that you two are going to take up
land in the lonely Paradise valley?"
Yes" was the simple reply.
"Oh, I see. Your men folks. 1 sup
pose, are working on the land and
have sent you here to enter upon it."
I'VE haven't any men folks" ex-
planned the elder woman.
What" exclaimed the surprised
clerk. you have no sons or brothers?
Beg pardon, l suppose you are going
to hire the work done?" and with the
air of an important parsonage he
opened large book.
Will Do Work Alone
With smile on her worn face, the
mother took a pen, remarking as she
did: mo, we have no money to hire
work, but will do all ourselves"
The clerk appeared incredulous. The
idea of this gray-haired woman and
her pretty daughter going into a wild
and strange land with no money or
friends, to work, was new to him and
absolutely beyond belief.
The two entries on the big book at
the land office show the names of
these two women to be Elizabeth Fred
ericks and Lizzie Fredericks, the lat
ter being the daughter.
The mother is II, the daughter 21
years old and pretty. The mother was
born in Switzerland. AS a girl she
migrated to America, and with her
parents lived some months in New
York city, later journeying to Illinois,
in Kane county There she was mar
ried and the daughter born. Then
came period of reverses. The father
died and misfortune came. Last year
and said to her daughter, LET us go
west. They say there are government
lands to be given away in South Da-
kota." The daughter merely said, eve
will CO."
So with a handful of belongings the
two women stepped off the train here.
The very next day they went to the
land office to see where nearest lands
free for entry were located. Learning
that they were forty miles away they
were nearly heartbroken, for their
little money had dwindled. So, in or
der to save it. they walked the forty
miles and back.
In GIee at Finding Home
Again they presented themselves at
the land. office, and, with triumphant
hidden treasure, confided to the clerk
that they had found home. When
the recording was completed they re-
maned in the city long enough to
make a few necessary purchases, and
again set out for their new home
Since that time one or the other has
been on the homestead continually.
The mother has made a number of
trips to this place to buy and carry
back clothing and provisions.
The work of these two women dur
ing the past seven months seems in
credible. They have broken 100 acres
of the two claims built small cabin
and dug a WE'LL They have asked for
no assistance. They have the admira-
tion of every one who has heard their
story. Men and boys from all over