The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-01-27
Couple Decide Work Wasn't
Divided, One Part for Wom-
an and One for Man.
From st. Louis Post,Ditpatch

an and One for Man.
From st. Louis Post-Ditpatch.
One phase of the problem Of the
sexes has been solved on a backwoods
Ozark farm near Rogersville. Mo.
Learned men and women may debate
he proper division Of work between
husband and wife. but Jacob Longman
and his wife, Serillo, Of Rogersville.
have settled the question by their own
experience. Their solution in the Ian
guage of Mrs. Longman. is this:
III tell you what Jake and l have
come to the conclusion that work wasn't
divided off in this world, n part for
women n another for men. We think
both are equal in their ability to do
things. Either car do one part as
we'll as another. 1t all depends on
how they are brought up. Jake and l
have proved that. haven't we"
And their proof is Mrs. Longman do
ing the farm work on 160 acres and her
ecrubbing. sewing, but never touching a
plow or a spade or a pitchfork.
: This has been their system since
they were married in 1883, simply be-
aus Mrs. Longman as a girl always
plowed and reaped and did the other
work Of a farmland, while Jacob as a
youth helped his mother with the cook
Ing. dishwashing and the sewing.
Ever since SerillO Durant became
Mrs. Jacob Longman and the happy cou-
pie o to their Ozark homestead,
1T has been a daily sight to see Mrs.
ongman working in the fields and for
ests and Mr.. Longman going about the
up. doing the endless duties of the
woman's world. People in the neigh
borhood' have long since ceased to
wonder at the strange methods of the
family and now look upon the two in
a mater-of-fact way. as though they
were not neighbors to the only family
of the kind in the United States.
Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Longman seem
to consider their way of living as any
thing worthy Of notice or comment. 1t
suits them, they declare, and they can't
see that 1t is any business OF other
people. However, they are not averse
to talking on the subject, and give
freely their reasons for dividing the
duties Of life in a different manner
from that OF most people.
No, field work is not hard on me"
said Mrs. Longman. II like it. 1t is
much easier for me than the cooking,
sewing and tendin' to the house like
Jake has to do. I was always used to
work out of doors and l don't believe
= AOuA0 SNSA 0koAlN IL ~ Oe SOOpCu w
in the house. I amt like other women
I know. I reckon it is because Of the
way I was brought up"
Tell 'em how you come to git me-"
spoke up the husband, who was with
h wife when interviewed.
mo, l never like to talk about a
bad deal 1 have made" replied Mrs.
Longman, l%aughingly. .
We'll. 1t is a queer thing" said the
husband sI 0naoQ II yyaS Soma So,.k oP
fate that brought 1t about. You see,
Serillo. in the north part Of this state,
was brought up out doors and hated
housework, and l.. in Indiana, was
brought up inside and heartily hated
outdoor work.
when I was 81 years old one Of our
neighboring families decided to move
wagon. It happened that they stopped
at the house of Serillo's father to stay
one night and to look at the country
the following day. They noticed that
there were eight" girls in the family,
but no boys to be seen. They saw Sc
where she had been blowing corn, take
the harness off the mules, put them
away, feed them and proceed to do 9TH
er chores about the barn. They were
told that she was the boy of he place
That interested them greatly, as they
NaQ never Deen accustomed 10 see
women work in the fields. They told
the family that night about my fam
fly. s
"You see, there were no girls in my
fathers household. Their were five
boys. Father was not able to keep a
hired girl all the time, so one of us
boys had to take the place of a girl
It fell to my lot to take the place of q
girl. I went to the field to work
Mother trained me to cook, to sew, tt
clean the house, to wash dishes, ant
to do all the things that farmers wives
have to do. 1t was known over ths
entire country that I could bake lighl
bread equal to that of any
could cut o a dress pattern and max,
q dress as quickly as most OF tn,
women.
lone day I was surprised to get /.
letter from a girl in Missouri telling m,
that she had heard about me. She toll
me a little Of her history and said tina
she wouldn't mind writing to me an,
getting acquainted. Well, after we hs,
written back and forth a good man,
times, I got to feelin' like I'd like to Sc
the girl farmland In Missouri, so
came to this state to look around. TIL
result was that I took SerAllo for bette
and she took me for worse, and b,
heck, here we are, living as happy a