The independent-reporter., 1910-10-13
YOUNG LADY OGCD|ES
LONELY CABIN
How q HoultOn Girl Acquired Yalu-
able Land.

Register of Probate Harry NJ. Briggs
in the Aroostook county probate Of
flee. Today she is the owner of tract
of pine timber in the far off state of
Washington, which she has acquired
by compliance with the homestead
laws of that state and an actual resi-
dence of five years on the property,
and the due performance of the set
tiers duties" as prescribed by the
homestead laws. Incidental to her
residence in the far west she has be-
come the wife of Ernest e. Burns, a
prosperous ranchman in the valley
which lies below her timber tract;
and as Mr.. Burns also went from the
East they are planning to come to
Maine at Thanksgiving to visit their
friends and enjoy wedding trip.
Miss Eastman was born In the
North Aroostook town of Fort FAR
field. and after completing her studies
took up stenography. typewriting and
accounting. She became so expert
that the duties of clerk to the register
of probate were performed by her
with q precision that made the Aroos-
took county probate office one oil the
best regulated of any in the State.
Some of Miss Eastmans brothers had
gone several years ago to Minnesota
where they were engaged in lumber
ing and ranching and she decided that
she would take vacation and go to
visit them. While there she heard OF
the favorable terms which the United
States government were Offering to-
settlers in the state of Washington,
where valuable tracts of pine timber
might be had by settlers who were
willing to comply with the require
ments of the homestead laws. TWO
of her brothers had already gone from
Minnesota to Washington, and SO
Miss Eastman continued her travels
westward, and made claim on "a
splendid tract of pine located at syn
arep, Washington. She has now fui-
filled all the requirements which the
law imposes on settler and has re-
ceiyed a government title to a lot OF
land on which the timber alone Is
conservatively estimated at $S0oo. III
the meantime she has led lie OF
unique interest to an eastern girl anu
In the course of the five years that
she has occupied her little cabin III
the Synarep forest she has entertain
ed at least half dozen OF her lionl-
ton friends who have made the jour
ney across the continent to visit her'
some of them remaining with her 1or
a wear: and one of whom met a
Young man in that country who per-
suaded her to remain as his wife
To gain her title to the property
which was to become such Valu-
able asset to Miss Eastman, she was
Obliged to build cabin on the prop
erty and clear a certain number OF
acres for cultivation. After her land
WAS cleared and her cabin built she
hogan a system of gardening and the
raising of vegetables and small fruits
which she managed with great sue
cess 1t occupied her time during the
summer months, and when winter
came she was allowed by the terms
of her settlement to go to the town
of Riverside, 20 miles away, ana take
in department store re-
every Saturday night 10 the
ranch to spend Sunday in her own
home. She kept her own horse ana
made the Journeys in the saddle as
ia customary in that country
When Miss Eastman lived In Ho1l-
ton she was the life of the sociai SCI
of the village who were known as tne
bachelor girls" and was prominent III
the work of the Congregational
church of Houlton, of which she Is
In Washington she cult
waited the social life of the new couh-
trv and surrounded herself with a
coterie of young people to when her
aastern girl friends as visitors TO her
ranch made a welcome addition from
time to time. She was also manly
interested in the establishment Oh
church near Synarep and the Gazing
of a minister to preach the gospei 10
the people of that new country Some
of her letters to the folks at home tell
of her efforts in this direction. one
of them pictures her as mounted on
her horse riding long distances TO the
outlying ranches collecting the money
for the minister's salary, and general
ly promoting the work of the church'
Her little cabin in the Synafep
woods became unique social center
II was decorated with the things
which she had brought with her from
the East, pictures of her multitude OF
friends both East and West and the
souvenirs of her experiences which
have been many and varied during
the past five years. Her protectors
when she needed them,--if there ever
were such times,-were her two man
ly brothers who were engaged IN
ranching not too far away ana hef
faithful dog She has often saio IN
her letters home that there was never
a moment when the time hung heavy
on her hands. There were always
many activities to engage her atten-
ton, and there was the work or the
ranch to be attended to during the
summer months. Distances were no
barrier to social life in the winter. On
either alone or accompan1-
ed by gay cavalcade of riders she
went far and wide to dances and en-
characteristic of the far
West. and In which she has always
ri