Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-16
MUSIC TEACHING TO FARMING
How an Eastern Woman Took a
Claim in Montana and Made
a stake


stake.
-Four years ago possessed Just
S,6OS Today I have been offered SlO,-
900 for my property, all made from in
vestng my sixteen hundred" The
speaker was a woman or about 80, who
until a few years ago supported her
mother and herself by teaching music
my Investment was a tract of forty
six acres of the land reclaimed by irri-
cation in Montana. had been teaching
music for more than ten years and was
getting 5000 year with room and board
for nine months. Not being a concert
performer 1 was considered to be doing
very well.
1T required a lot of self denial for my
mother and me to save $50 a year out
of my small salary, with every expense
to pay for three months out of the
twelve. I think we had both made up
our minds TO jog along to the end of our
days on my salary when l was inspired
to become a homeseeker and take my
chances with a farm.
81 was visiting a pupil in Montana
and hearing so much talk about the re-
claimed land 1 became interested. My
mother was not with me, so 1 wrote her
my intentions and then set out to Join
the homeseekers. The day after 1 re-
celved my allotment and had all the
papers in my possession I received her
answer to that letter and she sternly
forbade my wasting our hard earned
savings in such mad scheme. 1t was
a year before she would consent to come
out and join me.
Though 1 was lonely, 1 don't know
but this happened for the best It was
a rough life at first, though my health
improved by It, Beginning in the sum
mer 1 had time to have small house
built and get my land cleared before
the next planting time 1t was covered
with sage brush, which Is harder TO
clear than one would suppose. 1 set
out ten acres in apple trees and put
| thirty-three In wheat and oats. With
the three acres about the house re-
| served for gardens and farm buildings
this was the entire tract.
THAT wheat produced fifty bushels
to the acre and the oats sixty. Between
my apple trees 1 set out five thousand
strawberry plants and the rest of the
apple land was planted in sugar beets
and garden vegetables. cleared some
thing more than 500 on the strawber-
| ries and as much more on the beets
The vegetables did WE'LL but being green
in the business / had not chosen, wisely
as to variety.
Had 1t not been that the owner of a
nearby tract was inspired to put up dill
pickles, / believe my cucumbers would
have been a dead loss He bought all
that I could give him at cents a pound.
That may not sound like much, but II is
| a lot more than the cost OF production
THE second year planted my wheat
and oats tract I'm sugar beets. The aver
age yield was twelve tons 20 an acre and
| the average selling price S. a ton. NY
Strawberries gave me a better profit the
second year. and so did the vegetables be-
| tween my apple trees. The apple trees
are growing beautifully and have borne a
| light crop which sold to advantage
though OF course the amount is INSULT
Client when taken alone.
"Of course I have to work hard and
both early and late. 1 was careful at
first TO be as economical as possible. To
avoid debt I could only afford to build
house OF two rooms with a loft over
head, which was the sleeping place that
first year of my only companion.
HE was IL when no came out TO me
soon after ! became a settler. His
mother had been my laund-ess for a
number Of years, SO the boy and were
very well acquainted. When my mother
decided to remain with the friends with
whom she had always boarded. / wrote
for the boy. lie had gone to work that
summer for the first time on a delivery
wagon His mother allowed me to have
him. with the understanding that half
of his wages should be sent to her each
month.
| Il couldn't have wanted a better as
sistant than he proved himself to be. lie
didn't go TO school that year, but the
next, as soon as a school opened near us.
insisted. that he attend. He kept up
with his class and at the same time man
aged to help me so much that he fully
earned his wages.
when planting time came ne left
school OF his own accord and only re-
turned when the press OF work has
passed. He had managed to keep up in
his studies by working after dark ny
mother came out during the second year,
so OF course that made II somewhat easier
for both the hoy and me-
I'VE now have a comfortable house OF
Jure. which we use as kitchen and laun-
dry. Where at first my stable only housed
one horse II now accommodates six and
three cows. We have several dozen hens
as many turkeys and almost as many
geese and ducks. The poultry Is my
mothers particular care and she makes
them pay for their keep. During the last
year they have yielded her a handsome
profit. II my apples yield as those OF
other orchards In my nelghborhood do l
expect to have my present income in
creased by at least 5000 a year II is
because OF the fine condition Of my apple
trees that am getting 50 many offers
from buyeTh"-NeW York q