The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-08-21
Interesting Montana Letter.

Inc following Interesting letleF from
Montana, was written by Miss Viola
Swartz, a former well known resi-
dent of this county, to her friend,
! Miss Maggie Whistler, and we are
kindly permitted to publish it, as
Miss Swartz has many friends here
who will be pleased to hear from her.
Iona, Montana, Aug. Z, 1913.
Dear Maggie: At last / have time
and thoughts enough to answer your
most welcome letter which l received
some time ago.
My school was out week ago
today, | having taught the preced-
ing Saturday in order to bring it out
on that day so that could come into
FIT. Benton on the stage on Friday
and out here to my claim, or ranch
as they call the farms out here, on
Saturday. My girl friends school
was out the preceding Friday and she
came to Benton on the following
Saturday and on out here on Mon
day. She filed on quarter just one
and one-half miles south east Of me
and then went back to Benton on
Tuesday and waited until l came in
on Friday. Then we came out to my
place together and l was glad she
did that way for it certainly would
have been lonesome for me to have
come out here alone and | do not
know what l would have done it l
should have had to stay alone the
first night for it was certainly start
ling to be out on the lone prairie
with not a house or light in sight.
We could hardly content ourselves to
go to bed, but we finally did and now
we do not think anything about it.
l had nice school of 4 children
up in the Highwood mountains and
had also nice time. l had only
two months of school, but it was long
enough to get acquainted with quite
a few people and to see and enjoy
the beautiful scenery of that region.
The clerk of the school board was
an old bachelor and of course be-
came very attentive. Ha! Ha!
A flock of $500 sheep came in
on the quarters just north and west
of me this morning and Elsa and l
got good look at them. 1t was
quite curiosity to see so many to-
gether. The sheep herder, young
German, came to the house and
stood in front of the door, which was
open, and talked to us for so long
that we got tired of him, but we did
not say anything for we knew how
lonely he gets with no one to talk
to for days at time and the only
company he has is his dogs and his
sheep.
1t has been quite warm here ever
since the latter part of July, but the
nights are cool enough for two COW
ers over you when in bed. 1t is
also very dry out here and We need
rain badly and sincerely hope that
we will get good rain soon for Elsa
and l want to wash. We have to
have all of our water hauled in a
barrel and we have to be quite saw
ing of it when we do get a barrelful.
We pay from soc to $1.OO per bar
rel for hauling and we use a bar
relful in week and half. They
have plenty of rain in the noun
famous regions and in the river val
leys but out on the benches or prair-
les there is not much rainfall. l am
going to have cistern dug and fill
it with snow water when the snow
comes. l wish you could see me in
my little 14x16 house and enjoy the
leisurely life which we are leading.
1t gets quite monotonous if we stay
at home all the time but we run off
to the neighbors once in a while
and spend the afternoon and once in
a while a neighbor will drop in to
see us and that helps to pass the
time away.
We can see the mountains in all
directions from us and they are very
pretty in the morning and evening.
l did not get to go up among them
when l was in Highwood. l am go
ing anyhow if l ever go back out
there and 1 think l will go next
spring if nothing happens.
Well Maggie l suppose you will be
going to Chicago soon and will be
hard at work again in the little
village of Weldon. Write me long
letter for l certainly will appreciate
it. Give my love to your father and
mother.
Your friend as ever,
Viola S.