Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-02-02
EXTRACTS FROM THE AUTO
BIOGRAPHY OF
ZANE GREY SWISSHELM
First Newspaper Woman Of
Minnesota.
A Remarkable Woman Of Ante
beIIum Days-1815-1865
CHI AP TIE r XIII.

"Labor-Service or Act."-Age, rs.
Mothers will left everything to trus-
tees, for the use Of Elizabeth and
myself. She had wished my husband
to join her in a suit for the recovery
of fathers city property, and he re-
fused, but signed a deed with me con-
veying my interest to her. This claim
she also willed to her trustees for my
use. He felt himself wronged and
became angry, but had one remedy.
Being the owner OF my person and
services, he had right to wages for
the time spent in nursing mother, and
would file his claim against her exec
utors.
do not know why l should have
been so utterly overwhelmed by this
proposal to executed a law passed by
Christian legislators for the govern
ment Of Christian people-a law which
had never been questioned by any ma
ton, or state, or church, and was in
full force all over the world. Why
should the discovery Of it's existence
curdle my blood, stop my heart-beats,
and send a rush OF burning shame
from forehead to fnger-tip? Why
should l have blushed that my hus
| band was a law-abiding citizen Of the
freest country in the world? why
blame him for acting in harmony with
the canons OF every Christian church
aye, of that one OF which l was
member, and proud Of it's history as
a bulwark Of civil liberty? Was it
any fault of his that "all that she
(the wife) can acquire by her labor
service or act during coverture, be-
longs to her husband?" Certainly not.
Yet that law made me shrink and
think of mothers warning, given SO
long ago. But marriage was life
contract, and God required me to keep
it to the end, and said, when thou
passeth through the fire will be with
thee, and the floods shall not over
flow thee" l could not bear to have
bill sent to mothers executors for
my wages, but I could compromise,
| and l did
He returned to Louisville, sold the
goods, went on a trading-boat, and
joined Samuel in Little Rock. While
he was there Samuel died-died a
Presbyterian, and left this message
for me:
Tell sister Jane I will meet her
in heaven"
This my husband transmitted to
| me, and was deeply grieved and much
softened by his brothers death.
Rev. Isaiah Niblock, of Butler, Pa:
! distant relative and very near friend
asked me to take charge of the But
| Ter Seminary and become his guest.
| My salary would be twenty-five doll
ars a month, and this was muniflcent.
Elizabeth went to Pittsburg to school.
and to Butler, where my success was
complete and I very happy. Among
my pupils were two daughters of my
| old patron, Judge Braden. One of
these, little Mamie, was full of pleas
| ant surprises, and drought down the
house" during examination, by recit-
ing a country girls account of her
presentation at court in which occurs
this stanza:
"And there the King and were stand
ing
Face and face together;
I said, How is your Majesty?
| It's mighty pleasant weather.
| By Nannie's way Of giving the lines,
they were SO fixed on my memory as
to be often mingled with solemn rev
cries in after years.
Petitions were presented in the
Pennsylvania Legislature for t h e
abolition Of capital punishment. Sen
ator Sullivan, chairman of the com
mittee to which they we're referred
wrote to Mr. Niblock for the scripture
view. He was i'll and requested me
to answer, which l did, and Mr.. Sulli.
van drew literally from my argu-
ments in his report against granting
the petitions. The report was attack
ed, and defended it in several letters
/ published in Butler paper-anony.
mously-and this was my first appear.
ance in print, except a short letter
| published by George D. Prentiss, in
the Louisville Journal, of which 1 re.
member nothing, save the strange
ness Of seeing my thoughts in print.