Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-03-01
EXTRACTS FROM THE AUTO
BIOGRAPHY OF,
ZANE GREY SWISSHELM
First Newspaper Woman Of
Minnesota.
A Remarkable Woman Of Ante.
beIIum Days-1815-1965

~ nemarka0Je woman OF AOIoe
| beIium Days-1815-1s65
CHAPTER XIV.
| Willows by the Water-courses.
Age q.
! Pennsylvania customs made it un-
manly for man or boy to aid any
woman, even mother or wife, in any
hard work with which farms abounded
at that time. Dairy work, candle and
sausage making were done by woman,
| and any innovation was met with
| sneers. I stubbornly refused to yield
| altogether to a time-honored code,
| which required women ito perform
| outdoor drudgery, often while men
sat in the house, and soon had the
| sympathy of our own boys; for it
was often impossible to obtain any
domestic help, though Pittsburg "char-
| table" people supported hundreds of
women in idleness who might have
had homes and wages in farm-houses.
Much of the natural beauty of
| Swissvale had been destroyed by pio-
| neer improvements, which I sought
| in some degree to replace. loved
the woods, and with my little grub
bing-hoe transplanted many wild and
beautiful things. This my mother
in-law did not approve, as her love
for the beautiful was satisfied by a
flower border in the garden. One
| day she said:
James, 1 would not have that
willow in that corner. The roots will
get into the race. It is the real basket
willow, and if you cut it into stubs
| and stick them in the swamp, you
can sell enough willow to buy all
your Baskets"
replied:
Grandmother, you forget that is
my tree; want it to drape that bare
| knoll. The roots will run below the
bed of the race. The boys can get
| plenty of stubs at Flemmings."
She only replied by a humph!"
and next day I discovered my tree
had been sawed into pieces and plan
ted in the swamp. Words would not re-
| store it, and l wasted none; but
| next morning rose early, and
Ratchet in hand, went to the parent
tree, climbed on a fence and cut off
limb, which dragged home, feeling
glad that anything had brought me
a walk on such glorious morning.
l planted the main stock in that cor
ner, then put about a hundred twigs
in the swamp for basket willow. In a
few days my second tree disappeared,
and brought another, for tree there
was indispensable, and I hoped to
make my husband see as I did, and
thought had won his consent to will
lows. So went up and down the race
and runs, putting in .twigs, and think
ing of the willows by the water
courses" and Israels lament:
"By BabePs streams we sat and wept
| When Zion we thought or,
In midst thereof we hanged our harps
The willow trees upon"
was banished from my Zion, never
permitted to hear the teachings of my
old pastor, for which my soul painted
as the thirsty hart for the water
brooks, and in my Babylon I wanted
willows. Some of my paintings were
permitted to remain, and Swissvale is
now noted for it's magnificent willows
but that main tree was chopped up
and burned. In it's stead I planted a
young chestnut, where it still stands,
a thing of beauty and joy to the boys
| OH APTER XVI.
| u0 VdIclS OlOW
The plans for my conversion seemed
to be aided by our coming to the farm,
as fitted up the prophets chamber
to entertain my husbands friends in
his house. There were two preachers
in the circuit. The eldest, plain,
blunt man, began on his first visit to
pelt me with problems about imam
made ministers" and Calvinism: I re-
| MI 01o ~ hro
ham, Jacob and the entire Jewish ma
ton, and! by quoting the 9Th chapter
of Romans, until he seemed to de-
spair and came no more, for they could
not accept my hospitality while l re-
fused their religion. The other cir
cult rider was young, handsome and
Jealous, and was doing great work
in converting young girls. On his first
visit I thought him rude. On his sec
ond, he inquired at table:
els this the place where they put
onions into everything?"
| I replied that we used none in tea
or coffee. When I joined him and my
hand around the room to point out its
decorations and said:
Brother James tells me that this
is all your work. 1t is quite wonder
full, and now, sister, what a pity it is
that you will not turn your attention
to religion. You seem to do every
thing so WE'LL"
He motioned as if to lay his hand
on my shoulder. l drew back and
said:
Excuse me, sir, but am not your
sister; and as for your religion you
remind me with it of Doctor Jaynes
and his hair tonic"
"How so, sister,"
again pardon, but I am not your
sister. Doctor Jaynes uses large
part of his column to persuade us that
it is good to have good hair. No one
disputes that, and he should prove
that his tonic will bring good hair
So you talk of the Importance of re
igion. No one disputes this, and il
is your business to prove that the nos
trum you peddle is religion. I say
it is not. It is a system of will wor
ship. Religion is obedience to Gods
law. You teach people that they can
and do, obey this law perfectly, while
they do not know it. Your church ha:
no bibles in her pews, few in her fam
lilies, and these unread: Preacher:
and all, not one in twenty can repea
the ten commandments. You are blint
leaders of the blind, and must all fal
into the ditch, destroyed for lack O.
knowledge!"
That week he proposed to abandon
the Swissvale Westinghouse, ant