Monday, January 27, 2014

October 13, 1909—excerpt from BACHELOR BESS


Bachelor Bess: The Homesteading Letters of Elizabeth Corey, 1909–1919, contains the letters Bess wrote home to her family after she staked a homesteading claim in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.

October 13, 1909 / Fort Pierre, South Dakota
To: Mrs. M. M. Corey
     "Monday morning I awoke to find it growing colder every minute. By night it was awful cold and I was sick or almost . . . got my feet hot just before noon and wasn't prepared for the consequences-- got chilled coming home. . . .
     "Mrs Nielsen brought my boxes out Monday evening and I got into some warmer duds and got my blankets on my bed so after unpacking some I got a good warm nap and felt as good as new.
     "I had heard them tell how things froze in this [homesteader's] shack but didn't think much of it till I went to wash my face yesterday morning and found I was up against the 'cold hard facts' of the case. Froze up! well I should say! even the tank froze up and the Speer kids have been sliding on the dam."



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