i need to find a new tangent
Dakota Exemption Laws. Among the questions now agitating the press and people of Dakota, none is of more importance than that of our statutes regarding exemption from execution for debt. As everybody knows, under the present law there is practically no such thing as collection of debt by legal process. In other States we hear Dakota spoken of as the great asylum for defaulting debtors; and so marked are the evils of this system that capital is wary in taking risks in this Territory, and credit correspondingly difficult to obtain. Instances are on record of the removal of heavy capital from Dakota, for the reason that the losses incurred because of exemption were so numerous as to destroy the profits of business.

But the phase of this evil which has brought it into present prominence is the handle which is made of it by the congressional opponents to Dakota's division and admission. The Democratic leader of the opposition urges the exemption laws as sufficient reason for refusing to create a sovereign State whose statute books should bear such laws, as it would then be forever beyond the power of congress to interfere. As far as he and his followers are concerned, the subterfuge is pitifully thin, and the real animus of their opposition lies in the fact that the new state would be Republican; but this does not let us out. By our laws we place in the enemy's hands a powerful weapon, one against which we have no adequate defense. The fact that his armor may be full of holes makes it all the more important that our won should be flawless.

The Republican opposition came from the Yankton county bonds, the settlement of which has been satisfactorily provided for; and the only ostensible ground of opposition now is the exemption law grievance. Let our legislature, now in session, hasten to amend this law, striking from the enemy's hands their only remaining weapon. When that is down we shall see if the opposition dare show its hand and avow its real purpose -- simply to prevent the addition of three to the Republican strength in congress and the electoral college.
- posted by pioneergirl at 11:04 PM

 
good-bye
Announcement from Jake Hopp, upon his leaving the newspaper business. The "Mr. Power" mentioned is none other than Charley Power, Mary Power's younger brother. Both had left De Smet and had been working together in Idaho for ten years at the time of Mr. Hopp's change in occupation.

The undersigned, who has been the main "push" behind the pencil on this journal for nearly ten years, this week lays down the Faber to take up the hardware business. We leave the editorial chair to our partner, Mr. Power, who has been with us ever since taking hold of the NEWS, having charge of the mechanical department. The writer has been in the newspaper business since 1879, with an intermission of about sixteen months, and it is with considerable regret that we step down and out. We have leased our interest to Mr. Power.

With the generous and kind assistance of the advertisers and subscribers this firm has been able to make of the NEWS the leading and neatest local newspaper in the country. Our exchanges have told us so time and again, and right here we wish to thank them for their kindly expressions. We may have said some things and made enemies, but who of us have not? If mistakes have been made, they have been of the head and not of the heart. It is with regret we say good-bye to our many friends and now we realize how weak and vain are words in expressing feelings. Should we ever feel like retracing our steps we know we have friends who will welcome us back. If at any time you visit our new location, please pull our latch-string.

Good-bye.

Sincerely,
J.W. Hopp, January 24, 1902

- posted by pioneergirl at 12:23 AM

 
great american road trip

Short notice, but the episode "The Heartland" of NBC's televison competitive reality series Great American Road Trip is on tonight! Cutting and pasting some blurbs below:

ADVENTURE AND COMPETITION PREVAIL AS SIX REMAINING FAMILIES DEPART MISSOURI AND HEAD INTO KANSAS, OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS - The families leave Missouri and head out into the prairies of Kansas and Oklahoma to see buffalo and the actual setting of "Little House on the Prairie." The Dads must step up to the plate at the "King of the Road" BBQ challenge. The chefs whose burgers do not stand up to the family taste test will face the "End of the Road" challenge where one family's journey will end.

"Great American Road Trip," from BBC Worldwide, is a hilarious and relatable new series where seven families from divergent backgrounds are selected to take the journey of a lifetime. Over eight episodes, the families will travel through cities large and small, all while competing in a medley of humorous challenges that will ultimately lead one family to victory.

These comical, clever challenges are set against iconic American backdrops like the majestic Grand Canyon and the regal Washington Monument. Along the way, our families and our viewers will also discover quirky American landmarks, ranging from the World's Largest Chair to a sneaker the size of a car. Although family fun is the centerpiece of the show, the competition is real and one family will be eliminated each week based on their performance in the challenges. Ultimately, only one family will return home with a dream prize that perfectly complements their extraordinary and memorable summer vacation.
- posted by pioneergirl at 6:36 PM

 
meet me, oh meet me
According to Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the Glorious Fourth after the Hard Winter, the sun "rose shining into the clearest of skies" and it seemed to know that this was the sort of a day for a celebration. But, as Ma pointed out, they couldn't very well have a picnic without fried chicken. And Pa noted that the town wasn't far enough along to have a picnic celebration, but maybe there would be one the next year.

There was no picnic in 1881, but there also weren't the horse races, fire crackers, or outdoor celebration that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in Little Town on the Prairie (Chapter 8). That remembered Fourth of July celebration surely took place at a later date or - more likely - was a composite of memories; in 1881, it rained in De Smet, and the day's activities took place in Mr. Fuller's unfinished hardware store building in town. There was a speech, and Mr. Couse and Mrs. Bradley sang. And at some point during the gathering, word came from the Depot that President Garfield had been shot, so the celebration turned somber.

In Little Town on the Prairie, Laura later remembers Pa singing "The Whip-poor-will Song", something he says he heard in town. The LTOP manuscript says it was on the Fourth of July. In her Pioneer Girl manuscript, however, Laura writes that she first hears the song at a Fourth of July celebration in Walnut Grove:

When the 4th of July came we went to the picnic at Walnut Grove. Mary and I had never been to a 4th of July celebration and we were excited about it all. Ma packed fried chicken, bread and butter, cake and a lemon pie in our basket and all dressed up in our best we rode in the wagon to the picnic grounds. A platform had been made of rough lumber and board seats fixed around it. I got tired of sitting still while a man read out of a book and other men talked, but I liked the singing. Several men and women on the platform led while everyone sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and other songs. Then a man and a woman sang by themselves. She was very pretty, dressed all in white and he was nice looking. They looked at each other while they sang "Then meet me, Oh meet me, When you hear the first whipoorwill's song!"

His voice was deep and tender and hers was clear and sweet. When he sang "Whipoorwill" and she answered "Whipoorwill," it was just like birds calling to each other.

Laura used a more detailed version of this Fourth of July story in the manuscript for Little Town on the Prairie. There's no lemon pie in any of the published "Little House" books, but in this manuscript, Laura tells us how lemon pie was made in the days before graham cracker crusts and condensed milk:

"Now for the lemon pie," Ma said... "Laura you wash the lemons carefully and cut off any dark spots, while I make the crust."

Ma added a pinch of salt to some flour. With her fingers she crumbled lard through it, until the particles would pact [sic] together when pinched. Then she added a little cold water as she mixed it in lightly to make a dough.

Now she rolled the dough out thin and lined a pie-tin with it. She cut the lemons into very thin slices and laid them on the crust until the pie-tin was nearly filled. Then she covered them with sugar – Oh lots and lots of sugar. Over this she placed the top crust, with its small pine-tree cut in the center, and she baked the pie until the flakey crust was a delicate light brown.

Here's hoping your Glorious Fourth is filled with songs and speeches, cake, and a lemon pie with a pine tree on top. And let's hope it's not raining and nobody gets shot.
- posted by pioneergirl at 9:48 AM