"Yes, proved up. Going back to God's country."
God's country to the Reeds was Missouri; to others it was Illinois, or Iowa or Ohio. Day after day homesteaders left with their final receipt as title to their land, pending issuance of a government patent. Throwing back the type of the "dead" notices, I could almost tell who would be pulling out of the country.
"Going back in time to get in the spring crop," farmers would say.
Land grabbers they were called. Taking 160 acres of land with them, and leaving nothing. Most of them never came back.
And while this exodus was taking place, here and there a settler was drifting onto the Lower Brulé, a "lucky number" who had come ahead of time—there was so much to do getting settled. And by these restless signs of change over the plains, we knew that it was spring.
And one week I set up for the paper, "Notice is hereby given that Ida Mary Ammons has filed her intention to make proof...."
