THE LAND — JANUARY 7/JANUARY 14, 2022
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Gritty ‘Wildcat’ is not your typical Western novel The growl came from beneath your ribs. Rather than some ordinary “Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, The Wild West’s gun-slingin’, rootin’-tooter, The pantry’s empty and so is your belly. Most Notorious Woman Bandit” this story of Pearl Hart is Now what do you do? In the absence of much wider: author John by John Boessenecker family, welfare and church, how do you Boessenecker likewise plan to stay alive? In the Old West, and c.2021, Hanover Square Press includes lengthy passages in “Wildcat” by John Boessenecker, the $28.99 / $34.99 Canada about Pearl’s sister, Katy, and answer wasn’t a happy one. 336 pages her escapades, as well as tales By all accounts, Albert Davy was “a of the mostly-lawless Davy THE BOOKWORM monster.” A rather violent man, he never and the younger Katy rode the siblings and others. These SEZ met a bottle or a brawl he didn’t like. And rails to Ohio to Chicago to yarns are interesting, though they so it’s somewhat surprising that he mar- By Terri Schlichenmeyer Minnesota; Lillie also served a often supersede Pearl’s story. ried a respectable young Frenchstint at a reform institution. More than anything, however, readCanadian woman who lived nearby. He Once released, she moved to ers will notice tale after tale about and Anna Duval started a family almost immediate- Buffalo, N.Y. where, calling herself Pearl what it was like for desperate young ly, as folks did in the latter 1800s. Their third child Hart, she operated her own brothel for a time ladies without familial support, at a was a girl born in April 1871, and they named her and hooked up with petty criminals and outlaws time when women were basically second-class citiLillie Naomi. one after the next. zens. Inside those eye-opening parts, there’s heroGrowing up, Lillie and her siblings were close ism and feminism, and though Boessenecker avoids In 1893, at the age of 22 years, Pearl went to because they had to be: there was never any food in Colorado and Arizona — the latter in which she any whiff of sentimentalism in his storytelling, the house and the Davy children took to thieving to eventually birthed two children that she probably those hard-luck tales still suck every shred of survive. It didn’t help that Albert moved his family romance out of any Old West works. sent to her sister to raise. constantly from shack to shanty. Eventually, some of “Wildcat” is a true story, recommended for westNo doubt, that was hard; but Pearl had done some the Davys had made their way across the border to ern fans and for anyone who reads women’s history. hard things before and had committed many New York. wrongs. And on May 30, 1899, this alcoholic, addict- It’s a yeee-haw with a sad streak, and missing it’ll By that time, Lillie and her sisters were sleeping make you growl. ed, thieving prostitute and gunslinger made truewith men in exchange for sustenance, wearing boys’ crime history with yet another very bad decision... Look for the reviewed book at a bookstore or a clothing so they weren’t harassed, lying about their library near you. You may also find the book at When it comes to westerns, “Wildcat” is extremely ages, and repeatedly running away from home to online book retailers. good, but it’s also not what you might think. escape their violent father. As young teens, Lillie The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives in Wisconsin with three dogs and 10,000 books. v
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Deadline extended for pandemic support The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the deadline for agricultural producers who are certified organic, or transitioning to organic, to apply for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program. This program provides pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses. The deadline to apply for 2020 and 2021 eligible expenses is now Feb. 4, rather than the original deadline of Jan. 7. Certified operations and transitional operations may apply for OTECP for eligible expenses paid during the 2020, 2021 and 2022 fiscal years. For each year, OTECP covers 25 percent of a certified operation’s eligible certification expenses, up to $250 per certification category (crop, livestock, wild crop, handling and State Organic Program fee). This includes application fees, inspection fees, USDA organic certification costs, state organic program fees and more. Crop and livestock operations transitioning to organic production may be eligible for 75 percent of a transitional operation’s eligible expenses, up to $750,
for each year. This includes fees charged by a certifying agent or consultant for pre-certification inspections and development of an organic system plan. For both certified operations and transitional operations, OTECP covers 75 percent of the registration fees, up to $200, per year, for educational events that include content related to organic production and handling. Additionally, both certified and transitional operations may be eligible for 75 percent of the expense of soil testing required under the National Organic Program to document micronutrient deficiency, not to exceed $100 per year. Producers apply through their local FSA office and can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling (877) 508-8364. The program application and additional information can be found at farmers. gov/otecp. This article was submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. v
Saint Peter Toy Show January 29th & 30th 2022
Saturday 9am - 4pm Sunday 9am - 3pm Held at the St Peter Fair Grounds Johnson Hall, 400 West Union Street, St Peter MN Admission: $3.00 Farm toys; cars; trucks; Literature & Various Collectibles Concessions by Nancy to be available For More Information Call: Wendy: 507-381-8234 • Jim: 506-381-8235
