The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-11-18

: was not like other men. VI,
nurse told M 10 say nothing aboa
: II a. would gct along better il
: men clothing. In one ot my exped,ti0ns
E over the plains Of Kansas my horse ssuia
bled and VAS baily hurt. WAS found
. by cstte men ami taken 10 the ncare,,
rancho, owned by Mr.. Woolcou ~.
kindly cared for by his wife and IA, sex o.
OF course discovered Mrs Woolcott ven,
and saw my nurse and urged upon her 10
have me dres, my proper garb. Mr>
oolcott fixed me with female wearing Az
parel aud was delighted At the change. |
continued in that garb only about two
weeks-the ouly time ia my hie that | wore
womans clothes But the first time | went
To town | was arrested for being man IN
woman clothes The sherltf's wife, how
ever, pronounced me 10 be in my proper Ar.
parel and was released The sheriff said
there were SO many horse thieves about tha,
he had 10 use extra precautions. returned
to my nurse and at her solicitation again
took 10 pants and coats. | had good
clothes and my nurse bought me everything
wanted-books, papers, everything. That
| continued TO wear mens clothing was not
thought strange. A great many women dill
1t for convenience on the plains Of Kansas
While we were IN Kansas my nurse wrote
letters to New ork aud received answers
| do not know who she addressed there
W hlle out on one of my excursions got ac.
quainted with family who We're moving. a
man and his wife and two or three childron
Their name was Johnson, and think they
were fror, Wisconsin. | remained with
them two or three weeks and then returned
/ home with two men and boy. Que of
them was going East and went 10 my
nurse and told her | wanted TO go Eas,.
She consented finally, and W. started III.
man did not know my sex then, though
think the nurse has since told him. Before
starting she gave him about 81 500 for me
and | took beside this my horse aud dog
| knew nothing of direction aud We finally
got to Leavenworth While there he rep
resented that he had a brother in Leadvillr.
| Col, but did not know whether Lcadv lie
was, East or West. But We went out the {,
selling my horse at the first station beyonu
! Leavenworth on the Santa Fe line, the nau
taking the proceeds. We did not find his
/ brother In Leadyie and we started back
| Before arriving al Camp Carlin my compon-
! ion changed his name to Taylor, and you
shall know him as such hereafter do no,
care to state his real name. | was becoming
dissatisfied meantime and wanted to 90 east
SO much SO that | tired to run away. We
tell IN with a huntlng party-three young
| itellows--purchased "A team and made our
way to Lead City Taylor had meantime
grown harsh to me, especially 80 If | called
him by his real name in the presence of
others. The young men IN our party, Frank
Miller and Messrs. Clifford by name, seemed
to be nice, quiet, inoffensive fellows, dong
nothing except hunting. We went INFO
camp on the hill above Lead City Taylor
and the boys quarreled because the latter
nterferred in my behalf. Taylor never
treated me otherwise than though | were "A
boy.
After the boys took their departure re-
mained with Taylor. 1t was during this
time that ] became acquainted with Mr.
! W ats. Asked him one day if he had any
thing to read, aud said he should have as
his family was coming out soon. They ar
rived soon, his wife, two daughters aud a
little boy. On my way down - the well OF
water Mrs. Watts spoke to me one day and
introduced herself and daughter Grace, SAY
ing her husband had told her all abou: mc.
She invited me in but | did not 60 She
loaned me books an1 let her have some
Mr.. Watts did not like me and rather
avoided the house than forced my aouuain-
tance. Taylor wanted to sell the horses,
but | wouldn't let hun. He wanted 10 "a
away, but | had found Miss Grace Waits ali
true and womanly and noble and had be.
come much attached 70 Der | told hun #
be sold the horse. | should tell who he was.
and he struck Inc with shovel IN the face
and hurt considerably. | was taken
home by Mrs. Watts where va, quite
sick. but my sex was not discovered |
think Taylor wanted to get away quietly
Without me knowing it. He had previously
told me TO say | was a relative of August A.
Belmont. After while Taylor went 70
work, and | stayed with the Watts family
| remained with them up To October with
out a suspicion being cast upon NE. Ia
August. however, the minister wife wrote
letter to Mr.. Belmont asking abju, me.
A letter came back from him saying that be
had no nephew Of that name All this time
Miss Watts had been writing To Miss Brack-
eit and Of course told about me- Mics
Bracket finally wrote TO me, and replied,
and correspondence was started Miss
Bracket either suspected | was an inipo.tor
or out Of curiosity wrote to Mr.. Belmont
and asked If was any relation to him. IL.
| wrote back Il have no nephew bearing the
name Of Leon Belmont August A. Bel
mont" | think she still has the letter
She then wrote 70 Robert Collyer ani ask
ed If he knew anything about Ine .. would
| investigate my case. He replied sabstan-
/ italy: L have investigated the case, and it
is matter in which can do no good By in
/ teriering. She also wrote 70 Mr. Irish,
/ whom che had known III black berryink ex-
cursions IN Maine, who sent her d clipping
/ containing sketch Of the lite ot August A.
Belmont 1t Was shown me, and was the
| first | knew of him. The clipping was
| from a San Francisco paper, and was pub
| ished at the time he was about to marry
Commodore Perry's daughter. Ii contained
scandal, in which an account was giyca Of
Belmont.
| Miss Bracket sent Mr.
! Watts this extract, and the letter from
Irish, whom | believe lived formerly Ut
Glencoe in this State; and | saw them
Mrs. Watts wanted 70 know who was and
| told her did not know. | told her sup
posed was something to Mr. Belmont, aud
] | offered to leave the house but she SAID
need not / told her all knew and Mrs.
Bracket told me that it made no difference
who I was, that she would be sister to me
always and defend me always. This was be
J fore she ever saw me.