Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-09-13
A PASSION FLOWER,
Nurtured Amid the Sands and wickedness OF the
Southwest Desert.

Monte Kate fell dead at Lozier, a
small station on the Texas Pacific, one
day last week. Everybody on the
southwestern frontier knew Monte
Kate. She has prominently figured as
border character for the past twenty
years. l never met any one who knew
her real name or aught of her anteced-
ents. l saw her for the first time here
during the summer of 1866. She was
then the talk of the brilliant,
witty, young, divinely beautiful and
possessed of an abundance of money,
which was literally supplied her by the
countless friends the witchery of her
smile had won to her side. She had
just come in from one of the frontier
posts, and was scattering her money
right and left. She had sumptuous
apartments at the best hotel, drank the
costliest wines, ate the choicest viands
and drove about the Alamo City in a
natty little phaeton, drawn by pair of
OF mettlesome ''pied' ponies. saw
her every day for two weeks. One even
ing on the Military Plaza she passed
me as | was strollng with friend
along the bonquette.
"A pretty woman l observed.
YES" replied my friend, ssthat's
Monte Kate. She's been here about
three weeks on regular spree. Yes
terday the sheriff attached her ponies
and carriages for debt, and she was
forced to give up her apartments at the
hotel. She has a friend out at one of
the frontier posts, and she has sent for
him to come to her relief He has to
do it every time she comes to the city.
He'll be here tomorrow, pay her debts
and take her back with him. Next day
she'll make another big stake and come
in here to spend it. She'll never let up
till she's dead broke, and then she'll go
back to her game and drink nothing
till she's way ahead"
''She runs game thenp''
"Yes-monte. That's how she got
her name. She's the slickest dealer on
the frontier"
The next morning went down to the
railroad depot to see a friend Off On
the platform at the station was huddled
little group, a man, evidently Ger
man, his sick wife and three little chill
dren, the youngest baby, who was
crying piteously. They were on their
way to New Braunfels and were out of
money. They had no friends, and no
one seemed to consider it his duty to in
quire into or alleviate their sufferings.
The woman, who was young and
had an had interesting face, was moan
ing pitifully, and the poor husband tried
to console her, while great tears rolled
down her cheeks and dropped on the
wasted hands of his helpmeet. Nv
friend made some inquiries from one of
the bystanders about them, and was go
ing to order their removal to some
place where the sick woman could re-
ceive proper medical attention when a
street hack drove up and Monte Kate
alighted. Her cheeks were flushed and
she walked unsteadily. The crowd
about the poor family caught her eve
and she came toward it. When she
saw the mans tears and the big, hun
CRY eyes of the children and the wan,
thin face of the mother, her womanly
sympathy was aroused. She pushed
the way forward and addressed the man
a few words in his native tongue. He
wiped his eyes with his hand and re-
phed, and for several minutes carried
on animated conversation. Suddenly
Kate faced the crowd and her ewes
flashed with scorn.
You're fine lot of suckers, You are
she cried. Here's this poor man with
a sick wife and starving children been
lying on this platform ever since vester-
day, and nobody in all the city had
heart enough to throw them a bone or
crust of bread. You call yourselves
Christians. I'm glad 1 amt, but I've
got heart, and can't see dog suff-
en- All Of you have got money in
your pocket. l haven'Erm busted:
81. think l can raise few dollars.
She was very much excited, and be-
gan tearing the rings off her white
fingers. She called the hackman M.
added earrings, long chain, costly
watch, a necklace of pearls and a dia-
mond breast-pin to the lot and poured
them into his hat.
Sam" she said, take these nm 10
lsaacs' and get all you can on 'em. Tell
him want the money for a particular
purpose. Drive like the devil. and TN
see that you're paid"
She walked back to the side off the
German as the hickman drove away.
and, kneeling down, whispered a few