The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-09-18
The Girls OF. the Ear west.

A correspondent writing from Cole
Fille, California, says: 4 young girl,
pretty and modest, with rife on her
shoulder Is not strange sight in these
parts. Many young women of the far
west are very proficient in the use of
firearms, and no one thinks il strange to
see them thus equipped on the highway,
or in the mountains hunting.
In nothing is the western freedom
from conYentionalism more striking than
the latitude given young women in their
amusements. The typical far western
girl would doubtless shock her more
subdued sisters of the east in many things
which here are considered within the
bounds of propriety. She hunts, fishes,
camps out, rides and tramps with all the
relish shown by the sterner sex and in g
few of these accomplishments is she the
equal of any of the men. Visit
oTs from the east unfamiliar with pas
| times of this kind have often been seri-
ously embarrassed on finding that their
charming com panions of the parlor or
the lawn could load and shoot a gun as
well as rIflemsn, mount and ride q
horse like trooper, or climb mountains
| with untiring limb.
A few weeks ago plump young wo'
man in this town who rides, hunts, fishes
! and climbs, had her photograph taken
in her fresh costume, and sent one
of them to relatives IN Illinois. The por-
trait exhibited girl of eighteen with a
| jaunty turban, her long hair done up
| tightly in q coil, her face full and far
and her eyes as bright as dollars. Her
dress was tight-fitting at the waist and
| sleeves, of dark, serviceabie ma
| teriai, and the skirt coming just
4
of her high-buttoned boots by several
inches. 1t was as pretty a picture OF
| health, vivacItV and beauty as one would
care to see, but the relatives in the east
were profoundly shocked, and, in &C
kuowledging the receipt of the portrait
quietly limited that they would like to
know what the occasion was which was
demanded the young lady to appear in
that strange costume. Probably they
will be more Mortified than ever when
they learn that she is seen on the streets
almost daily in Just such attire and that
nothing whatever is thought OF it.
The girl over whom this section oil
the state is raviDg just now is Miss Lii
ian Smith, an expert with the rifle, who
threatens to carry off the honors IN
workmanship if she ever consents to ap'
pear IN a contest of skill. She is only
| thirteen years Oh age uut EnS ePpSois
much older. She has a strong frame
abundant dark brown hair and big
brown eyes. Tanned by continued sun
and wind, she Is the picture of health
and of typical far Western beauty. When
only nine years OF age she mani
tested fonduess for the rifle, which her
parents readily gratifed. She often
went off into the wilds of Mono county
on hunting expeditions, and frequently
secured game which she was obliged to
procure assistance to bring in. OF late
she has amused herself at odd times
with shooting at glass balls at targets
and SO unerring has her aim become
that q failure to hit the mark
is considered almost out of the question
On her hunting tours she uses %. cali
Der rife, which she handles with the
ease and precision of an experienced
marksman.
One of her feats with the rifle which
has attracted most attention is the break.
ing of q glass ball travelling 5000 fee
per minute. She shoots straight for
ward and over her shoulder, using 6
hand mirror to sight with.