The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-04
ROMANCE OF A RATA.
How n Boston Sophomore Became 3 Cow
boy and Won a Bride

The movements of real cowboy on
Kearney street attracted attention yes-
terday. He stood nearly six feet in his
boots. and his regular features and
blonde mustache gave his face an as
pect of beauty fully in keeping with
his handsome proportions. His attire
was that OF the vaquero, consisting of
buckskin trousers, woolen shirt fas-
tened at the throat with carelessly-
knotted silk handkerchief, a coarse
chinchilla sack coat. and broad-rim-
med felt hat of the sombrero pattern.
An Alta reporter learned his name and
history. his name was Edward n.
Willets, and six years ago he was at
college, when he received peremptory
orders from his father, wealthy Bos-
ton merchant, to enter the theological
class and tit himself for the ministry.
The command came like thunder
bolt to the happy-go-lucky young fel-
low, who had always believed himself
destined to follow his father in busi-
ness when the latter should be ready
to retire. A quarrel with his pere was
the result, and the young fellow sud-
denly left for the west.
At Cheyenne he laid over for short
hunt on the plains. The wild life of
the cowboys caught his fancy. Salary
proved little object. and he had little
difficulty in attaching himself to big
ranch until he had mastered his new
vocation. Finally he drifted through
portions of Montana, Nebraska, Da-
kota, Idaho, Nevada, and finally into
Oregon and California. The opening
of the summer found him engaged
with three or four comrades in driving
a small band of steers over the Santa
Cruz mountains. Cattle in the noun
tains are not pleasant objects to deal
with. Every unruly steer that broke
from the band required an hours chas-
ing up and down steep slopes. over
the spiteful brush.
Toward the end of the drive the
steep bluffs that line the road on either
hand kept the steers in fairly good or
der, and only occasionally did an un-
usually juicy bunch of grass tempt
some hungry one to bolt up the slope
OF into the canyon below. 1t was ar
occasion of this sort that sent Willets
| careering among the brakes and fern:
| on the slope above. A chase OF half ;
/ mile had seen the truaut return to tht
/ road. and Willets was skirting th'
| edge of the bank some distance in ad
vance of the drove in search of SAT-
| place to descend, when in the middle
of the narrow road he saw lovely
| Girl. The drove was laundering dow
on her, and promising to soon crusl
her young life out beneath their pom
| derous weight. Escape for the CIR
seemed impossible. From the road t
| where Willett's horse stood was wal
of rock full twenty feet in height, an
below to the bed of the stream was
sheer descent of double that distance
For only a second was the horsema
inactive Then with the speed borl
of long practice he lifted mis- trust
rawhide RATA from the horn of his SAD
Gle and threw it. Put that unde
your arms Miss" was Willett's hast
injunction. 1T was obeyed, and not
moment too soon the girl was lifte
above the heads and horns of the OF
coming cattle.
When they were well by Wllleti
slowly Stacked down until his ''catch
, dropped softly to the earth. Five mil
utes later, when he managed to lin
q pathway uOWH anu lettCucu tuc Su'
lect of his daring bit of horsemanshil
sine was lying in the dust in fain
When she recovered he learned tn;
she too was from Boston. and with ht
+ father and mother was spending I'll
e summer amid California most fayore
e spots. The old gentleman. her fathe
was highly delighted when he learne
/ of Willetts' identity, as he soon di
/ His daughter foolishly placed hiq
e value on my little service, explaint
T WilIetts, blushing, land when | sa
t how she had overestimated it l mean
IS demanded the largest reward cou
IS think of. The details were settle
) yesterday, and came up by the eve
) ing train to fit myself for her societ
IS She swears that look like an angel
e my wooden shirt and buckskin trot
'r ers, but will try and get her used
Is me in civilized garb, for vaquero
1t dress is hardly the thing for @sthe
) Boston,"
< Are you going backp"
le Yes, in September. We shall to
~ Yosemite as man and wife, and tn
a 90 back home. My father-in-law So
IT that my father has long been ankle
re to have me come home, and that
s; will set me up if the old gentlem
es doesn't, so | think | had better go. ;
ce San francisco Aitd.