Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-16
woMEN IN THE NORTHWEST.
How Brave GirIs Acq uire H ealth, Wealth
and Matrim0ny.

ming these lines has name which would
imply that it is made up OF girls and no.
body else, butsuch is not the case. Maiden
is a rough frontier mining town. where
the fair sex are sadly in the minority, but
where they are needed about as badly as
any other spot IN this whole Northwestern
country. Montana is a paradise for fe-
males, and so is Idaho, Wyoming. Wash
ington, and even Oregon. What few
girls we have out this way are full OF
pluck, grit and enterprise, and every sim
gle one OF them could get married twenty
times over, if such thing could be i'm
agined. Here in Maiden, which is now the
county seat of Fergus, the new county
created at the last session of the Montana
Legislature, there are neither young girls
nor maidens. There Is not an unmarried
lady in the whole town, which would
therefore make it a safe retreat for baehel-
ors to fly 70. This scarcity of ladies is
not confined to this one locality, but is
prevalent all over the Territory. The
only ones who seem TO have more than
their share are the MOrmens, of whom
there are number in Western Montana
and an unlimited number scattered all
through the beautiful valleys of southern
Idaho. Miss Jennie Corson. who is known
throughout the country as the ''ShepheTd-
ess of the West" came to Montana some
years ago and took up a sheep
ranch in Meagher county. She did
it all alone and unaided. After awhile
she sent for her lazy brother from
Chicago and made HIM overseer of her
f1ocks. Matters went ON well with her,
and soon she had fine band of sheep,
and as valuable ranch property as there
is in Montana. She took up some land
under one or another of the government
acts, proved up on time, and became a
landed proprietor. Now, it happened that
the next claim to her own was taken up
by an enterprising young man named
Severance. who like his fair neighbOr, first
started a sheep ranch and then got hold OF
some OF the soil. They tended fiocks IN COM
pany for some time, and then Severance
proposed marriage. He was accepted, and
the two happy wool growers united their
fortunes and have been doing better and
better ever since.
There are other girls in Montana just
exactly like Mrs. Severance, nee COrson,
bat more are wanted. There are some
real old ladies' out here who have taken
up claims, who run a dairy or keep
store, but who are leetle too aged to
think of matTimony. One dame of this
description has a ranch store out on the
prairie near Livingstone, rides horse
and shoots like man, keeps post Othce
and is the owner of 1863 acres lately the
property Of Uncle Sam. Another lady
living ON Boulder creek named Sarah
Davidson shot bear in January last, and
with the bounty received for it, as we'll as
the sale Of the meat and hide, she paid for
a sewing machine.
Not every girl wants to get married,
but all of them want to vote. Only last
year at the elections in Western Montana
for Territorial school superintendents
there were four RichmOnds in the field.
Three of them were females, and the
fourth-a man. In BOzeman old placards
ON the fences can still be seen appealing
to the passers-by to vote for Miss Hamii-
ton, the "People's Choice" Miss Hamil-
ton got there. and her competitors were
all left, "the man. bringing up the rear.
Helena has lady superintendent of
schools who has Indian blood in her
veins and who is highly educated. She
has also marked dramatic talent, playing
Charlotte Cushman's roles in theatricals.
AS before remarked, the women Of this
Northwestern couBtryaare endowed with
plenty of pluck and grit; also an album
dance Of indOmitable courage. One even
ing lately herd of Arizona goats, which
were being herded by Miss Teresa Tallert
on Lost river, came home early and rushed
off for the corral, heavy log concern
eight feet high. The gates were opened
and the herd let in, after which the brave
little lady, dashing over the prairie,
mounted on her fiery little brOnchO,
secured the foothills. but found no cause
for alarm.
In the night Miss Tallert was aroused
by her dog whining at her ear, and get
ting up discovered some wild animals in
the corral. She went in and found four
mountain lions, and without moments
hesitation attacked them with an ak.
Two Of the lions jumped the corral and
fed. The other two rushed toward her.
She dealt one a blow with the ak, laying
its rump open to the bone, then both fed.
The next morning fifty of the valuable
goats were found dead and thirty wound
ed, fourteen of tRe latter dying afterward.
A mountain lion attacked the cattle of
Ben Mason, on Powder river, only last
Sunday and killed two heifers aud a COW.
MIR, Mason was absent at the time, but
his wife took uB arms against the beast,
followed him through the snow for some
distance, overlook and shot him. That's
pluck for you.
j. W. Proctor. of Billings. had occasion
to visit the ranch of Tom WadswOrth, on
the MusseIshell, last week. WadswOrth
has a band Of several hundred OF the
finest horses there are on the north side
of the Yellowstone river, and has also a
wife who is an expert hOrsew0man. 1t
seems that Mrs. WadswOrth is not only
an accomplished rider, but as a huntress
can take the laurels from the Marquise
de MOres, Lady Florence Dixie, and all
the other ladies who make pTetensiOns in
that direction. Mrs. WadsWOrth chases
antelope on horseback, shoots them down
while going at full gallop, and in fact
combines the arts OF civilization with the
skill Of the abOrigine. Now Proctor is a
crack shot. with somewhat of a reputa-
ton TO back him up, and he was rather
astonished and taken aback when Mrs.
Wadsw0rth challenged him to a shooting
match. They set up target, and it is
sufficient TO say that Proctor was
beaten fairly, Mrs. WadswOrth making
the top score. After this unexpected de-
feat Proctor headed up GOulding creek
for Bull mountains, and when be supposed
he was the only white man in that region
came to another ranch, hid away among
the mountains. from which ranged away
about two hundred as sleek-lOoking cattle
as one could wish TO see. When approach
ing the ranch Proctor met a young lady
all alone on horseback coming down a
rocky mountain path, whom he describes
as the the incarnation of ethereal beauty.
A fter some talk of the weather and stock
he was invited 10 partake OF her hospital
lty, which he accepted gracefully. Proc
tor did not know who his fair entertainer
was, but everybody In this section knows
her to be young sheperdess named Nina
Roman, who Is rancbing 10 all alone among
the mountains. Proctor christened her
the "Belle of the Bull mountainsV