The Portland daily press., 1886-08-17
MONTANA GIRLS.
Enterprising Women Who Accumu-
late Property and go into Politics.
San Francisco Chronicle.

With the remarkable development OF the
Western Territories has grown up CLASS Vi
women totally different from their SISTERS III
the States The very fact of being IN ne"
wild country, often left alone to look alter
the herds and flocks has made them wonaer-
fully self reliable and independent. l run
across women up in this country SO iuli ~, VI
pluck, grit and endurance that l verify pc
lieve that in stand up fight with hostlle IN u,
dams or marauding horse thieves they Would
be equal, man for man, TO the same nuinpei
of cowboys or soldiers. These ladies by rea-
son of their wild life on the frontier do not
bv any means lose all the gentleness and re-
fnement of their sex. To be sure they
become somewhat roughened by
hardship and exposure, but, through IL al
they still preserve their womanly traits, ana
when the necessity arises for them to ride,
hunt er shoot, you will find them there, ana
in the end little better off than many males
would be under similar circumstances.
There are all kinds of women in the North
west From the cultured DANES OF our Dest
cities the grade runs all the way down to the
female road agent. But, as arule the girls OF
Montana are made of the very best material
to be had on the continent. Scattered all
over the broad prairies of Montana are re-
fined and cultured women, bred in affiuence
and ease. proud, young, and hopeful, called
by the misfortunes of their husbands or led
by their desires to enter and achieve in new
fields the mission of life, to surrender society
the home and friends and scenes of their
youth and march boldly to far-off wilder
ness and endure privatation, full of labor and
suffering. But these women have grown to
be brave, industrious, self-reliant, full of
pluck and energy, perfect horsewomen,
healthy, hearty, active, and independent, and
in many cases about as pretty and as lump
as the very best of climates can make pthem
Now the typical Montana girl. if left alone.
will succeed where an ordinary man would
fail, With no vices they stick closely to bust
ness, and if bent on tree claiming, home
stealing. or pre-empting quarter, half or
whole section of land, they generally stay by
the claim to the end, and prove up on time,
Many of these, enterprising damsels
wouldn't have a husband at any price,
Again, many after laying the foundation
of a comfortable fortune, are taken IN by
some lazy bachelor who comes loafing along
sees the chance, marries the maiden, and
settles down into nice ready made home.
Our girls are bread winners, and no mistake
They are up to all sorts of schemes, such as
ranching, herding OF sheep OF cattle, school
experimenting, and even politics.
The latter should be expected, however, as
the females of Montana have the right of
suffrage extended to them in case they hap
pen to be taxpayers. As nearly every woman
in the Territory is a taxpayer. why, OF course
she votes, as she has a perfect right to do.
In Bozeman, few miles west OF here, one
can see plastered all over the town placards
appealing to the passer-by. to-, Vote for
Hamilton, the peoples choice or Give
Reform" Hamilton, Nichols and Darcy
were candidates for the school superinten-
dency of the county, and fourth candidate
was in the ZELDA man. 1t is needless to add
that ''the borrid man" was beaten by all
three of the girls, Hamilton coming out
ahead.
There is no question but what female suf-
frage is benefit to Montana. Female jurors
in cases which involve intemperance,
breaches of promise and gaming would hang
culprit on moderate testimony, Yet with
all this, girls are scarce in Montana. The
town of Maiden, near by (the county seat Of
Fergus county,, whose name is suggestive, of
wit beauty, etc, is, in fact a safe retreat for
bachelors, since there is not an unmarried
lady in the town. Sadie, whence these lines
are being penned, is community of forlorn
bachelors, with not female within a radius
of fifteen miles excepting the Crow squaWs
in the neighborlng Indian camp: One old
bachelor wandering around the village has
$4,000 bank account and no one to help him
spend it.