Morning journal and courier., 1886-12-01
How Western Women work and Vote

How Western Women Work and Vote. Fort Keoah Letter to the Philadelphia Record In all political canvasses out this way, when estimating the number of votes which may be counted upon at the polls, the votes of women are noted, recognized and sought in every way. The poll tax which every one voter between twentyone and fifty is obliged to pay, whether male or female, is especially for school purposes. As one of the girls puts it. "One of the principles for which the Revolutionary war was fought was that taxation should have representa- tion; and the justice of the principle is as unquestioned to day as it was 100 years ago."
 As farmers, the ladies are also entitled to the cake. Woman has been typifed as ten der vine clinging 10 the sturdy oak, which is supposed to be emb1ematic of strong man. Out here in the free Northwest it is quite the reverse, and every day one can see or hear of examples where the gentler sex prove supporting oak to the weak tendril, man. A well l-known married woman little west of here, whose husband has been absent nine months out of twelve looking after horses
 
 spring and summer did all alone and uraided her own ploughing. When ploughing time came this enterpriSing mother constructed box on the plough in which to carry her baby, and thus she ploughed the furrows She then proceed to harrow, plant and culti- vate, and in this way produced fine crop. which she harvested and packed away by the time the old man came home. This is only one example out of 8 hundred. Some of the girls in Dakota and Montana have taken to editing newspapers As a rule, the papers edited by the territorial girls are a credit to journalism. Miss NJ. s. Mills has, be- sides getting out on time the weekly edition of the Hawley Star. proved up on a pre- emp tlon, planted five acres on tree claim, built a sawmill and raised the largest cabbage in the county. Her turnips look like veritable cart wheels, and took the first prize at the agricultural fair. This damsel now has the modest lump of 480 acres in her own right.
 The solution of the woman problem seems to be that woman may do whatever she can. Girls on the prairies of Dakota and Montana are now living alone, in isolated cabins, miles from humanity, and yet they safer in all respects than in large eastern cities. These plusky homesteaders spend whole summers alone on to fear the least intrusion. Such absolute freedom from all restraint is rarely enjoyed by anybody; but here it is a fact and no mistake. True, it is little lonesome at times, but then when the girls are in pairs one can ride, walk, run, saunter, wear old clothes, sun bonnet or hat, can sing, shout, carol, trill, chant in seven octaves and mo- body to complain about it. They are free and light hearted of course and the very pie ture of rosy health. Most all of them can shoot and when they do. if necessary, they shoot to kill.
 T c+ H. Ae their stock ranch, near the mouth of Belt creek, to look after their cattle. They were on horseback, and after gathering the ani- mals together and counting them found that dozen or so were missing. NIT. Evans then started across Belt creek, where he had seen number of head the day before, instruct ing Mrs. Evans to go back about 8 mile and take a trail up to the ranch, the lookout for any missing cattle, deciding on a place where they would meet. She had not pro ceeded far, however, when she saw in little basin before her three of their calves and two enormous gray wolves with them, the latter engaged in the pleasant pastime of eating the calves alive On the impulse of the moment never thinking of danger, Mrs. Evans lashed up the pony and was soon in the midst of the wolves and their prey Then she industriously laid about her with her riding whip, driving the wolves back, :, although they were snarling mad and exceed ingly savage about leaving. The wolves made dash at her, whereupon the pony shied and nearly unseated the fair equestri- an, but she quickly recovered her balance and dashed back at the brutes with such en- ergy and determination that they fled from the field and left the brave woman in abso- lute possession Two of the calves died from their injuries that night and the other one was literally torn to pieces. When it is considered that hunters and cowboys, we'll oI of to otf tho cious gray wolf on the prairie, it is all the more astonishing to think that one woman, alone and unarmed, would dare to attack and do up two such monsters in such bril- liant style as Mrs. Evans handled her brace of gray customers.