The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-07-01
MONTANA,S FRONTIERS.
A Glass Of Women Different from Those
in the States.

With the remarkable development of
the Western Territories has grown up
class of women totally different from
their sisters in the States. The very fact
of being in new wild country, often
left alone to look--after the herds and
focks, has made them wonderfully self
reliant and Independent. I run across
women up in this country 80 full of pluck,
grit and endurance that verify believe
that in stand.up fight with hostile In
dians or marauding horse thieves they
would be equal, man for man, to the
same number of cowboys or soldiers.
These ladies by reason Of their wild life
on the frontier do not by, any means lose
all the gentleness and refinement of their
sex. 10 be sure, they become somewhat
roughened by hardship and exposure,
but through it all they still preserve thei.
womanly traits, and when the necessity
arises for them 10 ride, hunt or shoot,
you will find them there, and in the end
perhaps little better off than 8 great
many males would be under similar cir.
cumstances.
There are all kinds of women in the
Northwest. From the cultured danes of
our best cities the grade runs all the way
down to the female road agent. But, as
q rule, 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 refined and cul.
tured women, bred in affluence 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 a
far.off wilderness aud endure privation,
toll, labor and suffering. But these wo.
men 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 aud as plump as
the very best of climates can make them.
Now, the typical Montana girl if left
alone will succeed where an ordinary
man would fail With no vices they
stick closely to business, and if bent on
tree claiming, homesteading or pre-.
emptipg quarter, half or whole section
of land, they generally stay by the claim
to the end and prove up on time.
Many of these enterprisiDg damsels
wouldn't have husband at any price.
Again, many after laying the foundation
of a comfortable fortune, are taken in by
some lazy bachelor who comes loa6ng
along, gees the chance, marries the maid.
en- and settles down into a nice ready.
made home. Ourgirls are bread winners
and 10 mistake. They are up to all sorts
of schemes, such as ranchipg, herding of
sheep or cattle, school superintendent
and even politics.
The latter should be expected, how.
ever, as the females of Montana have the
right of suffrage extended to them in
case they happen to be taxpayers. As,
nearly every woman in the territory is q
taxpayer. why, of course, she votes, as
she has perfect right to do. In Boze.
man, few miles west of here, one can
see plastered all over the town placards
appealing to the passer.by to "Vote for
AotuItou, Iuo PcVPiC otSuOlSo, VI wv
your vote to Darcy" or "Vote for Mich
OILS and REFORM" Hamilton, Nichols
and Darcy were candidates for the school
superintendency of the county, and
fourth candidate was in the Geld-a man.
1t is needless to add that the 'ihorrid
man" was beaten by all three of the girls,
Hamilton coming out ahead.
There is no question but what female
suffrage is benefit to Montana. Female
jurors in cases which involve intempe.
rance, breaches of promise and gaming
would hang culprit on moderate testi-
,mony. Yet with all this, girls are scarce
in Montana. The town of Maiden close
by (the county seat of Fergus county,.
whose name is suggestive of wit, beauty,
etc., is in fact safe retreat 70, bachelors,
since there is not an unmarried lady in
the town. Sadie, whence these lines are
being penned, is a community of forlorn
bachelors with not female within
radius of fifteen miles. excepting the
Crow squaws in the neighboring Indian
camp. One old bachelor wandering
around the village has a $4,000 bank
account and no one to help him spend it.
Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.