The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-09
BRAVE WESTERN GIRLS.
Their Pluck and Bravery In Managing
Ranches and Farms.


Fort Keooh Letter to Neto Orleans Times Demo
CTdt.
The girls of the northwest are peculiarly
self dependent and self-reliant There
may or may not be something in the atmos-
phere that produces the change in them,
but certain it is that soon after their arrival
from the states, from timid, frightened and
half-Scared creatures they soon blossom out
into self-supporting landholders and farm
erS, and even go SO far as to run for politl-
cal offices. One girl not far from here
came to Montana from a Chicago dry goods
store, where she was getting miserable
pittance as salesgirl for sixteen hours work
day and working SIX days out Of
the seven. She first went to Boze-
man as a school teacher. From school
teacher she came boldly out as a candidate
for county school superintendent, for which
office a brute of a man. was her only
opponent Beauty and cheek won the race,
however, and the man was awfully showed
under, and has not been seen or heard Of
since. Another girl came west about four
years ago, and took up a homestead claim at
Middle creek. Matters progressed so favor
ably that she proved up on time, the limit
allowed by law, $40 acres, and they started
in TO raise sheep. In this enterprise the
gods favored her, until the young and
an overSeer for her flocks and herds. There
upon she sat down and wrote to her lazy
brother in the east, who was out Of job,
paid his fare out and made him overseer.
Now if happened that the adjoining claim
was owned by young bachelor, who also
had great many lambs, ETC., in his own
right. The two minded their flocks in COM
pany for some time, and finally agreed to
join fortunes. Instead of two farms of GAO
fhpSa bannV WOOL
control ], $50 acres of the richest land in the
northwest, and their hOcks roam in COM
pany as they used to do, only now they bear
one brand instead of two. as Of yore
AS matter of fact, there are between
1900 and 2 1000 ladies in the northwest to-
day who are interested in one way or another
in ranch and stock property. Many of them
come right out and acknowledge their
brands over their own names, while many
others again are interested in stock running
under other names, and in which they are
virtually silent partners. The history of
their success, too, is not 50 strange. Begin
ming years ago with a few mich COWS, liv-
ing within their income and attending
strictly 10 business, decade of time, with
no particular or special drawbacks to speak
of, is bound to make, sooner or later,
wealthy women of them all.
One of the most remarkable instances of
this kind is the experience of Miss Catherine
Wilkins Of Owyhee county, Idaho, pOpu-
larly known as the Idaho Horse Queen"
When she was a baby her father invested
$40 for her in filly, and from this simple
beginning all her subsequent wealth has
come. Now that kitty is of age, she
finds her time pretty well occupied i'll look
ing after her large band of Percherons,
Morgans, Hambletonians and Normans,
700 or 800 all told, beside a large herd of
CATTLE which also belongs to her i'll her own
right Still her taste runs to horses, as
there is more money in it, and the wild, free
life connected with the ranching of them has
something decidedly fascinating about it.
Again, fine fat steer on the range is worth
about SO while, on the other hand, good
horse is worth at the very least 800, and as
an animal, SO far as range and feed and
care are concerned, one horse successfully
raised represents five head of beef stock,
and all for one-fifth the trouble of handling
five steers. Miss Wilkins employs about
thirty-five herders and cowboys to round
up and look after her stock.
Girls of all ages, from a. to 60, are rustlers
in this latitude. In Valley Creek is the
ranch of w. n. Miller, who semi-annually
rounds up and cuts out from his herd cattle
suitable for beef.
On all of these trips the thrifty ranchman
is accompanied by his 12-year-old daughter
who assists generally i'll rounding up the
herd and in keeping her father company.
She is a fearless rider, this 12-year-old
child, and can go scampering across the
prairie on the back of her beautiful cayuse
pony at rate Of speed that would astonish
some of our modern paper fox-hunters i'll
the east.
On the other hand, sturdy mntron OF
some fifty summers. whose husband was
away in the mountains prospecting, came
riding into Livington's a short time ago
bound on mission of important business
From her saddle bow hung a Winchester
rifle, while the saddle pockets were filed
with ammunition. Evidently this lady
was eminently able to care for herself un
der all circumstances.
The Journey in and out was over 10(
miles, which she performed successfully
alone and unaided, without company of any
| kind save her horse
In answer to the popular book entitled
what Can Woman Dor l need only re
| fer to the case Of Mrs. Ira McLane, wht
| recently bid for and secured a number OF
! Montana mail contracts. These contracts
were no small potatoes, but, in fact, plum'
of considerable size and numbering jus
twenty-three For instance, one contrac
! is to carry the mail from Butte Il
| Walkersville, another from Butte K
Meaderville and SO on, all of them il
the most populous portion of Montana, il
| the mining dlStrlctA ana over rough cOun
try, and all for n iod of four years. Tn
| lady is bound to succeed, for she has enter
prise, grit, pluck and perseverance to bacl
| her up. While speaking of mining, etc.
there is curious character in the Hog
mining district, who is rs black as the ac
Of spades, and yet she is making n forum
hand over fist, notwithstanding her race
color and previous condition of servitudc
| Mile Ringgold is her name, and this j
what the Rocky Mountain HuSbdndma,
has to say about her:
"News comes from Yogo that the Gar
field lode is looking very promising. Thi
lode is the property of Mile Ringgold, TIN
celebrated African prospector, by whom i
was discovered. Mile is now a citizen o
White Sulphur Springs, and is earning
living by washing; but she spends the sum
mer in the mountains and handles the picl
and shovel with as much vigor and dex
terity as a man. She was the pionee
) woman Of Yogo, and ran the first hotel il
that place, and has by economy and close
application to business, come into possession
of some very valuable properties, and is il
realty to-day a bonanza queen
This item will serve TO show that th,
field Of enterprise in the Northwest is oper
to everybody, men and women alike, ant
that ii only requires confidence and applica
ton TO succeed In any undertaking. Tn,
truth Of the matter is that there are more