The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-10
'but this is Incorrect The wilkins

''but this lie Incorrect. The wilkins
Company of Idaho own both horses
and cattle and this ID how the mis-
take originated, but my own speci-
atty is horses, | now own between
700 and 800 ofmy own. They are Per-
cherons, Morgans, Normans, Ham
bletoniaas, and so on. I have no
native Oregon or Spanish horses at
all. Besides these | now have, if you
will excuse my speaking in the first
person singular, l have sold great
many hundreds. l could not begin
to tell how many.
''Do like living away in Idaho?
Oh2 so mnchs 1 am perfectly fasci-
mated with it. GO out to roind up
in the Spring end Fall, and enjoy
myself ever SO much. 1t is a fasci-
hating business and grows upon you
at was real romantic, the way l
got my start. The way of it was
this: Over twenty years ago my
parents had removed to Oregon and
were returning to San Francisco,
when our friends gathered round to
give us mementoes of various sorts.
When they got to me they said: Well,
now, she's only a little thing Il was
but two years old them, we'll just
give her some money to be invested
for her. Two of them gave me 20
dollar gold piece each. Shortly after
returning here, my father concluded
to go to Idaho and engage in the
stock business. He went to Oregon
and bought lot of horses. When
he went to pay over the money he
bethought him of my $40, and seeing
a fine little filly yet left, offered the
$40 for her. The owner valued her
at $50, but, seeing that my father
was taking the others he finally con-
cluded to let this one 60, even if it
was for less than she was worth.
From the increase all my bands have
come. Of course, could tell you of
many ups and downs, for it was not
always smooth sailing back in those
early days, AS Igrew up from childhood
but / need not enlarge upon this. At
length | came to San Jose to school,
put in three or four years, and in adj
dition travelled considerably in Amer
lea, seeing all the cities and many
of the great natural curiosities.
"But when l got back to Idaho l
was SO lonesome | didn't know what
to do. l used to say to my mother
then, the only man | cared anything
about" the handsome girl said with
a smile, "was the man in the moon"
81 got over being SO lonesome,
though, in little time, and now l
am already homesick to get back.
AS said, the stock business is very
fascinating, and horses are very
profitable, much moreso than cattle.
A three or four year old steer, for
instance, isworth but 500, while a
horse of the same age is worth $95
or 500, anyhow. Another thing
horses are much more easily raised
and do not require half the care.
They paw away the snow and get at
the grass much better than cattle.
Last year the average loss of cattle
in Idaho was sixty per cent. Some
owners lost all they had.
Although our home and many of
our corrals and buildings are on the
Bruneau River, fifty miles southeast
of Boise city and twenty-five south
of Mountain House, the station on
the Oregon short line, our range is
seventy-five miles away. 1t is what is
known as the II range, and it is
there that many cattle and horse
owners gather twice a year to sort
over and brand. | go out there every
year and look on and see how the
stock is coming in. l ride a great
deal, but don't take part in the
roundup. AS many as forty men are
oftentimes out rounding up and cut
ting out stock there during the sea-
son, and things are very likely.
'Ishoot a good deal, that is, am
a good shot, but / don't often go
hunting, although THERE'S lots of fine
game"
The cause of Miss Wilkins's visit to
Omaha is that she has two carloads
of Hamhletonian horses, which she
has brought to this market to dis
pose of. The energetic little lady will
experience slight difficulty in dispos-
ing of her stock to good advantage.
She has a national reputation as a
girl who has labored earnetly to ad-
vance her own interests, and her
energy and herself the wild and wool
ly West is exceedingly proud.-Omaha
Herald.