The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-13
A COLORADO GIRL RANoHaR.
An Instance of What Fem mine Pluck
and Grit May DO.

out uClldr ana al once pfOcSeleu 10 Jake
up 320 acres Of land, waich she has recently
proved. Greater strength Of character, a
moro indomitable will and frner resolution
have certainly never been summoned to the
aid of any woman in this country. Those
who are acquainted with Cassie Watkins
know that she has done everything that
women do no do ordinarily, from shooting
coyotes 70 chopping wood and performing
much Of the necessary carpenter work
about her cabin.
The most remarkable thing about it all, is
the fact that Miss Watkins is not the daugh-
ter Of a horny-fisted son of toll but a grace
full, highbred city girl who until the last
few summers had never p rformed duties
other than those which dev3lye upon teach
ers in city schools. If you meet Miss Wat
kins on the street you are attracted at once
by tall, rather dashing and decidedly
stylish young woman, who looks out at you
from pair Of clear, earnest gray eyes,
touches you with handsomely gloved
hand, smiles cordially and passes on. She
is straight as an arrow, and although there
Is nothing in her garb which varies in the
least from that Of the hundreds of ladies
whom one meets in the streets daily, there
is something in her carriage which suggests
an unusual degree OF personality.
Miss Watkins came TO this state from
Detroit She is quite alone in tie world,
HdNluR no lTl6uu 10 WuOLu Sue WOulu apply
for aid in any emergency. Like 50 many
others she had read for years of the oppor-
tuuities for making money in Col lrado and
resolved to come mere and make the effort
for Independence. On reaching Denver
she at once entered the annual competitive
examination for teachers in the city scho u.s.
and by reason Of superior scholarship was
offered the first position. After teaching
in tie city schools for two weeks, City
Supt Cove, now president of the National
Educational Association, made her mis- sec
rotary, a position which she has filled with
honor ever since.
After passing her examina ion Miss Wat
kins went to a section of country lying
twelve miles south of Colorado Springs
where there lay several large tracts of gov
eminent land. She spent some time in the
neighborhood, and soon conceived the idea
of taking up claim, believing that by SO
dong she might secure to herself permanent
independence. She had no money, how
ever, and it was while bordering AS to no v
she could best raise the $50 necessary to
take out her first papers, that she received
word announcing her position i'll Denver as
sured
The first money Miss Watkins earned
that fall she drew at once and took out pa
pers on fine presumption claim of 100
acres, and a timber claim of 100
acres. She first proved the pre-emption
and then converted the timber claim into
homestead.
Next she erected shanty or claim cabin,
the cost of which was $25 Its dimensions
were ten by twelve, and when it was com
pleted, meagre though it was, tie resolute
young woman reflected that she was mon
arch of all she surveyed. She was free
and independent householder, even though
the starlight looked in intrusively through
the cracks in the roof, and the mice. not in
no laact tnfiYf1i6 afa5 hy boy
danced quadrilles on the floor by night and
dav. She shingled the roof of her domicile
with her own hands, and experienced fall
in so doing which came within an inch of
ending her life. Her nearest neighbor had
a bachelors hay ranch one and half miles
away. The nearest woman lived nearly
three miles distant.
After securing her position in Denver
Miss Watkins spent great many Satur-
days, Sundays and all her holidays at / he
ranch. She also frequently procured sub
stitute, and in this way spent a great deal
of time on her wild ami desolate domain.
In the spring of 1885 Miss Watkins in
closed her land with a barbad- wire fence
and built dam. The fence cos5 S435. 1t
was estimated that the dam would cost $40,
but repeated washouts soon rau the expense
of that costly improvement up to $500. The
dam proved a complete failure, it having
been wrongly built by inexperienced men
She also decided to put in crop of alfalfa,
hoping for sufficient returns to Offset at
least some of her rapidly increasing ex-
penses. The alfalfa seed and the labor of
sowing it proved very expensive. In con-
sequence of the failure of the dam she had
no water; therefore the alfalfa did no. grow
after coming up successfully. All this ex-
pendture was total logs.
The resolute young woman, nothing
daunted, however, set about the improve
g., IL
SKIP, and a 12X12 barn. The next item of
expenditure was the building and recording
of what was known as the Watkins ditch,
which led out of the dam on Rock creek
over the alfalfa land. TIE surveying, plot
ting and recording of this was another
heavy expense.
When all this was done the young woman
furnished her cabin with articles created by
her own hand, hung her very creditable
paintings on the walls, and occasionally
during the summer months entertained city
friends. She is dashing horsewoman, and
her tall, sic der figure, clad in its st -lish
habit and m united firmly in the saddle, has
always been the object of admiration for
miles around.
Miss Watkins made fnal proof on her
presumption claim during the latter part of
September, 1885, by payment to the govern
ment Of 81 25 per acre. She then converted
her timber claim, lying adjacent on the
Little Fountain, into a homestead and
erected a new cabin. In the fall Of asst
year she went to the land Office at Pueblo,
but the register, after looking over her
papers, claimed that ner res dence was in
sufficient, that other hands than hers had
plowed her land, that two of her rooms in
her house were built Of old lumber, and
made several similar weak statements in
defense of his action.
Inspired by despair she wrote he own
appeal to Land Commissioner Stockslager
at Washington. Mr.. Anderson, Mr.. Stock
slager's first assistant, wrote TO the girl that
he would give the matter his personal at
tention, and he did so. She received her
rejection on Feb. - last year, and on Sept.
- last Mr.. Anderson wrote to the register
at Pueblo reversing the decision and stating
that he considered her case worthy and I'M
usual.
AT this tie young lady's JOY was bound
less Hope returned and she felt that her
labor had not been in vain. She has spent
consdera le time at the ranch since the
reversal Of the decision, and Is now by far
the best known girl ranchman in Central
Colorado
Miss Watkins ranch is now valued at
about 5000 and will doubtless prove valu-
able alfalfa land as soon as it IS properly
irrigated.
Watkins Glen as it is known, is one Of
the pIettest spots on the Little Fou taiu.
Back OF the cabin is the "river,n pictur-
esque creek, fringed by overhan ling cotton