Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-05-23
A WOMAN WITH GRIT.
n>sding Her Cabin Against Frontier Ruff
dana with the Aid Of Her Do..

Ihlk about women going out 10 DO
the homestead act at Oklahoma" said
aThespian on the Rialto, with a lower
register sheer, there goes a demure
light of the drama who has been
through more pioneer perils than half
the men who come back east with
scalps and fairy tales" just then the
demure member walked placidly by.
Large, thoughtful eyes, bearing ex-
tremely quiet, regular features and a
queenly figure, and all belonged TO
the actress-May Frances Stetson.
And the Thespian ratified ahead with
his story.
You would never dream that the
heroine of his tales of border perils,
hairbreadth escapes and frontier mis-
cries could be embodied in such a dig
niied and gentle frame.
Tell you how il She halls
from Maine and went out to Dakota 10
capture one Of the homestead bargains
offered there. That was in 1850. about
the beginning OF summer. She had
been through some preliminary train
ing for the stage, but hadn't money
enough 10 keep on with her studies,
and she took a fancy TO try the rapid
transit road TO wealth through a
claim Ia the west. Experienced No,
nothing but grit, a Russian blood
hound and u FIVE barreled revolver.
That was her stock in trade. She To-
Gated her 100 acres about twelve miles
from Fargo-rolling land, surrounded
by leagues of waving prairie.
"She began by moving a log cabin
there 10 live in. Then she contracted
10 teach a school, the first in that be-
nighted region. II was six miles from
her cabin. and this distance she walked
twice a day. the prairie grass for over
three miles being neck high and the
primeval snake acting as her only es-
cort
Meanwhile, Flo-that's the blood
hound-held the fort at the cabin, and
the cabin w got far away while Flo
was in command. One evening about
dusk, Miss Stetson heard one of Flo's
peculiar and ominous growls. The
dog never growled unless there was
business on hand. So her mistress re-
sponded and found three villainous
looking Sioux indians at the rear of
the cabin. They wore the worse for
fire water and asked for food as a bluff.
This was her first introduction 10 the
copper colored gentry.
las she started for some meat and
a revolver the Indians drew their
knives and entered. The odds were
heavy and their purpose was clear. As
the leader advanced with knife raised,
she let him have it in the heart and
he dropped. Flo got her cue and fas-
tened on number twos throat with
deadly grip. Number three took TO
the woods. She buried the redskins
next day and kept on with her school.
Flo saved her life several times after
that-once when a tramp pulled a
razor in return for a breakfast, taking
Miss Stetson entirely off her guard.
he managed to mske a nasty cut in
her arm before Flo got her lines, but
when she did il was all over for the
tramp in one act. She had a man all
ready for the undertaken before she
left his throat.
"a third time Miss Stetson had left
Flo in charge of the cabin and gone
galloping owe the prairie, five miles
away, for some oil. Evening had
nearly set in. She had scarcely start
ed on her way back when one of those
beastly but brilliant prairie storms
came on. Chain lightning spans the
skies, and from its forks drop great
balls Of electric fire. You think it's
the bom~bardment of Sumter. Then
follow rain in torrents and darkness
heavy and dense as lead. She lost her
way and entered a gulch. The waters
rose and rose, and death seemed GER
tain, when Flo's bark was heard like
an angels voice. The dog bad made
up her mind hat something was
Issrong, and stopped playing sentinel
long Enough TO lave her mistress the
third time. Locating the voice of dis
tress she soon brought relief from a
belated party on the road.
Miss Stetson and the hound went
through the entire Dakota bill o fare,
including Indians, washouts. starva-
ton and prairie fires. Twice Flo was
shot and her mistress nursed her back
to shape again. But Miss Stetson
made her point. She hung TO it like
grim death till she made the land pay,
sold out at a good figure and started
east again with money enough TO 60
ahead with her dramatic studies under
Hudson and Emerson al Boston.
Sand Floi Well, the poor hound
was left with people in Chicago who
didn't fancy her unconventional way
of running the neighborhood, and
they shot her while she was fast
asleep. They knew nothing could
kill her il she were awake. II almost
broke Miss Stetson's heart. She never
forgave those Chicago towards for
numbering her life preseryer- New