News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-31
A GIRL RANCHER.
AN INSTANCE OF WHAT FENfI-
NINE PLUCK MAYDO.
How Miss Cassie Watkins Took Up
a Land Claim in the Wilderness,

Perhaps the most remarkable "gir
ranchman" in the West, says Denver
letter to the New York World, is Miss
Cassie Watkins, au energetic young
woman who came to Colorado in 1885,
without dollar and at once proceeded
to take up 320 acres of land, which she
has recently proved. Greater strength
of character, more indomitab.e vii
and tirmer resolution have never been
summoned to the aid of any woman il
this country. Those who arc acquaint
ed with Cassie Watkins know that she
has done everything that women do moi
do ordinarily, from shooting coyotes to
chopping wood, and performing most o.
the necessary carpenter work about hcl
cabin.
The most remarkable thing about il
the daughter of horny-fsted son o.
toll, but a graceful. highbrel city girl
who until the last few summers had
never performed duties other than those
which devolve upon teachers in city
schools. If you meet Miss Watkins Oh
the street you are attracted at once by
tall, rather dashing and decidedly styI
lsh young woman, who looks out ut you
from pair of clear, earnest gray eyes,
touches you with handsomely gloved
hand, smiles cordially and passes on. She
IS strs1ght as an arrow, and although
there is nothing in her garb which var
les in the least from that of the hun
dreds of ladies whom one meets in the
streets daily, there is something in her
carriage which suggests an unusual de-
gree of personality.
Miss Watkins came to this State from
Detroit. She is quite alone in the world,
having no friend to whom she would ap-
ply for aid in any emergency. Like so
many others she has read for years of the
opportunities for making money in Col
orado and resolved to come here and
make the effort for Independence. On
reaching Denver sne at once entered the
annual competitive examination for
teachers in the city schools, and by rea-
son of superior scholarship was offered
the first position. After teaching in the
city schools two weeks, City Superin-
tendent Cove, now President of the Ma
tlonal Educational Association, made
her his secretary, position which she
has filled with honor ever since.
After passing her examination Miss
Watkins went to o section of country
lying twelve miles south of Colorado
Springs, where there lay several large
tracts of Government land. She spent
some time in the ncighborhood, and
soon conceived the idea of taking up q
claim, believing that by SO doing she
might secure to herself permanent indie
pendence. She had no money, however,
and it was while pondering as to how
she could best raise the $50 necessary to
take out her first papers that she re-
ceived word announcing her position in
Denver assured.
The first money Miss Watkins earned
that fall she drew at once and took out
papers on fine pre-emption claim of
160 acres and n timber claim of 160
acres. She first proved the pre-emp-
ton, and then converted the timber
claim into homestead.
Next she erected shanty or claim
cabin, the cost of which was $25. Its
were 10x12, and when it was
meagre though it was, the
resolute young woman reflected that she
was monarch of all she surveyed. She
was a free and Independent house
holder, even though the starlight looked
in intrusively through the cracks in the
roof, and the mice, not in the least in
timidated by her presence, danced
quadrilles on the floor by night and day.
with her own hands, and experienced q
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
lived nearly three miles distant.
After securing her position in Denver,
Miss Watkins spont a great many Satur-
days, Sundays and all her holidays at
the ranch. She also frequently procured
l substitute, and in this way spent a
great deal of timo on her wild and desc
ate domain.
In the Spring of 1856 Miss Watkins
her land with barbed-wire
'ence and built dam. The fence cost
s435. It was estimated that the dam
would cost $40, but repeated washouts
soon ran the expense of that costly i'm
up to 5000. The dam proved
l complete failure, it having been wrong
y built by inexperienced men. She
tlso decided to put III q crop of alfalfa,
hoping for sufficient returns to offset at
east some of her rapidly increasing ex-
0enses. The alfalfa seed and the labor
If sowing it proved very expensive. In
of the failure of the dam,
he had no water, therefore the alfalfa
lid not grow after coming up success
ully. All this expenditure was total
oss.
The resolute young woman, nothing
launted however, set about the i'm
of her cabin by building
mother room, Sx12, and 12x12 barn.
The next item of ex! enditure was the
building and recording of what was
,nown AS the Watkins Ditch, which led
,ut of the dam on Rock Creek over the
.lfalfa land. The surveying, plotting
md recording of this was another heavy
expense.
When all this was done the young
yoman furnished her cabin with articles |
reated by her own hand, hung her very
reditable paintings on the walls, and
occasionally during the Summer months
Entertained city friends. She is dash
ng horsewoman, and her tall, slender
igure, clad in its stylish habit and
mounted firmly in the saddle, has always
,een the object of admiration for miles
round.
Miss Watkins made final proof of her
,reemption claim during the latter part
# September, 1886, by payment to the
Government of 81. % per acre. She
hen converted her timber claim, lying
.diacent on the Little Fountain, into
homestead and erected new cabin. In
he fall OF last year she went to the land
,ffice at Pueblo, but the register, after
ooking over her papers, claimed that
,er residence was insufficient, that other
lands than hers had ploughed her land
hat two of her rooms in her house were
,ui t of old lumber, and made several
imilar weak statements IN defense of
lis action.
Inspired by despair she wrote her own
ppeal to Land Commissioner Stocks
ager at Washington. Mr.. Anderson,
ir. Stockslagers first assistant, wrote
o the girl that he would give the mat
er his personal attention, and he did so.
,he received her rejection on Feb. %
asst wear, and on the 18th day of last
september, Mr.. Anderson wrote to the
2sgister at Pueblo, reversing the deeis-
on, and stating that he considered the
ase worthy and unusual.
At this the young lady's Joy was
,oundIess. Hope returned, and she felt
hat her labor had not been in vain.
,he has spent considerable time at the
anch since the reversal of the decision,
nd is now by far the best known girl
anchman in Central Colorado.
Miss Watkins's ranch is now valued at
bout SO, 900, and will doubtless prove
aluable alfalfa land as soon rs it is
properly irrigated.
"Watkinss Glen" as it is known, is
M Of The nrnttieSt snntS ON the Little