Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-06-27
a WOMAN'S GRIT.
A Dakota Claim Held by One
Woman and Her Faithful Dog.


"Talk about women going out to do
the homestead act at Oklahoma" said
a Thespian on the Rialto, with lower
register sneor, "there goes a demure
light Of the drama who has been
through moro 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 q
queenly figure, and all belonged to the
actress May Frances Stetton. 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
miseries could be embodied in such
dignified and gentle frame.
Tell you how it was. She halls.
from Maine and went out to Dakota to
capture one of the homestead bargains
offered there. That was in 1880, about
the beginning of summer. She had
been through some preliminary train
ing for the stage, but hadn't money
enough to keep on with her studies,
and she took fancy TO try the rapid
transit road to wealth through o.
claim in the west. Experience No;
nothing but grit, Russian blood
hound and fve-barreled revolver.
That was her stock in trade. She To-
Gated her 160 acres about twelve miles
from Fargo-rolling land, surrounded
by leagues of waving prairie.
'sSha haOan nv moving n loo cabin
there to live in. Then she contracted
to teach school, the first in that be-
nighted region. 1t was six miles from
her cabin, and this distance she
walked twice day, the prairie grass
for over three miles being neck high
and the primeval snake being her
only escort.
Meanwhile, Flo-that's the blood
hound-held the fort at the cabin, and
the cabin never got far away while Flo
was in command. One evening about
dusk, Miss Stetson heard one OF Flo's
peculiar growls. The dog never
growled unless there was business on,
hand. So her mistress responded and
found three villainous looking Sioux
Indians at the rear of the cabin. They
were the worse for firewater and asked
for food as bluff. This was her first.
introduction to the copper-colored geh-
try.
LAS she started for some meat and
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 taste ned
on number twO's 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-oneer
when tramp pulled razor in return
for breakfast, taking Miss Stetson
entirely off her guard. He managed
to make a nasty cut in her arm before
Flo got her lines, but when she did it.
was all over for the tramp in one act.
She had man all ready for the under
taker before she left his throat.
"A third time Miss Stetson had left
Flo in charge OF the cabin and gone.
galloping over the prairie, five miles
away, for some oil. Evening had
nearly set in. She had scarcely start
ed 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 tho bonn
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
death seemed certain, when Flo's bark
was heard like an angels voice. The
dog had made up her mind that some
thing was wrong and stopped playing
sentinel long enough to save her
mistress the third time. Locating the
voice of distress she soon brought re-
lief from belated party on the
road.
"Miss Steison 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 il like
grim death till she made the land pay,
sold out at good figure and
started east again with money enough
TO go ahead with her dramatic studies.
under Hudson and Emerson at Boston.
"And Flo? Well, the poor hound was
left with people in Chicago who didn't.
fancy her unconventional way Of run
ming the neighborhood, and they shot
her while she was fast asleep. They
knew nothing could kill her il she
were awake. 1t almost broke Miss
Stetson's heart. She never forgave
those Chicago towards for numbering
her life preserver.