The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-29
lII1lIi Eagle
SHE WEARS TROUSERS.
A WOMAN WHO HAS MOI HAD A
DRESS ON IN FIFTEEN YEARS.

her Husband Complained That Her
Clothes Cost Too. Munh, and She Re
solved Never TO Wear a Skirt AEvain-It
IsNo Ienness Miller Business with Her.
'Sey. what kind of people are those
folks on the ranch about three miles
back?" asked dusty stranger asrheSdroVe
into San Pablo.
There are lots OF ranches three niitS
back" answered a resident.
"Well, III tell you what happened to me
and maybe you'll know the place / was
driving along about a mile this side or
PinoIe and / saw somebody IN blue
Jumper shoveling Just inside the fence by
the roadside. He djdu't pay any attention
10 me and landed a shovelful Of dirt right
On front OF nv horse. The horse reared
back. and as soon as,he got quiet started
On to curse the shoVeler. He didn't pay
snv attention to that and l got out to lick
him.
"Well. l didn't do it, That fellow just
booked into my face, and if it wasn't
woman I'll eat a house and lot. She wore
trousers and a Jumper and a mans hat,
and she was spadingup the soil in great
shape; but her long hair was flying about
her head and her face was as placid as any
grandmother's you eveEmet
'sShe wasn't a prize beauty by any
means. but-well, you can fancy how
fellow would feel afierswearing and Jump
ing out of a buggy to HEX a woman"
ooh. that was Mrs. Kreiger. She always
dresses that way" said the resident. Il
thought everybody in these parts knew
her"
SHE USED TO WEAR DRESSES.
Mrs. Kreiger has lived on q ranch on the
San Pablo road for over fifteen years, and
during that time she has never worn the
ordinary apparel OF woman. So accus-
somed have the people of that vicinity be-
rome to her and her strange dress that
they no longer notice it.
Still, Mrs. Kreiger is no woman's rights
apostle, nor advocate Of dress reform. 1t
Is doubtful IF she ever even heard of Mrs.
Jenness Miller or Mrs. Bloomer, and il you
mentioned Lady Habberton or the divided
skirt to her she would not know what you
were talking about.
Up to fifteen years ago Mrs. Kreiger
wore skirts and dresses Ike any other of
her sex. Indeed, it appears that she had
mere of them, and that they were Of more
varied forms, textures and colors than are
usually possessed by farmers wives.
1t was shortly before the change in her
manner Of dressing that she married Will
liam Kreiger, a thrifty German farmer and
q widower, and went to live with him on
the ranch.
For a while there was absolute peace and
concord between them, but it did not last.
Mrs Kreiger had just laid in her winters
Of tao eyoy-pc x-o1l-fRy drascac md
dinner toilets, not to mention some ducks
of wrappers, and pretty soon the bills be-
gan to come in.
Crops had not been all they might have
been, potatoes had gone down an eighth of
o cent pound, and an epidemic of pip had
swept over the poultry yard
HER TERRIBLE vow
Kreiger did not mind paying SIC for a
poem of red silk, and pea green demi-toi-
let forS13 did not shake him, but when one
after another theaceounts for yellow calico,
blue bingham and other tokens of vanity
and pride were rendered he began to grow
gloomy aud taciturn, TO lose his appetite
and sleep uneasily. But it was not until
the returns from the milhners came in
that he complained. After, however, Civ
sng the price of three spring chickens.foT a
turnips for a mere spot of straw hat, with
Bome ribbons and other fiXings on it, he
ventured to expostulate.
He told how the Mrs. Kreiger that had
been had worn the same calico dress for
Sundays two years, and how the same
dress had served as second best for like
space, and then lasted at least like time
20 work in, and that there was even then
10 90. II.
pointed out how the paragon that had been
wore the came hat she had when he mar
ried her during all the yesrs,of their wed
ded life, and had never preathed demand
for another.
Mrs. Kreiger stood it meekly for while.
Then she blazed out and declared that
since he was SO stipgy about it she would
not give him any more chance TO complain
about her dresses. Then she made a
dreadful VOW never to wear dresses again.
And she hasn't.
The bright hued garments were packed
Rway in two trunks, and they are there yet
The I[Feigers are well of now. They
have fine ranch of eighty or one hundred
acres and money in bank More who know
them say that Kreiger is worth at least
$4,000. Mrs. Kreiger during all these
years lao hNBt MUSE ana utlDcQ on the
farm, in mems garments. Her usual cos
tune is a duck Jumper and pair of her
husbands worn out trousers.
TRUE TO HER RESOLVE
She is not proud and works In the field
as well rs her husband. Naturally she does
not go into society mlsch In fact she Is
rather retiring. She has few il any visit
ors. and never goes 10 town. When she
wants the butcher or any other trades
man to call for an order she hangs out a
flag on the road. This signal they all IN
derstand and drive down to the house to
find what is wanted.
4 reporter drove out to the Kreiger
ranch the other day. IL is about mile
from PinOle, on the left side of the road.
The farm house Is back several hundred
feet from the highway, an avenue bordered
by poplars leading from the road TO the
door. The house is a hUtie white cottage.
The plsceis not particularly tidy. and there
appeared TO be nothing living about it but
n vicious little yellow dog just inside the
doorway, however, a strange figure was
seated. Ii was Mrs. Kreiger.