The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-11-28
BRAVE MATTE HESTER.
An Interesting Employe of the
post-Ofice Department.
A Little Georgian Woman Who Has an
EnyiabIe Record-Three Times a Week
She Carries tho Mails from One
County to Another.

One of the most interesting figures in
everyday life in this section of the
State. saws a New York World corre-
spondent at Tweed, Ga, is pretty Matte
Hester, who carries Uncle SANS mails
from the village to the point at which
she lives on farm, twenty miles away.
The fair mail-carrier drives a little road
cart in which she has bravely gone over
her route every day, rain or shine, since
she succeeded in obtaining the posi-
tion. If the mails are late one may be
sure the delay did not occur in her ter
ritory, for no stress of weather can deter
this undaunted little public official
The whole country side knows and re-
spects her, but if any protection IS need
ed on her lonely journeys her Own cour-
age and determination of character viii
supply it.
This year Matte succeeded over all
competitors in securing the mail route
from Condor in Laurens County TO Lo-
THAR in Montgomery County, and three
times a week she covers a distance of
about forty miles through a wild
and sparsely settled section, and her
CHEEKY voice is often heard along
the road in her efforts to drive
dull care away. AT her side in a small
pocket. fully exposed to view, is
handsomely polished No. IS Smith &
Wesson of the most approved model,
and as she is a crack shot woe be TO the
highwayman or tramp who tries TO bar
the way TO that part of the United
States mails under the immediate care
of Matte Hester. She has perfect con-
fidence in her own ability TO defend
herself, and looks with contempt upon
those timid members of her own sex
who fear TO go anywhere without an
escort Independence of spirit Is so
striking a characteristic of this unique
young person that the narration of
some of her remarkable undertakings
would convey an impression of mascul-
unity. In her own home or under
ordinary circumstances Miss Hester
is the embodiment OF womanliness.
She lives with her widowed mother, two
sisters and a young brother, but is the
real head and director of the family.
Her beauty is of the true Southern
type-wavy black hair, deep blue eyes,
beautiful figure and complexion and
the whitest set OF teeth imaginable.
Her iaunty ajr and pretty face nevev
fail to att,act the attention of stranggs
as shy rattles swiftly by in her trt'
left, but attending strictly 10 l1sihess'
Attention to business, inded' - the
chief distinguishing fee1ure OF
character whose strenr@h mas made
Miss Hester remarkably IN many ways.
Still in her twentipsh year and full
of life and energy she is determined to
make her way tOfortune. She has al
ready shown business qualifications
that you1d % credit to any man. Last !
wear she s-perInUended all the work on
the far.I. She helped TO plant and
harvest the crop and took it TO market, |
wherc her tact enabled her to secure |
the highest prices.
Thinking that she saw a chance to /
make some money last winter, she went
into the woods and got q quantity Of
timber which she RATED and placed in
tho hands of her brother, to be disposed
of in the Darien lumber market. This
venture netted the enterprising little
''cracker" a handsome profit. Later on,
with her own hands, she cut down and
split enough fence rails to inclose one
section of the farm. So it seems hard |
work has no terrors for Miss Matte, nor
is she at all squeamish about the kind
Of work she undertakes, provided only
that il offers promise of bettering her
1oAlAA4 blbIl. W 4bl4 al lltE various uuJlGS !
she still finds some leisure and she en-
ploys it in teaching writing.
Miss Matte in her relations with the
sex preserves the same marked
which characterizes her in
other things. She doesn't care a rush
about men; in fact, she has no time to
think about other mails than those it is
her duty to distribute.
The little mail-carrier is very poorly
paid, and the forty-milo journeys are
rapidly taking the flesh off the sturdy
Droncho that draws her cart.
Il don't think I shall carry the mails
hree times a week much longer" said
he to the World correspondent. lit is
elling on my horse. Besides, the small
oay l receive does not warrant it. III
an get my petition signed, l will per-
laps get of with twice a-week, which 1
hink Will suit the public quite as we'll"