Los Angeles herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1890-1893, 1890-08-25
SHE WEARS TROUSERS.
A WOMAN WHO HAS NOT HAD A
DRESS ON IN FIFTEEN YEARS.

folks on the ranch about three miles
back?" asked a dusty stranger as he drove
into San Pablo.
"There are lots of ranches three miles
back" answered a resident.
"Well, I'll tell you what happened to me
and maybe you'll know the place. l was
driving along about a mile this side of
Pinole and l saw somebody in a blue
jumper shoveling just inside the fence by
the roadside. He didn't pay any attention
to me and landed shovelful of dirt right
in front Of my horse. The horse reared
back, and as soon as he got quiet started
in to curse the shoveler He didn't pay
any attention to that and got out to lick
him.
"Well, didn't do it. That fellow just
looked into my face, and if it wasn't
woman I'll eat a house and lot She wore
trousers and a jumper and mans hat,
and she was spading up 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 ever met.
"She wasn't a prize beauty by any
means, but-well, you can fancy how a
fellow would feel after swearing and jump
ing out of buggy to lick woman"
ooh, that was Mrs. Kreiger. She always
urtSSeS tHdO way, Sitlu uuc reSIucuU. L
thought everybody in these parts knew
her."
SHE USED TO WEAR DRESSES.
Mrs. Kreiger has lived on a 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-
toned have the people of that vicinity be-
come 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 OF Mrs Bloomer, and if 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 like any other Of
her sex. Indeed, it appears that she had
more 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
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
supply of tea gowns, walking dresses and
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
cent pound, and an epidemic of pip had
swept over the poultry yard.
HER TERRIBLE vow.
Kreiger did not mind paying SIG for a
poem of red silk, and pea green demi-toi-
let for $13 did not shake him, but when one
after another the accounts for yellow calico,
blue bingham and other tokens of vanity
and pride were rendered he began to grow
gloomy and taciturn, to lose his appetite
and sleep uneasily. But it was not until
the returns from the milliners came in
that he complained. After, however, CIV
ing the price of three spring chickens for a
darling of bonnet, and whole sack of
turnips for mere spot of a straw hat, with
some 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
to work in, and that there was even then
enough to make over for the little girl He
pointed out how the paragon that had been
wore the same hat she had when he mar
ried her during all the years of their we'd
ded life, and had never breathed demand
for another.
Mrs Kreiger stood it meekly for while.
Then she blazed out and declared that
since he was so stingy about it she would
not give him any more chance to complain
about her dresses. Then she made
dreadful vow never to wear dresses again.
And she hasn't.
The bright hued garments were packed
away in two trunks, and they are there yet.
The Kreigers are we'll off 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 has kept house and helped on the
farm, in mems garments Her usual cos
tune is duck Jumper" and pair of Der
husbands worn out trousers.
TRUE TO HER RESOLVE.
She is not proud and works in the field
as we'll as her husband. Naturally she does
not go into society much. In fact she is
rather retiring. She has few if any visit
ors, and never goes to town. When she
wants the butcher or any other trades
man to call for an order she hangs out
flag on the road. This signal they all I'M
derstand and drive down to the house to
find what is wanted.
A reporter drove out to the Kreiger
ranch the other day. 1t 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 little white cottage.
The place is not particularly tidy, and there
appeared to be nothing living about it but
vicious little yellow dog Just inside the
doorway, however, strange figure was
seated. 1t was Mrs. Kreiger.
She appeared to be about As years old,
and was engaged in some knitting or SINH
larwork. She wore her customary jumper
and a pair of trousers patched in various
places with pieces of grain bags.
She was not disturbed at all by the visit,
but merely ran her hand through her
tousled hair and indicated that she did not
speak English.
Whether she could not, or merely did not
care to, she did not, and presently she went
about her homework without even Sec
cnd look at her visitor.
The neighbors say they have frequently
expostulated with her for her outlandish
garb, but she only answered that she had
made her vow and did not propose to break