The Bossier banner., 1891-10-08
A WONDERFUL WEIGH WOMAN.
Highly Accomplished and Possessed OF
PrOdigious Strength.

Highly Accomplished and Possessed OF
PrOdigious Strength.
In Welch lore we sometimes find
things of doubtful authenticity, but the
readers of this brief sketch may rest as
sured that it is is no fiction. l find it in
"Pennant's Tours in Wales" first pub
ished in England something over one
hundred years ago, and lately brought
out in the Welch language by the well
known publisher, H. Humphreys, of
Carnavon. l take it from the Welch
edition. This phenomenal person was
born about the year 1896, and brought
up at Lianberis, North Wales. Nothing
is said of any of her relatives. Mr..
Pennant says:
cat the head of the lake there lives
very noted woman, Margaret Ach Ifan,
and was sadly disappointed on not
finding her at home when I called She
is the last specimen of the strength and
spirit of the daughters of the ancient
Britons. At this writing Q776) she is
about ninety years of age. In the line
of hunting, shooting and fishing, in her
active days, she had no equal. She
kept at least dozen dogs of the best
breed; bloodhounds, grayhounds, set
ters and terriers. She would secure
more foxes in one year than the other
hunters combined would get in ten.
''In boating she was quite at home,
and the queen of the lakes. She played
finely on the violin, and was well ac-
quainted with the Welsh melodies of
her day. She was also a musical COM
poser, and some of her pieces are high
ly spoken Of She made two harps on
which she sl1illfully played. She was a
good carpenter, shoemaker, tailor and
blacksmith. She made her horses S
shoes and shOd them with her own
hands. She built her own boats, in
which, in harmony with an agreement,
she cOnvey ed the copper down the lakes
from the foot of the Snowden. She
composed poetry, and was a superior
musical vocalist. She had more strength
| than any two men of her acquaintance.
When sixty years of age she was more
| than a match for the best two wrestlers
of the region, and she was never de-
| feated. She received offers of marriage
by the score, but for a long time she
threw them all aside. At last, however,
she smilingly accepted an offer from the
feeblest of the lot"
In Welsh volume in my possession
"Cymru Fu'' wales of the past), | find
! the following which, abbreviated, in
sert as an addition to Mr.. Pennant's ac-
count: "One day her little dog Ianto
stole the dinner of one of the miners.
This so enraged the man that he instant
| ly killed the dog. When Margaret
heard of tbs she went to the miners
lodging place and found him standing
with others outside of the house She
told him that she was willing to pay fol
the dog. The man, who was one of the
largest and strongest in the neighbor
hood, laughed at her scornfully. In &
threatening manner he approached hel
and commanded her to depart or she
might share the fate of Ianto. NJ
sooner had he finished the sentence
than tremendous blow from Mar
garet's fist laid him senseless on the
ground, where she left him and de
parted toward her home"
She died at the ripe age of 1O2, and i
is said that she never, even for day
was confined to her bed by sickness. :
Utica IN. W Herald.