Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-13
They Are Not Merely Orna-
ments in Society.
One of Them Who Developed
an Executive Head.
What a Southern California Girl Can
Do When She Has To.
ssMirieo' Manages Her Fathers Fruit
Orchard and Sells the Crop at
Good Price-Blutiing OF
the Buyers.


She has been variously described by
numerous writers. She has been held
up to the gaze of the reading public as
cold, calculating business parsonage,
with true New England business tact,
but not over beautiful as to personal
charms.
There is young lady just past IS,
who resides in the classic suburb OF Yer
non. For the purposes of this article
we will call her Mirieo.
New Mirieo is different from the South
en California girl that has been so often
depicted by writer's in the past. To
begin with, she does not wear glasses
and she is pretty. This latter fact,
however, does not interfere with her being
bright, courageous and full OF business
ability. The experience through which
Mirieo has gone during the past six
months shows what the Southern Cali
fornia girl can do when she is thrown on
her own resources, or, rather, what she
can do when the occasion arises which
calls her into the field for action.
been called upon to do anything out OF
had devoted her time to her music and
other studies, merely receiving the ben
eft of passing observation as to the
practical side of life.
Last January her parents were sud-
denly called to the east-to New York
to attend to important matters which
demanded their personal presence. A
30-acre orange orchard, together with
Mirieo, was LETT in the charge of man
and his wife to look after.
Four days after her parents had de-
parted the man and his wife were sud-
denly called east to attend at the bed
side of a dying relative.
This left Miss Mirieo alone with the
30-acre orange orchard. The crop was
on the trees ready for sale. No steps
looking to its disposal had been taken.
The place had to be irrigated, plowed
and otherwise cared for. The taxes to
be paid. A man had to be secured to
do the outside work and woman to do
the inside.
To neglect caring for the place meant
the loss of great deal of money to her
father. To force him to come home and
look after it meant also pecuniary
sacrifice. In this dilemma it did not
take Miss Mirieo long to act. She went
to the Western Union telegraph Office
and sent her father the following dis
patch to ease his mind
'.Left alone in charge of place. Don't
worry. Will care for everything. Have
written particulars.
After sending this dispatch, Miss
Mirieo proceeded to business. She
knew nothing about orange culture or
ranch work. The details she at once
picked up. She cleaned information
from every source on what was neces-
sary to be done and how to do it. A
man was secured to do the work. He
performed his services under the direc-
tion of the young lady. Each day she
gave him orders as to what he should
do. The orchard was cared for better
than it ever had been before.
Then came the important work of SELL
ing the crop. Buyers focked around
the fair rancher. They thought that
they had picnic when they saw that
they had only young girl to deal with.
Visions came up before their eyes of a
great profit they would make on the pur-
chase from Miss Mirieo.
But Mirieo outwitted them all. The
first offer she had on the crop was $3.50.
Tie party who made this generous
tender was sorry afterward. He was
driven from the house by the angry mis-
tress with broom. Then came an offer
of $1,000. This the young lady scorned.
declined. Next $1,000 was offered. Miss
Mirieo said that she was not particular
whether she sold the crop or not. "In
fact," said she, 81 guess 1 will ship it to
Chicago myself, and dispose of it there.
One thing is certain: If l do sell l am
going to get my price,"
"What is your price ?" asked the anx-
ions buyer.
"Two thousand dollars; not a penny
less."
The buyer nearly tainted. Never in
the world could she get such an out
rageous figure, said he.
''All right" was the answer of the
audacious young lady, ..then l will ship
my own CROP"
Mirieo proceeded forthwith to make
her arrangements. She corresponded
with reliable Chicago commission mer-
chants, arranged to have the fruit pick
ed, packed and put on the cars. All
the details were completed, when Mr..
Buyer put in an appearance again. He
would give $500 for the crop. but not a
penny more. The offer was declined
All OF the old ranchers in the neighbor.
hood advised the young lady to take the
$500. 1t was large price all said.
But no. She was going to have heI
price or ship the fruit herself. The
next day the same buyer came back and
tried to get the $4,000 figure cut 500.
He failed, and then sheepishly said
swell, / will give you $4,000 for the
crop, but it is more than it is worth"
'fYou are foolish to pay it if that is
true" said Miss Mirieo. with sparkle
in her eye.
But the contract to purchase was
drawn up, in due time the fruit was de-
iivered and paid for. This was, in pro-
portion, the best figure any Vernon
Orchardist realized during the season.
The old ranchers who had advised Miss
Mirieo to take $500. then $l700, and
who were wild when she refused $500,
said that she would lose in the long run
by taking the $1,000, because the buyer
could never afford to pay it, and would
be bankrupt before the season closed.
But all their evil prophesies came to
naught. Mirieo got all of her $4,000, and
it was placed in the bank subject to her
check.
The taxes on all OF her fathers prop
erty were paid. A tax deed had been
issued on one piece for delinquent taxes
of 1889. The party who had bid the
,rov,ortu in had aacured a tax deed To