The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-04-22
PLUcKY MRS. LANGoON.
The Only Woman Mail Contractor In the
United States.

United States.
Washington Postl
Among the guests at the Willard is a
tall, fair woman, with a business-like air
which leads her frequently in the direc-
ton of the postoffice department She is
Mrs II. J. Langdon of Oroville, Cal, and
if there is any one person who should
have business with the postmaster gen.
erals department it is this same Mrs.
Langdon. She enjoys the distinction OF
being the only woman mail contractor in
the United States, and not only does she
have routes suble,, but has always had
more or less directly under her personal
supervision. AT present she has contracts
covering over one thousand miles OF mail
service, principally in Butte and Pluma
counties, Cal.
"Iou want TO know how | came 10 be
mail contractor? ?"
"My first husband had been a large
contractor and | was familiar with his
business affairs. At his death he LETT a
will bequeathing me twenty-five uneXpired
mail contracts and made me sole eXecutrlX
OF the will | at once assumed control
and after they expired began to bid on
my own account and was successful IN OBJ
tanning contracts. 1t is now twelve years
since | began to work for myself and now
that am married again / have TO bid IN
my husbands name. l am the only
woman who carries Wells-Fargo express,
and from July TO the time the SHOWS shut
in we carried 100000 in gold dust. We
/ have nineteen agents under our control.
"At present the longest route we have
is lis miles long, from Weravilie to Susan
vile, and ESQ miles, or one-quarter OF all
the contracts, is under my lersonal super
vision.
"The largest route l ever controlled was
500 miles long and ran from Reno, New.
to Fort Bidwell, in Northern California,
| That was after my first husbands death.
! Once every month for three years and a
| hall went over that line. ] used to get
! on the stage beside my driver at O'Clock
/ in tue morning, and for thirty-six hours
| never eft that seat except to eat, inspect
| my stations and horses. and interrogate
my men. ! personally bought every dol
lars worth OF hay and grain consumed, all
the horses and coaches, and my stock In
that line was worth $4,000"
Mrs. Langdon is known to all the stage
drivers, and to every man who has ever
been in her employ, and through the
mountains as "rhe Little Boss"
Every man has great respect for her
! ability. Some OF her coaches have SIX
horses, others four or two, and there Is
| hardly better four-in-hand whip in the
business than Mrs. Langdor. Ii word
comes that driver has made too close
! fellowship with the flask, she discharges
him and climbs on the seat and carries
mails through herself.
Have you had any adventures
Several! One that | recall very wildly
happened on that long line | told you OF.
There was a crossing on the Russian River
200 yards wide where we generally went
over in a ferry boat with the bags and
| met the coach at the other side. The
river was a swollen torrent filed with logs
that had broken loose from up the river.
NV two white men looked at it and fatty
refused to 60 | couldn't make them, and
then finally hired two Indiane, got into
a dug-out with the pouches, and made the
trip in safety. But i'll order TO reach
point on the shore directly opposite where
we started from, the Indians had to pad
die one whole mile up the river.
''Then Black Bart made his maiden at
tempt at stage robbing on one OF my
stages 1t was on line up the coast In
Sonora county, which / do not control
now. The stage was an ordinary Concord,
with two horses. and Ash Wilkinson,
typical stage driver, was on the box.
Black Bart did not make a fortune by
that hold-up, but he got the box with
some money. Ash was stopped again,
and that time happened to be along, and
we had four horses on. The leaders
brought up against rope tied breast high
across the road Before we could get
down to find out what was the delay two
masked men called halt and guns were
presented. They got away with the box,
but only a small amount of money.
"HOw did you ieel2"
any chief feeling after regret at having
to give up the box was wonder how un-
der the sun so small man ever managed
to get hold of so big gun"