The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-21
SHE DEALS IN HORSES.
interesting Chat With Miss Kistie
wilkins, Of tho State Of
Idaho.
probably the Only Female Horse
Trader In All the
World.
shs Tolls How sl,o Got Into the BUSINESS
and Gives Points on Range
breeding.

s and Gives Points on Range
Breeding.
Miss KittiS Wilkins. OF Idaho, has been
spending q few ds8ys in st. Louis, says the
Kepublio. This 10 not exactly a society
item, but it ii Of far moro interest to some
people than any society item that could be
printed. Miss Wilkins 10 a hotse-traaer,
ana what she does not know about a horse
IL not worth knowing She has just been
ID New Orleans and is going east. She
vent 10 Nav Orleans with three cars Of
horses and sold them.
Miss wilkins enjoys the distinction OF
being the only woman in tho United States
whose aole occupation is horse-deallnR.
She Is q tall and stately blonde with a pro-
fusion OF light golden hair, clear blue
eyes. regular features and a mouth and
chin denpting a firmness no doubt acquired
ia her business. "A head for business and
an eye ON the world one could truthtniiy
nav. Her. manner are perfectly ladylike
thourh somswhat frank; her language
ID untaintea and she possesses a
great faculty for conversation.
Miss sWilkins, her father and two
brothers own one of the largest ranches in
Southwestern Idaho, on Brown river, IN
Owyee county. They have now on the
ranch, after this seasons sale, 1900 head
u horses and /, 800 cattle. The horses have
OF the mustang, broncho or cayuse
blood in them. They are bred from Amer
lean mares, originally brought from the
older states and crossed with Clydesdale.
Percheron and trotting stations; and good
Judges say the horses formally brought BY
her to st. Louis are far above the average
western horses, chiefly from 10 to u hands
high. and from 800 to 1900 in weight.
They are shown and sold in the rough, as
not one Of them has ever tasted gram or
hay until they are rounded up TOT sup
mont.
Miss Wilkins, when interviewed by, a re-
poyter said: Now, I don't see why 1t
should interest the public one bit TO KNOW
about me"
She was assured the public was inter
ested, and continued: = have been en-
gagged in the business with father and two
Brothers six years. They attend to the
work and business on the ranch, while !
ana chiefly engaged in the shipment and
sale Of both cattle and horses. though l
haven't one bit of use for cattle. / have
transacted my business IN most of the large
cities west of the Mississippi river. also in
Chicago, and shall carry 1T as far az New
York in the future.
nj father has always been engaged IN
horse dealing, and when | was quite q little
girl commenced going around with him
when he was selling horses, and as tho
years went by he found | knew as much
about the business as he did. | was always
independent. and ! induced him to let me
do the selling, and they tell me I'm u pretty
shrewd judge of the value of a horse. |
guess / am, for / have learned a great deal
since | adopted this as a profession.
II have been referred to as the cattle
queen, regardless Of my. great distaste for
cattle. / 40 out to the roundup every
spring and fall and enjoy myself ever SO
much. II is o fascinating business and
grows upon you.
1T was real romantic the way / got my
first start. The way of it was this. Over
twenty years ago my parents had removed
to Oregon and were returning to San Fran
cisco, when our friends gathered round to
give us mementoes of various sorts. When
they got TO me they said: We'll, now, she's
only a little thing,-I was about two years
old-.we'n just give her some money to be
invested for her. And they gave me two
$50 gold pieces. Shortly after We went to
stockraising. Father went to Oregon to
buy a lot Of horses for the ranch. When
he went to pay over the money he bethought
himself of my $40, and seeing a fine little
lilly yet left offered the owner the $40 for
her. He at first hesitated, as he had asked
$50 for her, but as my father was taking
the entire lot he let her 60 at the price
mentioned. That was the first horse I ever
owned.
y could tell yeu of many ups and downs
for it was not always smooth sailing way
back in the early days. At lengthI went to
San Jose to school and put in four years,
and then travelled considerably, seeing all
the large cities and natural curiosities in
America. When | got back to Idaho I was
lonesome. | didn't know what to do. got
over it soon, and now l am already home |
sick to get back"
On the question of range breeding Miss
Wilkins said: ''Our range is about seventy
I'VE miles from the range on which we turn
our stock after the rounding up INC brand |
ing 10 completed. 1t is about 5000 feet
above the sea level and gives us a pure, dry |
atmosphere, which goes a long way in CIV |
Ing the young nina bred out there strong
lungs to start with. Then the whole coun-
Try rs anderlald with a stratum of limestone |
which ~impregnates not only the springs
SELF, and, of course, this abundance Of lime
glvss plenty of Zone, and of good quality. |
Inc climate is such that horses and cattle
can run out of doors the year round. If we
WISH TO increase the size Of our horses we
secure larger stations; if our colts become
too leegy we employ. stout, compact stall
lions. standing on short legs. When we
md We have sufficient size and substance
W. turn our attention to style and action. i
! hold that in o~pen-air breeding we can OBJ
tain Just as good results as those who.treat
their colts like babies. OF course much |
can be done by special preparation, and
forcing in the direction of early maturity, !
ana thls 10 all very we'll for high priced
%trotters and r~ace-horses.
NOW will give you my reasons why 1 |
believe IN range breeding for horses for |
everyday use. In the first place they are
always in the open air and breathe no i'm
puritles and take into their system no germ
OF disease and take all the exercise nature
intended.
You will, perhaps, recognize the princi- |
pies OF this when l tell you in our whole |