The morning call., 1891-12-28
KITTIE WILKINS.
Information Concerning the Only
Female H0rse.Trader.
She Is Tall and Stately Blonde and She Tell.
How 1t Happened That She Went Into
the Horse-Breeding Business.

| Not long since, Miss Kittie wilkins of
Idaho visited st. Louis, and while there she
| was interviewed by a representative of the
! Republic, and the following concerning her
| is taken from that journal: Miss Wilkins
| Is a horse-trader, and what she does not
| know about horses is not worth knowing
| She has just been to New Orleans and is
geing East She went to New Orleans with
| three cars of horses and sold them.
Miss wilkins enjoys the distinction of be-
| ing the only woman in the United States
| whose sole occupation is horse breeding.
| She Is tall and stately blonde, with pro-
| fusion or light golden hair, clear blue eyes,
| regular features, and mouth and chin de-
! noting firmnesS no doubt acquired in her
| business. "a head for business and an eye
| on the world" one could truthfully say
| Her manners are perfectly ladylke, though
somewhat frank; her language is untainted.
conversation. Miss Wilkins, her father
and two brothers own one of
| the largest ranches in Southwestern
| Idaho, on Brown River. in Owyhee
County. They have now on the ranch.
after this seasons sale, $500 head of horses
and 1900 head of cattle The horses have
| none OF the mustang. broncho. or cayuse
| blood in them. They are bred from Ameri-
can mares originally brought from the older
| States and crossed with Clydesdale, Perch
| say the horses formerly brought by her to
| St. Louis are far above the average West
| ern horses, chiefly from nfteen to sixteen
! hands high and from 800 to 1900 pounds in
| weight. They are shown and sold in the
| rough, as not one of them has ever tasted
grain or hay until they are rounded up for
| shipment.
Miss Wilkins, when interviewed by a re-
| porter, said: Now l don't see why it
should Interest the public one bit to know
| about me-"
She was assured the public was interested
| and continued: 81 have been engaged in
| the business with father and TWO brothers
| six years. They attend to the work and
| business on the ranch, while | am chiefly
| engaged in the shipment and sale of both
cattle and horses, though
| 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 it as
| far as New York in the future.
! "My father has always been engaged in
| hOrSe-dealing, and when | was quite little
| girl l commenced going around with him
| when he was selling horses, and as the
years went by he FOUND knew as much
| about the business as he did. | was ALWAYS
| Independent and l induced him to lie: me do
the selling, and they tell me I'm a pretty
| shrewd judge of the value of a horse. |
guess am, for have learned a great deal
since l adopted this as profession.
/
| Queen, regardless Of my distaste for cattle.
| 90 out to the roundup every spring and
fail and enjoy myself ever so much 1t is a
fascinating business and grows upon you.
| 1t was real romantic, the way | got my
| first start. The way OF 1t was this. Over
twenty years ago my parents had removed to
! Oregon and were returning to San Francisco
| when our friends gathered round to give us
| mementos OF various sorts. When they got
| tolne they said, Well, now, she's oniy a
1 la fhJnp-I " a . nj nall
| Just give her some money 10 be invested for
| her, and they gave me two $50 gold pieces.
| Shortly after we went TO Idaho, as it offered
| better facilities for stock-raising. Father
| went to Oregon to buy lot of horses for the
! ranch. When he went to pay over the money
| he bethought himself of my $40, and seeing
| fine little hlly yet left offered the owner the
! sac for her. He at first heslated as he had
| asked $50 for her, but as my father was
taking the entire lot he let her go at the
| price mentioned. That was the first horse
| ! ever owned.
Il could tell you OF many ups and downs,
| for it was not always smooth sailing way
back in the early days. At length l went
TO San Jose to school and put IN four years.
| and then travelled considerably, seeing all
| the large cities and natural curiosties in
America. When l got back to Idaho | was
! so loneSom | didn't know what to do. |
| got over it soon. and now
| AM ALREADY HoArEsICK TO GET BACK
|
| wilkins said: Our ranch is about seventy
| FIVE miles from the range on which we turn
| our stock after the rounding up and brand
| Ing Is completed. 1t is about 5000 feet
| above the sea level and gives US pure, dry
| atmosphere, which goes O long way in
| giving the young animal bred out there
strong lungs to start with. Then the whole
| country is underaid with stratum of
limestone which impregnates not only the
| springs and water-courses but even the
| In,
| dance OF lime gives plenty of bone, and
| OF good quality. The climate is such that
| horses and cattle can run out of doors the
year around. If we wish to increase the
| size OF our horses, we secure larger STALL
ions; If our colts become too leggy, we en-
| ploy stout, compact stations, standing on
| short legs. When we find we have suffi-
| Gent Size and substance, we turn our atten-
ton to style ana action. | hold that in
| open-alr breeding we can obtain 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. and this is all
! very we'll for hgh-priced trotters and race
| horses.
Now, | will give you my reasons why L
| 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
| puTitleS aud take into their system no germ
Of disease, and take all the exercise nature
| intended. on will, perhaps, recognize the
| principles of this when | tell you in our
whole herd we haven't an animal with
SPAWN. ringbone, curb or splint. while dis
temper, pinkeye, epizOotic and such all
ments are equally unknown. In time,
| L suppose, this range will be sur
yeyed and divided up, and ultimately
this system of growing stock on big ranges
will come to an end, but you can rest as
| sured that by that time the range system
will have produced stock of horses that
| will be found hardy, sound and thoroughly
| salable."
Mr.. Hoax, general manager of the stable
at the Union stock-yards, said: Il have
| been engaged in horSe-dealing for many
years and | have met with horse dealers
| from every quarter of the Union, but have
| never met one to surpasS Miss wilkins in
judgment and management Of horses. Her
| 10 trul