Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-09-29

sPRY WOMEN OF THE WEST.
Notable Examples Of Their Grit in the His
tory Of the Frontier.

tory Of the Frontier.
The building Of the west has not been
accomplished by man alone. says the y.
y. Advertiser His helpmate, woman,
has proved herself fully his equal in
,7urage and endurance and has done
Aer part in upbuilding the settlement
of the frontier Perhaps there is no
lot in which woman requires more ma
tive pluck than that Of the frontier set
tiers wife. Thousands on multiplied
thousands of these have acted well
their part and made of their husbands
life a song where it might have been a
dirge.
But there are other women of notable
character. and among them few exam
pies stand out brilliantly and are known
to every frontiersman who has grown
up with the country. Their names have
become household words, and their
deeds are recounted around happy
household fires in handsome farm and
city homes on the spots where, in the
old times, the Indian, cowboy and
scout roamed at will.
One of the most notable heroines in
prairie lore was Mary Simpson, tn
wife of pioneer who lived in the south
west portion of Nebraska along early
in the seventies She was the captor
of Ireland" a noted desperate who
had terrorized the whole Platte valley.
For months he was heard of here, there,
everywhere, robbing, burning, pillap-
ing, and the sparsely scattered settlers
were alarmed.
In vain did they try 70 protect them
selves-he was ever ready to attack the
weakest side of their little guards. At
last the strain became too severe. A
little baby left alone in a settlers home
was found dead and the trace of Ire
land was on the deed. The action
touched the quick heart of the settlers,
and posse was at once formed to ride
down the brute They formed a vast
circle and gradually closed in. On the
second day Mr.. Simpson and his wife,
who were alone at the right Of the line,
were surprised by big-bearded man
springing out of a clump of bushes
Simpson was some distance away and
his wife was leading his horse
Without waiting for her husband she
sprang TO the saddle and raced after
the stranger. He was being overtaxen.
when, on plunging through a small
bunch Of trees ne came suddenly on
member Of the hunting party. A sweep
of his huge fist sent the man out OF his
saddle, and Ireland was in the seat and
away.
Mrs Simpson was by this time not
far behind, ami was flashing her steed
to he utmost Of his power TO ovcrtalte
the criminal. Ireland saw her, and
turning, fired at the woman. She re-
turned the shot from a revolver in the
saddlebaSs, and then prepared for
surer method of warfare She was an
expert with the lasso, and the long
rawhide rope of her husband hung ut
the saddle bow.
Loosening 1t. She coiled it carefully,
and racing as her horse was. swung it
around her head. Ireland did not see
it, and it whirled away Ia graceful
curves, and settled down steadily, sure
~ and firmly over his bare head With
Il jerk it came taut, as Mrs. Simpson
pulled her horse back on his launches
Ireland was ierlcd from the saddle and
dragged for dozen rods over the grass
before his captor felt willing to give
him permission TO rise. He did not
rise. lie was dead. and Mrs. Simpson
was the heroine of the hour There
was no Judge jury or inquest. The
settlement was glad to have him gone
Another bright star of the cattle trail
was Anna kimball, who saved the life
of Col NJ. I. Rankin, one of southeast
Texas richest cattlcmen The herd was
making It's slow way northward, and
was in the southern part Of Kansas
when Miss kimball, the daughter of
raneher of that section, rode for some
distance alongside the animals
Suddenly there was one of those out
breaks which no man can give cause
for or eXplain--a stampede. Startled
by the crack of a whip or the breaking
OF a twig, the huge herd starts into
motion, following few leaders and
rushing pell-mell over hill and vale un-
til at last, wearied out the animals are
brought to stop by sheer exhaustion,
after many have been trampled to
death. Miss Kimball saw out on the
prairie the owner of the herd. Col
Rankin, who was walking about for
little exercise. She also saw that
with the great circle the herd was max
ing he would be in direct line OF the on
coming tide of flesh and horns
With quick decision that would have
done credit to the general OF an army
She plunged the spur into her pony and
dashed INTO the very jaws OF danger It
was race between her and the herd