Huntsville gazette., 1892-08-27
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
sPRY WOMEN OF THE WEST.
Notable Examples of Their Grit in the His
tory of the Frontier.

Notable Examples OF Their Grit IN the ms
tory of the Frontier.
The building OF the west has not beer
accomplished by man alone, says the N
Y. Advertiser His helpmate, woman
has proved herself fully his equal il
courage and endurance and has done
her part in upbuilding the settlement
of the frontier. Perhaps there is nc
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 husband's
life 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, the
wife of a pioneer who lived in the south
west portion of Nebraska along early
in the seventies. She was the captor
of Ireland ? noted desperado who
had terrorized the whole Platte valley.
For months he was heard Of here, there,
everywhere, robbing, burning, pillag-
ing, and the sparsely scattered settlers
were alarmed.
In vain did they try to 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 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 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 a big-bearded man
springing out of 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 overtaken,
when, on plunging through small
bunch of trees, he came suddenly on a
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, and was lashing her steed
to the utmost of his power to overtalle
the criminal Ireland saw her, and
turning, fired at the woman. She re-
turned the shot from revolver in the
saddlebags, and then prepared for a
surer method of warfare. She was an
expert with the lasso, and the long
rawhide rope of her husband hung at
the saddle bow.
Loosening it, she coiled it carefully,
and racing as her horse was, swung it
around her head Ireland did not see
it, and it whirled away in graceful
curves, and settled down steadily, sure
ly and firmly over his bare head. With
a jerk it came taut, as Mrs. Simpson
pulled her horse back on his launches.
Ireland was jerled 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. He 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 Kim ball, who saved the life
of Col. NJ. Il. Rankin, one of southeast
Texas richest cattlemen. The herd was
making its slow way northward, and
was in the southern part of Kansas
when Miss Kimball, the daus ter of
rancher of that section, rode 4or 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 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 a stop by sheer exhaustion,
after many have been trampled to
death. Miss Kimball saw out on the
prairie tle owner OF the nerQ, (Ol.
Rankin, who was walking about for
n 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. 1t
was race between her and the herd.
The cattle were coming at a breakneck
speed and with blind fury that moth
ing could avert. 1t was simply ques-
tion of who should reach the bewilder-
cd ranchman first.
AS she came nearer she leaned over
from the saddle and motioned to him to
catch the horn of the saddle as she
came by. He was 1.-THE and active, and
without more than slowing up slightly
she reached over, and, throwing an arm
around his shoulders, half lifted him UP
behind her just as the herd came up.
The wiry little pony made tracks fol
the open plain, and in moment they
were safe The fact that the fair res