The morning call., 1893-07-20
A COWGIRL'S CHAT
Mrs. StanfieId Tells of Life
in Arizona.
First RecolIections of the Apache
Indians-A Revolver Is Handy
Thing to Have.

"Come right into the tent and sit down.
There are only dry-goods boxes for seats.
but those are all the chairs we have In
Arizona"
Mrs. Lydia Stanfeld OF the Wild West
show gave this hospitable invitation to a
GAIL reporter last evening. The fearless
little rider had just been caught by her
own husband in "the chase for q Wife"
1t was toward the end of the performances,
and she was shiyering in the chilly evening
air.
Yes. it is much cooler here than in
Arizona" she said. throwing a wrap
around her shoulders. ''but l am delighted
with the city and find the trails much
Better than the cowboys"
How long have you been riding?"
asked the reporter. edg ing the dry-goods
box a few inches further from a fierce
brave who had crept up to the light to ex-
anime his bow and arrows.
We'll. | have been a cowgirl all my
life," replied Mrs. Stanfield. THE girls,
as well as the boys, most live In the sad
die. I've often started out in the morning
ana had nothing TO eat till sunset When
we have 10 camp, 1t means coffee in an old
fruitcan and a bed made of saddle
blanket They say the cowboys are rough,
hut l tell you they are considerate to girls.
| have camped out with them many times
and | know it,"
us that an Apache?" asked the re-
porter. as the brave crept silently out.
This is the tent where the Indian gar
ments are made and mended." replied an
old man, who was stitching in the corner,
and Mrs. Stanfeld said. laughing: How
well l remember crawling under the bed
t. g. A oh l;.,i
girl. 1t was in rs or '79. / forget which.
Wewere living seven miles from military
post, near the lava beds in the Black Noun
tains, and the Indians were rising up all
round US.
"One Sunday morning we had gone to
prayer-meetlng al the next ranch, where
there was schoolhOuse, when my brother
came riding after US. He went into meet
ing and sat quiet for about Quarter of an
hour. and then he whispered to my father
that he had found Indian trails in our
melOu-patch.
I'VE stayed at the ranch that night.
preparing for the Apaches. l remember
how frightened we children were. Pretty
soon the Indians came along; they had
been drinking mescal-thats kind OF
whisky made from the root of plant like
cactus-and it had made them wild and
noisy. All night long they prowled around
the house, shooting and howling; they did
not try to set II oD fire, because it was
adobe. spent that night under the bed
somehow l seemed safer there"
And the next morning?" was asked.
"Well. the Apaches would likely have
attacked us when they sobered up a little,
bat just about daybreak party of scouts
and cowboys came along. There was a
fierce battle and several of the Indians
were killed, so was one Of the cowboys,
but we were saved. When we got home
our ranch was unrecogniZa Bile. The house
was burned, there was n OF melon left on
the patch and all the corn was trampled
down.
81 have never been frightened at Apaches
since. though" concluded Mrs. Stanfed,
who evidently counts the crawling under
the bed episode as one Of the most vivid
incidents of her childhood.
Then, why do you carry a piet0l"
asked the reporter. surprised that slight
gentle-voiced woman should carry such an
ugly weapon.
''It has been a good friend" she an
swered, taking the revolver out Of her belt
and clicking it careiessly. Il was married
at 16. Many time when my husband has
been out on the range have known that
my child and were safe with this under my
pillow. In riding over the trails we never
to use pistol on panther though. have
found crack Of the riding-whlp do bet
ter"
When asked her i'm mpressions of San
Francisco Mrs. Stapfeld expressed great
admiration for the big city, but, 10 put in
good word for Arizona. she added: "You
have great buildings here, but not one of
them is so high as the bluffs in our Black
Hill range where the Indian ruins are.
They rise up higher than the top Of the
Hopkins mansion. As for the way the
city women here dress! Well, in Arizona
the cowglrls generally live in a riding suit.
We always have one Sunday go-to-meet-
Ing dress though, aud when we put on
style. for meeting or dance, we fix UP t.
the last notch, just as much as the San
francisco women"