Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-11
WEST-SPORTSWOMEN
Expert Female Mountain Climbers Of The
SierfaS.
WHAT MRS. MARIA N. SMITH DOES.
She Shoots Rattlesnakcs From the Saddle
Mrs. Colt Drives six-in-Hand-Mrs.
williams Bags Big Game.
fcorrespopdence Of the pIspatch.)

SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. March s.-1t
In a poor specimen Of a western woman
who does not thoroughly appreciate sport.
out among the Slerras and along the
breezy Pacific 1t Is the exception where
she cannot show you her record as
famous whip or crack shot, or a rugged
mountain climber.
Whether It IL because OF the broad and
diversified expanse OF their country. the
great number OF sunshiny days, the vast
quantities OF game the exigencies or lie
I'm those districts. or the trend OF socisty's
bent. certain it is that women in the west
ern half of North America possess an
uncommonly keen instinct for sport Of the
muscular order.
West OF the Rockies" your sports
woman as a rule breaks, trains. saddles
and brides her own horses, carries her
own gamc-bag digs her own bait. and
bats her own hook with nonchalant
savior. faire" that fairly staggers her
eastern friends. Nevertheless. this sports
woman par excellence Of the West Is not
infreauently the woman Of the world, OF
society OF fashion; oftener she is girl,
untouched by worldly lore or the artiiice
OF "fads," who hunts and rides, TOOLS
along her sunny valleys. angles, swims,
rows. and climbs from pure love OF IT,
In many cases she supplies the home
table, and defends the stock on the
ranch.
There are distinctive features OF re-
semblance among western sportswomen;
breezy, vigorous independence, an all-oVer
alertness. health, and nerve Of steel
swinging gait, and a vast lung-power'
They own. as eastern women own, a
pjano. excellent shotguns. rifles, rods
and lines, dogs, and horses. Miss Daisy
Ramsbotham, Of Riverside, Southern Call
fornia. is "a good type of the true sports
woman.
one of the sketches is in the costume In
which in September last she climbed to
the top of "O!d Badly" one of the Sierra
peaks with an altitude Of lO,OO feet She
is the only woman who has ever been
able 10 reach the summit-an exception
ally steep, rocky. and perilous climb.
Miss Ramsbotham at home. as she re-
lated to me her long tramps and climbs.
a very pretty and charming
brunette, her hazel eyes shining with en-
thusiasm. She is a girl of 49, 1 look not
what might little be expected in IA
nous waker-a pair of small and beauu-
fully-shaped feet.
HOW SHE WENT UP GOLD BALDY."
Did / feel fear or giddiness in going up
over the sharp, sheer rocks? Why no.
she said "Of course. it was thrilling, but
then | am a native Californian, and have
had many climb among the Sierras.
I'VE started out at 8 o'clock in going up
old Badly and were four hours and
half reaching the top. Three miles over
the Mesa the trail ends. then came helgnt
after height. each more dizzy than the
last How we did scramble and push ana
null each other on and on. The least mis-
stem meant a fearful plunge. There was
danger every minute, too, from crumDllng
rock.
"The most exciting moment was when
we reached a spot only II inches wide
with a gaping precipice on either side,
and rock almost straight uD ana down
ahead. one little mistake the very
thought Is thrillng-but that was halt
the fun.
"'The gentlemen had huge nails In the
soIes Of their boots. and i pinned my
skirts as closely as | could about me, then
lust went up hand over hand until the
leader of the party hauled me into safety.
II could look back for the first tlfne'
7. made nv nerves tinglc. All those
thousands Of feet below up which we
had come seemed vast abyss. When
we finally reached the top my thick shoes
were fairly torn off ! had to wrap my
feet up in handkerchiefs, than bind my
shoes on TO get down. II was n glorious,
terrible pleasure-that 1O000-feet climb!
SHE BREAKS HER OWN HORSES.
In the saddle your western woman Is
fearless.
Mrs. Maria Mead Smith, Of Virginia
City, Nevada. IS one among many VINO
have broken" horses that would outwit
and tire out many man. She has often
ridden bareback for miles with no bride
other than a rope with a slip moose over
the animals nose.
In breaking a saddle horse, the animal
IS first blindfoded while she mounts-no
easy matter with the tricky Spanish and
Mexican stock she owns
Confining her skirt as closely as possible
against the Mexican saddle she braces
herself for the inevitable bucking. rear
ing. and plunging that follow the re-
moval of the band from the animals eyes.
With the left hand she gets light, but
firm control over the curb, bending
little forward, and all the while talking
either in coaxing tones or in command
to the wild rebelious creature she must
master, keeping at the SANE time a close
watch for the bolt he may take.
Cautiously she let's down dark blanket
on the right side, whereupon all her
powers of horsemanship are put to tie
test. A shy, kick. in quick succession.
are bound TO follow. Frequently the ami
NAL takes the bit In his teeth and speeds
away in a brealIneck run.
Over and over again. she must mount in
this way. and go through the same ex-
citing experience until the horse gets ac-
TO her and TO the dangling
skirts at his side.
SHE SHOOTS RATTLESNAKES
One of her favorite sports is to ride |
through chapperal, start up rattlesnakes,
and shoot them with a siX-shooter while |
In the saddle. She has wonderfully
true aim, and she possesses many rattlers
as souvenirs of her skill. She is dark and
quite of the Creole type; peculiarly
graceful and striking in the saddle: her
dash and daring are we'll known through
Nevada.
Two young women very popular In San
Francisco society who break and train
their own horses. and think nothing of
riding forty miles over the mountains to
Il hop at Napa Soda Springs are the
Misses Bessie and Jennie Hooker. nieces
Of Ben. Ali Haggin, well known to the
turf world.
Another favorite in San Francisco So