The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-01
PLUCKY PRAIRIE GIRLS.
Maids Who Herd Cattle, Drive Plows,
Outride Boomers" and Catch Horse
Thieves.

ANOb d4A Silt VAR AiS anu Va aNNl9 VI NhN
west has been exhibited by the men and
boys. The settlers wives and daughters
have proved equal to many a thrilling
task.
Miss Minnie Duval came to Oklahoma
with her parents eighteen years ago,
when only few months old. Making
peace with the Indians, her father settled
on the banks of the Sawleg and began life
with about twenty-five head of cattle.
These have increased until he now has
500 head, and, with no boys to assist him
in caring for them, his daughter has
learned to do the work of a veritable cow
boy on the range. She does not simply
take the cattle to the range and
leave them, but she remains
with them and is frequently twenty
miles from home, riding after her herd as
they wander from one feeding ground to
another. She has done this since she was
y years old, and has won the title of the
lady cowboy throughout the section in
which she resides, She throws a lariat
with consummate skill.
Last spring the cowboys of the terri
tory had lasso throwing contest Miss
DuVal, riding out from among the specta~
tors, asked for chance TO enter the lists
To amuse her she was allowed trial,
and proved more accurate and skillful
than any of them, carrying of the prize
Neither her vocation nor her fame has
spoiled her.
RACING FOR HOME.
When Oklahoma was opened a young
schoolmlStresS from a Central Kansas
county determined, if possible, to get
claim or a lot in one of the towns. TAX
ing her place among the crowd of boom
ers' lined up along the border, she sat on
her horse ready for the signal gun on the
day of the opening. The signal given, away
the line went, pell-mell, in wild rush for
land. The young schoolmistress led almost
from the start, and when the first mile
was passed she found herself so far ahead
that no one was near her except a fierce
looking man, who rode close behind.
From him she felt that she was in danger
and that, no matter how well she rode, he
would probably make her trouble. Halt
ing, she demanded
what do you want2"
II IN after claim, " said the man.
"What claiml'
The same one you are, / reckon" and
he leered wickedly at her.
He OWNED that she knew of an eXcep-
tiOnallY good piece of ground and was rid
ing TO it The pursuers were gaining
every minute, She pulled revolver
from the folds of her dress and cried:
In give you a minute TO get out of
range!"
He stopped not on the order of his 60
ing.
Finding fine quarter section with
spring on it she took possession, went
without sleep for forty-eight hours. filed
her claim, went to a hotel and then home
1t proved TO be a good choice, and an offer
of $1,000 has been made her for her bar
gain.
STOPPING A HORSE THIEF.
Fifteen years was the age of a North
ern Kansas lass whose courage and abil-
ity may well be envied by those of ma
turer years. The was the daughter of "A
farmer whose little all of wealth was
wrapped up in half dozen fine mares.
One day the daughter was alone in the
sod shauty that made their rude but
neat home, when a stranger rode up TO
the corral few rOds away, and, appa-
renty thinking the farm deserted, drove
! out the horses and started them across
! the prairie.
Running to the stable, the girl mounted
bareback on her fayorite pony, and tying
one end of lasso, which she had hur-
riedly seized, around the pOny's neck,
/ started in pursuit.
The stolen animals were giving their
captOr some trouble by their wanderings
to right and left, and he did not hear the
rapid patter of the pony's hoofs on the
soft sod behind. Suddenly his horse
gave start, but 1t was two late The
| resisUless moose was around his neck, ana
he was lerked from his saddle and went
tumbling over the ground, drawn by the
girls pony.
When she loosened the lariat the thief
lay still and stiff, and she rode holly for
help. When, after long work on the
80 lN~a
the girl was probably the only person
about who was not sorry that he sur
Vived for a settler can forgive any other
crime more easily than horse stealing,
and only because of the girls earnest
pleading was the man allowed to leave
the country unlynched.
A LITTLE GIRL SAVES A CLAIM.
A young woman had taken up" 1G0
acres of prairie land under the timber
culture laws in a Southern Nebraska
county. where she was teaching school
/ The illness Of her mother called her away
for time. and she left behind a particu-
larly devoted friend in the 12-year-old
/ daughter of the family with whom she
I boarded. One day this daughter, Lois
/ by name, was left at home entirely alone
| Coily ensconced in an easy chair, she
scared high in The fascinating glories of
"Ivanhoen Then the book dropped and
she fell asleep. She was aroused by the
sound of voices outside.
Going TO the window she peeped
through a hole in the curtain Two men
on horseback were watering their ponies
at the trough.
1t will be easy money" said one.
"Thc railroad is going TO put in station
near here and the land will be valuable "
But there's no time to waste" replied
the other
NO; her time to do the blowing runs
out al midnight, aud before day breaks
we'll have our teams on it. Lucky her
mother got siCk-for us -
They rode away, and the meaning of
this talk G5wned on Lois. IL was the
teachers land to which they referred
Ten acres OF blowing must be done on it
By midnight or some one else could pre-
efupt it. About six acres of it had already
been plowed.
FLOWING BY MILES.
IN 4 moment the child was courageousy
leading the two mig work horses from the
stable and hitching them to the sulky
plow. Having helped 10 do it before, she
succeeded very well. Driving rapidly
across the plain to the teachers land she
dropped the keen share deep into the soft
green sod II was O'Clock in the after
noon when she began. Up and down, up
and down she went, leaving one brown
ribbon of turf behind and then another
and another. 1t was not as smooth work