The evening times., 1895-08-23
A WOMAN MAIL CARRIER
Harriet Anderson Drives
Over a Risky Route.
YOUNG, PRETTY AND PLUcKY
Adventures of an Interesting
Wild Western Type of
the New Woman.

| Santa Fe, Aug. 1O.-western New Mex
leo, through perhaps the midway third ol
its north and south len 9Th, Is a wonder land
! that has not its like in any other part
| late beyond the power Of imagination to
conceive. Rocky, mountainous and barren
are wea king adjectives for its description
| jagged, ba rren surface of volcanic rock
mountainous heaps of volcanic ashes, broad
rivers of solidified lava, miles in length and
SO rough of surface as to be impossible BY
man or beast, tell of the forces that once
made all that havoc. Springs SO strongly
alkaline rs to be- fatal 10 whatever drinks
of them rise here and there from the rocky
earth. Mountains Jagged and bare burst
abruptly from the rough and broken plain.
And over the whole region the Navajo
Indian. wanders, on the lookout for venture
some white men, and eager for the life of
any such that he can get without danger
to his own. But desnlate, weird, un-
canny and dangerous though it Is, the
region Is almost paved with treasure.
Gold enough is there to satisfy even the
avarice of Rothschild. But 1t might
as well be qua rded by the flaming swords
of the Gates of Eden, Its riches are known
to all the old prospectors of the West, and
now and then one of them ventures within
its grim and forbidden boundaries. II he
escapes death from thirst or starvation or
alkali water, or by the hand of the Navajo,
In fe ,f-.l, q,
ing along Its borders, his pockets full of
nuggets, and his mind au incoherent tumble,
which time nor physician never rights
again.
Along the southern border of this baleful
wilderness a woman drives twice every
week-a young woman with a pretty face,
a bright eye and a merry heart. Usually
she drives alone, and even when she has a
companion 1T is likely to be some entire
stranger, whom she takes for pay.
She is Miss Harriet Anderson, and she
is the mail carrier from Magdalena west
ward to two or three small settlements
in the San Augustin plains and the ca St
ern foothills OF the Magollon Mountains.
Her father holds the contract for the
route, but as he was frequently prevented
Dy sIChHtSs OF Dy Ills OtlleT DuSlncsS lIolu
taking the mail it gradually fell into her
hands, until now she regularly makes the
trip of a hundred miles and back again
once every week. When She goes alone
she rides in two-horse cart, which takes
her spinning over the road at jolly pace.
When she has a pa ssenger she substj-
tutes blackboard, which leaves more room
for mail bags and occasional EXPIRE IS matter
Miss Anderson is n young womaa less
than twenty-five years old, with brown
hair, brown eyes, and the tanned but rosy
complexion which SO much outdoor life
in this dry, pure air is bound to give.
She wears a wide straw hat, n blue serge
gown with an Eton jacket and a shirt
waist, and around her waist is fastened
a pistol belt into which is stuck a
good sized six-chambered revolver.
When chaffed about the probable use
lessness of this martial display the young
lady drew the gun as quickly and as deftly
as a profes sional shooting man could do,
held it out with a firm hand and a steady
arm and put all six bullets into a pla ying
card posted thirty PAGES away.
I've never had occasion to use 1t in
earnest" she said, as she carefully wiped
out the barrel and refilled the chambers,
''but always feel safer to have it with ME.
I'd as soon think of starflng out without
my mail bags as without my revolver, for
l never know when l may need it awfully.
My father taugh mt ME the use oft and prac-
tice with it constantly. Would 1 use II
IL 1 had to? Well! would 1? l should
say SO. In the first place I've got to
protect the property that is in my charge,
and I'd do it with MY last breath and my
last cartridge. And, beside, 1 might
have to protect myself sometime, although
1 never feel any anxiety about that"
'.Have you ever been frightened By
anything on one of these trips?'
''N-no, not really frightened, although
I've been rather anxious sometimes. And
once l would have been very much fright
ened if l hadn't had a passenger, and il
he hadn't been a Mormon. see you don't
she went on, smiling at the
look of surprise on her questioner's face,
but one Mormon is as much protection
against q band of Navajo Indians as
an army regiment would be. You see,
there are lots and lots of Mormons ranches
and settlements all through this part of
New Mexico, and they have always been
on good terms with the Indians. Most Of |
the men speak the Navajo language and |
are so friendly with them that the Indians |
will not do anything Mormon tells them |
not to.
well, once this man, a Mormon, was |
riding with ME over to Patterson's ranch. |
1t is very unusual for the Navajos to come
so far south, although they range con-
stantly over the lava plains farther north
and kill lots Of people up there every
year. But this time a band of five of |
hem rode down to the very road from
behind some heaps OF lava rocks before
We knew they were there. They called to
is, and the Mormon answered them, and
hen they Jabbered together for few
after which the Indians rode off
o the north again. As the Mormon was
With me l knew there wasn't a particle
If danger. but il be hadn't been there
n Tould have been q badly scared girl,
ell you."
do you see many bears and other wild
Inimals?''
..Yes, frequently see bears over in the
NagoIlon foothills, and I see coyotes on the
,la ina everv trim I've killed Ouite n Duua.