The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-29
HERE'S A JERSEY DIANA.
SHE GOES HUNTING IN TROUSERS
AND IL DEAD SHOT.
Won Farm With Her Riae-She
Makes a Snug Income by Raising
and Training Hunting DOgs-Camps
All Alone
From the New York Press-


Trenton. n. J.. Dec. 2i.-"She's the best
shot in Cumberland county" is the way
Kate Hines is spoken Of by her neigh
bOrs. and then they go on to tell about
how she can drive nails into a tree at a
distance of sixty yards with a rifle ball,
and cut a perfect circle in a paper tar
get at a distance of so feet, letting the
shots go as fast as she can pull the trig-
ger.
Kate is a peculiar creature, and has
been ever since she was a little bit of a
girl" to use the language of. those who
have always known her She was the
daughter of farmer who died fifteen
years ago. His wife followed him in a
few months, leaving Kate alone in the
world at the age of Is. The neighbors
wanted the girl TO support herself by do
ing domestic labor among them, but she
had no taste for that, and after disposing
of the farm she built a modest home among
the pines, and putting the spare cash she
had in a bank. started out to take care
of herself by an occupation novel to her
sex.
She raises and trains hunting dogs, and
from this work receives a handsome an
nual income, for she understands the
business to the last letter, and when a
dog goes under her instructions he is sure
TO be thoroughly trained before she gives
him up. During the fall and in the winter
the woman hunts and traps, and the sale
of the pelts and game that she secures
makes it possible for her to live well and
add TO the nest egg In the bank.
Kate is about "a years old now, and she
is supposed to be worth upward of $4,000
which she has accumulated herself, with
the exception of a few hundreds that she
sailing .
ing her home.
The woman is tall and full of vigor. She
has an Interesting face and, besides being
well posted in all affairs of the world, is a
musician of considerable merit. She plays
the piano and violin and has recently un-
dertaken to master the cello. Her home is
a coy little box with four small rooms.
and it is furnished with a woman's care.
There are books in abundance. the walls
are hung with pictures, flowers are in the
windows, and her surroundings show that
she keeps up with the times.
Every pleasant day during the hunting
season she is abroad with her dogs. Ring.
Frowsie and Step, and woe to the bird or
animal that falls under her aim. She can
take the hide off a muskrat with the
deXterity of an old hunter, and knows
exactly what to do with it when it is Off
to preserve it until the market price has
reached the top notch.
When Kate goes afield she doesn't wear
garments peculiar to her sex. She arrays
herself in male attire. The trousers are
loose. Her lower limbs from knee to an
kle, are incased in leather leggins. ON
her feet are heavy shoes. short, tight
fighting jacket is fastened around the
waist by a cartridge belt, and on her
head she wears a tight-fghting cap with
broad peak. In this suit the woman will
out tramp the average sportsman over
stubble or through forest She knows
every inch of hunting ground in the wes-
tern part of Cumberland county and dur
ing the open season for deer shooting she
frequently makes a trip to the pines of
Atlantic county and spends a week there
camping where night finds her. She is
absolutely fearless. and says that in all
the years that she has been ranging the
fields and forests she has never been mo-
Tested by the opposite sex, and she init
mates that it wouldn't be wise for the
opposite sex to trouble her. for she al
ways carries a revolver In the pocket of
her jacket. and it has the hairiest kind of
Kate has a weakness for shooting
matches, and she is always conspicuous
figure at affairs of that kind whenever
they are held in the neighborhood. A
good many interesting stories are told of
contests that she has had with men who
thought themselves good shots, and were
inclined to laugh at the idea of a woman
Five years ago the woman won a farm
from man in a contest of this kind.
Oliver Trivet had a big flock of turkeys
that he wanted TO get rid of profitably,
and he held a shooting match. The at
fair drew hundreds of men. Kate came,
too.
The target was put up at a distance of
sixteen rods, and the marksmen were OBJ
liged to put four No. / shots inside a four
inch ring in order to get a turkey. This
was a hard thing to do, because a strong
wind was blowing across the range. and
it was impossible to gauge the target
with any degree of certainty.
Among the contestants was a young
farmer of the name Of Silas Piney, who
owned highly-cultiYated farm of twenty
five acres in the northwestern part of the
county. Silas was first-class shot, and
hon he Irsafa mir,
he couldn't seem to reach the target, he
got a good deal nettled over it, and he
showed it in the side remarks he made
about the woman.
The farmers enjoyed the mans discom-
future and helped it along by laughing at
him and making fun of his efforts to
You've had a good deal to say about
you're bein' able to hit about anything
you took a notion to fire at; now why
don't you do it?" said one of the men
Its the wind that spoils my aim" re-
piled Silas.
Yes" drawfed another farmer. but
the same winds BLOWN agin' Hates shot
an she finds the mark
Late in the afternoon the turkeys had
all been won, and Kate had a large share
of them. The farmers had jibed Silas
until his temper had finally got the best
of him, and he said:
"Kates in luck. that's all there is to
it. / can take my rife, and at 300 feet
I'll bet my farm against them turkeys
SuOOllIl&
at a bullseye in four-inch ring, three
shots in five"
Your farm agin' Hates turkeys?" ask
ed a farmer.
''Yes, sir; my farm against her turkeys"
said Piney; land don't believe she's got
the couarge TO try it,"
Kate had heard Piney's bet, and when
he questioned her courage she got a trife
mad.
Don't you think I'm afraid to shoot
with you, Piney," she said; TN do it to-
day or any other day"
The prospect of a meeting between the
two interested the faRmers and they
talked the matter over until an agree
ment was finally reached that Piney and
Kate should shoot the next day over the
same range, according to Piney's propo-
sition. The next day, at the appointed
hour, there was a big crowd Of men and
women present to witness the match
Kate came in her hunting suit and with
every appearance Of being confident OF
success Referees were appointed and all
the preliminaries arranged.
Cuts were drawn 10 see who should make
the first shot and the chance fell to Kate
who stepped to the scratch, and taking
deliberate aim, fired. The bullet cut me
edge Of the bulls eye The woman
showed no signs Of being worried over
this. With a smile she stepped aside To
make way for Piuey who drew a bead
on the target and sent a ball whizzing
plump through the center Of the bulls
eye.
H.