The Opelousas courier., 1897-01-30
SHE bosses THE PAycg

Mrs. Harriet ". r. Strong is a
ranch woman Of California, where the
species tiourishes. She is not, how
ever, a horny-handed daughter of toll.
On the contrary, she is described as
dainty, fragile, shrewd, daring, cor
alal, gentle-faced. Her step is quick,
her voice low and musical. She is an
accomplished linquist, a musician, q
painter, the President Of Il fashionable
club, and her pampas plumes are the
finest in the country.
Nobody would think Of calling Mrs.
strong q narrow OF one-sided person.
Versatility and walnuts are her
strongest points. The former has ex.
banded without hindrance. The wal
nuts haven't done quite so we'll as
they might have if Mrs. Strong hadn't
set out the pampas grass among the
trees, but she means to make that all
right very soon. The pampas plants
Will have to move, but they will be-
merely transplantod. 1t is a fact,
without any low attempt at punning,
that Mrs. Strong plumes herself on
her success in this branch of ranch
ing.
Mrs. Strong's husband died in 1888,
and his widow very quickly found
that her agents were improving their
exceptional opportunities for running
the business into the ground. This is
a very easy thing to do with a ranch.
She decided, therefore, to run it her
self, and, as is generally the case when
woman takes hold Of q business, she
got herself we'll laughed at fos her no.
tons. When she spent 500 on pam
pas plants the men Of the neighbour
hood were so amused that they sat in
the sun for hours together and had a
beautiful time telling each other what
a fool a woman was when it came to
business.
They don't do that now. Mrs.
Strong harvests SOC, 900 plumes from
her twenty-eight acres and sells them
from sl5 to $50 a thousand. This is
in addition to the walnuts, which are
in the same land, but have been some
what stunted by the pampas. The
plumes are gathered in September,
and the work has to be done prompt
ly. Sixty-fve laborers harvest the
twenty-eight acres. Tho plumes grow
up in a long sheath, as an ear of corn
does, and it must be cut before this
sheath opens, less the sun spoils the
fronds. TEs plumes aye first stripped
and taken t. the dying place. If
they are put IN aaIpe evening they
are white and ruzay to be taken up
by morning. tFhen t,,lil go to the
Gle clearing n5s{t house. there s .fhey are kept
In addition to s.le pampas grass,
which is an excellent food for cattle.
Mrs. Strong raises ,1~walnuts, oranges,
olives and figs. shs is President Of
the American Walntt Growers Asso-
citation. She is interested in irriga-
ton and mining schemes, and has re-.
Gently patented q. reservoir system
impounding the debris Of hydraulic
mining. She thinks it will settle mat
ters satisfactorily both to miners and
farmers. She has patented a process
for damming up and storing water for
irrigation, by using the reversed arch.
Furthermore, she has a hobby. She
dreams of founding an institution
where women may learn the princi-
Piles Of the science Of business. She
is now the President of a business
league, which she hopes to see grow
until it fulflis her hopes. Altogether,
Mrs. Strong appears to be as marvel.
Gus q product Of the Pacific Slope as
it has turned out for a long time.