The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-07
WILD RIDE ON A BULL
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF A PLUCkY
PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN.

Far Away-No Horse Mt Hand-A Wild
Steer Was Ridden--The Return Trip .
HeadIong Chsrge-A Heroic Exploit.
The emergencies which made heroines
of so many women of the early colonial
days have not even now ceased to arise
in some parts even of the older settled
portions of the country. An instance in
this line occurred only a few days since,
and within few hours ride of New
York, which might well go down with
some of the pluckiest exploits of the
pioneer mothers.
In desolate, lonely place near Star
acca, Pa, there lives a family consisting
of husband, wife and young daughter.
The husband has TO be away from home
good deal on account of the nature of
his work and was away recently when
his daughter was taken ill. The mother
exhausted her store of household RENEE
dies, but the girl grew rapidly worse.
There was not doctor within more
than four miles, and there was no neigh
Dor within reach to go for him.
But even that was not all the poor
mother S source of perplexity. The girls
condition was fast becoming so alarm
ing that, desperate as the step seemed,
she saw that she must herself go for the
doctor. And there was no horse to take
her. Her husband was too poor to own
"a horse even if he had much use for one,
which he had not. The wild mountain
roads were rough and clogged in places
with snow. To think Of undertaking
the journey OH foot and ever getting to
the doctor in time to bring him to the
sick girls bedside in season to have his
service Of any avail seemed little short
of madness.
But the doctor must be reached 9TH
erwise the ohild's death seemed certain.
The woman went to the doorway Of her
little home and looked forlornly out on
the bleak wintry hills Then an idea
came to her. 1t was desperate, but the
situation demanded desperate measures.
Among the live stock her husband owned |
was young and frisky bull, barely 2
years old, but rather tanned down by |
scanty rations and the general winter |
depression. He was skinny, and his
backbone suggested serrated ridge of |
miniature peaks. But the brute had |
abundant strength TO travel, and if he
could be dubbed into some sort of sense
he might serve as conveyance.
There was nothing to hitch to; he
must be ridden. So after exhaustive
the pluclly woman man.
aged TO get q rope tied to each of his
horns, and, with a strong club in her
hand, she at last managed to mount
him and head him out into the high
way. He proved very sensible and de-
,ently disposed sort if beast, obeying
the sharp jerks to the right aud left
rom the ropes on his horns and GALLON
ing off finely along the road when he
was properly encouraged by the club 1t
vas not an equestrian expedition that
would quite do for the park, but the
Door mother thought little Of that She
vas after the doctor to come and save
Ter child from death, and after nearly
wo hours rough jolting she got there.
The doctor was not at home, and it
would be some time before he would re-
urn, bat his wife promised for him
hat he should respond 60 that call if he
never did to another She urged the
woman to wait and ride back with him,
)ut she would not listen to it.
She must get back to her child, and
III she went again OH her grotesque
Mount. The bull had settled down to q
)hllosophic acceptance of the situation
~ this time and started off at a brisk
anter, possibly with some sordid asso-
iation in his intellectuals between the
lomeward road and the shelter and fod-
Ter at the end of it. About mile from
he house he saw man driving noun
ain wagon along the road in front of
him, and that man had the inconceiv.
'ble impudence to wear red shirt.
From that time on the return trip
vas one wild, headlong charge The
nan heard the snorting and clatter be-
lind him, and when he looked around
md got glimpse of the awful night
mare freak that was pursuing him he
ashed his horses onward with the very
renzy Of fright
There was no need of the club now.
{ fell by the wayside, and the woman's
energies were devoted to hanging Oh.
She chung to the bulls back until he
cached her home, when she rolled off
lnharmed in the snow, while the bull
md the man in the red shirt disap-
reared in a cloud of flying snow and
,ravel over the crest of the nearest hill
At the last accounts no tidings of either
he one or the other had been received
But the doctor came along soon after
md had two patients on his hands, for
he mother. too, had to take to her bed
after her rough experience. Her daugh-
er's life was saved, however, and she,
90. will soon be none the worse for her