Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-12-09
A CATTLE QUEEN.
ROMANTIC CAREER or MRS. NAT
COLLINS ON WESTERN PLAINS.

city, notable guest, no less q per.
sonage than Mrs. Nat Collins, who ia
known throughout the Northwest as
"the Cattle Queen OF Montana.
"Mrs. Collins presents picturesque
figure Of the rare and perfect Western
type which is fast giving way to an
other order Of things She is the
product Of the conditions which pre-
vailed upon the Western plains many
years ago, and history of her event
full life is about as interesting as
could possibly be painted by the great
est living novelist.
Mrs. Collins is EN- route to Chicago
and she came to Minneapolis with a
trainload OF cattle - thirty.two car
loads--all her own property. She
makes this trip each year, and accom-
panies the stock from the point OF
shipment in Montana to Minneapolis,
the last feeding point before reaching
Chicago. From there she takes reg.
ular passenger train and travels as be.
fits her condition as mistress of n
great fortune. The cattle are directly
in charge OF six cowboys from her
ranch. and they are with the stock
from Montana to Chicago.
Mrs. Collins, although n married
woman, il master of the various
ranches in her name in Montana. This
property is located in the vicinity of
Choteau, little town north of Hele-
ma and is about sixty-fve miles from
Great Falls, which is the nearest
large town. Choteau is about twenty
five miles from her ranches, and is
also thirty-fve miles from the nearest
railroad. Thus it eau be seen that
the cattle queen is located remotely
enough almost TO rival Robinson Cru
soc for isolation.
Mrs. Collins has had n romantic
career, although not devoid OF what
would be considered grievous hard
ships blythe average American woman.
She is now about fifty-five years of
age and is just as lively aud vigorous
as any young woman in the twenties.
She is an industrious worker, and is
Of that nervous temperament which
must find employment to keep the
mind at rest and the heart salts
fed She began her Western expert.
ence at the age of ten years aud has
lived upon the plains ever since. 1t
is her boast that she went through
Denver when that great city Of today
contained but one log cabin and n
few tents. Long before she was
twenty years old she had made ten
trips across the plains between Omaha
and Denver, acting in the capacity of
cook in the wagon train of which her
brother was wagonmaster.
Later on the spirit of adventure
which had begun to dominate her dis
position impelled her 10 remove to
the new mining fields Of Montana, at
the time Of their first opening. She
visited Bannock and many other
points, aud was the first white woman
IN Virginia City. She was at Helena
before there was such place, and it
was at Helena some time later that |
she welded Nat Collins, well known
and respected miner. The marriage
occurred about thirty years ago, aud
shortly after the ceremony the young |
couple quit the mining camps and
went into the northern part OF Mon
tana and established themselves In
the stock-raising business, TO which
they have cIung persistently aud with
great success ever since. They have
but one child, adaughter sixteen years
Did.
They began ranching with about $50
head Of stock. The animals we're
urned loose upon the plains and al
owed to increase and multiply as rap
dly as they would. and today Mrs.
Collins says il would be utterly i'm
possible for her TO give an estimate of
he number Of head OF cattle upon her
-arious ranches. No effort is made 10
cunt them. Each year they round
Up as many rs they care to ship and
he others are unmolested.
The cattle queen has well earned
Ter reputation. Probably no one ia
fontana has larger cattle interests
han she. Her success has been due
o her own interest and exertions, for
er husband Is one OF those quiet in
ividuals who prefer to take life with
. little trouble rs possible. When
IRIS. Collins began to ship her stock
D the eastern market she found her.
elf confronted by railway rules and
equations which expressly stated
hat no woman conid ride ia the ca
doses attached to the stock trains.
he Immediately put in a protest, and
) the agent could give her no salts ,
lction she carried the matter to tho I
vision superintendent That Official .
'und himself powerless, and finally
amss j. Hill, president Of the Great {
orthern, was appealed to. Mr.. Hill
refused her the desired
ermission, and by so doing raised n ,