The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-11
THE CATTLE QUEEN OF MONTANA.
Mrs Nat Collins Annual Cattle Train
to Chicago.
From the Minneapolis Tribune.

MRS WI OOAAAnH 0AtAAC
to Chicago.
From the Minneapolis Tribune.
The city of Minneapolis has within Its
gates to-day a notable guest, no less per-
sonage than Mrs. Nat Collins, who is
known throughout the Northwest as 1.-THE
presents a picturesque figure of the rare
and perfect type which is fast giving way
to another order of things. She is the pro-
duct Of the conditions which prevailed up
on the western plains many years ago, and
a history Of her eventful life is about as
interesting as could possibly be painted by
the greatest living novelist.
Mrs Collins is en- route TO Chicago, and
she came to this city with a train-load
of cattle-32 car-ioads-all her own prop
erty. She makes this trip each year. and
accompanies the stock from the point of
shipment in Montana to this city, the last
feeding point before reaching Chicago
From here she takes the regular passenger
train and travels as BELTS her condition as
mistress of q great fortune. The cattle are
directly in charge Of six of the cowboys
from her ranch, and they are with TIE
stock from Montana to Chicago
Mrs. Collins, although a married woman
- Aie*7NSA VI LAN val lOuS IdtlCHeS III ACl
name in Montana. This property is To-
Gated in the vicinity of Choteau, a little
town which lies north of Helena and is
about 60 miles from Great Falls, which
is the nearest large town. Choteau is
about p miles from her ranches, and is
also 50 miles from the nearest railroad.
Thus it can be seen that the cattle queen
as located remotely enough almost to rival
Robinson Crusoe for isolation.
fN@11a
although not devoid of what would be con-
sidered grievous hardships by the average
American woman. She Is now about IS
years of age, and is just as lively and Wig
orous as any young woman in the eos.
She is an industrious worker and is OF
that nervous temperament which must
find employment TO keep the mind at rest
and the heart satisfied. She began her
western experience at the age of 10 years,
and has lived upon the plains ever since.
1t is her boast that she went through Den
yer when that great city OF to-day con-
tanned but one log cabin and "a few tents.
Long before she was 20 years old she had
made 10 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 disposition i'm
PEELED her to remove to the new mining
fields of Montana, at the time of their
first opening. She visited Bannock and
many other points, and 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, a well-known and re-
spected miner. The marriage occurred
about 30 years ago, and shortly after the
ceremony the young couple quit the min
ing camps and went into the northern Fart
of Montana and esta blished themselves an
the stock-raising business, to which they
have chung persistently and with great
success ever since They have but one
child, a daughter 16 years old.
They began ranching with about 4EO
head of stock. The animals were turned
loose upon the plains and allowed to in
crease and multiply as rapidly as they
would, and to-day Mrs Collins says ii
would be utterly impossible for her to give
even an estimate of the number of head of
cattle upon her various ranches. No eff
fort is made to count them Each year
they round up as many as they care to
ship, and the others are unmolested.
The cattle queen has well earned her
reputation. Probably no one person in
Montana has larger cattle interests than
she. Her success has been due to her own
interest and exertions, for her husband Is
one of those quiet individuals who prefer
TO take life with as little trouble as pos
sible. When Mrs. Collins began to chip
her stock to the eastern market she found
herself confronted by railway rules and
regulations which expressly stated that no
woman could ride in the cabooses attached
to the stock trains. She Immediately put
in protest, and as the agent could give
her no satisfaction she carried the matter
to the division superintendent. That off
cial found himself powerless, and finally
James J. Hill, president of the Great
Northern, was appealed to. Mr.. Hill re-
luctantly refused her the desired permits
sion, and by so doing raised a storm of
indigna ton about his luckless head. 1t
few days he was fairly smothered with
letters from prominent ranchmen and cat
tlemen of Montana, demanding that ne &c
cord the customary privileges of the road
to Mrs. Collins. In few days threats be-
gan coming in, the writers declaring that
If he did not accede to Mrs. Collins's re-
quest they, the principal cattlemen of the
West, would refuse to ship another hoof
over the road Mrs. Collins got her pass
and has had one each year since, and is
to-day the only woman so favored.
One would suppose that with the man.
agement of several large ranches upon her
shoulders Mrs. Collins would find plenty
10 keep her busy, but such is not the case.
She declares that there is any quantity
Of time which she finds it almost impos-
sible to dispose of, and she finds vent for
her surplus energy in various ways. Re
Gently she visited the new mining region
near st. Marys Lake, Mon, and while
there invested in several fine copper
claims, and located a town site upon the
banks of the lake.