The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-12-24
MISS KITTIE WILKINS,
The Idaho Horse Queen to Make q
Big Deal ct st. Louis.

8
has the following to cay about Miss
Kittie Wilkins, who enjoys the
sobriquet of "Idaho's Horse Queen. .
A big deal in horsedesh will probably
go through in St. Louis within the next
few weeks. Miss Kittie Wilkins, the
famous Idaho stock seller, expects to
close deal with John Kirk, of the Ma
lional Stock Yards, representing himself
and other commission men, for the trans
fer from the Wilkins ranch in Idaho of
1000 head of Western horses. Miss Will
kins is at the Lindell Hotel. She has
been selling horses for ten years, and is
probably the only woman horse dealer
in America. She is what may be called
typical Western girl, and when she left
her fathers ranch in Idaho she came in
advance of eight carloads of horses.
The last of these she is now selling in
East St. Louis. She is young woman
of fine education, polished and agreeable
manners and her father and brothers say
she gets better bargains with the Gus
toners than they did when they sold the
stock.
For the past ten years Miss Wilkins
has taken the horses to market and dis
posed of them, and that she knows her
business all the horse dealers have long
ago discovered. She is full of push and
energy, and is business woman from the
word go. She says that during all the
time she has been visiting stock yards to
sell her horses she has never met with an
unkindness from any OF the horse buyers,
and not one of them has ever attempted
to swindle her or even impose on her In
deal in horses. Her home is on the
Wilkins ranch Of 900 acres In the
Bruneau Valley of Idaho. While there
she rides the range with her father and
brothers and lives the life of pretty much
every other Western young woman of
fortune. When away from home she
visits the stock yards, passes her days In
the pens and sells horses.
An Idaho woman stock seller who rides
and shoots, who was reared in tho atmos-
pherc of horses, who knows cowboys and
herders, who is brave and quick, who can
rely on herself and yet who wears stylish
tailor made gowns and lace fichus, has
the odor of violets and carries GOLD.
lorgnette, whose hair is done in the latest
STYLE, whose face and hands are Unframed
by the sun or exposure, such is Miss Kitty
Wilkins as she sat in the parlor at the
Lindell last night.
II drifted into the horse business nat
urally," said Miss Wilkins, and think l
have made success of it. At least, my
father and my brothers say SO. When l
am on the ranch do pretty much as other
Western girls do, and make cakes and
even read poetry. My favorite poem,
however, IS not Lucille" but 1.-THE Ranch
Girl of the West" written by an unknown
Western author. can recall one verge
of it:
She can ride the restless broncho in its
most rebellious mood,
Till it hangs its head in mcekness, till its
spirit is subdued;
She can pitch the long RATA DER the horns
of fleeing steer,
And her dauntless border spirit never
l,r.ii Of
She will ride upon the roundup with free
and dashins air,
While the breezes softly ripple through her
loose imprisoned hair;
All the dangers of the riders she will share
with nervy ZeSt,
For timidity's stranger to the ranch girl
OF the West.
II like that poem because think l am
like that. My father formerly sold all
the horses we turned out from the ranch
travelled with him for two years, met all
the customers in all the horse markets,
and learned the details of the business.
l did so we'll on my first trial that have
done the selling since. I generally go
to market ahead of the stock. | hunt
up customers, and when my stock arrives
show the horses in the stock yards, get
right into the pens with the wild horses,
for am not afraid of them, and make
nv sales. Horses are saleable between 3
and years Of age. Some ara broken
on the ranch, but the greater part Of our
stock is sold rough. We have about
5000 horses on the ranch, and brand about
1900 colts every summer. Rounding up
or corrallng horses for market is no easy
task. At one time l saw about 1900
horses rounded up in the corrals at one
time. 1t was beautiful sight to one
who loves horses as I do. When We
round up we employ about thirty wild
riders, mostly Mexicans, and they get the
stock into the cars and ready for shipment.
I have been in almost every city in the
country, but sell my horses now princi-
pally in st. Louis, Chicago, Buffalo, Ro-
chester, New York and Detroit. For
several years business in horses has not
been very good, but it is steadily picking
up, and look for an early revival.
expect to make deal with Mr.. Kirk for
the sale of 1000 horses, which will be
very important trade. Already this year
| have sold 1900 horses"
Miss Wilkins is very much in love with