The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
SHE HOLDS A STATE OFFICE.
NIs EsTELLE REEL AND HER
WORK IN WYOMING.

- VOhAN0 AthSi hoo NVhhO OiO ONt
Of the West. She is tho genuine article, for she
not only votes. but holds a high State Office.
She 10 Miss Estolle Reel. state superintendent
Of Public Instruction and Register of the State
Board of Land Commissioners of Wyoming.
Miss Reel is stopping at the Waldorf-Astoria,
and she Is neither wild nor woolly. She doesn't
wear boomers, either. but stunning looking
gowns made by a swell tailor. In fact, this
politician is n distinctly genuine woman, for
THE SUN reporter heard her talking to somo
New York women politicians about clothes and
beaux.
I'm afraid of Sun reporters she said
frankly as soon as her visitors had gone. lone
Of 'om did me up more completely once than I'd
over been done up before or since. He did it
editorially, too. Why, n series Of Western cam
paigns lot me down easy by the side of that arti-
clio. 1t was Just exactly two years ago when it
was reported that the Republicans of Wyoming
wanted to nominate me for Governor. A SUN
man wrote asking what my platform would be.
1 wrote telling him what 1t was, but explained
how nonscnsical 1t would DO for n woman to run
for Governor at that time and said that tho
report about my nomination was bosh. He pub
lished my platform and didn't leave a splinter
of it for mo to stand on. I'd Just like to meet
tho man that wrote that article.
but you wanted to hear about my career as
q politician, didn't youi What I'm / doing
Lhs Nns, v o ecu III w hSnlngUOn, WOTklnk
night and day, on an important mission for my
| State. and l just came over here to rest a few
days before completing it. 1 came to Washing
ton to obtain several hundred thousand acres of
land to BIO added to the area at tho disposal OF
our State for rental purposes. The Governor,
Secretary of State. and Register compose tho
Land Board, and as l am Register, all of the
work is done in my office. and l have direct
charge Of the leasing and selling of oil State
N--l MI. 4. S. a.
hood several millions OF acres of land were
granted tho State by tho General Govern.
mont for the benefit of schools. chart.
table and penal reformatory Institutions,
hospitals or homes for the charges Of the State.
and SO on. Four years ago, when the present
State Administration took charge of the land
affairs Of the State, q few thousand acres of this
land were rented. the income amounting to per-
haps 800 o week. Tho practice Of leasing lands
for grazing purposes was encouraged by the
State Land Board and every facility possible
given stockmen and ranchers to secure lands at
low rates of rental. The result is that the State
is now receiving several thousand dollars q
week from rentals. The demand has been SO
great that practically all of our land is leased.
"Then, too, by reason of the Indian and mill
tary reservations in the State. and the land re-
served on account Of being mineral In charac-
ter, we have lost a large body. The Intefior
Department advised us that we were entitled to
lhuhC VI aho " e " 1 lhlo ObJ
land, and FASTENED to the capitll to complete
the details of obtaining these lands. I've OBJ.
v When my yS work fEo is e sns hsnS W Wepsnlmenf' h Spe
and have every reason to believe. will have
area. We have now on file applications for
leasing, which will absorb about all of these adj
ditional lands"
You must be an energetic worker" COM
mented the reporter.
oh. I'll this is due to the fact hat we are en-
swered Miss Reel, and IL has evidently come
to stay. The two leading industries there are
sheep values almost doubled. and the thousands
Of sheep owners in the State enjoyed n most
profitable business: The prospects are exceed.
ingly bright with them for tho future. and so
many N 55r are t nGyssiE, to =, get hi, into stt the BUSINESS that tit it
the cattle business; which is divided up
again profitable after years of depression.
1t is the healthy growth Of these two industries
other lines Of business, too. During the last
sse eair p 1If HSii m Of tbe wS state i iner ,.ane; ana 9s T nee
cent. over previous years. At some Of the mines
now the men arc all working overtimc-some-
s s9aa unpFss01'n'0a IN the history OF Inc
Talk about yourself" suggested the inter.
At this point Miss Helen varlck Boswell and
women in Eastern politics, dropped in TO see
Miss Reel. 1t wasn't necessary for THE Sun
woman 10 40 any more uutSllOnlnR.
How does it feel to vote T. asked Mrs. Burns.
Feel t qvote." repeated Miss Reel in a puzzled
women go in and vote just as you Eastern,
women go in and, order your meat for dinner.
You see, women have been voting in NEyo-
ming thirty years, and women can get used to
anything in that time. Our polling places are
kept clean and cleared and a woman simply
IL TO it. Suffrage doesn't make us feel. LOOK or
act any differently from other women, but ! be-
iieve it has made the men more chivalrous. You
know the women of Wyoming didn't howl for
suffrage. 1t was forced on them by the mon.
their homes, to make a more stable population.
Women out there never open their heads about
suffrage, and w cannot understand these suf.
fragists who howl for the ballot. We received
the privilege Of voting because it was necessary
And / believe that is the way II will come to
every. state. interrupted Miss Boswell. who
Ia: "I lj iass P %iss Z ali w of so Sho %onId SS onms eut to
Cheyenne, where live" continued Miss Reel,
voters and change your ideas. Really, the
Eastern people have such queer notions about
inent politician from our State was there and he
wanted to take mt out. He was a very small
him. no. indeed; III be glad enough to have
you call, and ia like to go out with you, but
would say when they saw us together. There
now! That's a product, of woman suffrage -"
did it happen y asked somebody. N"A
dr nPws 1 in ac ,a RGIttifis %Si Ias he ITSs rsp T?d ! i wss
born in Illinois, educated in Boston, Chicago
and st. Louis. and went to Wyoming ten years
ago for my health, My brother. who Is an old
settler there. has a ranch near Cheyenne, and l
went out TO him. He is prominent in politics.
but for two or three years after going there I
didn't 80 much as vote. The way / got into
politics was this: A woman friend of mine held
the office of Superintendent Of Schools in Lara
ME county, the most p%opulous in the State.
She was away from home. and wrote asking me
to look after her denomination. l asked tho
men OF the Republican County if
they were going TO pue her up again, and they
said no. for her husband had been nominated
for County Clerk, and they couldn't both DO on
the ticket.
I'D always been intensely interested in educa
tiOnhl work. In fact, IT was life to me, and ia
taught in the public schools there. Ilaughingly
said, Who are you going to nominate for County
superintendent
"'You, answered q veteran editor. who about
ran things, jokingly.
~ never ran FOR an office and i couldn't be
elected said J..
"'If You'll allow US to use your name we'll see
that you are elected. he declared.
Its a bargain, said |. and | was electeh by
the largest majority ever given there. knew