New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-19
WOMAN'S LIFE IN THE WEST.
INTERESTING FACTS CLEANED BY A
RANCH DWELLER.
BACHELORS ARE so NUMEROUS AND PERSISTENT
THAT MOST GIRLS ARE MARRIED BEFORE
THEY ARE TWENTY YEARS OF AGE.

THEY ARE: TWENTY YEARS OF AGE.
Mrs T. Mailer OF this State recently went
to live a ranch IT. Chelaw Wash with her hus-
band Writing to a friend about He in the Far
West she says:
The life of a woman on a ranch in the West. far
from railroad postolce store. must OF necessity
be life OF denial, hard work and deprivation. and
she has need of a stout heart. sunny temper as
well great courage, to carry her through her
battle of life.
She lives in log house SHACK which Is
made OF thickness Of boards covered with rlven
shakes for shingles. ar1 she has not much In the
way Of furniture. dishes or anything to make her
work easy for her. She see her children grow
up without much education. the boys invariably
being put into the saddle they big
enough. and set to watching stock on the cattle
range Whenever possible, families move to the
nearest village in the fall and stay until spring so
that the children can attend school
Bachelors numerous and such per
sistent wooers that a girl rarely attains the age
OF twenty before she is married. Every boy here.
be he ten years old twenty. takes off his hat to
every woman he meets There seems to be an in
nate courtesy and chvalry IN these OF the
West that are natural to them the air they
breathe On the woman devolye the care and rri-
cation OF the garden while the men are busy with
their wheat, corn. orchards and stock
"A little mountain brook comes tumbling down
from it's rocky height and at the first ranch in the
Of a hill that it surrounds the cultivated land
on the slope and some OF the water from the
brook supplies the ditch. while the rest It's
way down into the valley. each ranch taking
part OF II as II passes. Tiny ditches are made
between the OF vegetables and trees and berry
bushes throughout the whole garden and orchard
and in the morning the ranch-woman takes away
with her hand some OF the soft earth OF the ditch
bank in several places. allowing the tiny streams
to run between the vegetables until the roots have
acquired sufficient moisture and then she replaces
the earth In the ditch bank and changes the water
to another part OF the garden. The water is clear
and cold, and one can stoop and drink anywhere,
that there are only health and purity in the
draught.
THE mountain ranches are irrigated from springs
far up the mountalnside and carried through wood
on trOughs 10 the irrgating ditch The bitches are
generally about eight ten inches deep and twelve
or fourteen inches wide. II is the woman who
gathers the vegetables and fruit and prepares them
for winter Use. shells the winter beans and also
the sofa beans for coffee. n neighbor Is sick
she goes mile, or perhaps ten. to get her. for
all are neghbors within radius of twenty miles.
Her opportunities tor visiting or going to church
are limited although the lucky possess1r OF a lum-
Der wagon may sometimes get a ride in 1t when it
is not lent for one wagon frequently has 10 do
duty for the whole neighborhood and is in great
demand during the wheat and hay harvest
The larder is we'll supplied. and It Is part OF
woman : Work 10 put on ner thinking cap and
cudgel her poor brain in a vain effort 70 think Of
something for dinner for she has the best vege-
tables In the world the finest fruit and sweetest
melons and she can have wild duck grouse.
pheasant, prairie chicken. lake trout or venison.
and out OF these she VIII ge' a toothsome meal
on some special day. when the ranchman goes In
70 tine hills for bear and gets IT, each child is
ready TO carry pieces OF bears meat 10 ali the
nearest nelghhors-sO In death. II in lie, Is
poor Bruin appreciated.
seldom doe, day pass that the woman of the
! rlNrn fh. f-l d L
stranger coins On huni or prospecting tour, or
- town ami arrives tired out al inc dinner hour.
Or some Of those aforesaid bachelors come to see
one OF these gentle wooers. although he lives on
III" other side Of the lake. with Two miles of water
and on" OF land between him and the object OF his
affection. brought her beautiful calf and two
boxes Of fruit for her birthday present.
worlds goods. has n pony for each child ard they
turn all the horses out on t"e range except one.
their services are needed Horses 70 ride are a
ranches, ana me paths lead over the range, whore
there are ugly cattle and plenty Of ra,t,snakes,
so 59at 5o not SAFE for women me or children to
ancc. and every On" own. one Or tne other. -.
rhe woman NAP who has bur one room ana loft
them there until september. for there IS no dew.
and In this warm. dry air there is no fear OF
The traveller who has his horse and blankets
oy'rtakcs him. He pickets his horse lights "A
II
and. rolled up in his blankets against some ranch
mans fence sleeps undisturhed until morning
Game f. plenty here. and a man does not nave
10 hunt all day and waste dollars worth OF shot
% bring down couple Of litue sn!pe. II a man
hunts here all day Re Is pretty likely wish for n
qackhorsc 10 carry his game home FOR him. This
j. prc-cmir entity the country Tor lazy men. for
when they once plant a crop Of corn. beans. peas
or potatoes they do not need 10 plant any more
for several years for. VIVA they call volunteer
crops spring up unaidod.
"rhere are some lttlg .d.edyantases;s IN living
dcrf.et' As the cattle are turned out the
ranch and not looked after again until the fall
% disregard tho rights OF man. huge bull
caused a little excitement around here last week.
Tie tore down fences. attacked people and nearly
killed tendcrfcot who foolish enough 70
attack him while on foot mounted cowboy sent
couple OF charges OF shot into the animal and
the next day he Was put into corral The ami
/ mails name. 10y the way Is Lily"
UONEN CLAIM REWARD