The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-02-04
WOMHN DONS
MALE HTTIRE
Snaps Her Fingers at Mrs.
Grundy and Wears Pants.
ga
Lives by Herself, and Makes Her
Living with Her Faciie
Pen.

Connected with the special staff OF
the Stocton, Cal, Mail, there is young
woman who is a mystery i'm more ways
than one. She dresses in male attire
and lives by herself in an ark on Nc
Leod's Lake. Little is known of her
history, and even her. name may have
! been of her own, choosing. She is
known as Beebe Bean, and il is under
/ stood that her family once lived in the
! East: that they were quite wealthy,
but that reverses robbed them of their
| fortune, and that, becoming estranged
lfrom her relatives, the girl went to CAL
| ifornia. where she was not known, and
started to make her own living by the
pen.
She is bright writer, and rs quick
| and intelligent. but labors under the
| heavy handicap of being dumb.
She is twenty years old, and was
married when only fifteen. The mar
riaee was not happy one, however,
! and she did not live long with her nus
! hand Then her father died, and then
| her favaritc brother. and then her
mother withdrew from the worio ana
] left the girl to care for herself and
! bear her own part i'm life. Then she
lost her voice. and then she left her
home.
In order to insure her worldly sue
/ cess she threw prudence TO the winds.
! defied Mrs. Grundy, and donned pants.
| She never wanted TO be taken for
/ boy: she only wished to pass unnotic-
! ed. She was arrested once Tor wear
| ing male attire. but was released, and
now. So far as Stockton is concerned,
/ she has lived down comment. and no
| man is freeT than she.
! she carries a revolver. which she
| hopes never to be compelled to use,
and she is fearless and strong, both
physically and mentally. and well able
to take care OF herself
Her dress is an attractive one-dark-
1 blue trousers, a blue sack coat, lighter
I vest soft shirt. neat tie, laced red
| shoes aud a large soft gray hat But
perhaps it takes its principal charm
| from the magnetism of the wcarer, the
| frank. open face and the lips that can
| smile Hinsomely even if they be dumb.
| Referring to her costume, she writes;
/ IF / were in a permanent home i
| should never resort to this. But traV-
! cling about as best I can, it's at once
I a convenience and protection. MY
! natural desires are all for the comfort
| and luNuries that all women love.
| AT no time do | wish even that | We're
1 a boy ] dress this way simply that
1 NAV be accorded the privileges accord
ed the dress But perhaps, if circum-
/ stances would permit, | would so BACK
! 10 skirts and live as other women do
! for / do loNe comfort, and l love mu-
I sic
! Her estimation of the sexes is shrewd
| and evidently the direct result OF her
I .r living She does
! like women, and she says so in so many
y crde. but men have been good 10 her
The average woman and 1 were new
I a.. friends" she saws. Il find so Few
who are liberal-minded and unaffect-
/ ed. l can't help being frank; even at
! times blunt. SO. imagine me trying to
| get along with girls, who think only ol
/ new dresses and beaus.
/ Women are hypocrites when they
| affect To be shocked at my attire. Why
/ can't they be frank and say, Well,
/ eba can. even i'm that garb, command
| r-psnect' Surely. if i can receive re-
| spect. even i'm barroom. ii must De De
/ causa | still retain self-respect ana NO
| manly pride. -
"NepLwell. l can't express myself
I with the facility I'd like tout hio
! them SO loyal ana true tid' L '"ii iie'f
( loving them all
~ work On the Mail is that of a
suecial writer but she IS often caiied on
! IA do local work. and she does IL Wei
I she has become used 10 her enforced
/ silence and seems to be happy in her
own way. She talks freely about her
/ ,-resant self and her own ideas, put
when her past history. or anything
| which might lead TO the discovery OF
I Mo She is. is i'm question. Beebe Bean
nuts her pencil in her pocket ana re-
| iapses into a silence deeper even IMAM
! dumbneSs.