Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-08
RIDES LIKE A CENTAUR.
California Girl Braves Dangers I'm the
Heart of the Sierras.

Heart of the Sierras.
A woman and horse sliding down a
rivers slippery bank, lodging upon a narrow
shelf Of projecting rock and spending the
night in this terrible position while storm
howls overhead and just below the raging
torrent roars and thunders-this is situa
tion to appal the bravest heart. And yet
there is one woman in California whom it
did not frighten, relates the San Francisco
Call, and who tells the story so quietly that
1t is apparent she wishes to minimize rather
than to exaggerate the danger.
This woman, however, is a Diana-born
in the forest, trained from her earliest years
to ride and to shoot, perfectly at home on
the mountain trails. whether by day or by
night, and an utter stranger to such thing
as fear. What to others would be perilous
adventure to be remembered for lifetime,
Is to her only an incident in series of ex-
periences so often repeated that the most
startling accident does not appear very un-
usual.
To mention the name Of this young woman
is to revive recollections Of that pioneer and
historian Of the Yosemite valley. ]. M.
Hutchings, still living and as much inter-
ested as ever in California's great gallery
OF natural wonders, which he has devoted
his life to making better known to the
many visitors to the valley during the last
few years the pleasant picture of slender
graceful girl-a perfect brunette-riding a
magnificent black horse, a handsome but
vicious tempered animal whom none but the
most accomplished horseman or horsewoman
could think OF mounting. This young woman
is Miss Gertrude Hutchings, daughter Of
Hutchings the explorer and all but dlscov-
erer OF the beautiful valley with which his
name has been SO prominently associated
for more than ~Srty years.
Born in the valley. Miss Hutchngs has
known no other home, and with every rock
and pool, every steep aod slope, not only in
Yosemite itself, but for miles around, she is
familiar. Her fathers cottage stood near
the great Yosemite fall, where the spray
and the thunder of the highest cataract OF
| the world are never out Of one's sight or
hearing. Opposite the door of the pioneers
| home rose the mighty masses OF
| the Half Dome and Sentinel peak,
while in the foreground there
| glanced by the waters of that most beautiful
| Of rivers, the clear flowing, amber -hued
| Merced. In winter the SHOWS softened the
| harsh outlines of the crags and lay deeI
| upon the valley, and in summer the pine and
cedar forests stretched away in solemn lone
liness for scores of miles.
| A childhood spent amid such scenes was
bound to develop a character as unusual as
| the surroundings. Love of adventure was az
natural to Miss Hutchings and contempt OF
danger as easy as habits OF domestic and
feminine timidity are to other women. She
| learned to ride the most dangerous trails
with equal facility by night and by day, ant
in the moonlight nights, when all the vale,
lay buried deep in snow, she would tie or
| l,a, ..1n far
through the white siences OF the tremendous
mountain gorge. She would pass under tn,
shadows of the great cliffs, thread u
ghosty aises of the forest and not return
| home till the early hours Just before thu
break OF day. AS rifie-shot the young CIR
| became as proficient as the most exper
hunter, and as for fishing she could throw
line with the best angler and lure the shy
trout from their recesses with as much GER
tainty as an Indian.
Marvellous are the tales told of the daring
OF this quiet, reserved young woman, who's,
manner Is that of the gently reared daugh
ter OF the city rather than OF the borde
heroine. Sometimes she would find a baskinl
rattlesnake asleep upon the trail, and slip
ping up on 1t with stealthy tread she woult
| seize 1t by the tail, swing II swiftly arount
and around in the air, and striking its heat
| against Tock OF Tree XIII III Detore II
could seize an opportunity to use its terribl,
fangs, of which single toucn meant death
At other times she would climb the steep trai
to Glacier Point and walk out upon the ter,
rible oyerhanging rock, that dangerous tilt
ing projection upon which one step amiss
would precipitate you 5000 feet down to the
valley floor. While there were a few Others
yenturesOme enough to go out upon this
rock in daylight, Miss Hutchings would tax
the awful risk OF doing it at night, and Will
unshaken courage stand there and waving
above her head a fambeau AFFORD TO th'
watchers far below in the valley spectacl,
which made their nerves tingle with th'
knowledge they had OF the dangers dared b!
the heroic young woman.
Some years ago Miss Hutchings met Will
a girl after her own heart. She was tn,
daughter Of a San Francisco merchant, witt