Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1899-01-12
MISS KITTIE WILKINS.
The Beautiful and Graceful
Horse Queen of Bruneau.

/ mountain Home, in recent issue OF
the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and re.
produce it for the qualification of her
numerous friends in this section:
"A big deal in horsefesh will prob
ably go through in st. Louis within
the next few weeks. Miss Kittie Will
kins, the famous Idaho stock seller,
texpects to close deal with John Kirk
of the National Stock Yards, repre-
senting himself and other commission
men, for the transfer from the Will
kins ranch in Idaho of 1000 head OF
western horses. Miss wilkins is at the
Lindell Hotel. She has been selling
horses for ten years and is probably
the only woman horse dealer in Amer
lea. She is what may be called a
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 a
young woman OF fine education, pol
ished and agreeable manners, and her
father and brothers say she gets bet
ter bargains with the customers than
they did when they sold the stock.
For the past ten years Miss Wilkins
has taken the horses to market and
disposed 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 the stock yards to sell her
horses she has never met with an I'M
Kindness from any of the horse buy
ers, and not one of them has attempt
ed to swindle her or even impose on
her in deal in horses. Her home is
on the wilkins ranch of 165, 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
the atmosphere 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 a gold lorgnette,
whose hair is done in the latest style
whose face and hands are untainted by
the sun or exposure-such is Miss
Kittie wilkins as she,sat in the parlor
at the Lindell last night.
II drifted into the hor Sc business
naturally" said Miss wilkins, and /
think | have made a success of it. AT
least, my father and my brothers say
so When | am on the ranch dc
pretty much as other Western girls do
and make cakes and even read poetry
My favorite poem, however, Is no
Lucille" but the Ranch Girl of the
West" written by az unknown west
ern author. can recall one verse Of
it:
She ride the restless broncho in its most rebel
lious mood,
Till it hangs its head in meekness, till its spirit
subdued;
She can pitch the long RATA DER the horns OF fee
ing steer,
And her dauntless border spirit never feels tn
| thrill OF rear.
She will ride upon the roundup with free an
dashing air,
While the breezes softly rirple through her oos
imprisoned hair;
All the dangers of the riders she will share wit
nerVy Zest,
For tmidity s a stranger to the ranch girl Of III
West
II like that poem because think
am like that. My father formerl
sold all the horses we turned out fror
the ranch. | travelled with him fo
two years, met all the customers in a
the horse markets, and learned the DE-
tails of business. | did so well on M
g first trial that have done the sellin
: since. generally go to market ahea
. of the stock. | hunt up CUSTOMER
and when my stock arrives | show tin
horses in the stock yards, get right int
the ems with the wild horses, for
am not afraid of them, and make m
sales. Horses are saleable between
and years of age. Some are broke
!. on the ranch, but the greater part c
: our stock is sold rough. We have 100
e horses on the ranch, and brand abol
/ 1900 colts every summer, Roundin
O up or corraling horses for marking
no easy task. At one time / saw l8C
: horses rounded up in the corrals /
one time. 1t was beautiful sight
one who loves horses as | do. Whe
# we round up we employ about thirt
: wild riders, mostly Mexicans, and the
I get the stock into the cars and al
. ready for shipment. l have been
almost every city in the country, bl
now sell my horses principally in
. Louis, Chicago, Buffalo, Rocheste
o New York and Detroit. For sever
e years business in horses has not BET
very good, bat it is steadily pickir
Is up, and l look for an early reviv,
e. | have sold about 1900 horses the pa
/, year"
4 Miss wilkins is very much in 10
with her horses and the wild ram
!. life of the West. She says the Ina
y piest period she ever spent was VIII
~ she was riding the range. She sa
r she is afraid of no horse on the ranC
Z and has broken and trained many
f. them. OF course, Miss wilkins h
:. had many opportunities to retire frc
!. business, but she prefers to keep
with Tire ranch, her branding irol
her horses and her live stock marke
Yet she is woman enough to have
OF her gowns made by the best NewYC
ee and Chicago modistes, TO wear OF
ne the NEST fashionable hats and wra
re to carry handsome gold lorgnettes a
]. to use delicate perfume OF violet.
n a~---