The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-07-12


There are several Illustrations Of the new
/ woman In this territory. for instance, woman
ranchers. vaqueros. bank cashiers. stable
keepers and butchers, but the one whose
occupation interests newcomers most ia Miss
Saran M. Burks, who carries the United
states mail over the star route from St.
!onns to Jimtown twice week. The dis
lance from st. Johns to the end Of the route
Is o2 miles, and it requires good deal OF
courage and liberal supply OF elf-confi-
oence, with dash of love Of adventure for
any one 10 make the trip, says the Chicago
Inter Ocean.
me route leads through q wild, desolate
region What tiny streams are found there
are poisoned with alkalf. Navajo Indians
ana occasionally an Apache are somewhat
PLENTIFUL but white men seldom 70 there,
and then only to get the gold, silver and cop
per which have been literally strewn through
tnls region. Nothing in the way of vegeta-
ton can grow there It is simply region
OF rich minerals deposited by titanic vol
can!c actions ages ago. A jagged, barren
surface OF volcanic rock mountainous heaps
OF volcanic ashes, broad rivers Of solidified
lava, so rough of surface as to be impossible
py man or beast, tell Of the forces that once
were exerted there. Along the western
ooroer OF this desolate, uncanny wilderness
MISS burks rides twice week. Generally
sne Is alone, and il she has a companion he
Is likely to be miner, a commercial trav-
eier, or, mayhap, territorial lawyer, who
mas rented horse from Miss Burks father
ana she is to collect payment and to see to
the care of the horse. Notwithstanding her
uncommon occupation and the depressing
loneliness OF the long ride Miss Burks is
always light hearted, and, although she
realizes that constant watchfulness and cool
ness are requisite in the performance of her
dutles she is seldom nervous. She is simply
resolute girl, who knows that she has
De, Tor the benefit Of her invalid father and
ner little brothers and sisters She is al
ways armed with shooting irons, and when
child she was the crack shot of the mining
camp at Harqua Hala
IN 1886 Joseph Burks and his family
came from Keap street, near Division ave-
nue., Brooklyn to Flagstaff, Ari Mr. Burks
engaged In wool growing just in time to lose
every one of his $21 900 in the industry
when the Wilson tariff bill went into effect
Ihe Burks family moved to ST. Johns, in
Apache county, and the father opened a
little livery stable, while the family lived
in a tent.
Two years ago Mr. Burks took the mail
contract over the star route from ST. Johns
to the copper and silver camp of Jimtown
and on to Showlow in Navajo county. In
June, 1893, he became i'll, and for a time his
life was despaired Of. The contract to
carry the mail had to be filled Without
consideration, Miss Burks decided to be her
fathers substitute. She has done the work
ever since.
She wears garments adapted to her work.
her nat is wide straw. She wears short
sklrts OF blue SERGE. corduroy or can
vas jacket, leathern leggins and heavy
shoes. A belt and holster in which a fine
pistol rests is always about her waist, when
she Is on her horse Then she has an
other revolver and a lot Of cartridges in her
saddle bags. The mail pouch, small one,
is fastened on the rear of the saddle When
chaffed by visitor about the probable
uselessness OF this martial display, she
drew gun as quickly and as deity as
professional shooting man could do it. held
1t out with firm hand and steady arm.
and put all six bullets into a playing card
posted 80 PAGES away.
I have never had any occasion to use 1t
IN earnest. she said. as she carefully WHIP
ed out the barrel and refilled the cham
bers. ''but I always feel safer with it,
Ia as soon think of starting without my
mail bags as without my revolver. MY father
taught me to use 1t, and I practice con-
stantly. Would use it II had to? Well.
would |! should say so. In the first
place, have got to protect the property
that is In my charge and would do it
with my last breath and my last cartridge
And, besides, l might have to protect my
self some time, although l never feel any
anxiety about that
nave you ever been frightened by any
thing on one of these trps?'
Mo, not really frightened. although
I've been rather anxious sometimes And
once l would have been very much fright
ened II | hadn't had a companion and If
1t hadn't been a Mormon. I see you don't
understand she went on, smiling at the
look Of surprise on her questioner's face.
but one Mormon is as much protection
against band of Navajo Indians as any
army regiment would be. You see there
are lots and lots Of Mormon ranches and
settlements all through this part of Ari-
iona, and the MOrmons have always been
on good terms with the Indians Most of
the men speak the Navajo language and are
SO friendly with them that the Indians
will not do anything a Mormon tells them
not to do
well, once last fall this man, Mormon.
was riding on one of fathers horses with
me- He was on his way to Showlow, and
we were about twenty miles southwest of
St. Johns near the old Sepulvida hacienda,
when we saw band of painted, screaming
Indians. 1t is not usual for the Navajos |
to come so far south. although they range
constantly over the lava plains farther
north, and Kill people up there every year. |
But this time band of five Of their
rode down to the very road from behind !
some heaps of lava rocks before we knew
they were there. They called to us and |
he Mormons answered them, and then they /
which the Indians rode off to the north
.gain. AS the Mormon was with me l knew
here wasn't a particle Of danger but IL
lie hadn't been there I would have been
! badly scared girl, l tell YOU
The most memorable experience l ever
lad was last August, one day when the
mercury must have been at about lis in
he shade. II indeed any shade could have
'een found in the region. l was jogging
lowly over the spur of the Red mountains
md was passing through shallow gulch
lmong powders Of lava and other forbid
ling things IN this dreadful desert waste.
when l heard a groan. Even my horse
vas startled at the sound and stood still,
)ne goes for whole day there without see
ng living creature, except an occasional |
'ird, or hearing sound Of any kind. So
he human groan was quite unnerving for
moment. l reached instinctively for my
'istol at my side, when l heard another
roam evidently made to attract my atten-
ion. ! raised my pistol for immediate
Use and at the same time swept my eyes
ver the locality from which the groan
anne. great swart, bleeding hand APP
feared above bowlder about thirty feet
rom the trail, and then the form of a
fexican who seemed to be trying to get
n his feet. l saw that he had been lying
r crouching behind the howlder and that
e was trying to get up to see me, either
0 shoot at me or to try to get me to come
D him. His face was bloody, and one eye
Tas mess OF coagulated blood l never
aw more horrible specimen Of human
eing and never thought so fast and so
luch before. Every bandit story l had
yer read, every story Of Apache Kid and
Is murderous gang, went through my mind
8 sat there with my cooked pistol aimed
traight at the bloody, repulsive wretch
rying to get on his feet by holding on
ne bowlder
II neither spoke nor stirred. l kept my