The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-22


rather round W a herd of stampeded
steers on a gritty mustang than make
tour of Europe
Just one girl-bUt she has tackled a
big cipher to the value of the property
that her father bequeathed her four
years ago, and placed herself in the
millionaire rank of American heir
esses; she employs more than 100
people. who live well and happily on
her estate, and she can as easily lead
a raid against a bunch of mescaI
smugglers when they cut into her sew
enty-five miles of fence wire as any
other American girl would lead a CO.
tillion.
If you have never heard of Caroline
Bonnival it is because southern Texas
is so far away from Las Floritas ha-
clenda and its fair mistress lives in a
world practically apart. And pretty
Miss BOnniVal has not the slightest
intention Of quitting mountain and
meadow and splendid remoteness to
enter your artificial world of pave
ments and patents for even a flying
visit
i would not give one little corner
OF Las FlOritas." she says for the
finest palace on Fifth avenue in New
York; nor would I exchange the view
from my windows of the magnificent
old Bravo and the boundless plains for
anything scenic that Niagara can Of
fer"
Las FIoritas is located in Zapata
county along the Rio Grande When
John BUnnivaI. cattle kine, died. it was
supposed that his motherless daughter
would retire to San Antonio or some
/ other city. live in luxury upon the
rentals of the rancho and eventually
I amuSe herself with society teas and
kindred diversions. But the spirited
girl, though for time overcome with
GRIEF, surprised her friends by de-
claring that a life Of idIeness would be
a reDrOach to her fathers memory
and example She was thoroughly
familiar with the management of the
property, having been her fathers
constant companion and his book
keeper. Las Floritas was her birth
place. She had even given the ranch
its name. Except three years at Har-
DIN college, in Missouri. she has
! known no other life than the free, IN
trammeled one which she dearly
loves.
She was proud of her father whose
wisdom and valor had won high hon
Ors in the field and at the court Of
Maximillian in Mexico.
7 will stay here all my life" she
announced, quietly, but firmly. Then
she settled down to hard work
Miss Bonnival now owns 20, 600 head
OF cattle and 1000 head of horses and
( mules Fences have been repaired
merous strong, brightly painted gates
supplied. Additions have been made
to the house and it has been refur-
nished in a style that displays the taste
Of a thoughtful girl who has read
great deal, though her opportunities
for seeing costly things and enjoying
luxury have been limited
If there is a new line of wire fence
70 be constructed she rides with the
foreman over the ground. When
bridges or tanks have to be made she
superintends the work. In all weather
she rides with her little army of va
Queros when there is a roundup or
herds have to be moved
Wlen smugglers cut fences or cat
tie thieves made a raid into her pas
ture she sings a Winchester to her
saddle and leads upon the trail in
pursuit OF the outlaws Though the
great ranch has a river front of thirty
miles and is from ten to twenty miles
in width, she has been known TO gal
Top with a body of armed men and
make a tour Of the whole outside line
Of wire fences in a single day. This
necessitates a jaunt of little less than
seventy-five miles, and that she could
accomplish such feat even by
changing horses several times and
taking advantage of short cuts GER
tainly argues that she must possess
nerves of steel as well as tireless
energy.
The majority Of Miss BonnivaTs en-
DlOyes are Mexicans She is chaper-
oned by an elderly, refined and edu-
Gated American lady, Mrs. Lundy. to
whom she is tenderly attached and to
whom she always pays the utmost
deIerence' always addressing her as
Mamma Grande.'
Early in Miss BonnivaFs career as a
ranch owner she taught the lawless
element Of the border a needed lesson.
Mescal smugglers and thieves were in
the habit of cutting her fences and
crossing her pastures whenever they
pleased. The ranch foreman who was
doubtless Inisled by the Mexicans who
rode with him. could never succeed in
catching them, though his vigilance
merited better luck Emboldened by
repeated escapes. the smugglers be
came more daring.
Miss BonniVaFs Indignation was
aroused. Suspecting collision between
some Mexican FaquerOs on the ranch
and the outlaws. she sent to San An
| tonic for four American cowboys
known to her as brave and trustwOr-
thy. They had worked on the ranch
at various times and were familiar
with the trails and crossings on the
Rio Grande- They arrived the day
after several head of fine saddle horses
were missing. among them a Kentucky
4-year-Old worth 81, 900.
mounted upon ner famous white
horse, "MOonshine" with pistol sIung
to her saddle. Miss Bonnival joined the
cowboys. They tried In vain to dis
suade her from going. On the trail
they were Joined by Rubio, a truSty
Mexican. and the foreman. who had
been informed by an Indian lying in
tie brush that ten smugglers had just
passed. mounted, armed and driving
packed burTOs. The Texans reflected
that the Rio Grande, four miles away,
was swollen with the rains, and the
outlaws, therefore. probably encamped
in a thicket near the pasture. Again
I they urged Miss Bonnival to return.
There is sure to be a BATTLE said
! big Tom Purvis. "and those fellows
| fight like deviIs.''
tom" said the girl, you knew my
| father. Was he afraid of bullets?
| Lead on"
Presently they came upen the dead
body of a fence rider slain by the
! outlaws The empty chambers Of the
| gun proved that he had died faithful
/ to his duty. He had been a favorite
| of his employer. and when she saw his
! body she was frantic to avenge his
death. Dashing ahead, she called to
| the cowboys to follow. Just then a
dozen shots were fired upon them and
/ Purvis' horse fell dead. Four men
| appeared at a sharp turn Of the trail
and were so disconnected at sight Of
| the white woman on a white horse
/ that Miss Bonnival. quick to take ad-
vantage Of q seconds hesitancy on
! their part. fired rapidly. killing two OF
them. while the cowboys dispatched