Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-27
MARIE, HOTEL RUNNER.
Her Seni- Masculine Attire and Great Strength Teaches a Lesson.

Strength Teaches a Lesson.
 Omaha, Oct 27.-For a number of l years passengers alight1ng from trains at Baldwin, Ohio, have been approach 1 ed by a hotel runner of huge bulk, wearing a mans hat, heavy cowhide
 boots and a rather short dress of
 cheap material, fastened at the waist 1 with bit of rope. The runner hustles the passengers into an omnibus at the station and out of it at an old-fash-
 toned hotel on the main street. Maria" 1 is the Christian name of this vigorous person. She weighs in the neighbOr-
 hood of 45O pounds and has the
 strength of three or four ordinary men. Maria's parents, when she was a child, lived on farm near Clinton and
 were in comfortable circumstances.
 Her mother was awofnan of large
 frame and her father man of very small frame In the course of time the mother took on flesh until finally she weighed 800 pounds or thereabout, while the father lost flesh until he weighed less than 100 pounds. Bar mum heard of the freak couple and had them for several years as an attrac-
 ton for his show.
 During the years the parents were with the circus Marias was left to shuff1e for herself L. She had the i1-
 stinctiye dislike for the work of wo-
 man and for the companionship of women. Being of masculine dsposi- ton, she avoided association with her own sex. In the course of time she drifted to Baldwin and obtained work as hostler in livery stable. Her em- blower would not consent to her wear ing male attire, so she compromised
 by wearing mans headgear and foot wear and woman's dress. And these she has worn ever since. When her usefulness increased her work broadened in its scope to include
 the driving of travelling salesmen to the surrounding towns with their sam ples Every drummer who went to Baldwin came to know her and to like her. Eventually she began to drive the omnibus between the hotel and the railway station, and to serve as
 runner for the hotel.
 During all the years Maria has worked in Baldwin and worn the half
 masculine dress she has been regard ed as man rather than as woman, lpipe and cigars, chews plug tobacco,
 expectorates with precision, plays pool, billiards and cards with men,
 and takes a drink when invited to do so by a male friend. She wears her
 brown hair close cropped, her hands
 are broad and work-worn, and her
 voice is masculine rather than femfn- [ inc. Her reputation is excellent and
 always has been. l
 The story is related that one winter
 morning fresh young travelling man, who had never been in Baldwin before, but had been told of Maria by other drummers, alighted from the train and
 mounted the box beside her. On the | way to the hotel he began to 'siosbp
 her, and pretty soon tried to slip his arm about her waist. Maria rewarded his familiarity with smash on the jaw which landed him in a snow bank,
 to the intense delight of the other pas. sengers. who knew what was coming.
 Socially, Maria is not ostracised in
 Baldwin. The ladies of the little town
 like and respect dner for her honesty,
 energy and the warmth of her affec. tions and sympathies, and invite her [ to their homes. Occasionally she ac-
 cepts these invitations, but she much
 prefers the livery stable, the hotel of flee or billiard room to a parlor.