The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-09-25
GIRL FARMER
EvADES SOCIETY.
Every Spring Sees Miss Maud
StrattOn Go on Farm and
Direct Operations.
PREFERS THE WORK OF MEN.
AT. Flowing, Dragging. Hoeing,
Saving Wood or Fencing She
Sets the Pace for Her
Laborers.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Lapecr. Mich. Sept. e4-ene OF the most
interesting young women in Michigan is
Miss Maud Straiton. the girl farmer Of
Lapeer County" who though handsome
and talented. prefers the work of men
to the less strenuous duties of her own
sex. and works ten hours each day in
managing the affairs OF 90O-acre farm.
Each spring Miss Strstton. who is only
Il. abandons the gayeties OF the winter
season. and despite the expostulations Of
parents and city friends. buries herself
on her farm. and from the first blowing
until the crops are gathered does 4 mans
work each day. Dressed in mems cloth
ing. she performs every duty that she
might expect OF the hired men. and moth
ing is too difficult or t;resome for her.
Thousands of persons have come to see
the girl farmer of Lapeer County at
work. Slender and graceful, her outdoor
Life has given to her L handsome form and
beauty. With blue jean overalis drawn
tightly about her waist, sun hat" fight
ing to hold down her tumbling golden
brown hair. and with brown eyes looking
out from under II, Miss Stratton is per-
haps the prettiest farmer in existence.
With the three moving machines during
haying season she is always In the lead
and when she stops To get a drink or rest
her horses The machines of the others
stop also II she rakes a ten-acre field of
hay and Is tired enough to quit, she sig
nails the others to stop also and when
pitching hay into the barns or upon stacks
she takes turn for them. Flowing, drag
ging or hoeing. saving wood or building
FENCES. Miss Stratton sets the pace. Even
curing thrashing she stacks straw or
PITCHES bundles. while other women get
the dinner for the thrashers.
OurlnE these months Michigan's girl
farmer Is at the height OF her giory. The
farm IS buzzing with life. ana there is
work from dawn until dusk. While her
friends are planning automobile and yacht
apS parties. she is laying plans for the
cultivation of crops Scores OF Invitations
come to her. but she always sends brief
note back. saying briefly: This is a busy
season On the farm"
T don't understand why any girl in her
fiShtf mind could help from liking this"
she says. We've got at least $50 live
Things on the farm- and every bit of thei-
love goes 10 one girl
For a long time the oyeralls bothered
Miss Strafton. People would stare at her
and then she had to have overalls made 10
order.
abe explained III / didn't my skirts
would get caught in the mower and binder
chains and l would have trouble in every
thing attempted to do. And" she add
ed. 7 believe my trousers have brought
me almost az Of the notoriety l have. Do
you see that?'
! As the girl climbed into the seat Of .her
moving machine she pointed toward the
barn. where young fellow was leaning
on pitchfork handle watching her.
ot.atton. You know I have dozens Of
Offers of marriage. from persons who
comes out to the farm and offers me his
heart and fortune on the spot. Why. one
lawyer came up from Detroit not long
ptoaraphs I'm Keeping se' collection oGssets He Of
'efn. That fellow out there is one Of the
most enthusiastic of them. and he's from
treISed out here at once ea He woke e us a afi
up one morning at O'Clock and he said
he'd work for dollar day IL I'd let him
took him in. But a little while ago We
wanted to let one OF the men go. and, OF
course. chose him. And then what in tn.
fered 90 work for nothing. and here he's
been for two monthsi Wouldn't have a
s nag il there was only bounty on luna
As Miss Maud drives away the good
looking lunatic from London waves his
band and shouts:
He always says good by" excuses the
g, D'S 1S. Tor mo matter srf II he's only
10 that sort Of life" wv HULL "''>
ne 1sIa SD MS, strattSs has has no time
pend upon her. Her only words are those
Of command or advice She first sfro!is
Ground the field. II she has not done 1t the
day before. while the men sit on their
men are CD farmers. but to them Il the Idea idea
q stMsssa Their SP hi afsanst that OF
This bunch Of timothy on the hill must
Be cut frst. she says sg - That along the
0c Tben she touches sno u fah her team tn.
mower begins clicking and the young girl
sets the pace.
bility could not rest upon her shoulders.
0uddenly. perhaps in the middle of the
afternoon, she stops her machine and scans
q the horses and allows it to foat in the
air to get the direction of the breeze. Then
ohe stroils out into a field Of hay that was
mind. She stops the mowers as they com:
!Ir. soinx to rain before dark" she
ssy.: "and we've got to get that hay into
In . few. minutes she is rakine. and
vhsn this IL done she Jumps into one Ct
ST5cks on farm Is to ''buiId" a good load
o. hay, and there IL not a man in Micht-
gan who can beat Miss Stratton in doing
Recently visitors to the stratton farm
found Miss Maud at harvesting. There
we're aeous forty STs. OF aea q ny
Is farm. and e the indomitable girl loves
20 run q reaper she enjoys the Jun when
'ns ri Is not + worE for me-. she says. You
may think II strange when say that
DO not have to work in the fields. Some
Ia could spend my days driving. or In
ways that other girls do who have beautt-
full homes. Mother and father want me to
CHANGE. but It's so beautiful out in the
6elds. no matter what field I am in. that
les 8 pleasure to work there
Most girls like yachting and automobile
Sarties IN the summer. They like to play
fs11nis and 20 to the lakes. but like to
clean the horses. and watch them eat after
4 hard days work love our horses. De
Hsve almost as much as IL they were
human and were my brothers. SO i am
always with them"
Hajncl AIRS FOUND JEWELS,
~ But MISSED BIGGER BOOTY.