New-York tribune., 1907-06-07
HEAD OF PARADE coUNrERARcTNc PAST REVIEWING Nd
Il GIRL BLACKSMITH.
Only Sirteen, and Her Fathers
assistant an SkOeing Horses.

Why should not a girl shoe horses. If she wants
to? It is trihe unusual but If she likes the work
and is equal to it. why should she not do il? That
is what Minnie Hagmaun, young Missouri girl,
thought, and, accordingly, she became assistant
in her fathers blacksmith shop, and thereby gave
another jolt 10 the old delusions regarding woman
sphere. It is strange thing, by the way, that the
being who IS considered perfectly able to thr
teen children and do the work of a large farm
house should be thought debarred by the decacy
Of her from the heavier occupations" How
ever. girls Ike Minnie Hagmann helping 10
upset this mistaken notion.
Minnie Hagmann is the daughter Of who
began life a journeyman blacksmith but who,
becoming ambitious, resolved TO have a shop Of
his own. He got the shop, little just outside
in consequence he got into debt it took so much
Of his income TO pay interest on building and tools
I'll be your assistant said the sixteen-y ycar-od
Minnie was quite Injured to the smell of singed
hair and burning hoof, for she had always been
decided 10 Jet her try, and she proved herself
anvil and nutfing il on a horse &ot tbat She is
at all the masculine type Of girl She is pretty IN
cheeks ana has 2 pleasant, eirlisn manner.
But Ia rather help father in NE shop than do
with me- I feel well all the time but I'm
and get q chance TO help mother with the house
I think women can do manual work just the same
as men If they re strong and healthy. can't lift
and build a. wagon perfectly well No I don't care
about getting married. There many young
much less wlfes living. I think I'm safer stick
ing TO my trade
1t is a brave sight 10 see Minnie swinging the
hammer over the anvil and then picking up the
horses foot and fitting the shoe. She has never
yet been injured by horse. She talks TO the
hoFses with niue pats ana rubblneS behind their
ears and on their noses, never with the whip.
The only way to get on the good side Of horse
horse you must expect to get kicked. Horses are
like men. When they are treated right they will
2Innie's father is immensely proud Of his young
assistant. She Is better blacksmith than the
average helper" he says, and there's part of
interest in business than I could ever expect Of
any hired man After working in the shop all day
she doesn't want to. she can leave any time she
she seems TO like it She says she's going to keep
right on till she's good blacksmith there is
in the country"
And there Is no idInC in the Havmaun shop. Work
begins there early in the morning and continues
until dark. And from opening until closing time
Minnie IS hand. working side by side with her
horses TO their owners too goes out collecting
bills and fetches iron for the shop when 1t is
needed OFTEN she is out long after dark on these
errands. bur. her father says, her work has
made her the equal Of any man in strength, and
about she has a pony of her own. named Fawn
When her father gave Fawn to her he (the pony)
under the care Of his mistress he has become a
sleek, plump. nimble bit of horsehesh.
Outside Of her trade Minnie loves drawing best
She uses her IA ther for model. and has covered
the walls Of the shop with pictures Of him in
various poses They are crude drawings but they
an artist. though Minnie is hard headed, and
knows that for n regular every day dependence
woman is well liked by the farmers round about
her fathers shop. In spite of the fact that she
collects bills OF them they all have good word