The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-07-08
THE STRONG
WOMAN
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
BY NJ QUAD

: as "the strong woman" was called
Hetty Davis. That was her correct
; name. George Davis was farmer
and both he and his wife were under
sized people. The infant was a weak
ling, and the doctors frankly said that
the first symptoms Of measles would
be the end of her.
At the age of eighteen months Hetty
took a start in life and was soon
known as 1.-THE big kid" She took
on fat and simply played with mumps,
measles and whooping cough. Her
weight at two years was that of the
average girl of ten. She grew from
1.-THE big kid" to 1.-THE big girl" At
the age Of sixteen they were calling
her "the strong woman" and that
title stuck to her.
The Davis farm was worth marry
ing, and there was money in the bank
besides. There were young men and
bachelors and widowers who were will
ing to marry it. They came counting
and were laughed at. but at length
the strong woman announced that on
certain day, if the SWANS would all
gather at her farm. she would select
a husband from among them. The
gathering numbered thirty. AS they
sat around casting sleeps eyes at her
she rose and said:
Gentlemen, want a man who can
control me. The man who wins me
must best me in fair rough and tum-
BILE fight. There are no other condi-
tons"
There were only FIVE men out of the
thirty who wanted matrimony that
way. Out of the five there was wild
over forty years old who could NOV
hay and hoe more corn than any other
for ten miles round. He stepped out
on the grass and peeled his coat and
vest and spat on his hands. According
to authentic reports, he was licked
man in FIVE minutes, Not only that,
of his life. The strong woman had
almost twisted his head off, and none
Of the others came forward as No. 2.
The farm was run by hired men.
Now and then for the first two years
they got impudent at times or did not
keep up to their work. They were
knocked unconscious, thrown over the
fence into the road or sent away with
broken bones. 1t was great highway
for tramps, or had been. They came
along in punches. They stopped and
demanded food. They even threat
ened things. When they got to threats
the strong woman sailed in. She
struck and slapped; she kicked and bit;
she knocked their heads together until
their ears rang for days afterward.
Her greatest victory was over bunch
Of five. After the news Of that got
abroad all tramps would go six miles
around to dodge her farm. The strong
woman paid no attention to science.
| She just waded right in any old way
to win, and If she got her teeth fas
tened upon mans ear it was bad for
| him.
The strong woman didn't pay much
dlleuIIOu OlltI NOlueu. CuG huSN
they didn't like her and that they Cos
siped about her, but she continued to
pass it by for years. Then a casual
remark rolled her. certain woman
said that she was so homely that she
couldn't catch husband. No homely
woman ever yet admitted that she was
homely, nor was there ever an old
maid ready to admit that she had tried
and failed. The strong woman sent
out notice that she had hit the trail for
a husband No one responded. On
the contrary. men hid out in barns and
haystacks and trembled in their shoes.
Two weeks and no husband
Then the strong woman bought a
cloth and set it at the open barn door.
Three nights passed without victim,
but at midnight on the fourth night
along came a horse thief, gayly, and
was caught by the leg. His yells of
pain aroused the woman. and she light
ed the lantern and went out. After
taking a good look at the prisoner she
turned away with the remark:
81 guess you'll do Stay right here
till morning"
He begged and pleaded and yelled,
but there he stayed for four hours
more. Then came daylight and his
captor, and she asked:
Does it happen that you are a mar
ried MANI"
No"
Then you soon will be. Listen to
me. You'll be laid up for about a
week. After that we shall we mar
ried, you and L.
81 marry you?" he asked after long
look at her
You will"
IN go to prison first!'
You'll do nothing Of the kind. Per
haps you've heard of me-the strong
woman"
He uttered groan of despair
They say can't find husband. but
I'll show 'em."
But, woman, I'm horse thiefw
Il don't care for that"
1t is fact that after a week they |
were married, 1t is further fact that |
he ran away, and after hunt of
month she brought him back and ham,
mered him until he didn't get out of |
bed for three weeks. He settled down |
then and made a good husband, and |
the two lived happily together for
twenty years, when the strong woman
met a death BETTING her name
barn sixty feet long and thirty feet
wide blew over on her. and she was
gathered to her fathers. walnut tree
or brick house couldn't have done H.