The Mankato free press., 1912-05-03
GIRL ASSUMES A ROLE
COULD NOT MAINTAIN
Dressed As a Young Man She
Entered Minneapolis.

"My ma lives on farm-always
has, | guess. But she isn't back
number. She knows what's what.
Once ! thought she was out Of style
in her ideas. But when ! get back
to the farm I'm going to sit on the
old carpet stool at her feet, you bet,
and listen to a Iecture-onc Of the
good old-fashioncd kind"
Minneapolis, April 25.-Mary Peter
son, sixteen years old, who lived on
Il farm near Nakomis, Saskatchewan.
wanted to be boy and see the
world. She came to Minneapolis, cut
her hair short and donned boys
clothing. Then she packed all her
girls clothes in trunk and sent
them on to Chicago. She later en-
gagged a room at the National hotel.
But Mary's disguise was imperfect.
About midnight she was arrested by
Detective Martinson. She was trying
to pull up her trousers to Keep
them from sliding off, and she was
smoking cigaret. She was taken
to the womans ward at the jail
where she spent the night. In the
morning she woke up and cried to
get her long hair back and her
girls clothes. But her trunk had
gone to Chicago and she had to
climb into the boys outfit again.
She was ashamed of the clothes. The
bushes crept up into her shorn
hair and down behind the glarins
red necktie at her throat
Rouge Was in Suitcase.
Matron Schaeffer unpacked the
girls suitcase when she asked for
her face power and tooth brush. Inc
suit case told a pitiful story. 1t con-
tanned an extra suit of boys clothing
which the girl said she had bought
in Little Falls, Mimi, suit OF
mems underclothing, mans SHIRT,
a razor and shaving brush. But way
down in the bottom was a box OF
face powder and one OF rouge. lhere
were also carefully folded pair OF
long hose and powder rag.
MY straw hat is to blame for my
being ulScONeGcu, odio 'hC o. -
None of the fellows in the city are
wearing their straws yet, / notice,
but | thought it was time for them.
That hat called attention to the poor
job | did on my hair.
81 guess, though, it wasn't SO much
my hat as il was the hard time had
keeping my trousers up. a man $
clothes are lots harder TO keep to-
gether than a girls. A girl just
has to fasten her belt nice and sung
and she doesn't have TO worry; Dut
YOU have to keep yanking at trous-
crs to keep them up The trousers
were so big that | couldn't keep
them from falling and when | pulled
the belt tighter my small waist. gave
me away.
Ashamed of Boys Clothes.
Now all / want is my petticoats
and a real woman's clothes. I'm
ashamed of these clothes. l don't
know what to do with my feet and
I feel so funny. All my life I've
wanted to be a boy, but | guess the
girl has the best of it, after all. I'm
going back to the farm as soon as
| get out of this scrape and I'm
going to wear frills and skirts 1of
the rest of my life
Mary Peterson is very feminine,
with blue eyes. And she has not for
gotten how to blush. She told Matron
Schaeffer that she had always been
into mischief since she was little
girl-not badness, but just mischief
She blames Stella Bycocky, now at
the Redwing training school, and a
Smith girl, who was arrested I'D
MINNEAPOLIS not long ago and who
went to Canada, for putting 1t into
her head to come to Minneapolis.
81 Just wanted to do something
different" said Mary. 81 intended to
20 on to Chicago from here. l have
my ticket for Chicago and my trunk
with all my clothes has gone on. l
was let out of the Sauk Center school
about eight months ago. ! was there
for playing truant, mostly. l am not
bad; just like to see things ana
have a little excitement. My mother
knew L WIS COillluS W hihiS@po'i~'
She gave me $S and | had $40 that
I'd earned myself. ! bought the
mems colthes with that"
Girls Thought Her Boy.
Mary said her first exciting expert
ence came just after she reached
Minneapolis. when two girls, thinking
she was boy, accostcd her and ask
ed her to take them to the show.
81 sure had it on them, them she
said, land / had to laugh when they
told me | wasn't game. This is no
safe place for d young man. !
thought I'd have to smoke, too, to be
man. ! was smoking cigaret
when Mr.. Martison found me. 1t
made me awfully sick
81 guess | don't want to be boy,
nor be tough, after all. IL | ever
get my skirts back / guess I'd be
some happy. And when my hair
grows out-well, | guess I'm i'll for
being a girl, and a good one. And
my mother isn't going to have to