The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-07-13
MONTANA WOMEN
WHO ARE WORKING
INVADING POLITICAL, AVN p,-c,
NESS SPHERES FORMERLY
MONOPOLIZED BY MEN.

women Strong in Political Affairs of
state; Women in the Professions.
MANY women Are demonstrating
ana Farming; Women Who Run
Newspapers.
me women of Montana are inyad
ing every sphere of life, political and
business activity, formerly monono-
llZed by man. A woman, Miss Jean
nette Rankin, represents the state in
congress; a woman serves the state
DIS superintendent of public instr1,c-
'ion' IN every county a woman is
county superintendent of schools.
women serve, by election, in many
eountles as officers; there are wom-
en- deputy sheriffs and the state
mousse as we'll as many county court
houses, is full of capable deputy
olllclals, who are doing their work
just as we'll as men could do it. al
though they chew no tobacco or
smoke no cigars during their hours
of duty.
Ihere have been any number of
women lawyers in the state. In this
profession Ella Knowles Haskell, the
distinguished daughter of Judge Hi
ram Knowles, was the pioneer; there
are many women doctors. In the
summer school at Bozeman there are
~ women students. What do you
think they are studying? Domestic
science? Not on your life. They are
studying scientific agriculture.
Nvnr,n,, TO-,
Are the women farming? They
certainly are. There are probably
1000 young women who have filed
on homesteads in Montana during
the past three years. And in this
connection there is one peculiar case
in the eastern part of the state. A
man had filed on particularly at
tractive piece of land. Adjoining
him was another fine tract open for
entry. His wife secured a divorce
from him, filed on the land, COM
muted and obtained title and they
were married over again.
Women who own farms are going
out in the fields, driving sulky plows
and other farm machines. doing a
mans work and taking down a mans
l.
harder than homework and gives
them broader view of life.
Out in eastern Montana is little
woman who was left widow a few
years ago. About all that her hus-
band left her was a Ford automobile.
She had learned to drive it. Her
friends got her a star route mail
contract for some little inland point.
1t was enough to make living, and
buy gasoline for her car. Occasion
ally she carried a passenger. That
was velvet. The business grew. Soon
the county developed so that she had
to put on another Ford. Now she
has nice little auto stage business,
with cars running in several direc-
T lions. She has a garage of her own,
owns her own home, and has a nice
little bank account. She has deyel-
oped business ability away beyond
the capacity of her husband and is
enjoying life.
Half dozen women in the state
are running newspapers. Mrs. Mary
ID. Mckay has managed the White
Sulphur Springs Republican for
years. Mrs. l.. 0. Edmunds writes
the clever editorials that appear in
her own paper, the Absarokee Enter
prise, and when occasion makes it
necessary, goes out and delivers
speech in favor of some woman
movement. She can tell the average
statesman what to do, too, and any
session of the legislature which she
does not grace with her presence, is
dull indeed.
Runs a Daily Paper.
The only woman in the state who
is managing a daily newspaper is
Mrs. Maud Pierson of Havre. She
owns the Havre Daily Promoter. 1t
came to her on the death of her hus-
band some time ago. She immedi-
ately took charge of the financial end
of the undertaking, and the printers
always get their checks on Saturday
evening. Running daily newspaper
is no small "chore" White paper
costs money, and disciples of the art
preservative have way of insisting
on being paid with regularity on the
principle of mo pay; no paper"
Time was in Montana when moth
er was content to stay at home and
do the dishes. But that was back in
the dim, dinosaurs days of the past.
Now father splits the work with her
fiftyfifty, and considers that he has
the, edge if he gets to wipe 'em. OF
course, the equalizing of woman with
man has it's advantages, too. If she
chops a little wood now and then,
she is only doing something that man
has done, almost exclusively in the
past, in the best regulated of iam-
lilies.
Have you ever noticed, too. that
the equalizing of the political rights
of the sexes, and the invasion of the
business world by women has had a
bad effect on the courtesy of men.
Take notice in the next crowded
street car you happen to ride in, you
will find as many women strap hang
ers as men.
SLAVS ISSUE WARNING