Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-04
GIRL
! FOREMAN OF
LARGE RANCH
$685. Acre Tract
Near Valley Boss
ed BY Woman


ALTAVISTA, August "A %
year-old girl. small and with dark
boobed hair and freckles, who rides
like a cowpuncher and never misses
a roundup, is the boss foreman"
OF a 3O0.O0O-acre cattle ranch, the
second largest in Texas.
She Is Lo Reese Smyth, foreman
OF the Altavista ranch owned by
w. ". Jones and his son, Dick
Jones. The ranch extends into five
Texas counties between Laredo and
Brownsville, within a few miles OF
the Mexican border. Recently Miss
Smyth and her associates made a
single shipment Of 1000 head OF
Hereford cattle In a single day.
Just about the time most people
supposed nothing new in the wav
OF unusual professions for women
could be discovered, Miss Smyth
tossed her sombrero into the ring.
Her success has been so amazing
that even the most seasoned cow
hands bow respectfully 10 her au-
thority.
Its the most fascinating job I'VE
ever tried" Miss Smyth SAYS. "and
I've tried several. The only part
that's difficult is that as foreman
it's my duty to receive and sort The
mail. I can't read the Mexican ad-
dresses on some OF the letttlj and
have to guess for whom they're in
tended. Letters going into Mexico
are even worse because I don't
know the places"
An Easy Job
But al for riding the range. for
supervising roundupS, vaccinating
and branding herds and for re-
laying instructions TO the SUBJ
foremen. there's nothing difficult
about that for 10 Reese Smyth.
Mexican vaqueros stand aside
and beam with pleasure when the
girl foreman takes chuck at the
noon hour from the chuck wagon
with the cowpunchers. They wave
their huge hats and cheer when
she dases out on her pony TO join
in the roundup.
The Altavista ranch is no dude"
institution, operated 10 give east
erners a suggestion OF what life in
the cattle country is like. IL is a
vast, well-organiZed business oper-
ated strictly on principles OF eff
cheney. The size OF the ranch may
be indicated by the fact that after
you have crossed the boundary you
must ride % miles through brush
and SAND dunes before arriving al
the ranch house. The 300. 900 acres
extend into Duval. Jim Hogg. Hi
dalgo, Starr and Brooks counties.
AS to the number OF cattle
browsing in the chaparral. mesquite
and sagebrush included within these
boundaries. even the owners will
not attempt an estimate. But the
number runs into the thousands.
Worked Way Up
Mis- Smyth has been foreman
since last February. Beginning
work on the Jones ranch as keep
er OF the store and chauffeur for
w. w. Jones, she proved herself
so capable that when the head
foreman left she was elevated 10
his post.
Ranching was no novelty to this
Texas girl. She had lived on her
fathers ranch III a neighboring
county before school days took her
TO AltaviSga.
In high school she longed 70
become a dancer. This ambition
might have been realized when
the manager OF a travelling the
atrical company saw her dance
and offered her a contract. Lo
Reese's mother oblected-and OBJ
jected SO effectively that the girl
found a job as a b~ookkeeper. Later
for a time she worked in a bank.
When the opportunity TO join
the staff Of the Jones ranch came
along 10 Reese accepted chiefly
because she thought 10 would give
her the chance to ride horseback.
Riding has always been her IA
vorite sport.
Her ability TO manage a spirited
mount is probably the basis for the
admiration old-time coW-puncherS
have for her.
When a few weeks ago the Al
tavista ranch made a single ship
ment OF 1000 head Of cattle II was
one OF the largest shipments OF
livestock recorded in recent years
In Texas. A few days later 1925
were shipped. These we're one and
two-year-olds bought by a pur-
chaser who wanted to put them on
the grass in Oklahoma.
Miss Smyth watched the ranch
hands through long hours Of
branding. vaccinating and ear
marking this shipment and count
ing the cattle rs they were herded
on the train.
Not SO Lonely
The Jones ranch IS not SO lonely
as many others in this section.
Rangers, customs officers and
other border officials make fire.
ouent stops there and are always
sure of hospitality. The ranch has
attained its size due to the enter
prise Of w. w. Jones, veteran
cattleman. banker and hotel owner.
Coming 10 Texas while land was
cheap he purchased. improved and
continued to buy land until his pos
sessions reached the proportions OF
q pripcipality.
By sinking wells and erecting
windmillS over his holdings Jones
providai sufficient water for his
stock. thus enabling him in that
dry region TO take full advantage Of
the grazing resources.
Jones spends much OF his time
on the ranch still, though business
interests require his presence IN
Csorpus Christi a considerable part
OF each year. Dick Jones. his son
and also part cfrssr of the cattle
ranch. is often - De found riding
range with the cow-punchers n
sharing the work.
rha ciri Foremau has her own