The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-10-28
10 Reese Smyth Runs Cattle
Property Extending Into Five
Different Counties

Altavista. Texas. Oct. GA o.
year-old girl. small and with dark
bobbed hair and freckles. who rides
like q cowpuncher and never misses
4 roundup, Is the boss foreman" Of
a 300,0O0-acre cattle ranch, the sec
ond largest in Texas.
She Is 10 Reese Smyth, foreman
of the Altavista ranch owned by w.
w. Jones and his son, Dick Jones.
The ranch extends into five Texas
counties between Laredo and Browns
vile, within q few miles Of the Mex
lean border. Recently Miss Smyth
and her associates made single
shipment Of 1000 head of Hereford
cattle in single day.
Just about the time most people
supposed nothing new in the way OF
unusual professions for women could
be discovered. Miss Smyth tossed her
son,brsro into the ring. Her success
has been SO amazing that even the
most seasoned cowhands bow re-
specially to her authority.
Its the most fascinating job I've
ever tried" Miss Smyth says, land
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 addresses
on some of the letters and have 70
guess for whom they're Intended.
Letters going into Mexico are even
worse because I don't know the
places"
But as for riding the range, for
supervising roundupS, vaccinating and
branding herds and for relaying in
structiens to the subforemen, there's
nothing difficult about that for Lo
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 dashes out
on her pony to join in the roundup.
The Altavista ranch Is no dude
institution, operated to give eastern
ers a suggestion Of what life In the
cattle country is like. It is vast.
ll-organized business operated
strictly on principles Of efficiency.
The size of the ranch may be indi-
Gated by the fact that after you have
crossed the boundary you must ride
% miles through brush and sand
dunes before arriving at the ranch
house. The 100000 acres extend into
Duval. Jim Hogg. Hildago, Starr ana
Brooks counties.
AS to the number of cattle brows-
ing in the chaparral, mesquite and
sagebrush included within these
boundaries. even the owners will not
attempt an estimate. But the num-
Der runs into the thousands.
Worked Way Up
Miss Smyth has been foreman since
last February. Beginning work on
the Jones ranch as keeper of the
store and chauffeur for w. w. Jones.
she proved herself so capable that
when the head foreman left she was
elevated to- his post.
Ranchilg was no novelty to this
Texas girl. She had lived on her
fathers ranch in neighboring cour-
ty before school days took her to AL
tavista.
In high school she longed to be-
come a dancer. This ambition might
have been realized when the mar
ager of q travelling theatrical conf
pany saw her dance and offered her
q contract. Lo Reese's mother OF
jected-and objected so effectively
that the girl found Job as a book
keeper. Later for q time she worked
In bank.
When the opportunity to Join the
staff Of the Jones ranch came along
Lo Reese accepted chiefly because
she thought 1t would give her the
chance to ride horseback. Riding has
always been her favorite sport.
Her ability to manage q spirited
mount Is probably the basis for the
admiration old time cowpunchers
have for her.
When q few weeks ago the Alta
vista ranch made q single shipment
Of 1000 head Of cattle It was one of
the largest shipments Of livestock re-
corded in recent years In Texas. A
few days later l,025 were shipped.
These were one and two-year- olds
bought by q purchaser who wanted to
put them on the grass in Oklahoma.
Miss Smyth watched the ranch
hands through long hours Of brand