Woman Lived 60 Years As A Man

1908

Double Life — Married One of Her Own Sex

Trinidad, Colorado — Katherine Vosbaugh, an eccentric Frenchwoman of brilliant attainments, died here the other day at the age of 83, after masquerading for 60 years as a man. The woman donned trousers when a girl and had a horror of skirts up to the time of her death. She filled a score of responsible positions, and her true sex was never suspected.

Just twice during her entire life was the fact that Katherine Vosbaugh was a woman made known. The first time was when, at 30 years of age, she revealed it to the young woman she married in St. Joseph, Mo. The next and last time when she was convinced she was dying, and was compelled to inform the hospital physician.

During her long life she had been a bank clerk, a sheep herder, a bookkeeper, a restaurant-keeper and a mining camp cook. Although she spoke several languages and had been brought up in refinement, she seemed never so happy as when she was clad in rough overalls and heavy shoes, doing the most laborious work.

She wandered all over the world, and although often compelled to associate with the roughest men, she was never suspected of being a woman, and on more than one occasion proved herself more of a manly man than her associates. She came to America in 1842 at the age of 18, shortly after her father's death. She decided that she could make her way as a man, but not as a woman. She donned trousers and settled in Joplin, Mo., as a bookkeeper.

For nine years she remained in Joplin and was esteemed a fine young man and one whom more than one young woman considered a most eligible partner. Her excellent record, education and steadiness procured her a position as clerk at a St. Joseph bank. It was shortly after she accepted this position that she learned of the trouble of the young woman whom she afterward married.

When Miss Vosbaugh's "wife's" baby was born the oddly attached people removed to Trinidad and opened up a French restaurant. The town people thought them a model couple. The baby died a few months later. Shortly after the mother disappeared, and the "husband" refused to make a search for her. The people of Trinidad were profuse in their expressions of sympathy for the deserted "man."

Forty years ago Miss Vosbaugh obtained employment at the Sam Brown ranch, near Trinchera, as a sheep herder. Later when she saw that her sex could not be discovered except through unusual accident, she accepted work as a camp cook, and remained in that capacity up to two years ago. Some of the roughest characters known to the west associated with her without ever suspecting her sex. In many stirring scenes when men revealed fear and nervousness she kept her poise.

Two years ago her infirmities compelled her removal to San Raphael hospital. Even then the men of the camp bade her good-bye affectionately as "Grandpa" and "Old Man Frenchy." For many weeks she refused to bathe unless she could do so without attendants being present, to the great amusement of the sisters, who joked about the old man's overmodesty. Shortly after she was seized with a severe cold, which led to the physician's examination laying bare her life secret.

When her sex was revealed the hospital authorities at first insisted that she wear the proper garb of her sex. The garments proved so irksome to her, however, that she was finally permitted to return to overalls. She pottered around the hospital working for the sisters up to the time of her death.

Spelling vs. Other Things

1901

The Labors of Teachers Being Added to Daily

Anna Stuart Wroe writes to the Baltimore Sun: "It seems to me if I were a public school teacher — which, thank the fates, I am not — the present vacation would be peculiarly blessed and blissful, inasmuch as it succeeds such weary, harassing and anxious terms as was never known in the history of our public schools. At least, the poor teachers have a short respite from the eternal prod, and their first waking thought in the morning need not be 'What next?' — until September.

"Every day something new is introduced to add to the labors of teachers and scholars, and, it appears to me, so much that could be dispensed with. Of course it is right and proper for children to learn all they can, but surely the line must be drawn somewhere, as it is manifestly impossible to learn everything. Why not cut out a few of the 'isms and ologies' and abstruse studies that are all right in a college course, but needless for the average public school pupil, and pay more attention to such common subjects as spelling, punctuation, grammar and plain English composition?

"I am a typewriter, and during the past 11 years have had in my office 51 girls from the public schools, most of them from the eighth grade, and some having attended the high school one year or more, and I speak whereof know when I say that 49 of the above could not write a letter from dictation correctly to save their lives — correctly so far as spelling, punctuation, capitalization and paragraphing are concerned. Not three of the 49 had the remotest idea of dividing a word according to its syllables, and only today an eighth grade girl wrote the word 'transpose' with 'tr' on one line and the balance of the word on the next. I am told that each teacher is a law unto herself in this matter. What else the 49 girls knew it is not my province to ascertain, but I think everybody will admit that the aforesaid 'common branches' are of more practical value, especially where girls are compelled to support themselves, than so many things now taught, and of which they may at best get but a smattering; so, if there is not time for all, for goodness' sake let them at least be taught enough grammar, spelling and punctuation to enable them to write a decent English letter."

Maxims of a Modern Maid — "Understanding Little Pal"

1920

Get Wise — Maxims of a Modern Maid

Marriage, like the department stores, could not get along nowadays without the exchange privileges.

The girl with golden curls and a pink and white complexion is any man's idea of an angel — even is she has a selfish mouth and a small cold blue eye.

How in the world did a "sunkissed summer girl" ever transform herself into a ballroom beauty before the art of make-up reached the present miracle working stage?

Every girl with a grouch can cheer up by reflecting that the sort of man who never makes a woman unhappy never makes her happy either.

No man ever falls in love with his stenographer — he falls in love with the "understanding little pal," he thinks she is.

Now that women have won votes, perhaps an occasional valiant soul may be allowed an idea of her own — even when a man is around.

When you hear a man say that his wife is an angel, see if he isn't a widower.