Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1876 — A Pennsylvania Amazon. [ARTICLE]

A Pennsylvania Amazon.

A letter from Milton, Pa., to the New York 4htn Says: Away up here in this quiet region lives one of the most remarkable psychological creations of the nineteenth century. It is no less than a woman who is a woman only i i sex, presenting the peculiarities which would have entitled her to a high rank among the famous women of that mythical age when Thalestris made love to Alexander when Hypolyte fought Hercules for the belt ana when Panthesilea lost her life in her duel with Achilles. The person of whom I write lives at jLewisburg, on the Susquehanna. Respectnble, dressed in woman’s garb, yet as devoid of womanly qualities as an iceberg is of heat, adoring her mother with childish devotion, yet shunning and avoiding all other women; gay, lively, dashing, expert, tolerably well educated, partaking of everything partaken by mad in the shape of legitimate sport, pastime, food and drink; such, in brief is the weird, wild creature, but better known over the whole country side as ‘Johnny.’ She is above the medium height, is fleshy and well formed and weighs about 140 pounds. Her black hair hangs loose about her shoulders and a seal cap hangs jauntily upon one side of her head. Her short coat has broad lappels and big buttons and her plain brown dress descends, modestly to a pair of pretty-shaped feet in heavy morocco boots. A white silk handkerchief, heavy gold chain and necklace are about her neck. Her hands are ruddy and rough and rarely incased in gloves. She is twenty years of age, was bom near Lewisburg, and is from a respectable fam ily. Her father is dead and her guardian has some funds belonging to her, which enables her to travel about from place to place, visiting the ‘ boys.’ She can skate, drive, run, play baseball, bat, catch, bet, talk slang, take a hand at draw-poker or cribbage,' smoke, dance, drink beer, ride horseback, swim and dive with the best and worst of men, St there is no person in the village who r a moment thinks ‘Johnny Britton’ is a very bad girl. I was looking at a photograph representing her dressed in a base-ball suit. There seemed to be a shadow ot shame on lier features. ‘ I tell you I hated the idea -of being wound tip in those tags, and I .shall never be caught intiiem again,’ she aaid. “ 1 want to keep tn my own har■«g, although I hate those who wear it.” She has a broad forehead, clear blue prominent pose, finely-curved lips, pretty teeth, round, dimpled chin, fair •evaral prizes for fine skating and can outstrip the fleetest young man in the neighborhood. She seems to be particularly fond of ball-plying; throws a heavy! base-ball with great force, swiftness and regularity, and can catch swiftly-thrown balls with great ease and certainty. On skates she can jump fifteen feet and execute the riiost difficult figures. At-fitly yards she can hit a man smack in the

face with a ball nearly every time; that is, if the ball is not stopped by the catcher's hands. She has run 100 yards in thirteen seconds, which is good time, even for a man; and can saddle and bridle a horse as well and as quickly as any jockey. She is an expert rider and driver, brave, almost reckless, and no horse can go tod fast for h<t At a race or match of any kind she’ll join the sporting-men, buy pools, and wager her money with the rest of them. She will stand at a bar, call for drinks, swallow liquor, pay for it, smoke, and talk horse. She detests tobaccochewing, rarely indulges in profane language, but never Jn-vulgarity. She abhors and looks with contempt upon any person who dares to use indecent language in her presence. Hence she is treated with great respect by those who know her. She is never seen intoxicated, and when at home is rarely out of the house after sunset. In any athletic sports she generally leads all her companions; and when any deviltry is concocted that she thinks is not rascally or dishonorable she is at all times ready and willing to lend a hand. She is an expert marksman with rifle or pistol. As an off-hand shot her skill is simply marvelous. At quoit-pitching she shows to good advantage and she can swim a half mile very easily. She detests show and display and says that she frequently regrets that she is the object of so much idle curiosity wherever she goes. I asked her what induced her to become so unwomanly, and she replied that she always wanted to be with the boys. From her earliest recollection she was extremely sorry that she was born a girl. She remembers having stoutly protested against wearing dresses when quite young, and she vowed then that she would be a man in spite of all of them. There is nothing foolish or frivolous about her, but she appeals to be a sensible, thoughtful woman, fully cognizant of what she is doing, and at all times ready to defend her position by argument that has a sound ring. 1 ’ She is a curious creature at best, and the more she is known the more of a puzzle she appears. She lately visited Philadelphia to attend the Moody and Sankey meetings, and since her return I am told that she* is turning over a new leaf, but that is not certain. She always said she would never marry. She liked men as companions but she could not think of being the wife of one.