Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Each of the girls Iws her own horse, and rides whenever she has time. This is Patsy. WK have our radio cowboys, our hill-billies, and other groups of entertainers who are doing much to preserve the plaintive melodies and folk songs of the early pioneer West, but strangely enough, the oldfashioned cowgirl has been more or less left out. Just as the cowhand, with nothing but his own singing to amuse him on the lonelv range, has given us a wealth of colorful ballads and songs of the plains, so those courageous, lonely women of the prairies, who sang in the face of swirling blizzards, hardships and privations, and who lived a life of action the modern sophisticated woman of today can never appreciate, have left us something of the romance of their day. Tt remained for the Montana Cowgirls, themselves descendants of a hardy tribe of pioneer women of the plains, to bring to us a touch of the Old West in song and harmony, and as they stand before a KTM microphone in their cordurov riding skirts, wide hats and hoots, one can almost hear the scudding of cattle's hooves, the yells of the punchers at round-up : and the whole studio becomes alive with the Spirit of the West. Patsy, Ruth and LaRaine were born and raised on the plains of Montana, on adjoining ranches near the still-wild neighborhood of Livingstone, where cowboys are really cowboys and some of the bad men are even yet rampant. Each could ride a horse as soon as she could walk. The ranch hands showed them how to rope, ride and herd, and they grew up as straight and as sinewy as bovs. Many of their songs were learned from listening to the punchers, who gathered in the bunk house in the Daughters of Old MONTANA A Side of the Old West Seldom Seen Is Reflected by the Montana Cowgirls, Themselves Direct From the Plains and Direct Descendants of the Hardy Race Whose Songs They Sing. by Don Frank Madera, Calif., and pretend they are back in Montana — roping, riding, and playing as they used to do back on the home ranch. The girls are all in their 'teens, aren't troubled about boys, and live a modest, conservative life — in fact, so modest that they often receive fan letters from neighbors within a block of their home, who don't know who they are! Many of their acquaintances haven't the slightest idea that they are the radio artists to whom they listen. Each morning they arise bright and early, dress and eat breakfast, and begin immediately to arrange their radio program for the day. In their repertory of songs they have some 250 numbers, each of which they know by heart. Some of these numbers include threepart Swiss yodeling — one of the most difficult forms of singing for a trio. All of the girls yodel, and all play an instrument — Patsy and LaRaine, violins, and Ruth the guitar. While none of the girls has never had a vocal lesson, Patsy and LaRaine have both taken lessons on the violin for several vears and are accomplished musicians. The Montana Cowgirls — Patsy, Ruth and LaRaine. evenings and played and sang, and they still talk and sing with the old Montana twang that is a part of them. Although they live in the city, each owns a horse, and whenever they get an opportunity to steal away for a few hours, they ride out into the unfrequented places and roam the hills. Born to a life of action, their hobbies are swimming and riding, although Patsy loves to paint, and LaRaine to read when they tire of sports. Every summer thev go out to their ranch near Ruth on her first saddlehorse — no saddle, not even a horse, and very little of Ruth! !*;ic« Forty RADIO DOINGS