The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-01-29
/" STACYS GAL

L he cOlOubl, l. UtllHh, wis lnc nISu
person to propose to her. He did it in
the oratoricai style for which he was
noted in the camp and was promptly re-
fused. much to his own and the boys
astonishmeht. l believe the judge was
the next, but rs he had fortified his
courage with II large quantity of whisky
his breath was strong enough and his
words thick enough to ensure speedy
rejection. lie was considerably NOR
titled at it and never able to explain the
cause of his defeat. but when Mexican
woman driftcd into the camp shortly
afterward and engaged in washing for
the men the judge tried his hand again
and was accepted. Ittook him month
to get loose from the bonds and he
swore hc would never give any otter
female critter u chance TO hook him
again." and lr carefully avoided ali
Indian squaws and homely senoritas
who occasionally passed through Min
cral City. After the judge dozen or
more ofthe boys offered their hands and
fortunes to Stacy's gu" and Jared in
precisely the same manner, while old
Stacy himself quietly chucklcd and ''bet
on his gal every trip, a> he afterward
explained.
She had come into camp IA week or
two previously to the greatest surprise
OF everybody, including her father
Old Stacy II good many years before
some eight or ten, had lost his wife, and
so great was Lis grief that lie could not
he induced to remain longer in tie place
she lMd made II little heaven fer him
SO he placed his daughter-his only
child-iu the fashionable female semi
nary OF the State, provided her with
everything that was necessary for her
comfort or happints SIS, and then struck
out for the San Juan silver mines to for
get his loss among the eXcitemcnts and
privutions OF the frontier. Stacy was
one of the fortunate few out OF the I'M
ucky many that enter n mining country,
and in Il few years he was possessed OF
properties yielding him an excellent in
come from their lard. white quartz.
He regularly corresponded with his
daughter, and kept her supplied in
pocket-money far in excess of her needs
or requirements, but he never went back
on a visit, and when that young lady
was duly graduated with high honors
she determined to seek out her long
absent paternal progenitor. With an
independence and courage, the wonder.
ment of the boys, she Travelled across the
plains, took passage on the stages and
finally rode into Mineral City on horse
back, the first white woman in camp
and the object of the shy alteration ol
the men.
1t was some time before the BOYS
could stand their ground and face her
instead of scampering away at her ap,
proach, as had hitherto been the case
but the Western miner is not long ir
getting accustomed to strange thing
and it was not over ten days after hel
arrival that the colonel inundated him
self on the altar of his affections. En-
couraged by his example and unterri
fled by his unceremonious defeat, TIL,
boys one after another tried their luck
though, MS | have before mentioned
with no better success.
Stacy was partner of mine in til,
Ajax mine, in which there were three O
us interested, and rs we were doing con
siderable development on the vein
was Of necessity much in his compan,
and consequently in that ofhis daughter
She was very pretty girl, with dainty
delicate ways far more betitting a hous
ON Walnut street than rough mining
camp; but she loved her father with al
earnest, clinging affection that woulC
not listen to her leaving him, and so sh
continued to reign queen ofMineral Cit.
all through the summer of 1876.
don't know when it was that / wa
.hNuly tttlIdClSu IOWuIu MULTI. Illlul
IL was when she asked me to call he
thereafter by that name. She made th
request SO innocently, so sweetly, ant
SO tenderiy, alleging that as was he
fathers partner, II gentleman by brit
and education, and such kind friend {,
her, it would be ever so much nicer fo
me to say Nellie, instead of Miss Stacy
which sounded so formal, that 7 cam
very nearly adding other words to tn
name that our short acquaintance woul
not justify. After that | spent most q
my evenings with Nellie, and sometime
of an afternoon we took delicious littl
rambles together on the mountain side
and into the heavy timber lining til
valley or canon of the Uncompahgr,
One evening, as we were returnin
home, we stopped to rest on the rocl
crested summit of Mineral Point.
few hundred feet below us lay the lit
mining camp, its log cabins lookin
doubly picturesque in the gatherin
cleaning The blue smoke was curtin
from dozen ehimneys as the men pr
pared their evening meals; and here an
there, over the various trails, a blu,
ssnirted miner,w with pick and drills acrol
MS shoulder, came striding home. I'll
sun sinking behind the Wasatch moui
tains, one hundred and siXty-five mil,
distant cast great long shadows aero
the surrounding peaks, and yelled Il
Tavines and gulches in deepening darl
ness.
Nellie sat on the groupings of a We
o'auartZ and lay stretched out at h