The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-04-22
FROM LOG HUT TO BROWN.STOSE
FRONT.

man who has just Returned 10 the CITY.
Mrs. Frank Ray, who was the first
white woman that entered Leadville, has
lately returned TO this city. Her father
was Mr.. John McMahon, who lived fora
long time at Sixth avenue and Forty
ninth street. On May s, 1856, she was
married to Joseph Ordway in st. AIMS
Church. Soon afterward they went to
Lawrence, Kansas, where Mr.. Ordway
died. In 1862 Mrs. Ordway married
Frank Ray, Texan. Mrs. Ray and her
husband were with the train that was at
tackled by Indians at Snake River. She
gives a graphic account of the massacre,
and of her subsequent life:
at was about eleven o'clock in the
forenoon of July 10, 1862, and we had
been out about two days from Denver,
Colorado when the Indians came upon
us. They killed and scalped many of
our train before we got our horses and
wagons in square. When the fight was
over was the only woman who was able
TO move Poor Mss. McMahon has never
yet fully recovered from the shock. Her
husband was killed and scalped in her
presence. Ny clothing was almost gone.
l had torn it in strips to bandage the
wounds of our men, while l stood by
Frank and fired my rifle asf fast as could.
After we got out of the canon, and
relief train from Salt Lake overlook us
on the following day, | was somewhat
unneved, but I kept up.
CATER the massacre we took up our
home in Bannock City, Montana We
remained there one year. In 1868, the
great finds in Virginia City set every
one on the road crazy TO reach that
place My husband and / went there
We established ourselves in little hut,
and Frank went to work. He fell in with
man who was called hummer Dan
He, Dan, and others located some of the
richest mines in the Territory about
Virginia City. My daughter Cora was
born in Virginia City, and in our hut we
had more than three times her weight in
gold. We used to hide our finds. for
the road agents were very numerous and
daring then. They would come right
into the city and rob the houses. | saw
Plummer, Slade, and other road agents
hanged in Virginia City.
"Aftera three years soiurn in this place,
Frank sold out and bought large farm
in the Gallatin Valley, Montana. We
built house, and had the farm well
stocked. High water and grasshoppers
came. Frank started on a trip East
He died in Buffalo. l was then with
my child Cora on our fam in the Val
ley. After three years fight with the
water and the grasshoppers, l had to
move. l returned to Denver in 1862
penniless. Something had to be done;
so | placed Cora with the Sisters in
Denver, and started out. A piece of
ground given to me in Alma, by Mr..
Dexter and Mr.. Wolcott held me there
/ built little cottage on it, and took in
washing, While living in Alma l got q
place as cook for Mr. Meyers and his
men. They were sixteen miles away,
working a holding. / put up in Mey-
ers' hotel. There were few people
there, but Meyers luck brought in
many, and l thought l ought to lay off
claim and strike out for myself as well
as the rest. | located behind Tabor's
place. Digging out the snow, 1 put up
some logs, first thawing out the ground
with hot water to make plaster of the
mud to stop up the chinks, and over
these logs bstretched sheets for a roof
Then took in boarders and washing, and
when spring came l found myself To-
Gated in the centre of Leadville, corner
of Harrison and State streets. | had
some trouble battling for my rights, but
l succeeded in court and out of it, That
square is now covered with buildings,
and is known as Mrs. Rays block. My
daughter was well grown then, and l
took her from the Sisters when l located
in Leadville and saw l was making a
strike. Having desire to give my dear
child an education and to remove the
little Mexican waif whom / found aban-
doned in Robinson's Run, l came East.
Mrs. Ray has taken brown-stone
house up town. She is delighted with
the city after her long absence.-N Y.
Sun,