The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-03-30
A ROCKY MOUNTAIN HERoIsE{H
The First Ciyilized wsmaa who staked a
Claim at Leadyille. ~
New York Newsl


Mrs. Sarah Ray, the best known woman
beyond the Rocky Mountains, the heroine
of the Snake riyer massacre, and the first
woman who ever ventured into Leadville,
Colo, which city she helped to found, IS now
a resident of this city. Last December, Mrs.
Raw Quilted her home in Leadville to take
up residence East, IN order to locate her
daughter in a school and to arrange for the
future care Of the little Mexican waif whom
she has in charge. She is residing in the
brown-stone fat at 40 West Forty-seventh
street
81 tried to escape from the newspaper
men on my trip here" she said, 'and 1 sue
coed until got to Buffalo, when reporter
corralled me in the cars He was nice sort
of a young man, Just something Ike your
self, and he wrote the article about me which
was published in the Sunday News several
weeks ago.
twenty-five years ago, when a was scarce
ly twenty-five years old, married Mr.. Ord
way in ST. AIMS Church, this city. He was
not over strong and it was thought that a
trip TO the West would do him good, and, af-
{ n six months residence on Staten Islano,
we started for Kansas. he died in
Lawrence. After his death went with the
Ford family to Denver, and from thence TO
Central City, where | remained as a do
nestle in BrOadwelPs Hotel. While there
met Frank Ray, Texan. He was a miner.
We got married. The ceremony was per
formed in the big parlor of the hotel, and 1t
was quite big affair. Frank and | then
started out for the mines. There was n
train going out, and we joined it. After
we had been out few days, on the morn
ing of July 10, i think, the party was in
the best of spirits. / remember how well
and happy We all were. There were
five young men, and they were all good
II, ali a.
and jigs, trying TO get me out of our wagon.
When they struck up st. Patricks Day |
could norTcmain away, and went over with
Frank to their camp. There we all danced
and sang and played tricks on each other
We were a most happy lot OF emigrants,
all except poor McMahon. He, poor fell
low seemed oppressed, and / shall ever
joked about his horse. Well, before IL
o'clock that day poor Mcmahon was
shot, killed and scalped by the Indians ten
feet away from me. l can see the sight
now" Covering her face with her hands,
this but moment before laughing happy
woman shuddered, oh, SIR, she continu-
ed, had not been Of the disposition | am
you know that am En Irish woman
there she began to laugh as she said:
sure you can tell that without IHy saying
So L could never have stood that days
work. Lawyer Yates wife never recovered
from it. Well, as we passed aleng on that
day, the first intiRiation We had OF the In
dians was the dropping of one of the horses
of the train. Frank got nay horse into
little gully and placed me en- it, when he
said: If anything goes wrong with me, 90
to my folks in Texas The shots were flv-
ing all about us, and poor Mcmahon fell,
and | saw the heather rush upon and scalp
him. Frssak then, having the wagons and
horses in order began his work and before
| EnQu II | fha Wa AOinO oil /
could, too. When we succeeded in
driving the Indians off all my clothing was
gone / had torn il from me to bandage up
the wounds of our men. / must have done
some firing, too, for when we got out of the
cannon the Doctor said, Sally, you're one
of the bes. fellows in a fightr A party from
salt Lake came to our aid. They buried the
dead and removed the wounded. In one
grave we've placed the five young men who
played St PstrSck's Day We con-
timed our trip, nothing eventful
happening, and in good time arrived
ut eur destination, Gallatin Valley, on
the Gallatin River. There Frank met
with hummer Dan, and they struck
that famous mine, "Bummer Dan" 1t
panned ont heavy. Once forty men were
employed by hummer Dan and my hus
band. Riches were O1rs, and we took up q
place in the Valley and built home !
went to farming and Frank started off for a
little fun. That trip made him known in
every city from mine to Buffalo, where n
died. Things then went wrong. / battled
with the grasshoppers for three years, and
then had to give it up. | returned TO Den
yer, and then went to Central City where
left my child Cora with the Sisters.
1t was then time for me to do something,
and started out put up atAlma. and on
the land given me there by Mr.. Dexter and
Mr.. Wilcott erected nice cottage Then
Il 4 - n.
at his place sixteen miles away. There
were but few people in that place at that
time. Tabor, who is now Governor, had a
little cabin near Meyers place. A few peo-
pie began to flock into the place, and i
thought might as well locate. So | started
Quit was winter-and marked off some
land. i got logs, put them together, and
with boiling water thawed out the earth to
make plaster of it for the chinks between
the logs. A sheet served as a roof Then l
took in boarders. Cora at this time came to
me- / had to keep her well wrapped in
blankets all the time to save her from freez-
ing
when spring came do you know that /
found myself located in the center of Lead
ville2 The place had become a city, and to-
day that square corner of Harrison and
State streets is my property, covered with
fine, large houses, which are known as Rays
Block"
The rents she Inherited from this property
amounts to over 5000 month. Referring
to this property, she said: ''If / had not
the greatest confidence in Messrs. Bettinger
d Eisendoffer, who have care of it for me. /
would never have come to the East" After
a recital Of many other interesting incidents.
not the least of which was her battle main
tanning her claim, she said: "All this,
however, was nerved to do for my daugh-
ter. She is now at school here preparatory
10 her entrance into Vassar College. She'll
soon be home Here comes my little ward"
In rushed the little Mexican waif whom
she picked up at RObinsOn's Run. This is
my little Lizzie" she said "She is eight
years old now, and is going to school around
the corner love the little thing, and will
do all | can for her."
IEThe pride which shone in her eyes as the
little girl replied to the reporters questions
showed that her heart was indeed warm to
the little one.
A few moments afterward her daughter
entered--a handsome miss of sixteen. No
ticing the reporter glance at the silver
medal she wore on her breast,
she said: ooh. that's a reward of
merit. Lwon it to-day. l was first in all
my studies" At the request of her mother,
she then played on the piano. Grouped
about her stood her mother and this little
waif. 1t was picture. They, whose name
and fame are known in every camp, mine
and city of the rugged Rocky Mountains,
were practically lost in this great city.
Mrs Ray thinks she will make her resi-
donco hero narmanpnt In anDearanoQ5 she