The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-04-07
Sally Raw. Of LeadYille.

Mrs. Sarah Ray arrivedin Buffalo the
other day from Leadville, on her way
TO New York, whittier she has gone for
the purpose of locating her daughter
Cora, in a school, and arranging for
the future care of a little Mexican girl
whom she had in charge. Mrs. Ray
has a history, which, if published, would
read like a romance. She has dug in
mines, fought in wars with Indians side
by side with her husband, secured the
plains on horseback as a scout, and be-
came an expert in the business; helped
found the city of Leadville, being tho
first white woman who ever dared VEN
ture there, mapped out roads. built
houses, took In washing from the Lead
vile miners, and is to-day in possession
of a fortune that pays her an income of
$50, 900 q year.
A reporter paid her a call as she sat
in a central palace car waiting for the
train to start. He found her occupy
ing q seat facing her daughter Cora,
and around her was piled numerous
bundles Of luggage. She expressed
herself as glad to grant an interview.
and pleasantly said: "Sit down there
by Cora and 1 will talk with YOU" Cora
is a handsome girl of about II summers,
| and as she assented to the proposition
| the reporter did not deliberate, but
| readily took q seat by her side.
Mrs. Ray commenced by saying, with
a hearty laugh: "Now I'm not going
to tell you how old / am, for l may want
| to get married again when l get To
| New York"
Then she went on to say that she
| came from the north of Ireland to New
| York city when she was Is, and mar
ried a book-keeper named Joseph Ord
way. Her husband died a year later,
and she went to Leavenworth, Kan,
| from thence to Denver, and finally in
| 1876, to Leadville. In Denver she mar
ried a miner named Frank Ray, but he
| died soon after.
She told how in Leadville she bravcd
| the dangers and storms of winter be-
fore there were buildings there to in
habit how Cora had to be kept wrap.
ped up in heavy blankets to keep her
from freezing, while she pursued her
task of building a hut; how, when the
| place became settled she saw the land
she had taken up turn into a fortune,
etc. She owns buildings in Leadvillo
that rent for 81, 900 a month.
Her career has been a peculiarly
eventful and exciting one, and one that
would bear more extended notice than
can well be given in o single issue Of
a daily paper. She grew eloquent MS
she related her adventures, and her
eyes sparkled as she said:
II saw my old man once sit on n
horse and shoot seven Indians without
stopping. And I've done something
like it myself. Young man." sho add
ed, with a quiet twinkle in her eye,
sTve shot more Indians than you've
got fingers and toes. You wouldn',
think, to look at me, would you, that
I've gone out on the mountain side, up
to my waist in snow, and staked out
the streets of LeadvilleP But its gospel
truth"
She said she didn't know how long
she would stay in New York. Her
property in Leadville was attended to
by agents. and she felt perfectly con-
tent to stay away just as long us she
felt disposed. -.
She is now fifty years old, weighs
about ono hundred and forty pounds.
and is rugged and clipper. As she
bade the reporter good day she remark
ed that she was happy. and was going
to try and mako others so during her
remaining years.