The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-28
Tile DAILY ARGUs.
Faithful Lucy.

AN INDIAN GIRL 9 RoMANCE--HER SOLITARY
HOME IN oREGoN--IoNG YEvRs
OF WAITING.
She was California Indian, probably
of the Tulares, and migrated TO Oregon
with her family 30years ago, says H. Ell. =
in the Alafstic. She was then Young
girl, and said to be the handsomest squaw
ever seen in Oregon. In those DAYS
white men in wiidernesses thought 1t small
shame. if any, to take Indian women to
live with them as wives, and Lucy was
much soughtan wooed. But she seems
to have had uncommon virtue or GOODNESS,
for she resisted all such approaches for
long time,
Finally man named Pon1eroy appear
ed, and as Lucy said afterward. as soon
as she looked at him she knew he was her
''tum tum man" and she must go with him
He had small sloop, and Lucy became
its mate They two alone ran it for sever
al years up and down the river he es
tablished a little trading post, and Lucy
always took charge of that when he went
to buy goods. When gold was discovered
at Ringgold bar, Lucy went there. worked
with a rocker like man, and washed out
hundreds of dollars worth. of gold. all of
which she gave to Pomeroy. With it he
built fine schooner and enlarged his
business, the faithful Lucy working
always at his side and bidding At last,
after eight or ten years, he grew weary of
her and of the country and made up his
mind to go to California. But he had not
the heart to tell Lucy he meant to leave
her. The pilot who told me this story
was at that time captain of n schooner on
the river. Pemeroy came to him one day,
and asked him to move Lucy and her
off Il 70 ali IL ho
told her she must 90 and live with her
relatives while he went to California and
looked about, and then he would send
for her.
THE poor CREATURE,
who had no idea of treachery, came on
board cheerfuliy and willingly, and he set
her off at Columbus. This was in the
early spring. Week after week, month
after month. wheneveshis- schooner stop
ped there Lucy was on the shore, asking
if he had heard from Pomeroy. For a
long time, he said, he couldn't bear to-
tell her. At last he did; but she would
not believe him. Winter came on. She
had got few boards together and built
herself a sort of hut, near house where
lived an eccentric old bachelor, who finally
took compassion on her, and to save her
from freezing let her come into his shanty
to sleep. He was mysterious Old man,
a recluse, with morbid aversion to wom-
en-, and at the outset 1T was great
struggle for him to let even an Indian
woman cross his threshold. But little by
little, Lucy won her way; first she washed
the dishes, then she would timidly help
at the cooking. Faithful, patient, unprc-
Stunning, at last she grew TO be really the old
mans housekeeper as well as servant. He
lost his health and became blind. Lucy
took care of him till he died, and followed
him to the grave, his only mourner, the
only human being in the country with
whom he had any tie. He LETT her his
little house and few hundred dollars-all
he had; and there she is STILL alone, MAX
ing out to live by doing whatever work
she can find in the neighberhood. Every
body respects her; she is known as Lucy"
up and down the river. Il did my best
to hire her to keep house for my wife last
year." said the pilot. I'd rather have her
for nurse or cook than any white woman
in Oregon. But she wouldn't come. [
don't know as she's done looking for
PomeToy to come back yet, and she's 60
ing to stay just where he left her. She
never misses time. waving to me, when
she knows what boat I'm on, and there
isn't much going on on the river she don't
know"