Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-07-27
How the First Woman was welcomed
60 q Western Whining Camp.
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60 Western Mining Camp.
Denver Newsl
June 80 was day Of jollidcation at Car
Donate, Col, being the advent Of the first
wagon, the first woman and the first board
from the mill It would have been interest
ing to the reader to have witnessed the cleo
trifyug effect on the men in tho camp when
word was passed along the line that woman
was coming. Long before she was within a
milo Of the camp, knots Of men were gather
ed here and there watching, looking in the
direction from whence the wagon was to
come. As she hove in sight, each one gath
cred around his or their camp, as when an
alarm had beon sounded in n prairie dog
town. When within a few yards of the out
side habitation the woman alighted and, &C
comp0nied by her husband, proceeded toward
the county clerks Office. Ut had been adver-
tised that the donation of town lot would
be given the first woman who came in Gu
rious eyes were watching her every step as
she approached the clerks quarters But the
crowd which had gathered around the Office
for mail receded respectfully each side of the
entrance As she passed in Col. Ferguson
serenely doomed up, and, sailing out among
the boys agitated a reception Seized by
the inspiration, 100 hats were removed from
heads of noble structure and design, siluri-
ated somewhat, perhaps and 100 horny
hhuub bhhhth ONtl lut uuhtuuBI AOChs W
smooth them down, vests were pulled down,
and 100 pairs of eyes ran down the respec-
tive owners digging Clothes" proudly in
specting the inevitable "ball stitch" which
reioined the dismembered seam or held in
place the patch of conspicuous dimensions.
By look of common consent, the colonel
was the man selected to make the reception
speech Uneasily plumng his moustache
with carbonate stained fingers, the colonel
approached her and, followed by the uncov-
cred heads, he inadvertently yanked frog
from his throat and began:
"Respected MADAM" and 100 heads nod
ded assent. Appealing again to his nous
tache for the needed inspiration, the colonel
resumed again Respected Madam -- The IL
Illuminating spectre of this most fascinating
occasion" And 100 heads bobbed seronely
again in assent Pluming again the source
of inspiration, the hating colonel staggered
on Footprints of thine, which have first
fallen on our carbonferous soil, we welcome
thee Mercury, in her aerial fight, trails
through the starry architraves of heaven, to
trail over the silurian outcrops Of Garfield
county, which has become slcred to us from
toll, vicssitudes and privations. 1t is ours
by right of discovery, and you are welcome.
We are conversant with your sex, and some
of us have been victmized We have learned
to love and cherish in memory the tiny fin.
gers which were rubbed over our biscuits in
other days, and we languish for the same
The delcacy of sewing on buttons (thimbe
less) is ours and our toll stained robes bear
the traces of the siluriau outcrop. For
months we have been here surrounded by the
beautiful crystalline pearls of heaven, which
have banked about and around us, aud our
only solsce has been the ohirp of the camp
bird and the weird wailings of the metaphor
ic blasts. We have long anticipated the dali
sy, struggling through the snowy depths to
comfort u.s. a. the day drew near when we
laid by our suowshocs on tho limestone ledge,
but this occasion is most sublime, undrcamed
of and unprecedented in the history of our
new country Thou hast come upon US like
the perfume. freighted breath Of the gentle
springtme and thou art tho shrine to which
We bow and bring tribute, aud in behalf of
these, my partners In the struggle, who stand
before you with uncovered heads some of
them glistening like FURNISHED disk in the
silurian sunlight, heads which have been rob
bed of capillary traces from inevitable con-
tact | again say welcome
Aud she dropped.