River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-08-23
THE FIRST WOMAN
\ Warm Welcome in the Far
West,

June 80 was day of jollifcation at
| Carbonate, Col, being the advent of the
| first wagon, the first woman, and the
| first board from the mill. 1t
would have been interesting to the read
err to witness the electrifying effect on
| the men in camp when word was
passed along the line that woman was
coming. Long before she was within a
mile of the camp knots of men We're
were gathered here and there watch
! ing, looking in the direction from
whence the wagon was to come. As she
| hove in sight, each one gathered around
| his camp, as when an alarm had been
| sounded in a prairie-dOg town. When
| within few yards of the outside habi-
| iation the woman alighted and accom-
| panied by her husband proceeded to
| the county clerks quarters. But the
crowd which had gathered around the
office for mail receded respectfully each
side of the entrance. as she passed in,
Colonel Ferguson sernely doomed up,
| and, sailing out among the boys, agta'
| ted a reception.
Seized by the inspiration, hundre J
hats were removed from heads of noble
structure and design-sluriated some
what, perhaps-and hundred horny
| palms passed over the unkempt locks to
smooth them down; vests were pulled
| down, and hundred pair of eyes ran
| down the respective owners digging
clothes" proudly inspecting the newt
able ''ball stitch" which reioiIed the
1ismembered seam or held IL place the
patch of conspicuous dimensions. By a
look of common consent the colonel was
Il ~, tt-a
speech. UDeasily piuming lis nous
tache with carbonate stained fingers,
the colonel approached her ard, fol-
lowed by the uncovered heads, he mad
vertently yanked frog from his throat
and began:
Respected madam and hundred
heads nodded as cent. Appealing again
to his moustacte for he needed Inspira-
ton the colonel resumed again, Re
specteu madam-the illuminating spec
tire of this most fascinating occasion"
And n hundred heads hobbed serenely
again in ascent Piumjng again the
source of inspiration, the hitting colonel
staggered on: Foot prints of thine,
which have first fallen on our carboni.
ferrous soil, we welcome thee Mercury
in her areial flight trails through the star
~ srchitraves of heaven, to trail over
country. which has become sacred to us
from toll, vicissitudes, and priyations.
1t is ours by right of dis 'overy, and you
are welcome. We are conversant with
your sex and some of us have been vic
timized. We have learned to love and
cherish in memory the tiny fingers
which were rubbed over our biscuits in
other DAYS and we languish for the same.
The delicacy OF sewing on buttons tthim-
bleless) is our and ours toll stained robes
bear the traces of the silurian outcrop.
For months we have been here sur
rounded by the beautiful crystalline
pearls of heaven, which have banked
about and around Us, and our only sol
ace has been the chirp Of the camp bird
and the weird waiings of the metamor-
phic blasts. We have long anticipated
the daisy, struggling through abe snowy
depths to comfort us. as the day drew
near when we laid by our snoWshoes on
the limestone lodges, but this occasion is
most sublime. undreamed of, an IN
precedented in the history of our new
country. Thou hast come upon US like
a perfume freighted breath of the gentle
sprlngtime, and thou art the shrine to
which we bow and bring tribute, and,
in behalf of these, my partners in the
struggle, who stand before you with I'M
covered heads, some of them glistening,
like Furnished disc in the siiurian
sunlight, heads which have been robbed
of capillary traces from inevitable coz
tract, ! again say, welcome. Denver
News.