Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-01-13
Faithful Lucy.


AN INDIAN GIRLS RoMANCE-HER
SOLITARY HOME IN OREGON
LONG YEARS OF WAITING.
She was California Indian, prob
ably of the Tulares. and emigrated
to Oregon with her family thirty
years ago. She was then a young
girl, and said to be the handsomest
squaw ever seen in Oregon. In those
days white men in wildernesses
thought it small shame, if any, to
take Indian women to live with
them as wives, and Lucy was much
sought and wooed. But she seems
to have had uncommon virtue or
GOODNESS, for she resisted all such APP
proaches for long time.
Finally a man named Pomeroy
appeared, and, as Lucy said after
ward, as soon as she looked at him
she knew he was her ''tumtum man."
and she must 60 with him. He had
small sloop, and Lucy became its
mate. They two alone ran it for
several years up and down the river.
He established little trading post,
and Lucy always took charge of
that when he went to buy goods.
When gold was discovered at Ring
gold bar, Lucy went there, worked
with rocker like a man, and wash
ed out hundreds Of dollars wort hof
gold, all of which she gave to PONIES
roy. With it he built fine schoon-
er 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 a schooner on the river.
Pomeroy came to him one day and
asked him to move Lucy and her
effects down to Columbus. He said
he told her she must go 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
cheerfully and willingly, and be set
her off at Columbus. This was in
the early spring. Week after week,
month after month, whenever his
schooner stopped there, Luco was
on the shore asking if he had heard
from Pomeroy. For long time, he
said, he couldn't bear to tell her. AT
last he did; but she would not be-
lieve 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 compass
sian on her, and, to save her from
freezing, let her comeinto his shan
ty to sleep. He was mysterious
old man, recluse, with morbid
aversion to women, and at the out
set it was great struggle for him
to let even an Indian woman cross
his threshold. But, little by little,
Lucy won her way first she wash
ed the dishes, then she would timid-
ly help at the cooking. Faithful,
patient, unpresuming, at last she
grew to be really the old mans
housekeeper as we'll 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 be-
ing in the country with whom be
had any tie, He left her his little
house and a few hundred dollars
all he had-and there she is still,
alone, making out to live by doing
whatever work she can find in the
neighborhood. Everybody respects
her. She is known as Lucy" up
and down the river. 81 did my best
to hire her to come and keep house
for my wife, said the pilot. "I'd
rather have her for nurse or cook
than any white woman in Oregon.
But she wouldn't come. l don't
know as she's done looking for Pom.