The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-01-13
FAITHFUL LUCY,
An Indian Girls Romance-Her Solitary
Home in Oregon-Long Years of Wait.

An Indian Girls Romance--Her Solitary
Home in Oregon Long Years of Wait.
ing.
She was California Indian, probably OF
the Tulares, and migrated to Oregon with
her family thirty years ago. She was then
young girl, and said to be the hand.
soonest squ,w ever seen in Oregon. In
those days white men in wildernesses
thought it small shame, II any, to take In
dian women to live with them as wives, ana
Lucy was much sought and wooed. But
she seems to have had uncommon virtue or
GOODNESS, for she resisted all such ap.
proaches for long time,
Finally man named Pomcrov appeared
and, as Lucy said afterward, as soon as she
looked ut him she knew he was her
"tum.tum man." and she must 10
with him. He had small sloop,
aud Lucy became his mate, They two
alone ran il for several years up ami down
post, and Lucy always took charge Of that
When gold was discovered at
Ringgold Bar, Lucy went there.
worked with a rocker like n man and washed
out hundreds of dollars worth OF gold, all
of which she gave to Pomeroy, With II he
built n fine schooner and enlarged his bus.
ness, 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, aud made up his mind to 10
TO California. But he had not the heart To
tell Lucy he meant to leave her. Tho pilo.
who told me this story was at that time
captain of n schooner on the river. Pomc.
roy came to him one day asked him TO
move Lucy and her effects down to Column
bus. He said he told her she mus, 30 md
live with her relatives white he went to
California aud looked about, and then he
would send flr her.
The poor creature, who had no idea of
treachery, came on board cheeriully aud
willingly, and he set her of ut Columbus.
This was in the early spring. Week after
week, month after month, whenever his
schooner was stopped there, Lucy was on
the shore, asking II he had heard from
Pomeroy. For n long time, he said, he
could not bear to tell her. At last he did.
but she would not believe him. Winter
came on. She got q few boards to.
gether and built herself q sort Of q
hut, near house whore lived an &c.
centric old bachelor, who finally took com.
passion on her, and, to save her from freez.
ing, let ncr come INTO MS snautN 10 steep,
He was mysterious old man, n reclusc,
with morbid aversion to women, aud, Mt
the outset, II was a 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 cook.
ing. Faithful, patient. unpresum.
INK, at last she grew 10 he really the
old mans housekeeper as well as servant.
lie lost his health and became blind.
Lucy took care Of him until he died, and
followed him TO the grave, isonly mourn,r.
the only human being In the country with
whom he had any tic. He left her his
little house and q few hundred dollars
all he had-and there sue is still, alone.
making out 20 live by doing whatever work
she can find Ia the neighborhood.
Everybody respects her. She Is known
rs "Lucyh up aud down the river. III did
my best to hire her 10 come and keep house
Cor my wife, said the pilot. "l'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
Cor Pomeroy to come back yet, and she's
going to stay Just where he lcf her. She
never misses a time waving TO me when she
knows what boat I'm ON, and there isn't
m .ch going on on the river that she doesn't
know. ~ Atlantic Monthly.