River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-01-25
FAITHFUL LUCY.
An Indian Girls Romance-Her
Solitary Home In OregOn-Long
Years OF Waiting.

Years OF waiting.
From the Atlantic Monthly.
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
handsomest sqlaw ever seen in Oregon.
In those dayswhite men in wilderness
es 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 un
common virtue or GOODNESS, for she re-
sisted all suca approaches for long
tine.
Finally a man named Pomeroy APP
peared, and, as Lucy said atterward, as
soon as she Looked at him she knew he
was her ''tumtIm man" and she must
90 with him. He had a small sloop, and
Lucy became its mate. They two alone
ran it for several years up and down the
river. He established a little trading
post, and Lucy always took charge Of
that when he vent 10 buy goods When
gold was discovered at Ringgold bar
Lucy went there, worked with Il rocker
Ikea man, ard washed ont hundreds OF
dollars worth of gold, all of which SIZE
gave to PomeFoy With it he bui a
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 60
California. But lie had not tae heart
to tell Lucy he meant to leave her. The
pilot who told me this story was at that
time captain ola schooner ON the river.
Pomeroy came b him one day and asked
him to move Lucy and her effects dowd
to Columbus. He said he told her ene
must go and live with her relatives while
he went to California and looked about,
and then he would send for her.
The poor creaure, who had no idea o.
treachery, canB on board che erfully
and willingly, and be setof ut Column
bus. This was in the early spring.
Week after week, month after month,
whenever his schooner stopped there,
Lucy was on tie shore asking if he had
heard from Poneroy. For long time
he said, he coall not bear to tell her. At
last he did; but she would not believe
him. Winter came on. She had got a
few boards together and built herself
sort of hut, nesF a house where lived an
eccentric old bachelor, who finally took
compa sion Oh her, and, to save her
from freezing, let her come into his
shanty to sleep. He was mysterious
old man, recAse, with morbid over
sion to women, and at the outset it was
great struggle for him to let even an
Indian womancr his threshold But,
little by little Lucy won her way; first
she washed the dishes, then she would
timidly help at the co *
ing Faithful, patient, unpresuming,
at last she grew to he really the old
mans sekeeper 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
left her his little house and a few
hundred dolaIs-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. "rd rather have
her for nurse or cook than my white
woman in Oregon. But she wouldn't
come. / don't know as she's done look
ing for P meroy to come back yet, and
he'sgoing to stay just where he left her.
She never misses q time waving TO me
when she knows what boat I'm on, and
there isn't much going on the river
she doesn't know"