Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-08-23
The First Woman i'm Camp.


June so was dav of ratification a,
Carbonate, Col, being the advent of the
Iirst wagon, the first woman, and the
first board from the mill. 1t would
have been interesting to the reader tC
witness the electrifying effect on the
men IN the camp when word was
passed along the line that woman
was coming. Long before she was
within mile of the camp knots of men
We're gathered here and there watching,
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 habita-
ton the woman alighted and accompa.
MED by her husband proceeded to the
County Clerks office. cit had been
advertised that the donation of a town
lot would be gwen the first woman who
came in.) Curious eyes were watching
her every step rs she approached the
Clerk : 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 serenely doomed up. and
sailing out among the boys, agitated a
reception.
Seized by the inspiration, a hundred
hats were removed from heads of noble
structure and desi"n-silnriated some
what. perhaps-and a hundred horny
palms passed over the unkempt locks
to smooth them down: vest; were
pulled down, and hundred pair of
eyes ran down the respective owners
''dig@ing-clothes. proudly inspecting
the inevitable .sbail-Stitch'' which re-
joined the dismembered seam or held
in place the patch of conspicuous di-
mansions. BY a look OF common con-
sent the Colonel was the man selected
to make the reception speech. Uneasily
pluming his mustache with carbonate
stained fingers, the Colonel approached
her, and. followed by the uncovered
heads, he inadvertently yanked a frog
from his throat and began:
respected madam" and a hundred
heads nodded assent. Appealing again
to his mustachc for the reeded inSpra-
ton, the Colonel resumed again RE
spected madam-the Illuminating spec
ter of this most fascinating OCCASION
And q hundred heads bobbed seranely
again in assent. Pluming again the
source of inspiration, the hating Colo
mel staggered on: ''Foot-prints OF thine
which have first fallen on our carbonif-
erous soil, we welcome thee. Mercury
in her aerial flight trails through the
starry architraves of heaven. to trail
through the Silurian outcrops of Gar
field County. which has become sacred
to us from toll, viciSsitudes and priva-
tons. 1t is ours by right of discovery,
and YOU are welcome. We are CONVEX
SAINT with your sex and some of us have
been victimiZed. We have learned to
love and cherish i'll memory the tiny
fingers which were rubbed over our bis
cults in other days and we languiSh for
the same. The delicacy of sewing on
buttons (thimbleiess) is ours. and our
toil-stained robes bear the traces of the
Silu~ian outcrop. For months we have
been here surrounded by the beautiful
crystalline pearls of heaven, which have
banked about and around us. and our
only soiace has been the chirp of the
camp bird and the weird wailings OF
the mctamOrphic blasts. We have long
anticipated the daisy, struggling through
the snowy depths to comfort us, as the
day drew near when we laid by our
snowshoeS on the limestone lodges. but
this occasion ismoSt sublime. undreamed
OF. and unprecedented in the history Of
our new country. Thou hast come
upon lis like a pcrfume-freighted breath
of the gentle sprin@time. and thou art
the shrine to which we bow and bring
tribute, and in behalf of these, my part
ncrs in the struggle. who stand before
YOU with uncovered heads, some of them
gliStening like 4 Furnished disc in the
5 lurian sunlight, heads which have
bced robbed of capillary traces from in
evitable contact, again say, welcome
-DcHrer NcWs.