The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1885-03-07
A FEMALE HERMIT.
Ruby Valley sheephsrtler's Pa
theesc, bue Improbable story.

shessc. but Improbable story.
Eureka Sen tinsll
81 was never more surprised in nv
life than ! was some three weeks
ago" said Joe Donovan, a shepherd
er OF Ruby Valley, in Mendes' saloon
yesterday afternoon. al had driven
my band OF sheep along the side of a
range OF low mountains bordering the
western part OF the Valley, in order
to Keep them out OF the deep snow in
the lowlands, and when | got near a
certain gulch, which never remem.
Der OF having noticed before, l saw
Que OF the most hideous objects of
humanity It has ever been my lot to
see. 1t proved to he an old woman
with overalls and a mans coat and
nat on. Underneath the coat was
what had been skirt, but nearly the
entire OF It WAS torn from her by the
sagsbrush and crossword. The hair
on the back part OF her head was tied
up, noticed afterwards with "A piece
OF baling rope, while that on the fore
part OF her head fell loosely about her
face. The way happened to spy her
WAS by some of the sheep which led
tue band darling To the side suddenly
and running as though they bad seen
= wild beast. Not knowing what II
could be, spurred up my broncho,
and With six.shooter In hand, app
preached the frightfui object. don't
know which OF Us was the most star
tied, but boys, actually thought il
VAS the devil. She Is at least 90 years
OF age, and she looked like verita ole
witch. | finally spoke To her and
asked her who she was. About the
only reply she made Was q sort of
piping sound. then ased her where
she lived, and she pointed up the ra-
vine. l was determined TO lind out
more about her, aud she finally offer
ed To show mo her habitation. but
she would, every now and then, ask
for salt. Notwithstanding l would
! tell her l had none, sue would repeat
The request. She appeared almost
crazy for some. Finally | saw where
she lived. IL was In = tunnel some
forty feet long, and in It also existed
half dozen goats, a few chickens aud
broken down sheep or two. What
she lived on. God only knows; tor l
could not zee anything eatable, except
few dried-up potatoes and what
looked like piece of dried goat. Al
| first the woman Ia / K I'D with consider
able difficulty, but finally | learned
4 that The former Wner OF the tunnel
mad been her husband, aud that he
had been dead for five years. The
old woman had lived with him while
he had run his tunnel, which had
probably been y good prospect, and
| " hen Death came TO him she buried
him an the hillside near by, and he.
doubtless, was the last white man she
had talked TO. She said tile Indians
had been good To her, and would
sometimes shoot a rabbit, n sagehen,
or "A coyote for her. tried to get her
full name, but all she would tell me
~as Henders. She said, too, that she
| and her husband had come from Utah
nearly twelve years ago. The next
day gave the old dame what pro-
visions could spare, aud told her
would probably do more for her. /
told her would report her TO the
county authorities. but she numhled
and intimated that she would never
leave the tunnel. Whether she re.
CARDS It as a valuable piece OF mining
property. or whether She Is insane on
the life she Is leading can't say.
arm inclined to believe she has money
buried somewhere near the tunnel.
She spoke OF having been In Elk0 aud
Winnemucca. but how long ago did
not learn. am going out that way
again I'm the course of couple or
three weeks, aud l will then learn
more about her."