Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-09-23
Lucy's Story.

From our pilot on the way down the
Columbia River heard an Indian story.
too touching to be forgotten, though too
long to tell here except in briefest out
line. AS we were passing little village.
half under water, he exclaimed, looking
earnestly at a small building to whose
window-sills the water nearly reached :
"Well. declare, Lucy's been driven out
of her house this time. | was wondering
why didn't see her handkerchief AWAY
ing. She always waves to me when 60
by Then he told Lucy's story.
She was California Indian, probably
of the Tulares, and migrated to Oregon
with her family 80 years ago. She was
then a young girl and said to be the hand
soonest squaw ever seen in Oregon. In
those days white men in wildernesses
thought 1t 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 coldness, tor she resisted all
such approaches for long time.
Finally. "a man named Pomeroy appeared,
and, as Lucy said afterwards. as soon as
she looked at him she knew he was her
"tum- tum man. and she must 90 with
him. He had small sloop, and Lucy be
came 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 went
to buy goods. When gold was discovered
at Ringgold Bar, Lucy went there, worked
with rocker like man, and washed out
hundreds of dollars worth of gold, all of
which she gave to Pomerov. With it he
built fine schooner and enlarged his
business. the faithful Lucy working al
ways 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 90 to California. But he had not
the heart to tell Lucy that he meant to
leave her. The pilot who told me this
story was at that time captain of schoon.
er on the river. Pomeroy came to him
one day and asked him to move Lucy and
her effects down TO Columbus. He said
he had told her that she must 60 ard live
there 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 he set
her off at Columbus. This was in the
early spring. Week after week, month
after month, whenever his schooner
stopped there. Lucy 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 believe him.
Winter came on. She had got a
few boards together and built herself a
sort of hut, near house where lived an
eccentric old bachelor. who finally took
compassion on her, and to save her from
freezing, let her come into his shantv to
sleep. He was mysterious old man. a
recluse, with morbid aversion to women
and at the outset it 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, unpresuming at
last she grew to be the old mans house
keeper as well as servant. He lost his
health and became blind. Lucy took care
OF him till he died. and followed him to
his grave-his only mourner- the only
human being in the country with whom
he had any tie. He left her his little
house and 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