Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-03-21
She WAS TOUGH.
Old-Timers' Stories About Hostess in
the Days of Staging.

one who knows these old times, all OF
whom blazed the trail in a stage coach or
on the hurricane deck of q mule, will
readily realize that a better lot of yarn
spinners would be hard to find. About
the time the first wine had gone around
Sam Schwab, who was IN trim for talking,
recalled TO his friend Irwin the time when
they used TO travel in tbs stage from
Helena to Salt Lake.
Down in Idaho," began Mr.. SchWab,
cat one end of the eating stations near
the BlackfOot river, there was a Mrs. Cor
bett. She used TO run the place. There
was a woman that | was afraid of. |
always treated her with great respect as
well as did every one else. She wouldn't
have it any other way. Mrs. Corbett
never was intended for woman; she was
of commanding appearance, six feet tall,
and she weighed about 100 pounds. She
was whopper! One night We reached
her house when il was storming, and had
to remain all night. Col. Sanders was
along and we had room together. When
We woke up the next day it was pretty
cold, and after parleying with each other,
l agreed to get up and ssa-t fire if
Sanders would go out and get more wood.
Just as had the fire started and Sanders
was out in the yard filling his part Of the
agreement, Mrs Corbett came in and
wanted to know who 1t was mad the cheek
to start fire in the house. or course
said it was Sanders. She said: When
want a fire built in here I'll build it my
SELF At the same time she picked the
half burned sticks out of the fireplace
and threw them out of the door.
SANDERS soon returned, half frozen, and
swore blue streak at finding no fire. l
explained matters, which made the col
Onel warm in the collar and he proceeded
to build new fire and said he'd like TO
see the color of the woman's hair that
would put it out. Mrs. COrbett appeared
as Sanders was roasting his shins, and
without saying a word began extinguish-
ing the fire, and as she was doing SO Sen
ders was trying TO get IN q word, sayirg,
But, my dear lady, say my dear lady,
but Don't but me, sir; 1 know MY
business and want both of you to clear
out of here and eat your breakfast and
we WENT
''Mrs. Corbett was a dandy and no mis-
take" promptly spoke GeOrge Irwin. l
took dinner there one day. The stage
driver told Us beforehand what a holy
terror she was, to put US on our guard
that we might not make any bad breaks
or incur her wrath, which we were told
was dreadful thing. We had all got
comfortably seated at the table WIN oh
was very neat. Mrs. C0rbett acted in the
capacity of hostler, cook, waiter, cashier
and general business manager. The po-
tatoes served were pretty hard looking
Things and when, as l thought, Mrs. Cor
bett was out of earshot, [ remarked that
ses for potatoes that [ had ever seen.
But it was just my luck. Mrs. Corbett
heard me and at once approached me and
standing upright alongside ny chair,
with arms akimbo, asked me what said
about her potatoes. OF course I told her
they were the best potatoes I ever saw,
that they were cooked fit for king; in
fact, better potatoes could not lie found
IL the country, and to assure her that {
was sincere l said, les not very often
get potatoes like these, and I shall take
a couple of them along TO eat on the
road.
mo you don't, sir" she said, putting
her hand III my coat pocket and taking
them out. You'll just leave them here,
and if any of you fellows don't like those
potatoes you don't have to use them, but
I'll not have you say anything about
them"
"There was fire in her eyes, ana you bet
/ congratulated myself that / got off so
easy"
"On the Benton stage line one time"
said Pardee, "there was party of us, in
Guiding young, delicate looking tender
foot, probably "a years of age. 1t was
pretty cold weather and our progress was
greatly impeded By snow storm. This
young dude kept Us in misery kicking
about the weather, and he was just fam
fishing for drink of water. We had
plenty OF the other stuff on boaru but
he wouldn't risk that nor did he feel
satisfied on eating snow. We finally
reached station about a. M, and the
proprietor of the place, who had been
necessarily awakened out of his sleep and
was pretty mad because he had to get up
at such an hour. He came out to the
saloon with his euspenders hang ing from
his trousers and rabbing his eyes. The
delicate youth was the only one standing
at the bar.
"Could you be so kind as to give me a
drink of watah, sir?" he asked. The ex-
preston of supreme surprise and disgust
on the proprietor's face can be better
imagined than surprised.
''Wateri waterv be sh Duted, edo you
want me to lead you to the creeki"
Bushels of Seorpione
Bushels and barrels of scorpions can
be raked down about Pomona" remark
ed William Suffl ar, of that vigorous Los
Angeles country town, to one of the San
Francisco Examiner men at the Baldwin
yesterday. He spoke of them as though
they were apples OF oranges fallen from
the trees.
You go out there" remarked he, "and
dig three or four inches in the sand and
out will come your scorpions. Some
times you will get half dozen in place.
Once they strike the air they get cross
and sour, an3 if you COOP three or four
of them up together you will get mag
niicent fight. There is no let up to a
tarantula when once he gets started on
the warpath. 1t means that either he is
TO die or his enemy.
1T has been raining down here, and
the rain always brings out tbs scorpions.
"You may not know there are any
around, but get a good shower or two
and you will fl ad enough to brighten you
"a corpjOn never brings forth more
than one lot of young. As soon as they
are ready TO 5egln eaSiug Shey burrow,
like lary sc, in the back of the old one, and
actually eat her alive. This Is strange
thing, but it is true. l have seen it done
many time in the five years that have
lived at Pomona and vicinity"
"A scorpion is very repulsive thing
TO look at. 1t has ten legs, E shriveled
sort of appearance, and wickedlittIe eyes.
It's color is a light yellow. Besides She
ten legs, 1t has a couple of claws. Its
sting Is in its tail and the nUickness with