The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-03
OLD MRS. DILL.

Fl come TO fs1s nsouBtsnes IN 70,
she often said. ian I've lived IN the
uaountings ever sensse, an il aint the
fs1st time IRE bera left the only 40.
man they was In rHisfrs camp. I've
Tired long - a year 'ti1out sesin the
face Of no woman 'ceptin my OWE
wher. ! looked Ia 4 ssis Of iookin' glass.
/ was the fast woman IN Camp Para
disc, an reckon I'll be the last e
leave ser. 2
Her many years Of lie in tina
ssnounsings' had told on Mrs. Dill
she vas bent and gauns. with Ieath
err. wFinkIesi fare and bony, caliousea
hands. Her face and voice her whols
manner WAS masculine. The few
gyaces that asd axe vouchcasas il
chosen ones had not been given to Mrs,
Dill. chs was slHc0uth and repeIlIne
In appearance, the resHslt Of years and
years OF struggling against adverse
fates amid the demoraIixing influences
Of mining camp life.
They amt no kind o. roughin' /;
that 1 amt used To, she often said.
Lord II | atn't roughed II don
know who has. They aEn't gnich ii
this part o. the fnountings amt been
in or a trail | amt been over. I've
lived In tents and log cabins and some
times under nothin' bat the trees for
mors than thirty year Dill lie never
once struck II rich in aii that tune,
and be died poorer n he was when We
come out here from old Missouri.
WED good farm back there, but
DID hs got the goid-Rinin craze. an
we sold out an come 0eit here with an
OK team An put our farm into q hose
In the ground, ez % body might say,
an we've Etfver got IL out az In. Talk
bout hard lines and ronghin' 1t. good
Lord YOU raight say 30 II you'd went
through all have.
Mr.. Dill had been dead six years,
leaving his widow homeless and pen.
niiess. Some OF the miners IN the
camp IN which old man Dill died
offered 70 raise u fund 10 send her
back % her friends II she cared 10 20,
hut she had declined the offer.
'sf'vs lived in the mountingx toe
long to live any place else nov, she
said and. anyhow, | hain't got nc
friends 10 60 10. I'll stay here and
rough Ii out TO the end.
She had been among the first corners
to Camp Paradise In the DAYS OF that
camps short lived prosperity. Itvas
supposed then that the camp would
become a second Ieadvilie. Two OF
three promising strikes had been made
and willy SPECTATORS got mp a care.
fully planned .'boom" solely in tilei,
own interests. In one summer nearly
800 people eane 10 Camp Paradise
Most Of them went away again before
the year was out
alla Mrs. Dill came YEARLY up the
steep and narrow track ons
day, walking slowly behind an
aged and diminuiive birro. which
carried her worldly all ON lis back
She began her Camp Paradise career
as q iaundress. Some of the min
ers had known her Ia other camps
aud a number of Them got together
one day and built her a little cabin
and afterward gave her their rough
garments 70 wash and mend. Thes
issa her well and her wants were few
When nearly all the other cabins In
the guieh were deserted. and when al
the little white tents had been folded
up and gone away with their owners
Mrs. bill stayed on. The men rather
liked her for doing so. IL showed 4
certain loyalty To the "old camp ard
a faith in il that pleased them, 10.
those who stayed were firm ia tai
conviction that there were great re,
sources hidden away in the secret
depths OF the granite mountain tower
ing above the little town.
And they We're determined 10 fins
those treasures. 20 about 8 of Their
made common property Of their few
worldly Possessions and moved into /
long, low. rambling houseof togs, tina
bad once been hotel. for the winter
They did mere. they gave Mrs. p,Il i
home with them.
There was at one end of the buiIsiins
a little room for which the men has
no special use. and this thev mad,
very comfortable for lola Mothei
uih, n t5anv OF them called her. Fl
return Mrs. DIN kept their rough gar
naents In order, assisted about In,
cooking and made herself useful ii
other ways. There was not aaothe
woman within - miles OF Camp Para
disc, but Mrs Diii did not care 10
that.
m used 90 IL, she said.
The winter set in early IN tamp Par
atise. There @as snow on the srouns
sn October. and early In November tn
mountain slopes and gulches wer,
covered under q foot or more az SNOW
that only the suns of The coming funl
would melt.
The men could do little proSpectinl
and nothing toward deselatSinr Ia
claims they had Stakesi out during tn
summer. They spent most OF thsi
time IN hunting aud visiting The al
toanfng camp. none nf which wer
more prosperous than Camp Paradise
The men were idle In all az them. All,
the natural consequence was that the
spent much OF their time in ranhl,n,
assa drinking and in the carousal
cotninan 20 ninlas camps.
lie Mas = stormy night I'M uts-ess,i1.
nat All ssse ulen IN Camp Paradise "a
around the great fire Of pine knots il
The broad fireplace az one end ri ia
cabin.
old Mrs, nlll had gone to her iisss
Feons at tae end Ut The cabin. aud I'd
asn we're enjoying the saltckiu
Songs meSt nlsneFs knew. SS.nae q
the4a asre playing poker. an uptarne,
barrel serving FOR a table. The via,
tslew cald and firrce. and nne. h.n
dashes st sncw beat against the las
windows on either side the door.
Is early as ) O'clock some al "a
fsaeR began To talk about turning il,
for the night. Several 81 them wer
shaking up the blankets and skins i,
their rude hunks when, Without kas@
uy other sound. the door openesl sf,s
denly, AID a man came in. The ne
around the fireplace tarned their faes
aalckiy towards the visitor. and or
1T them said
We'll. Jack Downcy, what in thur
der agsngs Soa clean from down /,
camp kaarview away MP 10 old Pras
perits on such night a. this tom
la the TIRE an thag css, saAn. an giv
an aeroHat o ycrSeaf =
The man. tzll and ssliow and gr..
lied, laughed grizzly as he came foT
warss.
Come 20 Invite yea 10 tsstle Part
down to Fasrview Jed JaiSon
deal.
<As
Jed 1Udson -
Ne dout uasan i -
WHAT
led ladsoa dead
Tas speakers az spoke Al unes. -
poker PLAYERS dropped their ear.
some 81 The aafa rose hastily 90 thes
Eert.
"AAatseev as.dest Jed -
What asssaesi hSsn 80 rwreassxa "a
F.tSn sxaags. s*asxts. Fnfrxss,s. -. -