Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-14
~ NELLIE CAwLISs, -
Died Of . Broken Heart June 1 1s5o.
- - Aged q YesrL z.sssh

The secret Of this strange inscription pans
out 70 be a romance Of the first water
Joseph Martin, the occupant Of the claim
whereon the grave is located, purchased
the claim from the husband Of the woman
whose remains lie beneath that marble
slab, and entered into an agreement with
the former owner Of the claim that the
slab should not be molested by him, and the
following story is from Martins lips:
when | struck the Territory five years
ago looked around for q good place 10 To-
cate. started overland from Big Stone
City 70 Watertown, and when l reached this
point came across a homesteader VINO had
turned sod on thus claim. found him
alone, apparently broken down from some
cause or another. / told him was looking
for place TO locate, and he offered me his
claim. He insisted that | take it for moth
ing. He'd been on it for two years and
wanted 10 90 back East. He was Virgin
ian, and wanted to return TO the Old Domin-
ion. finally agreed TO take the claim, pro
viding he'd accept a small amount in re-
turn. He took me out to that grave on yon-
der rise and told me his secret.
in 1875 he married Virginia girl born
near Roanoke. The wedding took place
az Philadelphia during the centennial, and
the summer was spent in sightseeing and
a pleasant honeymoon. She was the daugh-
ter Of South Carolinian, who, subsequent
TO the war. located in Maryland poorer BY
far than he was before the stars and
stripes were fired on at Fort Sumter. Her
maiden name was Nellie T. Peu, and the
death Of her father the year following her
marriage wiped out the entire lot Of her kin
ship
H.. a ~. L. u -
west and located here. While powing one
spring he Turned Up some human bones.
No particular attention was paid TO them,
as be thought they were probably the
bones Of some Indian, but with due reyer-
ence for humanity, Cowlins picked up the
bones from the furrow and reinterred them
below the plOwshare's searching point. In
removing the bones he noticed a finger
ring which had evidently been worn by the
person whose bones he had discovered.
After cleaning the dirt from the ring he
noticed marks aud letters thereon. The
ring was slipped on one Of his fingers, and
he resumed his plowing. At the dinner
table his wife noticed the ring, and he
handed il 70 her for examination She took
II, aud in an instant turned dead
ly pale and tainted. When she be
came conscious she inquired where be
had got the piece Of lewelry, and
he related the circumstances connected
with its discovery. She gave way again
and on recovering she explained the cause
of her illness. The ring was one pres uted
by her 10 auotheC sultOr, a young college
student 10 whom she had been betrutLed
The symbols Of a secret society 70 which he
belonged were on the exterior Of the ring,
and n. T. p her initials, 10 j NJ s. the
initials Of his name, John NJ Shafer, were
on the inside, engraved there BY her order
when she purchased il for q Christmas
present for him.
"Caw!ins argued with her that probably
the ring had passed into the hands Of 81 me
one else, but she believed otherwise
Shafer had gone 10 the Northwest aud had
never been heard from, and tue bones up-
earthed by Cawllns We're, in her opinion.
undoubtedly his. Her old love for her hrst
suitOr returned. She became IN through
constantly having her mind on the ring
matter, aud her death followed She had
requested before her death that her re
mains be inferred at the spot where the
ring was found, and that her grave be
marked by a stone bearing the words you've
read
"After CRwlins went East" said Martin.
"h6 sent that slab, and placed u on the
grave Idon't know wha, became Of MIN.
or whether he is alive yet, bat The way In
which he bruOded over this affair led me 10
ocneye that IL wouldn't be many years be
fore bed need a gravest0ue, and one with
aa INSCRIPTION similar 70 that one out
there" ---.