Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-15
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Creole Amethyst Mcdonald e Her Name
and She Got Great Welcome.
On Feb. 10 baby was born ia Camp
Creede. Il was the first, and az such
will occupy unique niche in history.
The news Of the occurrence thrilled the
camp. and its effect was electrical J. s.
Mcdonald. canny Scot. was the IA
ther, and for four days the thatched
cabin Of the hardy miner was besieged
with great rough men frenzied TO get a
peep at the "barby.r When finally its
mother consented to the sweet faced lit
tie tot being brought out, the scene
around the house was remarkable.
The big. brawny fellows seized it as
If TO devour the wee bundle of dabby
flesh. and chncked its dimpled chin and
cheeks with the affection of women. Its
father was king Of Jimtown for II week,
and contrary TO the usual rule his money
was too good to buy cigars Any man
who would bring the magic. softening
influence Of a baby into the rough life
Of camp was deserving of the best. And
Mcdonald got IT, John Kinneavy start
ed a subscription for the mother, father
and baby. To the father was given two
suits of clothes, a mining outfit and a
Jug of Old Crow. The mother WIS pre-
sented with the most palatial reaidence
in the heart of the Four Hundred on
Capitol hill, a blue silk dress and a
monster bonnet, with a huge ostrich
plume on it that trailed foot beyond
the rim of the headgear.
But what was to be the baby's manner
That was a question of such heavy
weight that three days of solemn dclib.
GRAFTON were devoted to it's discussion.
The father exhausted the entire galnut
Of the Mcdonald patronymics. but none
of them suited the camp. AS the prod
ICY was a girl the mother considered it
her exclusive privilege to choofe the
name. Mary, Sarah. Elizabeth and all
the grand old names were sugges, ed to
no avail, and then Mrs. Mcdonald in
desperation ran over all the fGnciful
names the novelists are so fond of. such
as Maud. Lille. Clarisse, Pearl, etc
But TO none of these would the miners
agree. A council was held, and after a
lengthy debate in which every man of
the seventy-fve present had voice, E.
g. Coffman. a society leader of Denver,
who now looks tougher than the most
begiimed miner, shouted from the top
of beer keg:
"How is Creede Amethyst McDonaldY'
"GoodT "Finer' Couldn't be bet
teri were some of the enthusiastic re-
sponses The appropriateness of the
name was at once apparent to all of
them. 1t combined all the elements of
popularity in the camp. The first part
of it suggested the hardihood of the
founder of the camp, and the second
part was a reminder of the richest vein
in the district. Withal, the name was
euphonious and exactly the sex of the
baby. Then Creede was sent for. He
was told of the object of the meeting
and its result, with a broad hint of what
was expected of him.
"Well," said the prospector, with his
homely face suffused with bushes, "Tll
do as much as any of you, boys, and
maybe little more. Ill give the baby
the Daisy mine, which is right close to
the Amethyst, and might turn out to be
on the same vein. Besides, I'll send to
Pueblo for 800 worth of togs for the
little one and give it gold ring and ear
rings"
This speech was greeted with three
cheers and tiger, and then the meeting
turned its attention to another very inn
portant point. The baby would have to
be christened, and who could do that
job better or was moro entitled to the
honor than the Rev. John CASTOR. of
Ouray, who had preached the first SER
mon In camp in Watrous, Banninger &
Co.'S gambling rooms. This happy
thought flew from nook in the seeth-
ing think box of Cy Warmon, poet of
the Rockies and managing editor and
literary director Of the Creede Anne
thyst, one of the three daily papers of
the camp. Cad Davis, editor Of the
Leadville Herald Democrat and one of
the recognized leaders Of public thought
in Creede and Jimtown, was consulted
and gave it his sanction The prepara-
tions for the christening were intrusted
to johnson, of the Creede Candle; To-
Der and Warmon, of The Amethyst;
Lewis, of The News, and Lawyer Brain
ard, just from Harvard.
The date of the christening hasn't yet
been fixed, but when it does occur II
promises TO be an event of even more in
terest TO the camp than the discovery of
another vein richer than the Last Chance
Warmon will write poem, Davis Is to
deliver an address and Hugh Mahon, of
the Colorado Graphic, is to read an es-
say on the Malthusian theory. .-Creede
Cor. st. Louis Globe-D Democrat.