The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-06-17

pectors aud spectators, tho story came
to Il quiet little widow. Mrs. Reid Miller,
living in the town of Bcdell. She was a
native of Vienna, but had been in Ameri-
Gu for thirteen years, of which time five
months had been passed in New York
City, and the rest in Pueblo, Alamosa,
aud other towns of the Silver State. Mrs.
Miller had during much Of this time sup
ported herself and her child, now boy
of six, chiefly by cooking and house
work. She had heard over and over
again the marvellous stories of quickly
acquired wealth in the mining camps Of
the mountain region, and had been wait.
ing for some time to hear OF another
strike that she might herself try her luck
along with the rest who always rush to
every new town where opportunities for
speculation offer. The story Of the Holy
Moses camo to her as did the signal to
the Oklahoma boomers. She was ready
to start instantly, regardless of her own
poverty or the future Of the camp. With
sutficicnt bedding and camp kit for her
self and boy, and no more, she got on
the sled of II freighter with whom she
was acquainted who was bound up the
valley with goods to the new Eldorado.
She was obliged to run in debt io- her
transportation, but no prospector ever
took grub stake with a lighter heart or
more confidence of success than Mrs.
Miller IN accepting this loan.
The UutIit with Mrs. Miller reached
Creole on April 1st, 1891. Crccdc at
that time consisted Of few houses
crowded int" the deep and narrow gulch
between Campbell and Mammoth Noun
tains. There was no street in the town
simply II trail between tho houses, wide
enough for freight team to pass
through. The gulch was full of snow and
ice; one could tell that n stream was
there only by hearing the roar of the
water beneath n deep covering of mixed
snow and ice.
Mrs. Miller looked over the camp just
oncc--it took her about half an hour
only to decide that she did not want to
remain there. 1t was too crowded. If
the camp was to grow it could grew in
but one dircction-down stream. A few
hundred yards below the ruck of shanties,
the gnlch suddenly expanded into a
widening valley that would afford ample
building spacc for II town. There were
indeed, two houses down there already.
Cnnrles Born, prospector, had built
little log cabin there for headquarters,
and Lotus II Hastings had opened a
saloon. Mrs. Miller determined to 90
down there and see what she could do.
Luckily for her she met about this
time carpenter named Mahoney, whom
she had known when living in Bedel
Mahoney asked her what she was going
TO do, and she said she was going to
open restaurant down below in some
way. Straightway Mahoney offered to
build her house for the business.
"But have no money" she said
"That's all right. Pay me when you
get it," Thereupon it was agreed that a
log house, 26x4O feet. should be erected
among the willows, not far from Pros
pector Born's cabin for the sum Of $l10,
TO be paid whenever Mrs. Miller should
: ct it.
Mahoney began work the next day
(Aprll y, and built the house as promptly
and substantially as he would have done
hal the cash awaited the last stroke of
'hc tools. True, 1T was not much of q
noise. There was no floor, for instance,
md the door had no panels. But it was
Il good mining camp house, and Mrs.
Miller was greatly pleased with it. 1t had
!ahen three weeks to complete it. One
hardly knows whether to laugh or to
shed tears when hearing Mrs. Miller tell
how she began to run restaurant in
that cabin.
"My stove was very old and broken.
For table had an old door, obtained
up town. 1t was nailed on a short log
# wood set on end in the middle Of the
room. For chairs l had empty boxes
boxes and two or three blocks cut from
: log. | had three plates, a tin cup for
coliee, and enough knives aud forks to
y with the plates. had one kettSand
frying pan, and that's all But the
liners did not care. They said: Just
we us what you have and it is all right.
ihey were very kind to me-"
Her provisions, including bread, pur-
chased on credit, had to be brought IRON
Del Norte, forty miles away, down the
valley, at a cost of two cents pound fol
freight. But she sold from seventy to