Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-02-10
A Plucky Little Woman
EN CHARLES L. LEWIS.

In the building of the first greai
trunk line of railroad across tho con.
tinent upward of 10000 men were
killed by the Indians or met deatl
through sickness or accident. During
the first three or four years of train
service tramps aud toughs and terrors
made life burden for all train con-
ductors, aud the small stations were
entirely at their mercy. There were
plenty of telegraph operators out of a
Job who could not be induced to take
lone station at any salary, and
sometimes the company had 10 send
three men to one station where there
was little Or nothing for one to do.
Lone Pine station was up in the
mountains, just at tho east end of a
long stretch of snow sheds. 1t was
thirteen miles from Bad Creek to the
west and eleven from Big Rock to the
east. The names of these stations.
together with dozens of others, have
since been changed. At the date |
write OF man named Clark had the
Big Rock station. had Bad Greek
and new agent and operator had Just
taken possession of Lone Pine. That
station had been vacant for week.
1t had been held by young man
named Reed for about three months,
but one night he was found dead and
robbed-the work Of tue lawless. cie-
inent then ovcrrunning the West.
The first news got from the new
agent came from herself over the wire
one day, and this is what she said:
"Allow me 10 introduce myself as
Mrs. Hadley, the new agent at Lone
Pine. | am just out from Chicago.
Charming place this, aud | know
shall like ii. Hope to become better
acquainted.
found out lalci on that she was Il
widow about 25 years old, good look
ing, well educated, aud possessed
plenty of courage and common sense.
just why she didn't do rs most other
young widows do was no ones busi-
ness but her own. Finding that she
must earn her own living, she learned
telegraphy and came down the road in
search of a place. They didn't want
10 give her the station at Lone Pine,
but she was so persistent that she was
finally Installed. As at many other
stations, she had to gather her own
drcwood and cook her own provisions,
and there were many aunoyauces TO be
encountered
Clark and were both knocked oul
70 find that n woman had been sent to
Lone Pine. Had it been a man we
should have expected him to take care
Of himself, bul as it was we couldn't
help but worry. There was hardly
day that we didn't have to drive some
ougli out of our houses at The muzzle
Of shotgun, and both of us had lwic,
been held IN aud cleaned out by
gangs. Her station was even more
solated, aud though her sex might be
'espcced by some, there were men
abroad as wicked as the old time
pirates In response to our inquiries
'he assured us hat she had been pro-
fided with the regular outfit of
Weapons by the company, aud that
the should not hesitate to shoot if she
found it necessary.
1t was in May when the liL,lc wo.
nan took possession. In describing
Scr | did not say that she was little.
but such was ihe fact. Her weight
vas not over 100 pounds, and She
ooked more like girl of l6 than
Noman of 2G. got Il chance TO run
up and see her ono afternoon in The
month, and found her nicely settled.
She had been more or less annovcd by
'oughs, but there had been no occa-
ZION 10 test her nerve as yet. found
her doubled 6arreIlc,l shotgun loaded
with huckshot ani her navy revolver
,eady for business, and she assured
ne that she should not hesitate TO lire
ipon any man who meuaced her
lafety.
| went home much relieved in mind.
Outside of The fraternal feeling so
ltrong outside of the brotherhood of
ihc key, there was something in the
thought of that little woman being
perched up there alone among the
grim hills and wild forests calculated
10 keep a man awake when he shonld
have been sound asleep in his cot The
hrst alarm came one night early in
July. In the forenoon of that day
Two very rough-Iooking men had
Iome up the track from the west,