The morning call., 1893-02-28
CHIHUAHUA.


scamp" far UP in the Rocky Mountains.
lt-had grown in six months from one log
cabin to a town of thousand Inhabitants
Ii was rough. unpretentious town. both as
regards its buildings ana large number of
its citizens: but under the duck suit of the
miner there are more honest hearts, more
noble and generous natures, than will be
found in almost any other calling in life.
With the rush of miners came a rush of
gam bers. Four saloons sprang into exist
ence in night. Then began the erection
OF the most commodious and pretentious
building In the campfire Palace Dance
Hail-which was hurried to completion. 1t
looked more like barn than palace, but
it proved as great an attraction Tor the
feverlsh wealth and pleaSure-seeklngp pop
ulafion Of PyriIes as though its walls were
of lincrusta and lis floors of yariegated
marble.
1t is noticeable fact about new
mining camp that the most high-sounding
titles are applied to the most common
looking structures; the cheapest place
always has the grandest name. For in
stance. the Delmonico restaurant was the
worst Of all the eating esta blishments in
Pyrites, and the Windsor Hotel offered the
poorest accommodations of any hostelry in
the place. The ST.. James livery stable
bad nothing better in the shape of equines
than some broken-down stage-horses, and
the Crystal Gr0tio saloon was only a board
shanty where scent whisky was sold for
two bits drink.
The cleanest. most hOme-lke eating
house in the place was Mrs. McGuire's
restaurant. Bridget Mcclure was lively.
busting irish woman with red face and
hair shade lighter. She was popular
with 1.-THE boys" as she called the miners
who patronized her place. I'VE can
always get plenty on our forks at Mrs.
AfO[Nr - ~ fh.. nnn nf
praise bestowed on her establishment
chihuahua" Brown boarded with Mrs.
Mcclure lie was Qniet retiring sort of
a man. No one knew mucn about m, ex-
cept thut he once had some mining property
near chihuahua, Mexico. There was an
other Brown in Pyrites, SO he was given
the sobriquet of chihuahua" u dIstin-
guish him from the other Brown. He paid
bis board promptly. and was highly es-
teemed BY Mrs. Mcclure. who sometimes
spoke of him as 1.-THE widow woman's
friend" on account of his having loaned
Mrs. Mcclure $500 without security. when
the good natured Irish woman first started
in business. Now she was beyond the need
of financial assistance, and was doing
f1ourishng business: in fact, she had
been sobiiged to send to Denver for addi-
tionaI help 10 wait upon the table. The
'help" duly arrived Upon the stage and
created a sensation in Pyrites. The first
general description was given out By the
stage-driver, "Fairplay Bill" to a deeply
interested throng of listeners at the Silver
Bear saloon.
'She cum up on the stage along side of
me-" said Bill. There was three girls for
the dance. hall, besides. When we got to
the first station, at Turkey Creek Canyon,
she asked if she could ride on the seat with
me; she did so admire the scenery. l took
her up beside me on the box, and you never
heard a girl go on so about the color of the
hQ
wild flowers bloumin' on the mountain
side. She pointed out things to me about
the scenery | never see before. l never sea
girl so gone on scenery. she really dld
enjoy it. got so burned Interested, hearin'
her talk, / cum purity near slidin' the whole
outfit down the mountain, as cum round
Dead Mans Curve. She's different from
any biscult-shooter ever see.
'Purty? She's purifier than that nigh
leader % mine, but she don't put on as much
style as Kitty does, specially when she's
just been htched uD an anxious 10 90.
Purity? Ever see Elm picturs bout woman
raisin' UP out the sea? Ever see that pic
ture of Rnmyo and Julia? She's burned
sight purifier than either one OF 'em. I've
carried many hash-slInger in my time,
but | never see one like her. Most of
ems got their hair cut short and curly,
an act fresh. She's different; long hair,
blaeker'n a dark night in the canyon; big
eyes; roses in her cheeks; she's a lady.
that's what she is. | could tell that first
time see her. Guess she was glad to get
up on the box with me, way from them
dance-haIl girls They tried to get fresh
with her while she was on the inside !;
asked her If she thought she could DO bet
ter in Pyrites than she could in Denver.
She said she thought she could, cause the
wages was better.
cackley laugh, like graveyard. That's
good; you don't mean to tell me you're
eoin' to work for wages ? says she. What
are you going TO do?'
- Pm goin' TO work in Mrs. McGuire's
restaurong Just like that; restaurong =
waitin' on the table
You'll soon git over that says the
dance-h0use girl, laughn'.
81 hope so, says the little lady. but ]
amt ashamed OF any work that's honest
says she. No true woman is above earnin'
her own livia'. by manuwel labor,yif neces-
sarv,' says the little lady. And then them
three dance-hall girls had chill, and the
little lady got up ON the box with ME at the
next station, and durin' the drive up the
canyon she wanted to know il them three
ladies were goln' TO work at Mrs. McGuire's
restanrong. 100. an durn near fell off the
box. l had TO throw the silk into the
leaders an kind O. git my attention 'tracted
TO the bosses before / could git my face
straight enuff to tell her Il guess not I'm
burned if she ever got on to the fact tn at
them girls inside was dance-hali girls; she's
a lady, she Is.
This was how Doris Ware came to Pyrites
to be the help" at Mrs. McGuire's restau-
rant 1t was not strange that the business
of the restaurant increased. Mrs. McGuire's
new waitergiri was very. very pretty. and a
pretty face Is an attraction anywhere, but
especially SO IN new mining camp. where
women constitute very small minority of
the population.
q 1t is not strange either that many OF Mrs.
McGuire's boarderS fell in love with Mrs.
McGlire'S waitress. There was quite no.
ticeable sffucing up in the way of general
appearance among the boarders. Two or
three Of 1.-THE boys" affected brigEt-eol0red
ties, and when they came to their meals
they were particular about washing their
faces very clean. They seemed to put more
than the usual amount Of water on their
hair and combed it back slicker than they
had been in the habit of doing. All this
seemed to have no effect upon Mrs. Nc
CURES help. she was as demure. retiring
and modest as when she firstarrived. There
was one boarder who loved the pretty walter
girl with the consuming passion OF Il secret
affection. He scarcely dared raise his eyes
to her. he was so diffident. The futter of
her dress was sufficient to cause every
nerve in his body to tremble. If she spoke
to him he was sure to put lump Of butter
in his coffee or sprinkle sugar all over
his plate during the ensuing moment of
confusion. This boarder was "Chihuahua
Brown. He was reserved in his manner, SO
quiet and gentlemanly, that Doris was
naturally attracted to him. They became
friends and gradually Chihuahua" Brown
learned of the past life of Doris Ware. Her
father had been man of wealth; be was
specula.or. A bad investment had left him
almost penniless. He lacked the moral
courage to face adversely, and in moment
OF desperation and dependency he blew
ont his brains The shock almost killed MS
wife, woman OF delicate. nervous tenn
permanent. His daughter Dorit rose supe-
rior to the occasion. She supported her
mother from the rather small wages she
earned in store. One day she read an adj
vertisement in a Western paper: 'Ten
girls wanted for light, easy occupation In
the mountains; wages S25 per week" With
such large wages she could comfortably
support her mother. The amount was more
ha al ham