The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-08
FORTUNE FOR A DRESS
AND 1T WAS ONLY A SIMPLE CALICO
GOWN FOR A POOR WOMAN.
How a Western Postmistress, Who
Had Nothing, Helped nm Even
Less Fortunate Woman

"I chance to know OF an incident Of q
woman's life that is a true story" said
Attorney ". W.. Thornton, recently, dur
ing a discussion of fake newspaper
stories. This woman once lived in a
thriving town. but now resides somewhere
on the Pacific coast. She was well quail
fed. to make her own way in the world
and had the resolution to do it if neces-
sary. Several years before the Union Pa
cifc railway was completed she crossed
the plains alone in the middle of winter.
Often she would be the only occupan of
the stage and frequently at the end of a
days journey she would be unable to walk
from the coach to the rud hotel. so be-
numbed with cold were her limbs. She
made the trip to Salt Lake city in order
to join her husband. who was in Idaho.
He was a miner, but things were not well
with him, and few nuggets of gold came his
way. His wife was the only woman in the
rough mining camp, and the miners had
her appointed postmistress shortly after her
arrival. She was also made registrar of
mining claims. Things drifted along for a
year or so, the little postmistress and her
husband hoping and wondering IL they
would not strike a lead They were, how
ever, as well Off as their ~neighbors. The
miners were poor; too poor often to pay the
fee of two dollars for registering their
claims. Often they would sign to the post
mistress a part of their claim in payment
of the fee. These assignments were reg
istered on a separate blank and assigned
10 her as her own claim. AS they were
made over to her she placed them on a
hook and in the course of several months
had a considerable number on file. None
of them was considered OF any value.
One day. said she, in relating to me
her story. "a woman came riding over the
mountain from another valley. Her horse
was so attenuated that 1t could scarcely
stand under her weight, and she rode with
out saddle or bride. Her feet were with
a cheap and faded calico dress. She want
ed work, and at once elected my sympa-
thy, but I told her / could not help her for
something to do and 1 explained that it
was impossible for me to help her, but I
told her that / had a calico dress desired
made up e1d if she would do 1t she could
have her cnoice OF the mining claims hang
ing on the hook. To this she agreed and
took the calico home. In a week she re-
hook Of claims that had been assigned to
me and directed her to take her choice.
She walked over to the hook and took the
slips off one by one. She turned them over
and put them back, irresolute as to the one
she would choose. To her one claim
seemed as good as another. First she
would PICK up one, read III, lay IL down
and take up another. 1 can see the woman
yet as she stood undecided in that little
rough office. Finally she held up a slip
and said she believed she would take it.
/ assigned the claim to her and she rode
back over the mountains in the hot July
sum-
Here my friend hesitated," continued
the attorney. There was a faraway look
in her eye and 1 imagined that she saw a
solitary horse and rider disappearing over
the mountain.
And how about the claims?'" I asked.
".All the claims left on the hook proved
worthless, as did all that I ever a~fterward
received she replied. I am here to-day
earning my living by hard work. The last
/ heard of that other woman was that she
was living in luxurious style in a five-story
b~rown-stone front on Fifth avenue. New
York city. Don't you think / paid a rather
handsome price for that dress?"