Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-01-25
The QUEEN or THE PLAINS
Some Interesting Gossip About
Calamity Jane.
Got Her Sobriquet From an Army
Officer Whose Life She Saved
In Battle--Living in
Deadwood.

Deadwood. s. D., Jan. 1S.-Probably
the best known character In the West
today IL Calamity Jane, the heroine of
~numberless newspaper n magazine
stories. There Is probably not a news
paper or magazine published In the
United States that has not contained
more or less reading matter about TINS
celebrated character and her thrilling
experiences and exploits during the pio-
neer days in the wes;.
During the past few days Judge
Knight of the Third judicial district OF
Wyoming, whose home Is at Evanston,
had occasion to visit the western part
Of South Dakota. and while in Dead
wood learned hat Calamity Jane was
again a resident of the town. This re-
minded him thai there was a man in JAIL
at Evanston who claimed 10 be a broth-
err of the noted female scout. The judge
sought an interview with Calamity
Jane, and was informed that the man
was indeed her brother, although she
was not aware up to that time that lie
was IN Jail. The brothers name is Lige
Canery, and he, with a gang or others
had been making a practice or hoobllhs
horses and driving them on me Union
Pacific railroad track so hat trains
would run into and Kill or cripple some
Of them, thus furnishing an excuse to
BRING actions for damages against the
railroad company. Details OF their
scheme leaking out the authorities were
notified, and some keen detective work
landed Canery in jail to await The next
term Of court. His companions were
more wary and escaped detection,
Judge knight knew Calamity Jane at
South Pass City, Wyo., when she was
but rs years of age, and gives some IN
teres;ing and new information concern
ing the early days of her life. AT h a
time she IA not assumed her wild ana
reckless career. She was taken 20 south
Pass by u. y. Gallagher and wife, and
as w at that age she was inclined 10
be somewhat Maynard and headstrong,
Mrs. Gallagher was accustomed 10 re-
sort to rcproOfs that were more impress
siVe than elegant, in n instance adj
ministering a SCUM spanking 10 the
girl in the presence of a molly thrOng OIL
frontier people. This was in 1871. The
surroundings of South Pass finally be-
came decidedly wearisOme to the high
strung giIl, and she rapidly entered
upon her life of daring, dissipation, eN
posture and privation, Joining Clusters
command of cavalry Whcn the oppor-
tunity presented itself.
lane says she was first called Calam-
ity Jane in the summer of 1872 by Cap
tain Egan. OF the United States army,
She was at the time stationed with a
body Of United States troops at "A mill
tary post on Goose creek, WNO. She
was in the employ of the government as
a scout, and in her time has ridden the
plains with such men as Buffalo Bill
William +. Cody. Wild Bill DANES Il
Hickok), and others. one day she ac'
companied "A small scouting party which
was fired upon by Indians. Captain
Egan was wounded, and while Keeling
in his saddle and about to fall 10 the
ground the female scout went to his as
sistance, and drawing him oven on her
own horse escaped from the enemy and
carried the wounded officer In safety to
the post. After his recovery he m day
CHANGED TO refer to her as Calamity
Jane" and the name has since chung TO
her.
Jane afterwards went to Fort Lara
mic, still as a scout in the employ of the
government. She entered the Black
IllllS u w illSN III III loio WIN" n ~
tRGaepepitoRt to tfeaRsSe WAislhe epsssHassssEgaateSd
goldseekers who had stolen into the
country in defiance TO the fact that II
still belonged to the Sioux Indians.
Some accounts credit Calamity Jane
with being the first white woman to
enter the Hills but this Is incorrect.
She again visited the Black Hills In 1876,
after that region had been opened to set
element in conformity with the terms of
q treaty negotiated with the Sioux, and
remained there until the fall of 1877.
She claims that she assisted in arrest
ing Jack Mccall, the cowardly despera1
do who assassinated Wild Bill in Dead
wood on August ., 1876. During this
time she associated constantly with the
most desperate characters, frequented
saloons and dance halls, but seldom hat
any serious trouble.
After her exploits In the Black Hills
she married a ranchman named Burke
and for a time prior TO her return to the
Black Hills a few months ago, lived
with her husband on a ranch about four
teen miles from Ekalaka, Mont. One
day recently Calamity Jane astonished
the natives by indulging in practic,
with a Winchester rifle. She did som,
good shooting. although she had hardly
handled a rifle during the past fifteer
years. At 100 PAGES she put five bullet.
out Of eight In a six inch bullseye
When a government scout she Is said tc
have been an excellent markswomar
with either rifle, shotgun or sixshooter
and was enabled to hold her own with
the best shots among the famous front.
iersmen Of early days, when almost
their very existence depended on Their
skill with firearms. This remarkable
woman was never Of an ugly disposition
and never curried trouble with anyone
but she Is credited with never having
showed the white feather, and ever the
most desperate outlaw feared her.