The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-08
CALAMITY JiNE IO-DIT.
Bret Harris Heroine Now u Peaceful Book
Agent.
WOMAN who has killed more than


WOMAN who has killed more than
n tive score OF Indians, who has
~ met and conquered a dozen bad
n men. ana has been IN more dead
~ rows than falls 10 the lot OF a
hundred average men. is now earning
living as a book agent. This Is Calamity
Jane. Bret Harte made her famous in
the Luck of Roaring Camp but the
woman pictured by the novelist and the
real Camlamity Jane are quite different
pcrsonages.
Many people have supposed that Calam-
ity Jane never existed. except In the i'm
agination Of the writer. But she does
exist, and at this particular time she IS
tramping from house to house in Helena,
Mont, selling a boOk-a book she wrote
herself and about herself. As a literary
gem il will never create furore among
posterity, but this does not bother the
authoress; all she aspires to is a sale
sufficient to clothe and feed herself until
something better turns up. She freely
Acknowledges that she delved into litera-
ture only as final resource. She was
face TO face with poverty, so she wrote
look. Moreover she wants 10 educate
her daughter. and If the sales are nu-
mcrOus enough this will be done.
The real Calamity Jane is a woman of
fcrty-fOur years. Weighing less than .
pounds. and about i've feet three inches
I'm height. She has gray eyes. brown
hair. "a wcather-bcaten face. and am ordi-
nary raw-boned figure. There is nothing
remarkable about her. as far as looks 20.
but. as she says when it comes down
10 cold cases ! am there This vague
remark may mean great variety Of
things. but its literal meaning is that
when danger come. her way she won
flank
MRS. CLINTON BURKE.
In private life she IS Mrs. Clinton
Burke having married a gentleman of
that name 40 FL Paso. Tex, some ten
years ago. Her maiden name was Martha
Canary She was born i'm Princeton Mo.
in 1852. and while a baby her mother died.
When ten years Of age her father took
her 10 Virginia City. New, whore the
widest spirits Of tho West. both red and
white, c0ngrceated. From the first she
was thrown in contact with men Of the
desperate type. and shooting scrdpos
were ordinary events in her life. Natur-
ally. she learned 10 shoot and 10 look out
for her own welfare. for m that reckless
community IL was ql-ie necessary that
woman should be able 10 care FOR herself
as We'll ass a man.
III one Oh the fVilrNNlA rfilllliNtEfr WIN
the Indians her father was killed and
the family was broken up. Martha had
10 shift for herself. and az al she could
do was TO ride and shoot. she got a po-
sition as scout under Cen. Crook This
was not "A rare thing among frontier wo-
men in these days. They knew the ways
Of the Indians better than the trained
soldiers from the East. and as they cX-
pocted no favors on account OF their sex.
They were ass efficient i'm the work as men.
HAD PLENTY or NERVE.
Martha Canary soon worked up 10
leadership among these women. She was
Lut fifteen when she first became q gov
eminent scout. and had all the audacity
Of youth. Besides She was absolutely
fearless. and had nerves Of rock Nothing
was too hazardous for her TO undertake.
and in a few years she had a reputa-
ton for reckless courage which made
her conspicuous among people where that
quality was common.
To recount the number Of ARRAYS IN
which she figured would be n long task.
She earned her title of Calamity Jane hv
q bit Of rallantry deserving Of handsomer
rccornifion n was during Clusters Nez
Perez campaign in lS72-'73. Wherever
Custer was there was always plenty of
lighting. and ass fighting was her hobby.
Calamity Jane was there too
one of the small scrimmaCes of this
campaign is called the battle Of Goose
Creek camp. 4 company Of soldiers COM
mandcd hy n Young captain named Egan.
We're surprised and surrounded by In
dams. and the soldiers were getting the
worst of it. Calamity Jane was outside
tho circle Of Indians watching the fight
and when her experienced eye told her
that II was only a question OF minutes
when the soldiers would be wiped out
she managed - work her way safely
through the Indians 90 her comrades. On
reaching that point she discovered that
the Captain was wounded. and the sol
d'crs drmoralized. There was only one
good horse left and getting the Captain
across the saddle. she got mp behind him
and then cut loose. She knew the country
letter than the pursuing Indians. and
managed 10 reach point OF safety. The
diversion she created by the escape gave
a few of the soldiers q chance TO get
away. but the bulk Of 'hcm were mas
sacred. IL was Capt. E-an who gave her
the name Of Calamity Jane. and later her
fame under that title spread from the
pakotas TO the western line of Montana
80 CHOICE is WEAPONS.
In the Black Hills lctwccn Custer and
I'afUaod sic was best known. and when
That region was in most lawioss stages
she was n central figure. She was a
leading spirit IN the vIgilant committees
and OBLIGATED M scores Of lynching bees
She always dressed il mems clothes and
never appeared without revolver or
rifle. But snc didn't hesitate TO use other
weapons when her irc was aroused.
The tragedy which ended John Mccaurs
life showed this. McCaul was a stage
coach driver az Deadwo0d. and one day
he shot "a man called Wild Bill In the
back. Bill died. Ue was one OF the
choice friends Of Calamity Jane. When
she heard Of the shooting she rushed
out of her shanty with a butchers
cicavcr IN her hand. She gave whoop,
which brought the sfraegicrs I'm town 10
her heels. and they joined eagerly in the
chase for McCaul He was found half
drunk. and the clcavor in the hands OF
aiamity Jane almost scared him 10
death. Some of The people proposed that
Jane should finish him with the cloaver
hut the mider spirits objected. so he was
lyrchcd 90 the conventional way, att
'1ef'd tc the limb % tree. with Jane
landing guard with the clcaver.
The curious part OF AN this is that six
months before Jane had saved McCauls
life. She and six Others were passengers
ca Mofflu1fe coach ,sfnufug from Dead.