The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-30
A FRONTIER WOMAN
Calamity Jane, a Heroine Of Clusters
Campaign, to Visit Chicago.
HER CAREER IN THE WEST
She Drank a Little. Was Handy
with the Gun and the Bowie
Knife. and Wore
eIoomers.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
In the written and unwritten history
Of life on the frontier a quarter OF a
century ago there was no character
that doomed up brighter or more prom
inently than Calamity Jane" the he
rome of a hundred battles with Indians
and guerrillas. and OF a score of lynch
ings. 4 woman Of remarkable bravery
she absolutely knew no fear of any
thing-she had for a number OF years
a most wonderful career in the wilds
of Wyoming and the Dakotas along in
the latter part of the COS and until af-
ter the gold fever had partially sub
sided i'm the Black Hills. and the steady
and relentless march OF civilization had
changed Deadwood from mere min
ing camp into a hustllng little city.
Nobody seemed to know who Ca
lamity Jane" was or where she came
from when she first appeared In Dead
wood. and, though she had figured as
character in many books and magazine
and newspaper articles. 1t is doubtful
If there is to-day one person in 10000
who have read of her that could tell
how or where she achieved fame, un-
less he or she is a devotee of Bret
Harte and can recall the incidents of
THE Luck OF Roaring Camp"
a SINGULAR CHARACTER.
Calamity Jane was one OF three per-
sonages who were most prominent on
the western frontier % years ago. Her
associates were Col. w. +. Cody (Buf-
falo Bid and William Hickock. who
was known in those days as wild
I Bill" OF Cody IL is necessary 10 say
little: he has become a rich and power
full Snowman. and makes every sum-
mer more money than he saw all told
while acting as a government scout
# mo
an ignominous death at the hands OF
an assassin. being shot down from be-
hiud by an outlaw named Jack Nc
can. who was captured and strung up
by the friends OF the murdered man.
Calamity was one Of the lynching par
Is and assisted In avenging the muir
der of her friend and associate.
James maiden name was Martha
Canary and she is a native OF New
. England. She was q young girl when
she went tout west" and her rowing
disposition tempted her Into following
the life Of scout, and II was while
engaged in this unusual occupation.
for "A woman. that she received her sim
gular nickname. she was with small
detachment OF soldiers from Goose
Creek Vamp when the party was sur
rounded by hostile Indians. who were
bent on massacre Several OF the brave
men were slain and Captain Egan. the
3 OFFICER III HDIllildlus WAS Wohlufhs Tie
reeced In his saddle and would have
fallen 10 the ground but for Martha
Canary She spurred her horse to his
side. seized him as he was about to
I fail and pulled him over on her horse
+ in front OF her. She then made a dash
through the ranks OF the redskins ana
/ brought the wounded man safely 10
/ camp.
Captain Egan's life was not the only
! one thus saved by the brave female
scout. and II seemed that wherever
/ danger was there she was sure TO be
/ found. This fact was jokingly referred
+ 10 by Captain Egan. who laughingly
/ called her Calamity Jane" The name
stuck to her in after years, and as such
! she has been known to thousands who
+ could not have told for certain that
she ever had any other. Even after
her marriage to a prosperous ranch
man named Burke it made no differ
] ence-"Calamity Jane" she had been
+ and Calamity Jane" she remained.
Jane has always dressed in mans
apparel Her suit of buckskln was al
ways wen made and fitted her neatly
/ and It always showed a bit of feminin-
/ lty I'm decoration. Astride a swift horse.
with her long black hair flying behind
as she dashed over hill and dale. she
was a picturesque creature, and one,
too. who was comely and attractive.
She was not. perhaps, "a paragon of
feminine perfection, for she was an as
T sociate Of desperadoes. a frequent visi-
tor to the dance halls that graced-or
more frequently disgraced ~ frontier
towns and mining camps; she drank a
little now and then. though never 10
I excess: she was a splendid shot with
rife and revolver. her prowess being
admitted by scores OF marksmen whom
+ she had defeated. and she was very
handy. too. with a bowie knife. She
. could ride the most vicious horse or
I mustang in n manner that excited the
envy Of the most accomplished cowboy.
HAD MANY GOOD TRAITS.
And yet, though the church people
might not have called her good wo-
man. she had many traits that will
certainly be recorded in her favor in
the great book OF life. There was a
genuine feminine tenderness In her
heart which prompted her 10 share her
last dollar or last strip OF bacon with
hungry miner. and, though she
might have participated in a lynching,
she was ever ready 20 soOthe the dy-
ing or 10 perform the last sad rites for
the dead. Love Of adventure sent heE
into the Black Hills with the soldiers
whe nthe government troops drove out
the crowds Of white invaders. but, not
long after she had been there. she
chose to cast her lot with the enemy
the prospcct0rs. and remained there
for a number Of years as "one OF the
boys"
Jane may be regarded as the pioneer
new woman" for. though she mar
Fied and became a mother. she never
discarded her jaunty scouts apparel
She is Mrs. NJ. Burke Ia private life
but she wears the-well. she Is right
in ~" with Mr.. Burke. With the ad-
vance OF civilization Jane left Dead
wood and moved with her husband C
ranch 100 miles from any railroad
They were blessed with two charming
little daughters. and though Calamity
never had no education herself. she
/ appreciates the value OF book learn
In" and intends thar her girls shall
be able 10 do more than make theii
| mark at the bottom OF a document
| with this object in view-to give hel
little ones the benefit OF a good educa'