Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-06-17
THE OLD WoMAN's MONEY.

4 hE OIO wOmHIN' = mSTNCIs
We sat in the little frontier hotel at
Pine Ridge Agency that stormy De-
cember night in 80. There were a
number of us-all newspaper corre-
spondents-and few interpreters, Of
fcers and reservation employees. The
days previous had been full Of excite
ment, for the Brule and Ogallala Sioux
were engaged in the Ghost Dance or
Messiah Craze. About the Agency
General Miles had grouped some ff-
teen hundred troops; beyond their
white tents clustered the dingy tepees
of the Indians, some eight hundred Of
them.
We greatly enjoyed those evenings
in the hotel. They brought back to
memory pictures of the old West
staging, buffalo hunting, Indian fight
ing. And what fund of information
the scouts, interpreters and "old
timers" poured into our willing ears
Each one could have talked all night,
and yet left the narration Of his expe-
rience unfinished then. We were es-
pecially interested in the singular ca
reer of B. He had left home in
Connecticut, and after varied expert
ences in Iowa and Nebraska, joined
company Of miners, and with them en-
tered the new mining camp Of Dead
wood. He was then but seventeen
years old. That same winter he car
ried the first mail out of Deadwood to
the Missouri river.
B. Joined our circle while a scout
was relating some experiences with
stage-robbers in the early seventies,
and Immediately entered into the con-
versation.
$50 far as l know, the smoothest
trick, prompted by desire to save
money, ever played upon stage-rob-
bers occurred near Miles City in '79.
a load of passengers were almost with
in sight of the town. They had been
travelling all day, and were worn out,
for the roads were awful bad in those
days and all coaches bounced and
swayed very much. Having come
near their journeys end, they were
congratulating themselves. Hold-ups
had been frequent. Two heavily armed
messengers accompanied each coach,
with orders to fire on any person act
ing suspiciously.
dear me / said an elderly man
near the door, I'm glad we are safe.
l have about five hundred dollars, and
if | lost it, l don't know where | could
get more.
al can get plenty of money, said
travelling salesman, but the loss OF
what I have would put me to much
trouble out here among strangers.
1.-TWO miners and prospector, each
with large rolls, expressed their salts
faction at passing dangerous points
safely. The next speaker was little
old woman, kind and motherly in her
ways.
"'My boy has started restaurant
in town and is doing well. He wanted
me to come and help, so here | am,
goodness knows far enough away from
dear old Ohio. l thought he would
need his mother, for these mining
towns are wild, l hear, and full of
temptations. 1 have only got two hun
dred dollars. It's all the cash l have
in the world. Fearing robbers, have
put it in place where no one would
think of looking You cannot guess
where.
"Of course the guesses were all
wrong.
"'Well, l have four flty-dollar bills
against the sole of my foot inside my
left shoeT
Capital = said the elderly gentle
man. No one would ever think OF
looking for money in your shoes.
ain the far corner at the front sat a
small, slender, black haired man. He
kept between his feet little black va
lise. No one spoke to him during the
journey, and he made no sound save
occasionally to cough in a peculiar
manner. Some of the passengers
thought him to be a consumptive.
Even when general good-fellowship
prevailed he took no part in the con-
versation. Making bold, the old lady