Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-10
WOMAN MINER OF .4e. .
As Far 10 the ComstOck Then IA Ia
the kIondike Now

burlington. Ia, may not be without
interest to those who have already
caught the fever of ~. The story was
told by her daughter, who is now resi-
dent of this city Mother was one of
those first famous 'forty-niners,' though
not by any means of her own planning
or election. A New Yorker by birth, thes
daughter of an Episcopal clergyman. n
series of most unfortunate circumS
stances found her stranded, in the falP
of As, in small town near the Mis-
sissippi, with a tiny baby and IN great
financial straits. a party of gold seek
ers came through about that time, on
their way to the new Eldorado. Ntothee
begged to be allowed to join their train,
as, alone and penniless as she was, she
could never expect to find her ways
across the wilderness that then sep
arated the seaboard states from the
present great highway of commerce.
LAS is the case now with parties bound
| for Alaska. these travellers had little IL
| anything TO spare from their meager
stores for any outsider; but rather than
| be left behind in her extremity, mother
| undertook the hazardous journey west
| ward with this certainty of privation
before her, and even the possibility OF
| starvation, should the journey prQye
longer than the provisions lasted.
For many weeks she eIed out n bare
| existence upon roots, twigs and any
| thing which came to hand that could
be utilized to keep body and soul to-
gether. But the 'diggings' once reached.
| there was plenty to do. Unlike the
Klondike find, the gold fields of '49SwerS
| in a kindly zone and where nature was
not niggardly.
Mother tells amusing stories of her
| life there making shirts for the miners
| at five and six dollars apiece, baking
| bread for them, and between times
| washing out sand on her own account.
| Sometimes, with the help of a little In
dian boy who had become attached tu
the camp, this plucky little woman
would make up half barrel of flour "a
a time. Such days, however, were poor
in gold dust, as one may imagine; but,
on the whole. she was not the loser. for
| where this unlimited money is so plenti-
| full people grow more generous in.spite
| of themselves, and the only woman In
| the camp was by no means treated ill.,
| Zone day when Wah-Kee, the littlc
Indian boy, and one of the miners wers
| out on a hunting expedition a great
grizzly suddenly appeared in the trail
| just before them. The mar started
| back and took aim, but even before he
could fire the huge beast had sprung at
| the boy, tearing one ear and half the
| scalp from his head. Rescued, but in n
| frightful condition, he was carried
back to camp and to mother, who sewed
up his wounds with one of the same
| needles that had done duty torso many
bluejeans and with silk raveled from
4 If hR 60in fx Sfn 71,n4 hn1
been part of her pretty eastern trous-
seau.
Despite the best care they could
| give him. the poor boy pinned and grew
| worse. Even the baby's playful dee
mands upon him, which. until then.
had proved a source of endless delight,
failed to arouse his interest. and in des-
| peration one of the camp Indians de-
| cided to tell some of the tribe to which
the child belonged, and who were
| known to be in the neighborhood at
the time. That night the camp was
surprised by something like hundred
| dusky warriors, grim and determined.
| In some way the message had been mis-
understood, and they inihg ined the boy
| to have been ill-treated, but when he
/ assured them of the kindness shown
| him and of his love for the pale faces,
| and, most of all, for the tiny white
baby, they changed their minds. and,
| though they carried him off with them
| it was with earnest protestations of
| gratitude and good Will.
"These sachems buried the half
scalped boy in earth, up to his chin, for
several days Oddly enough, he be-
| gan to mend, and in a few weeks was
himself again, pining only for his pale
| face baby, and his people were forced
| to let him return TO the miners camp
| "When at last the thirst for wealth
| with some of the little band was for
4 time appeased, and they decided to
come home to enjoy their gains, mother
| was the first to board the old ship that
was to round Cape Horn on its way
to New York-the longest way round
being considered by far the Shortest
| way home by those who had once
| known the horrors of the overland
| route. Storms blew and beat day after
| day, and weary weeks heightened into
| drearier months. Rations were short,
| clothing scarce, and, though they car
| ried fortunes, they had scant comfort
| 1t proved more than the wee girl who
had known little else than the mid
| climate of California could endure, and
j when her eyes closed for the last time
the Indian boy (who begged so piteous-
| " not to be separated from his little
| charge that mother at last consented
TO bring him with herr lay at the cabin
door, day and night, like faithful dog,
moaning and crying for the little play
/ fellow he had lost.
Mother brought about 100000 with
| her in gold which she had gathered be
tweenwhiles,' as she expresses IL. And
vet on the whole though she loves 70