davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

The dogs worked well. and slowly
the sheep were going in the right direc-
ton, till we reached a very steep,
rocky place, and 1t was all the dogs
could do to keep the sheep from going
back or down the valley. Ny horse had
been raised and grown old driving
sheep, and like an old warhorse he en-
1oyed the excitement, for GuSsie said
let him have his head, and he paid little
attention to me in the helter-Skelter
"buckaroing" over the loose stones on
the bare. steep hill. now up and now
down, but always heading the sheep.
When the gates were shut on the last
Item of perversity 1t was quite dark,
and the girls left the wild COW to medt-
tate till morning, for the Indian was
afraid to milk her. They petted her,
however.
I was not sorry to quit, for I was
tired and hungry, too though I had al
ready eaten three very big meals, but
when Gussie said she was going to find
something to eat we all went quite nat
urally and anxiously into the kitchen.
Mrs Lamn is small woman, and the
kitchen is small, but both looked
smaller with the two tall girls cooking
and getting things out for supper. They
are we'll up in Homework, and move
about with a grace which only perfect
health and freedom can give.
Mrs. Lamn was anxious to know what
/ thought of her girls, and I had moth
ing but admiration for them and the
system which kept them fair and pure
and healthy and was SO infinitely to be
preferred to work in the city shops.
'See me?" she said. Il am broken
down by hard work-womans work. I
came here a young woman twenty
years ago, and for eighteen years was
never off the place, scarcely out of
sight of the house. All of US women
do the same. We never get away be-
cause there is no one to leave at home,
and the work must be done That Is
why so many farmers wives go crazy;
it's the never-ending, monotonous
drudgery. I'm glad my girls can live
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

differently"
1t seemed as if l had only just gone
to sleep when 1 was called to breakfast,
and after that the sheep were counted.
First they were all driven into one
corral and then run out one at time
through a gate into another corral. The
girls stood one on each side of the gate
to count the sheep as they ran. One
sheep bore an M in a square for a
brand and proved beyond a doubt that
it belonged to the herd driven toward
Ukiah, which had pastured on the
Lamn ground the night before. A good
many sheep were missing.
Never mind, I'll attend to that row.
ing sheep herder," said Gussie very de-
terminedly. And after breakfast she
spurred off after him and her sheep.
That she might have trouble getting
the sheep from the droves or that she
ought to take man along never
seemed to occur to any of the family.
I rode with her as far as Jim Whites
and wished her success.
Two days after she came back with
her dogs driving about sixty sheep be-
fore her. HELEN GREY.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

Seeing that the game could be beaten
a merchant from Denver put down ten,
tried again and lost Crumpling fifty
dollar bill in his left hand the merchant
watched the two half shells for mo-
ment and then made grab. Turn 1t
over. turn it over" he demanded ex-
citedly, dropping the crumpled bill
Tom turned 1t over, but there was moth
ing in it-nothing for the merchant.
why didn't you turn it yo'sef?" said
a man with a southern accent and a
full black beard; that fellows a
shark"
Now this same man was the Georgia
pronunciation came from behind the
pine bar and spoke to me. He had no
whiskers, but l could swear that this
was the man that had helped the mer-
chant play off the hundred.
"Yo' tn a'tist that's goin' to staht
the daily papah, eh?"
Yes" I answered.
Coin to make wah on the gam
blahs?" asked the dark man.
Not for gambling"
What fo' then?"
"Sandbags, six-shooters and Masks
was the reply.
well sch, If that's yo' gait we can
gallon in the same heat" said he, en-
Enthusiastically, offering me his hand
My name is Smith-Soapy Smith-an'
when yo' in trouble say so an III hep
yo'."
That is the way we became ac-
quainted.
Gambler Joe Simmens, one of Soaps
"wcrkingmen," died suddenly two days
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

ed few inches above the top. Coyotes
do not always heed the invitation to
keep out, and in the winter the girls
have great sport hunting them, as we'll
as the other sheep killers, bears and
panthers. The fences are held together
by wires instead of nails, and some one
had cut a wire, letting down several
panels of fence. In their saddle bags
the girls carry everything needed for
fence mending. and they soon had the
fence in place again. All the while they
were volubly condemning hunters as
just nuisances," as they call every one
who comes up from the city to spend a
vacation.
Seeing us coming the sheep ran "baa-
ing" away along the sheep trails which
cover the hills. One, however could
not run; 1t had been shot.
Another of those city hunters who
can't tell sheep from a quail or a
COW from a deer. I'd give it to him If
l could catch him on this land" ex-
claimed Gussie, as she drew her revolt
yer and put the creature out Of it's suf-
fering. The vultures circled lower as
we rode on, and other dark shadows
passed over us in the same direction.
We We're coming to a rocky, bare hill
when the dogs began to bark and were
answered by a hound from the sunny
side of a great rock.
There he Is now" and Gussie
spurred up the steep HILL We followed.
She was doing all that language
could accomplish in giving it, to a
youth, and he was from the city,"
judging from his picturesque get-up as
a mighty hunter
But am only shooting rattlesnakes,
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

collapse Suddenly she charged at
Louise, who jumped aside and into the
corner, and none too quickly. 1t was
fight to the death with the mad brute
in front and the high fence behind and
Louise aimed at the cows forehead
with the club but missed, and the
blow fell upon the horn and started the
blood
Half dazed with pain, the cow tore
around the corral at the full limit or
her rope A lasso from Gussie brought
her to her knees and another from
Louise quickly rendered her helpless.
Hitched to the post so that any mis-
conduct broupht her to the ground
the COW was MIXED and left to reflect
over the ways of the rebellious.
Sitting on the fiower-covered porch
Mrs. Lamn scolded the girls for their
recklessness, but GusSie only laughed,
and said 1t was fun. She was sitting
on the ground with the head OF q
hound between her hands and three
more fawning and jumping over and
around her. Mrs. Lamn talked of her
German home, for which In free Amerl-
ca she never sighed, glad her daughters
were living their full, happy life, and
sorry only that they cared nothing for
the books which were almost life to her
and her husband Dickens, Scott and
Thackeray, Kipling and Darwin were
among the row of books. Robert Louis
Stevenson Mr.. Lamn would not have.
He did not approve Of his marriage.
In the morning we were out at 5
O'Clock, for 1t takes all day to ride the
range" ten miles long by three wide,
the whole inclosed by coyote" fence,
the rails having a barbed wire stretch
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

DAVIS and the rain had changed to snow
and down by Ten Mile Creek about a
thousand sheep were fast in the snow
and would perish unless they could be
gotten out.
Il am going to help you, papa" said
Gussie resolutely. Her father at first
said no" 1t was not always a pleas
ure to him that his sons were all
daughters But Gussie went along and
so effectively helped that every sheep
was saved.
But you should have seen me when
I came home" she said. Wet why, I
was a cloudburst in the kitchen, and
my skirt was torn from top to bottom.
1t seemed to catch every time l got off
my horse or climbed a fence. Before
went out again / put on pair OF
papa's overalls and boots, and that is
how l came to have overalls of my own
now When Louise came home from
school she wanted to help me instead
of going to work in town. We had to
do something, and 1 am glad now that
we are farmers
The ranch has been saved, although
much of the time Mr. Lamn has been
unable to work and has been obliged
to leave everything to the girls. At
shearing time they have twenty-four
to thirty men and Indians to oversee.
Their father usually Is engaged bar
gaining to sell the wool.
And don't you have queer expert
ences going about dressed like men,"
l asked.
"Of course, but I rather enjoy 1t
now; every on about here now takes
1t as matter of course AT first some
of the neighbors threatened to have us
arrested, but they didn't"
But the COWS were waiting to be
MIXED, and the girls promised some
fun" with the wild cows, just brought
in. Two COWS were peaceably dis
posed Of and then came Marguerite,
the one chosen from a herd of about
fifty, to be domesticated, and certainly
she was equal to her name and the
added appellation Daisy.
Both girls mounted their horses and
started to lasso her. But Marguerite
knew a rope when she saw one, and
kept the other COWS between herself
and the lassos. When Louise succeeded
in getting the rope around hind foot
the cow pulled and plunged so madly
it was all the two girls and horses
could manage to pull her into the cor
raj and secure the rope to the snub-
bling post. The corral was small, with
a high fence. The girls dismounted,
armed themselves with clubs and ropes
and began to close in on the wild cow
She had taken her stand in the corner
and with all her might was pushing
against the fence, which threatened TO
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

join him at the Albany for midnight
feed
In the twilight of the following day
he called again He was not nearly SO
frisky. The stuffing was gone from his
trousers and the twinkle from his eye.
Pulling a chair up to the reporters
desk he began to pour out the story of
his undoing. Hartigan, seeing a smile
beginning to play about the smooth
face of the reporter, went over to give
Taber an assignment and Vaughn, the
master mechanic (and general manager
in the EDITORS absence), came in from
the back room.
Half an hour later the man went
out. Say" he called back from the
door You don't need to mention
names, but I'll stand by the paper if
you give the outfit good roast
Taber had written the heading for
the expose in the presence of the Chalk
Creeker, and he had cheered and APP
plauded it. When he picked up the
paper on the following morning he was
delighted to see that it had not been
changed or softened:
CONSPIRACY.
A DEEP LAID PLOT TO DO
A MAN OF MONEY.
Business Men to Form a Union
to Protect Themselves
Against the
Sharks"
And there was the miners likeness
on the front page, top Of the column
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

office of New York magazine in
which he had read many of my stories,
introduced himself and asked for me-
The next news l had of him was from
Skaguay, enclosing the following:
NOTICE.
TO THE SKAGUAY MILITARY
COMPANY.
Gents-A meeting was called for
the I'D, but has been POSTPONED
till Tuesday. the 18th of March,
1898. All members will be no fled
where to report: Respectfully,
JEFF r. SMITH. Captain,
JOHN FOLEY, First Lieutenant
1t seemed to me that this thoughtful
ness on the part of man who had
once stood for me at a killing. and or
fered to do it again. deserved a reply.
So wrote him briefly, concluding:
Write me when there is anything
that will make a story. and be sure to
wire me when they hang you, which
Will doubtless occur during the coming
summer"
This letter probably never reached
him, as no wire came back
On the It'll of June miner lost a bag
of gold in Jeff Smiths Parlors," at
Skaguay. The man made a noise
about it, the citizens got together,
Soapy got drunk and went out to fight
them all. Arriving at the place where
an Indignation meeting was being
held, Soapy found five men guarding
the entrance. He rapned Frank Reid,
the City Engineer, over the head with
rifle. Reid snapped his pistol at
Soapy and Soapy shot him in the groin.
Standing on one foot Reid put three
bullets into Soapy killing him in
stantly.
Soapy must have lived altogether
about forty years. He had made many
friends and about as many enemies.
He got his name, Soapy, because of a
quiet little business he used to drive in
Denver. He would take a number of
square bits of soap, wrap them in soft
paper enclosing in some, (but not in
all) five, ten, twenty and fifty dollar
bills. then for a sum of money. fixed by
himself, he would allow g. v man in the
audience to guess which Of the little
packages had money,
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

Yes. she can. have just seen
it tried by two young girls, and
it is a success. One is 16 years
and the other IS years old, and
they do the practical as well as
a great deal of the head work on a
ranch of thirty square miles, stocked
with $500 sheep, besides horses, cattle
and pigs.
Riding over the hills of Mendocino
County I had often met the girls rid
ing astride and dressed in blue shirt
waists, blue jean overalls drawn down
over high boots as guard against rat
tlesnakes, their hair braided and coiled
under broad straw sailor hat. L had
Just come from the city, where women
in sweat shops and factories and
laundries had been occupying my mind.
l made the girls acquaintance and
gladly accepted an invitation to visit
them at their home, the ranch next the
one where l was stopping, and ride the
range with them and see them at their
work.
1t was nearly dusk when 1 closed
the big gate behind me and began the
ascent up the two miles of trail from
the road to the house. The mountains
rise on every side, but in the purple
distance Near at hand the green
open stretches away as far as the eye
can follow in rich slopes and gently
rising hills, covered with green messy
tan bark oaks and cathedral-like pines
and harlequin madrones." One might
be riding through the park to an Eng
lish country house, 80 clear are the
grounds of all underbrush.
Louise, the younger sister, had gone
with an Indian boy TO drive in a bunch
of cattle. One of the mixers" had
gone dry and a new COW, practically
wild, must be domesticated to provide
milk for the table.
The Lamns are well educated Ger
mans, who brought a good deal Of
money to Mendocino County and put it
into their ranch. 1t is one of the larg-
est in the northern country. When
wool went down from % cents to 8
cents per pound their income stopped
After a few very bad years a mort
gage began to grow. Help was very
hard to get and not much help when
found at the rate of 81 25 a day with
board. At dinner they told me how
it came that the two girls began their
work about the ranch.
At the time Gussie, the elder, had
just returned from school in the city
and was about IA years of age. One
day her father came home very late
to dinner. 1t had been raining for
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

A thousand burdened burros filled
The narrow, winding, wriggling trail
A hundred settlers came to build,
Each day new houses in the vale;
A hundred gamblers came to feed
On the same settlers-that was Creede.
Slanting Annie, Gambling Joe
And ''Bad' Bob Ford, "Sapolio,''
Or "Soapy" Smith, as he was known,
Ran games peculiarly their own;
For everything was open Wlqe, st5a
And men drank absinthe on the sfue'
tn HIS was the running record of
Creed Camp as set down at the
time, A. D. 1892.
With press franchise, force
of printers, a lead pencil and
power press, the writer had
gone to the booming camp to
establish morning paper, with tele-
graph service, in a town that had been
in existence but three short moons and
was not yet definitely located on the
maps.
In little bushless spot by the road
side was a board shanty upon the door
of which was tackled a tin beer sign
Inside half a dozen Workingmen--labo
ers or miners they might be-were sit
ting on wooden benches about the
stove. They had been in animated con-
versation, but hushed 1t as they noted
the entrance of a newcomer. One small
man with pale. lusterless hair and cold
gray eyes, was recognizable as Tom
the shell Troublesome Tom,
they called him, I had seen carpenter
pause at Toms three-legged stool that
day, watch the game for moment
then slowly slide his tool-bag from his
SHOULDER to the ground, put five dollars
on the table and pounce upon one OF
the shells. He lost this five and two
more. called the shell man thief and
demanded his money back.
YES" said the man with his cold
eyes fixed upon the top of the noun
tain: 81 presume that's what you
wanted with my money-to give II
back"
Now the carpenter was pushed aside
by man who could guess This man
was able to win three times out OF nve'
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04

AN a woman run sheep ranch?
Yes, she can. l have just seen
it tried by two young girls, and
4 it is a success. One is 16 years
and the other IS years old, and
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-27
FROM HIS OWN HOME.

The Mason City Globe Gazette, in pre-
senting the name of Hon. J. E. Blythe
to the people of this district, has this to
say of our candidates:
Since Mr. Blythe has now authorized
a declaration of his candidacy for Con-
gress, we desire to say that he will ac-
cede to the wishes Of his friends
Blythe has never failed to perform a
public duty. He has never in single
instance failed to work with all his
powers for the republican party. He
has never sulked in his tent. When
Mr.. Updegraff was nominated two
years ago Mr.. Blythe was one of the
first men to go to work in the cam
paign. When his party needs work he
lays aside absolutely all personal feeling
and works. No man was ever truer to
his friends. No man was ever more
loyal to his party. His successful lead
ership of the republican party in Iowa
has been forgotten only by men who
forget that the principles of party are
above spoils.
Mr.. Blythe will make clean, cOur-
ageous and manly stand for the nomi-
nation. He does so because the best
men and the truest men in the republic
can party in this district urge and in
sist that he shall be candidate. He
will not indulge in the specious bribery
of patronage to get support. If any
man wants to sell his support for the
promise of q postoffice let him see the
man who has truckled in that sort of
thing.
Blythe is man who is true as steel
in politics. He loves the men who
fought for his preferment two years
ago without promise of office and he
will respond to their wishes this year.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-27
ORIGINAL NOTICE.
Owen Roney. Plaintiff
va

owen Honey, Plaintiff
Martln keck, Annie OF the state of Iowa in
Neck, Jonn bucknell, land for Winneshiek
g. w. Petts and Miller County. September
Closing Co., Defend term, A. d., 1888.
ants.
TO Martin keck, Annie Keck, John Buck
nell, u. W. Petts, Miller, Closing 4 Co., de-
PENDANTS above named. You are hereby mott.
fed that on or before the LIST day OF September.
A. ID; $685. the petition of plaintiff In the above
entitled cause will be filed In the office of the
Clerk OF the District Court of the State of Iowa
In and for Winneshiek County, Claiming ofthe
OF one hundred and thirty and no-lOO dollars.
money as justly due from them and Interest
at per cent. from the 9th day of September
a. ID. 1898, on their certain promisory note ex.
ecuted the 2ith day of October, 1891, for S92 and
bearing per cent. interest. Also asking for
the foreclosure ola certain mortgage executed
by said defendants Martin and Annie Keck
on Silu Z4tn day OF October, 1891 TO secure the
payment OF said note, said mortgage being a
lien upon the N w Il of the NE y of the 4 Il
= OF section 30, in Bluffton township, Winnie
shiek county, Iowa, and for costs Including
an attorneys lee. No personal judgement is
asked Tor against any OF the above named de
ienuants except Martin and Annie Keck but
plalntin asks TO have the claim OF all the de.
PENDANTS decreed Junior and inferior TO the
lien OF aforesaid mortgage, and that unless you
appear thereto ana defend before noon of the
second day of the next term, being the SEN
TENDER, 1915 term of the said Court. which
will commence at Decorah Iowa. on The 26th
day OF September 1898 default will be entered
against you and Judgment and decree render
ed thereon as provided by law.
Dated 10Th day OF July, A. ID. 1885,
234 Dan Shea, Attorney for Plaintiff.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-27
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.
July 20. 1893


Absent councilmen Stoskoff and Teskey
An ordinance establishing the width of per-
manent side walks on Water street between
bridge and Grove street was read the LIST
time.
Another requiring property owners on a
portion OF Water street to make water connec-
tons between water main and curb line OF
walk with lead pipe known as extra strong,
and requiring tees having iron connections to
be replaced with lead connections was read the
first time.
Another ordinance requiring all water be-
tween the water main and the curb line here
after put in to be of extra strong lead pipe was
read the first time.
Another ordinance re-establishing the grade
OF Water street and also esta blishing gfade for
walks between bridge and Grove street was
read the first time
The committee ON city property was in
structed TO contract for gravel roof on the
city hall.
An appropriation of SIS was made to assist
in fixing Oak street south OF Broadway street
Meeting adjourned for one week.
+. Mather, clerk
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-27
ORIGINAL NOTICE.

w. A. HANSON I In the District Court of the
VS.. Plaintiff State of Iowa. in and for
EMMA HANSON Winneshiek County Sep
Defendant TENDER Term, a. ID. 1898
To defendant Emma Hanson, you are here
by notified that on or before the 10Th day of
July A. ID. 1898 the petition of Plaintiff In the
above entitled cause will be filed in the Office
Iowa, In and for Winneshiek County, claim.
Ing OF you decree of absolute divorce on The
ground OF wilfull desertion, and asking for
costs OF suit IL you wrongfully defend herein
and that unless you appear thereto and de,
iend before noon of the second day of the next
term, being the September term OF the said
Court, which will commence at DEBORAH, Min
neshiek County. Iowa, on the 26th day of
september, 1898 default will be entered against
you and judgment and decree rendered there.
on as provided by law.
Dated 10th day OF July, A. ID. 1895
2S4 FRANK SAYRE,
Attorney for Plaintiff.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-27
How. to Get a Law Book.

Any of our subscribers who have not
yet received a copy of the Claws of
Iowa." which we are giving away free
of charge, will be sent one on receipt of
six cents in stamps, to csR,r cost of
mailing and wrapping. Or call a. p
office and get one free. If
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-27

Bob Moore, of Lafayette, Ind,
says that tor constipation he has found
DeWitt's Little Early Risers to be per
feet. They never grippe. Try them for
stomach and liver troubles. Il. j.
Weiser
Mrs. A. G. Seavy is prepared to
take orders for all kinds of home bak-
ing. Fresh Boston Brown Bread on
hand every Saturday. Soft