Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-10-06
A Sage-Brush Nightingale.
BY MAJOR ALFRED n. CALHOUN



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Kitty Minis is not common name,
nor can it be truthfully affirmed that
it is at all suggestive of romance. Yet
Kitty Minis was a remarkable young
woman; but this was due as much to
her unusual surroundings as to her
uudoubted personal charms.
Simon Minis, Kitty's father, was
the landlord Of the Aurora hotel, the
only tavern in the mining town of Ex-
perience, Nevada, that agreed to fur
nish accommodations for man and
beast and kept its pledge to the letter.
Simon Minis was known far and
near as "the Doctor" and he felt not
little proud of the title. 81 aim
never graddyated as ye mout say,
he would explain to strangers who
came for prescription, "but thar's
two pains 1 set on relieving every
time, and they're the pains that most
troubles folks in these diggings-
they're hunger and thirst. Are you
troubled that way, friend?"
The population of Experience was
largely transient and largely composed
of rough miners, many of them for
eigners, who seemed to have acquired
the English language in very pro-
fame atmosphere.
Tho gentler sex was not we'll repre-
sented. -Four sets of cotillions ex-
hausted the supply, and as they were
not always available for the Saturday
night dances, the younger men
fastened handkerchiefs about their
arms, and so were brevetted ''ladies,
for the time being.
But, had the ladies, been repre-
sented by the usual proportion, and
had Experience been many times
more populous, still Kitty Minis must
have been the belle.
She was over the average in height.
finely formed and with a certain pi-
quaint, self-reliant expression in her
dark eyes and about her rich lips, that
made her irresistibly attractive to the
habitues of the Aurora hotel.
Her education was limited to not
very familiar acquaintance with the
three RS. But the miners, one and
all, were readyto wager their "bottom
dollar" that as a singer "Kitty Minis
would give odds to Nelson, Patti and
the bull caboodle of 'em, ane then
come out many lengths ahead"
Judged by the effect of her efforts,
no prima donna that ever trod the
boards could surpass her when she
sang. "The lone starry hours give
me love" which was always followed
by storm of ''angkores.
But she came out strongest in"Way
down upon de Swaunee Ribber," and
"Home, Sweet Home" songs that in
vriably produced great deal of
coughing on the part of her bearded
auditors, and the use of handkerchiefs
Just as if they were troubled with
sudden colds OF dust in their eyes.
OF course, Kitty Minis had suitors,
and of course she was the cause of
much heart-burning amongst her many
admirers, for it must be confessed she
was not ignorant of her charms with
! fascinating tyranny, against which
the strongest did not dare to revolt.
Rufus Ford, the superintendent of
the mine, was confident, fine-looking
fellow, and he boarded at the Aurora
hotel. Up to the time of his meet
ing Kitty he was in profound ignor-
ance of poetry as an art. But his soul
was touched SO that he attempted to
compose song, in which he designed
having darling Kitty Minis" at the
end of every stanza. He failed mis-
prably in the effort, as more prac-
ticed rhymer might have done.
eff the name had only been Ford"
he said, "I'd had no trouble with it.
There's 'adored' and 'hoored' and
'gored' and-and"-
Sand 'swored," said Tom Reed,
coming to the foreman's s aid.
Mr.. Ford refused any assistance, in
This connection, and it may be added
he had no admiration for the young
man who volunteered his help.
Tom Reed was tall, well-built man
OF six-and-twenty, "bashful as gal"
his companions said. He was the only
man in Experience that neither drank
nor gambled, and though these were
hindrances to his social status, it was
generally thought that he would get
over the defects when he was older.
It was Rufus Ford's privilege to sit
at the table on which Kitty Minis
waited. He was always Kitty's first
partner at the dances; and the very
first time buggy drove down the one
street of Experience, Kitty sat in it
beside the young superintendent.
The older men ioked with Simon
Minis, and thought the landlord was
on-committal; he gave the impress
sion that he would not object to Rufus
Ford for a son-in-lsw.