Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-09-07
; ROSE OF WASHOE.
BY M. QUAD.

COPYRIGHT, 1900, ny G. II. LEWIS.
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One day In the early spring II pio-
neer's wagon approached within mile
Of Black HIN digglngs, and rough
looking man got out ana started to
climb the trail He was yet half a
mile away when he fell down exhaust
cd, and half n dozen miners hurried
down to succor him. He struggled up
before they reached him. and, waving
them back, he shouted:
Don't come near me. for I've got
smallpox, but for Gods sake bring me
some provisions! Me and my gal hev
not had Il bite to eat fur these two
days."
Smallpox was the dread OF the
camps. When miner was taken
down with the loathsome disease, he
was as good as dead. The miners stop
ped dead In their tracks as they heard
the pioneers words. and after a brief
consultation he was warned to remain
where he was while they returned and
gathered up liberal lot OF provisions.
These We're placed on the trail, and
when he had picked them up they
threatened him with their pistols to
hurry him away The man neither re-
turned thanks nor berated them for
their seeming harshness. They saw
him reach his wagon, they saw him
feebly climb up beside n child on the
seat, and when the vehicle slowly roll
ed on they heavcd signs of relief. That
night Joe of WashOe arrived at Black
Hill. 1t was dark, with Il cold rain fall.
ing, when he heard Of the incident OF
the day. His face went stern and his
eyes grew hard as the story was told,
and when II was finished he rose up
and asked:
did the man say thar was n gal
with hlmr
Eyes"
And you saw her In the wagonT
Eyes"
"And you dirty 'em Off to die when
you could hcv lowed 'em to camp at
the foot OF the hill! II that's the kind
O. men you ar at Black Hill, | want to
git out quick"
But It Is smallpox" persisted one
OF the men.
"More's the pity. Think o. that sick
man drivin away with that leetle gal
alongside O. hlm-drlvin away to his
death! There may hev bin n wife and
mOther-other children. Mebbe they
was dead In the wagon. Men. you did
n cruel wicked thIngw
But think Of the 80 men the small
pox took out o the camp at Red Rock
last fallv'
But Amt thlnkln o. that. I'm
thinkin o. a man drlvln Off to die, with
n leetle gal sIttin up alongside o. himp
He packed up some provisions rolled
up his blankets, and, picking up wa
ter jug and his rifle, he said:
"Pm goin to overhaul 'em and stand
by 'em unless find both deadv'
A score Of protests were hurled at
him, but the man stepped forth into
the black night without word In re-
ply and almost Instantly disappeared
from sight. At noon next day the wag
on rcappcared. Joe OF Washoe was
driving. and on the seat beside him was
a child. When the wagon halted, he
Embarrassed aud turned loose the
horses, made n fire, and then, climbing
half way up the hill, he called to the
men 90 rods above him:
"When found the wagon last night,
the man was dead and the leetle gal
was prnyln to God Thar was n moth
or and two more children, but they ar
dead. Don't come a-nlgh us. The leetle
gals touched, and I'm sure to come
DOWN.
That night the fever came TO the
child, and men who crept down the
trail heard her crying out and heard
Joe talking ana singing to her. The
next day he reported her as dreadfully
sick. and 50 II went on for days and
days. II was time for him to develop
the disease. and cnch morning M the
men crept down the trail to leave pro
visions on the int rock they feared he
would not show up. But. strangely
enough. the danger passed him by.
One morning. when he stood up on the
wagon with the girl In his arms, II WAS
passed, and 800 men gathered on the
hill above and chcered the pair II
was week after that when he vet fire
TO the wagon. called for fresh clothes
and came up the trail into camp with
the girl wrapped In blanket No
body was permitted even 10 see the tip
Of her nose until she had been dressed
up M boy from old garments cut
over Then she was placed on the
head Of n barrel In the center Of camp,
and half the men cheercd md the other
half wept She was girl Of about 7,
pale and wan from her sickness, but
there was never n pit or n scar 10 show
how she had suffered. BY that we
knew that Joe Of WashOe had watched
over her with more than IA fathers
care. She was fntherless and mother
less among strangers. Fright and Ill
ness had 10 benumbed her brain that
she could remember nothing, not even
the family name. She said TINT they
had Travelled for days and days. but
from whence she could not tell. The
enc thing that she did remember was
that her name WINS Rose, and she had
insisted from the first that Joe was
her uncle. II was queer to see this
prOspectOr ana miner, this man who
had fought Indians and renegades and
knocked about through hundred ad
ventures and was not supposed TO have
a soft spot about him say II was
queer 10 see how he was knocked Oui
when the little girl kissed him and
called him her dear Uncle Joe. III
looked no sheeplsh and shamefaced
that we had TO turn our faces away
and I tell you In the same breath that
we also felt ashamed Of ourselves that