The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1903-08-15
A Trip to Omaha and the
Black Hills.
CONTINUED from last week. !

left that night and the remainder
on Saturday. 1t numbered over
$50. The Black Hills party mum.
bering about so, left the same
afternoon for Deadwood, situated
about 500 miles northwest of
Omaha and near the northern edge
of the Black Hills, in section
long famous for itsrich gold mines,
the bloody struggles which took
place there with the Indians, and
the lawlessness which character
lied the early white pioneers. On
the following morning, as we were
nearing Deadwood, a flutter of
excitement was produced by the
announcement that in one of the
cars attached to our train was to
be found one of the most noted
characters of those wild days--a
woman scout, known the country
over for the past thirty years as
"Calamity Jane" Soon our two
coaches were almost emptied, and
Jane was holding an informal re-
ception Of knights and ladies of
the quill, she, who for nearly for
ty years had been the associate
and boon companion of men of
the tomahawk and sword. Not
in the least abashed, as may we'll
be imagined, she entertained her
callers in truly unconventional
style, recounting incoherently, but
with manifest pride, some of the
most thrilling exploits of her wild
career. Her history is a most in
teresting one, and Bret Harte has
immortaIized her as Cherokee Sal
in his popular story, "The Luck
of Roaring Camp" Born in Mis-
souri, in 1852, she drifted to Salt
Lake City, where her father died
i'll 1867. Injured to outdoor life,
and an expert rider, she determ-
ined at Is to become a scoat.
Her associates were soldiers and
Indians, and she soon adopted
their ways, becoming a dead shot
and at the same time learning how
to swear like a trooper. She dom
ned male attire in 1870, when she
volunteered to go as scout with
Gen. Custer in one of his Indian
raids, and wore it for many years.
She was christened Calamity
Jane" in 1872 by Capt. Egan
whose life she had saved. The
captain had been shot by an In
dian, and the woman killed his as
sailant and picking up the wound
ed man, she carried him safely on
her saddle to the fort, under the
fire of the Indians. When the
captain recovered consciousness
he said to her: ''It is good to have
you around in time of calamity
and | christen you Calamity Jane,
the heroine of the plains. She
was firm friend Of Wild Bill, and
when that worthy was shot dead
in gambling house in Deadwood
by Jack Mccall, notorious des-
perado, Jane led the party who
captured and lynehed Mccall. In
her day she took part in scores of
battles with Indians and fatal af-
trays with white men. One of
the most noteworthy took place
in 1877, when she met the stage
from Cheyenne just as the Indians
had killed the driver, mounted
the box herself and drove the
passengers safely into Deadwood.
Two years ago, being i'll, she was
induced by Mrs. Drake, the nov
elist, to go and stay with her, near
Buffalo, N. Y, but when she re-
covered the longing to revisit the
scenes of her strenuous early days
was irresistible. She died week
or two after we interviewed her.
The mayor and large commit
tee of the leading citizens of
Deadwood gave the visitors a
hospitable welcome. The little
city was brilliantly Illuminated in
their honor, and numerous cour-
tesies were shown them. For
present conditions in modern
DeadWood are as unlike those
that prevailed in the 70s and Sos
as can we'll be imagined. Civili-
zation has firmly planted its ban
ners in the erstwhile iawless
Hills, culture and refinement are
silently doing their benefcent
work, and law aud order are as
sacredly observed as in the old
est communities. As proof of
the latter assertion. the fact may
be cited that the town, with its
four or FIVE thousand people. has
only two policemen, one on duty
during the day and one at night.
The Black Hills proper cover
an extent of country about 100
miles square, in the southwestern
section of South Dakota and the
northeastern section Of Wyoming.
For many years the country had
been regarded as of comparative
" little value, it's chief notoriety
coming from its being the scene
of carnage and massacre, and the
abiding place of the nntamed
savage, represented By Sitting