Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-11-24
Widow HebrOn'S THANKSGIVING
BY Mary Annabel Fanton

OW~~w~S Ww~~v~
Susan Hebron was not widow
when she started for the gold regions
one spring morning back in the
seventies. She left Missouri with her
husband, pair of mules, a COW ar
tive small boys.
Hebron was man who was always
nursing a cold and asking fatuous
questions. On the way to the
Promised Land" as the Black bills
country used to be called, he acquired
fatal habit of sitting with his feet to
the roaring camp fire and his back TO
the drafty tent flap.
After the mules were sold to pay
the funeral expenses, the widow
bowed her head, reflected, and sub.
sequently gathered together the COW,
the boys, her little remaining cash,
and kept pluckily on toward the
Mecca for which she had left the
Missouri farm. She made many long
visits at various ranches en- route,
board; and finally, late in November,
the mule train with which she was
travelling went into camp at the edge
Of Palmer's gulch.
Faro JIM" the best hand at a deal
in all the northwest, was postmaster
for the week at Palmer's gulch; that
is to say, it was Jlm's week to saddle
g.
of the passing mule trains, which con.
stituted the Black hills mail service in
those days.
When on this dull November day
Jim dashed up to the wagon designat-
ed by one of the train drivers as the
mail bag" and hastily pulled aside
turkey red curtain, he was greeted
with shrill shrek, and his eyes met,
not q rusty old mail bag, but the
charming widow in the act of comb
ing a mass of shining brown hair and
blushing furiously at the intrusion.
Seeing the confusion of the bronze
giant, VINO seemed too striker to even
drop the red wagon flap, the little
woman laughingly babe him wait ana
she would pass out the bag, and warn
ed him in the future to ring the bell
instead of attempting to crawl through
The window
, Faro Jim" was not clever at rep
artee, and his only answer was to
4 sieze the bag and fee precipitateiy in
search OF the aforesaid driver, whom
he only absolved from the "dandiest
kind of licking" on cleaning from him
curt biography of the lovely widow.
The camp were electrified with the
news of Mrs. Hebron's proximity.
Fully to appreciate their enthusiasm
it must be borne in mind that up to
this date Palmers Gulch had lacked
two essential features of civilized
Hfe-women and a cemetery.
The latter could be safely trusted
to Providence and the expected visit
of Poker Charlie" who was famous
for advancing civilization along this
particular line; but the woman cues
ton had been a serious problem. and
the Gulch did not propose to lose a
ready-made chance of settling it.
In ten minutes a committee of the
best looking men in Palmers Gulch
had been selected to wait upon Mrs.
Hebron and urge her to pay the camp
a visit at her earliest convenience,
land remain permanently if such were
Ssher pleasure. Where women have the
charm of novelty, chivalry abounds:
and Mrs. Hebron's trip, on the fol-
lowing day, from the mule train to the
Gulch took on somewhat of the air OF
a pageant. The best cabin in the
camp was placed at Der disposal. and
Faro Jim" not only appointed himself
commissary-in-c chief, but actually milk
ed the COW and parted with a box OF
his best poker chips that the smalles.
Hebron boy might play blocks to
his hearts content
Dave Holman endeared himself to
every man in the camp, except Jim,
by suggesting that they indulge in =
particular Layout" for the comins
Thanksgiving. "Prunes and canned
oysters and whisky may be good
enough for the camp" he said, but
it amt not fifteen grub for women and
children"
Uncomplimentary illusions were
rife as to the right to existence of a
store that didn't keep no womens
truck, nor playthings for kids, nor
even a paper collar on draft"
But Jim brought about peace and