Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-05-19

"In the early days of the Colorado
mimi camps" said the old prospect
or, zone Of the best payin' holes in
the groun' before it ran out was the
Last Hope mine. It's name was given
it by the man who struck it, who was
much down at the heels at the time
and fully intended that if it didn't re-
lieve his necessities he would hang
himself to the limb Of a tree that ex-
tended directly over it. He sold his
claim for 100000 to a company and
retires first off from this here story.
1.-THE president of the Last Hope
lived in the east and sent out a man
ager from that region. Mr.. Parkhurst,
among other things, at home had been
superintendent of a Sunday school.
Naturally he didn't like the appear
ance Of a Colorado mimi camp. The
cussin' that was going on was just
like fireworks. The saloons did a bet
ter business than the store. When
ever the wind riz the playin' cards
filed the air like a snowstorm. AS for
Sunday, there was no work on that
| day, but instead Of services there was
gamblin'. There was a few women
in the camp. but they was worse'n the
men.
mt. Parkhurst looked the ground
over and sized up the situation. What
that camp needed was wives. He ar
g1ed that men without the restrainin'
influence of women would naturally
turn into wild animals, and he resolv-
ed to send for some gals. He called
the miners together and told EN- that
If they would turn out the women
there was in camp he would send for
a carload Of real good, true members
of the female sex to be helpmeets for
EN-. The miners agreed, and Mr..
Parkhurst wrote Miss Amelia Bowers,
who had succeeded him as head of his
Sunday school, to come out with a
dozen of the best behaved and best
look1n' young women she could pick
up. Her influence was far more need
ed in the west than where she was.
Husbands would be provided.
Miss Bowers, a middle aged, con-
sc1entious woman, concluded that it
was her duty to accept the situation
and proceeded to collect a dozen young
women who would rather get married
than work. She also shipped several
hundred Bibles and hymn books. The
company paid all expenses and give
each gal a hundred dollars to sit up
housekeepin' with.
"The day Miss Bowers arrived with
them twelve gals was a screamer. Not
a man would work, and every one Of
EN- went to the tavern where the
coach was to unload. While they was
waitin' Ben Higgins, an old teller
who was a leader among 'em, made
EN- q speech remindin' 'em that they
mustn't be in too much Of a hurry to
wed and that gals liked to be court
ed. There wasn't enough gals to go
round by any means, but any fghtin'
for 'em would spoil the whole bust
ness. If the men behaved right an
other lot would be provided; if they
didn't those who had come would go
back.
when the coach drove up to the
tavern door there was a yell. Some Of
the gals was on top, and they was
mighty good lookin'. Them miners
hadn't seen a decent woman in years
some Of 'em-and they wasn't used to
| cJ1oh 1,ru,,fr t. x,oo ill., o-oal, ao-os-y
down from heaven. The men was re-
spectful, you bet. There's no place
where a good woman is so reverenced
as where she's a rarity. A way was
opened from the coach to the tavern,
and tho gals went inside, but there
was SIGH a howl for 'em that they
come out on to a balcony and stood
there, while the men at an order from
Higgins, the old Teller who had spoken
to 'em a short time before, took off
their hats. The gals looked kind of
funny, as If not KNOWN what to make
Of the reception.
IF the manager had sent for
enough gals to go round in the first
place there wouldn't likely have been
any trouble. AS it was, several of the
most desperate men each saw among
the lot a gal he wanted, and some of
'em wanted the same gal. The gals
hadn't more'n gone back into the tav-
ern before there was half a dozen
fights. Higgins he goes off to the
manager, and he says:
".Mr. Parkhurst, I'm afraid there's
a-goin' to be a commotion in this yere
camp. Why didn't you send for enough
for a feed?'
"'What do you suggest, Huggins?'
"The most natural way, the way
the men would take to easiest, would
be to rattle 'em.'
mi. Parkhurst looked glum. You
forget, Higgins he said, that a wo-
man has the right to marry whom she
chooses. To rattle them would be to
give them away without their consent.
That wouldn't do at ALL
"'Well, MI. Parkhurst, all I've got
to say is that If something isn't done,
and that pretty quick, there won't be
enough men left to furnish husbands
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