The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-06-06

fought for their chance; but, recogniz-
in the delicacy Of the situation ana
the plan bein' the nearest that could
be suggested to rattle. 1t was unani-
mously approved. Blanks and ten
prize slips were placed in a hat and
ten men were selected. Every one
of the lucky ten was ordered to black
his boots, take his trousers out OF
them, wear coat If he had one and
report at the tavern that evenin' for
introduction by Miss Bowers.
"The next mornin' Mr.. Parkhurst
called for Huggins.
"'Well, Higgins. he said when the
old man appeared. how did 1t tura
out last nightY
"'At the courtin'? Torable. sir,
tol'able. Three men proposed to gals
as TUX 'em, four men was too or'nary
to go down with any Of the gals, two
men wanted the same gal and was
killed in a shootin' match afterwards.
One man got up on his ear with gal
who wouldn't have him and said he
had wife already In Frisco and
didn't want no more of 'em. This
leaves seven gals for the next DRAWN
and three men less to be provided for
"Seven names were next drawn and
presented the same evenin'. This was
! Higgins report of the second pair of:
Three paired off. One Teller was
drunk and wasn't let in TO the courtin'.
Three men wanted the same gal. They
had a triangular fight. the survivor
TO win; little Teller with red hair win
ner. Gal wouldn't have him. That
leaves four gals for prizes
"ln this way eleven Of the gals was
paired leavin' one, the purtiest Of the
lot, to be disposed OF. All the fellers
wanted her from the first. and most
of the men that got killed was fightin'
for her. But she wouldn't have none
of 'em She's mighty particular SEEM
she's had twenty men to pick from.
She's got snappin' black eyes, kind OF
reddish hair and is purity and plump
as q robin"
"Now, if you want to work out a
scheme for furnishin' wives you don't
want nary of the women to be a jim
dandy. One purity woman with the
old Nick in her will spoil any practical
plan that was ever got up. This gal,
Becky Riggs, bein' the only unmarried
woman left in the camp-Miss Bowers
had gone back for another load-and
every wan left wantin' her. set up
con6agration. Every day there was Il
| fight about her, and some one was
sure TO be killed The wives begged
her to choose some one and stop the
fghtin'. But she wouldn't Shea
make b'lieve she was goin' to take
one of 'em and then start In to en-
courage another. If anything was
needed to keep up the list Of casualties
this filed the bill.
"Well. it got so bad at last, so many
good men bein' killed, that Mr.. Park
hurst sent Miss Riggs word that he'd
be pleased to furnish her ticket back
where she came from. She sent word
to him that she'd ruther be an old
maid in Colorado than bloomin' mar
ried woman in the east. Then Mr.,
Parkhurst went to see her to reason
with her. She jist set there listenin'
to him with her head on one side AID
her nose in the air and didn't answer
never n word.
"Things KEEP goin' from bad to worse.
Some of the men Miss Riggs had re-
fused tux TO drink, and most of 'em
wouldn't work. 1t was impossible to
git other hands, and the dirt taken out
off IN N III
begun to look as if Miss Riggs wasn't
married or didn't go away the mine
would have to shct down. The presi-
dent wrote TO know what was up. Mr..
Parkhurst wrote to send on u carload
of women. The president wrote that
Miss Bowers had come back and
wouldn't advise no more gals to go to
SIGH a benighted place. This looked
purity black. Mr.. Parkhurst called for
old Ben higgins and axed him what
was best to be done.
"'When l was livin' with my ole
woman, Mr.. Parkhurst,' Huggins saiS
knowingly, 4 found out that womer
must have their way
"What do you mean by that?
"'Well, sir, there's nothin' fur pur-
ty gal here but to git married. Every
man here has axed Miss Riggs but one
81 thought they had all asked her.
"'No, sir; there's one left, and the
KNOWN ones among the wives say
that's the one she wants
"'Who is hep
"I think it's Won SIR
"TY
"'Yes. sir-you.'
''Mr. Parkhurst concluded to make q
call on Miss Riggs.
"The young woman was perfectly
! aware that the manager understood
the situation. Furthermore, she had
brought with her some becomin' cos.
tunes and had put one of them on for
his reception. When Mr.. Parkhursa
saw her, to have her for companion
didn't seem to him such hardship,
after ALL 1t had been more than q
year since he had seen a refined wom-
an. He passed the evenin' with her
In general conversation and found her
intelligent He might spend years I'm
minin' country, and II occurred u
Il ,..f l..A f.e... II