Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-25

uiinin camps, SAID the old prospect
or, zone OF the best payin' holes I'm
the groun' before 1t ran out was the
Last Hope mine. It's name was given
IL by the man who struck It, who was
much down at the heels at the time
and fully intended that II II didn't re-
lieve his necessities he would hang
himself to the limb OF tree that OK.
tended directly over It. He sold his
claim for 100000 TO company and
retires first off from this here story.
The president OF the Last Hope
lived I'm tho east and sent out n man.
ager from that region. Mr.. Parkhurst.
among other things, at home had been
superintendent of 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 bet.
ter business than the store When
ever the wind riz the playin' cards
hlled the mir like snowstorm. AS for
sunday, there was no work on that
day, but instead OF services there was
gamblin'. There was n 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
gied that men without the restrainin'
influence of women would naturally
Will nfnft IC 4,
ed TO send for some gals. He called
the miners together and told 'em that
IL they would turn out the women
there was In camp he would send for
a carload OF real good. true members
or 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 n
dozen Of the best behaved and best
iookip yoang women she could nick
up. Her influence was far more need
ed In the west than where she was.
husbands would be provided.
Miss Bowers,S middle aged. CON
sclenuous woman, concluded that II
was her duty to accept the situation
ana 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 hundred dollars TO sit up
housekeepin' with.
The day Miss Bowers arrived with
them twelve gals was screamer. Not
a man would work, and every one of
EN- went TO the tavern where the
coach was to unload While they was
wnitin' Ben Higgins, an old Teller
who was leader among 'ern, made
EN- speech remindin' 'em that they
mustn't be In too much OF hurry to
wed and that gals liked to be court
ed. There wasn't enough gals to go
round by any means, but any fightinf
for 'em would spoil the whole bust
ness. If the men behaved right an
other lot would be provided: II they
didn't those who had come would go
back.
when the coach drove up TO the
tavern door there was yell. Some of
the gals was on top, and they was
mighty good loOliin' Them miners
hadn't seen decent woman I'm years
some of 'em-and they wasn't used To
such beauty. 1t was like angels comm"
down from heaven. The men was re-
spcctful. you bet. There's no place
where good woman is so reverenced
as where she's Il rarity \ way was
opened from the coach to the tavern.
end the gals went inside, but there
was SIGH n howl for 'em that they
come out on TO a balcony and stood
there, while the men mt an order from
HuggiDs, the old Teller who had SPOKEN
TO EN- short time before. took of
their hats. The gals looked kind OF
funny. az II not KNOWN what TO make
Of the reception.
I If the manager had sent for
enough gals 10 90 round I'm 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 tie 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' 90 be commOtion I'm this yerc
camp. Why didn't you send for enough
/ for q feedY
What do you suggest. HugginsT
The most natural way. the way
/ the men would take 20 easiest. would
/ be TO rattle en-
/ Mr. Parkhurst looked glum. You
/ forget. Higgins he said. that a wO.
man has the right 10 marry whom she
/ chooses. 10 rattle them would be 20
/ give them away without their consent.
That wouldn't do ~ all
We'll. Mr.. Parkhurst, all I've got
10 say Is that n something isn't done.
and that pretty quick there won't be
enough men left to furnish husbands
for this lot Of gals