The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-03

4 Jacksonville Glib Courier: That
the west-the rough and Rocky
mountain west-has many charms not
only to young men in search of ad-
venture but also for young ladies',
reared and educated in eastern Gull
ture, is shown by the experience of
six young ladies', who are holding
claims at the foot of the Black ILLS
in mountainous Wyoming. Still great
er interest is conferred in the story
when we learn that one of the young
ladies is from Jacksonville. Miss
Bessie Clark is now in the city for a
brief visit with her parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. John J. Clark on South Webster
avenue. She will return the first of
located in the Sun Dance precinct of
& Wyoming. She says she is anxious
to return because she has fallen in
love with the climate and scenery of
that rough though rich country and
she likes the friendly cheer and open
hospitality of the western people.
Twenty Miles From Railroad.
Miss Clark tells an interesting sto-
~ of her life in that region. She in
company with her friend, Miss Clara
Plummer of Des Moines, Iowa, went
west two years ago, the former for
the benefit of her health and the lat
ter to take up a claim. Miss Clark
had no thought of establishing
i homo In HOT xvi ,l1o
with her friend, but when she arriv-
ed there she changed her mind. The
two took up claims and built homes
( in the valley of the Bellefourche riv-
4 er, seventy miles west of Deadwood
and twenty miles from any railroad.
trict in the Sun Dance precinct. Lat
err Misses Alice Gibson and Sarah
/ Nelson, two young ladies from Yer
mont, stopped for visit at the Bear
4 Lodge quarters and were SO fascinat-
ed with the prospect of landing
claim and becoming associated with
I the other young ladies that they also
took up their residence there. Aft
er awhile two other young ladies
4 from Des Moines joined the crowd.
/ These were Misses Minnie Swanson
and Alice Plummer, sister of Miss
Clara Plummer. The Misses Plum
mer and Swanson are graduates of
4 Drake university in music and liberal
arts. Since the advent of these lady
settlers, the inhabitants of the sur
rounding territory have changed tho
name of that particular district from
Chicken Ridge" to Paradise Flats"
and some of the old bachelors have
given it the particular name of Hap
Ply Hollow" Each young lady has
/ her own tract of land and her home.
None is more than two miles from
the other but they are in the heart
of the widest part of Wyoming. The
nearest railroad town is Aladdin.
twenty miles away where the North
| Western railway terminates. This
little town has a population of about
ninety-five and the telephone opera
tor is the lone single lady of the vii
/ lage
Handy With Rifle and Rope.
The young ladies have become ac-
customed to the conditions and sur
roundings in which they live and en-
terrain no fear in the least of ever
being molested or injured by any
one. And, indeed. why should they
| for they handle the rifle as well as
I any man and one has the reputation
/ of being the crack shot of the neigh
\ borhood. They can also swing the
rope with the accuracy and agility of
a cowboy and nothing more delights
them than the long rides they take
on their western ponies. They ride
distances of twenty miles at a
stretch without ever thinking that it
is in anyway out of the ordinary.
| In speaking of their manner OF
! life Miss Clark said that their time
was mostly spent in hunting, fishing,
riding, swimming and camping.
There is much large game in the
mountains and plains at the foot OF
/ the hills, deer hunting being the ia
yorite sport. On the moonlight nights
the bob cats and coyotes send up
1 their dismal howl SO that they can
! be heard for miles. The coyotes Of
ten kill calves from the herds but
never attack persons as they are
very Shy. There are not many wolves
/ in that region but once in while
one wanders down in search of fresh
meat There are also many ruffled
grouse and sage hens. The game is
protected for the use Of the inhabi-
tants of the territory, a gun license
of $50 being necessary for the non
residents. AS has been previously
stated these young ladies delight in
the use of the gun.
Trout Fishing Fine
Fishing is also a favorite pastime.
Passing through the ranch of Miss
Clark is a splendid trout stream and
days at a time are spent on its banks.
The Bellefourche river is also with
in four miles of her place but this
stream is not SO well adapted to fish
ing as the current in most places is