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

one on en-
""That's a good idea; try it,
"Huggins went away and called a
mass meetin' Of the suitors. He told
them that a dozen men must be cho-
sen by lot to offer themselves each to
a girl. If a mar failed to find any
one Of the girls he wanted and who
wanted him that left a girl for
a second DRAWN of chances. Many
Of those present would rather have
fought for their chance; but, recognize
in the delicacy of the situation and
the plan bein' the nearest that could
be suggested to Il rattle, it 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, veal a coat if he had one and
report at the avern that evenin' for
Introduction by Miss Bowers.
"The next mornin' Mr.. Parkhurst
called for Higgins.
"'Well, Huggins.' he said when the
VIII ullu uppCdlcu. uOW ulu IL lulu
out last night?
Cat the courtin'? Tol'able, sir,
tol'able. Three men proposed to gals
as TUX 'em. four men was too Urinary
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 a gal
who wouldn't have him and said he
had a 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
presented the same evenin'. This was
Higgins report of the second pair off:
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
I'm 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 fghtin'
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 camprMiss Bowers
had gone back for another load-and
every van left wantin' her, set up a
confagration. Every day there was a
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. She'd
make b'lieve she was goin' to take
one of EN- and then start in to en-
SOuluSC dAollCl. - oily Il1lS Noo
needed to keep up the list of casualties
this filled 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 a ticket back
where she came from. She sent word
to him that she'd ruther be an old
maid in Colorado than a 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 and
her nose in the air and didn't answer
never a word.
Things KEEP goin' from bad to worse.
Some Of the men Miss Riggs had re-
fused TUX to drink, and most of EN-
wouldn't work. 1t was impossible to
git other hands. and the dirt taken out
was gittin' less an less every day. 1t
begun to look as if Miss Riggs wasn't
married or didn't go away the mine
would have to shet down. The presi-
dent wrote to know what was up. Mr..
wrote TO SEM on q CARLOAD
Of 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. AIr. 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,' Higgins said
knowingly, L found out that women
must have their way
What do you mean by that?'
"'Well, sir. there's nothin' fur a pur-
ty gal here but to git married. Every
man here has axed Miss Riggs but one.
"'I 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
"'1 think it's you, SIR
"IY
ayes, sir-you.'
"Mr. Parkhurst concluded to make a
call on Miss Riggs.
"The young woman was perfectly