The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-04-11
MRS. MULLlGAN's
VIEWS
They Are Happily
Illustrated
BY f. A. Mitchell

BY F. A. mitchell
The mining camp Of Lucky Gulch
was a much more peaceful place than
could be found in those early days any
where in the gold districts Of Colorado.
The reaso Of this was that many Of
the miners married. and their
wives exercised a salutary influence on
them and the other Inhabitants. But
one day the habitual quietude Of the
place was disturbed by the arrival Of
a big man, who announced himself as
hailing from the state Of Ohio. and he
500 made 1t known that he was quite
liable to take care of himself" which
meant that he carried a chip on his
shoulder and invited any one and every
one to knock It OF.
He had some money. with which he
bought a claim, and. having built him.
self a cabin. proceeded to dig for a for
tune. The shortening Of names was a
feature in the mining camps Of those
days, and the big fellow o o came to
be known as Ohio.
From the moment he came into the
camp the peace and prosperity that
had pervaded 1t gave place to a mill
tant condition. The men were much
the same as the gun population of new
countries. but had been Modified by
the m Ohio threw them back
into their primitive condition.
The result was that very soon every
married man was trying to prove that
he was at the head Of his house, which
meant that he was excessively dis
agreeable. Where peace and good will
had reigned in the cabins angry voices
were heard and occasionally q sound
indicating that some heavy missile had
been thrown and struck a wall instead
Of an intended victim.
As was to be expected, the women Of
the place soon came to consider Ohio
their natural enemy. Word was pass.
ed among them one morning after the
men had gone to work that there would
be a meeting In one Of the cabins to
consider methods Of getting rid Of the
trouble maker Some dozen wives got
together. but 1t is questionable II wo-
mans greatest strength lies In deliber-
alive assemblies. At any rate. in this
instance a great deal Of time and talk
were expended in suggestions that were
absurd. One woman proposed that they
pour boiling water on Ohio. another
that they attack him with hatpins,
another that they refuse to speak to
him. The latter of these propositions
was voted down on the ground that he
wouldn't care whether they cut him
OF not. but the real reason was that it
is natural for woman to admire power
in man. and some of those present Sc
cretly admired the disturber.
At last Mrs. Mulligan said: "L.eddies.
l don't see as we car do anything at
all. at all. Before | married my Mike
l give EN- rope enough to 60 all over
the world If he wanted to. He got to
thinkin' he VOL q prize at a county fair.
| jist let i'm 60 on in that cOmfortiD'
delusi0D till after we was married.
and thin | brought i'm to his senses
at the first crack O the whip. If you's
want to lasso Ohio. my advice to you Is
for some o you's to marry him."
The only dra wback to this plan was
that there was no unmarried woman
in the camp. Such as had come there
from time to time welN not calculated
to increase the responsibility Of the
camp. and they bad been warned away
by the wfves-a warning the latter
seemed to be able to make effective In
dealing with their OWL sex. Therefore.
though all the ladies agreed that Mrs.
Aulligan's plan was the only plan. It
could not be carried out In this Q ID
for the want of material.
So the terror of Lucky Gulch contin.
ued to bulldose the men and to Get
them agninst their wives. Every day
the condition Of the camp grew worse.
Some whose holes In the ground were
not panning out we'll. urged BY their
wives. who had suffered under the ma
lign influence that had come upon
them. gave up their ventures and o
cd away. Others began to talk Of fol.
lowing. and it looked a. though Lucky
0ulch would be abandoned and forever
afterward known as Unlucky Guch.
About this time Ohio announced that
he had reason to believe he bad struck
paying dirt and was going down TO
Denver With some samples Of ore for
assay and In the hope that he might
get the necessary funds with which to
develop his mine. Al be passed out of
the town on his way down the gulch
be was followed by q chorus Of male
dictions on the part Of the women.
each one Of whom expressed the hope
that he would not live to return. BE
grinned at them and said that he
would surely come back II only to
give each and every one Of their cow
ardly husbands q thrashing. This an
gered the women all the more. and an
occasional stone followed their tormen-
tor.