The chronicle=news., 1914-09-05

nestOr JOhn Canary, loaded up his
family treasures In prairie schooA.
er In 1862 and struck out eastward
for fame and fortune in the promised
land as, thousands OF brave hearts
were doing at the same time. They
crossed the river at Atchison and
headed for the fnohntains J; on the
Overland trails Byi the time they
the South Platte 1t was mid
summer, and while in camp near
Plum creek the girl, Jane. not yet In
her teens, went into nearby thicket
to gather Wild plums growing there
In such splendor. While she WAS thus
engaged Spotted Horse and a band Of
Arapahoe Indians made q dash on the
Canary camp and killed both parents
In front of tile poor girls eyes.
Tho child was SO frightened that
she sank. down among the bushes and
was wise enough to Keep still. SO the
Indians, after taking the horses and
stealing what they wanted. sped on
their murderous way without ever
knowing that the girl was there. She
was SO badly scared that she lay for
hours In. hiding and was finally res
cued by oae Of Alexander Majors
freight trains coming along and dis
covering the crime on. the. trail.
When Jane came out they were sur
prised to learn how she had escaped.
Mr.. Majors. who was kind-henrted
Christian gentleman Of the old
school. took his travelling ambu-
lance, left the train to come on its
way to Denver and personally con-
vcyed the child back to Atchison
where he turned her over to some
charitable people. This was the
tragic beginning In the romantic ca
reer of the quite famous Calamity
Jane.
Subsequently she came west again
and lived for a time at Pueblo. Just
how she became tough is not recit-
cd for the old timers do not talk 30
much of such things as of the brave
and charitable acts the pioneer wo-
men did One day in the summer of
1868 when the cholera was SO bad
on the plains an army courier carry
ing dispatches from Fort Hays to
Fort Wallace on the Kansas prairies.
was 2eeling his eye for Indian signs,
as was the necessary precaution to
save HIS scalp. He was surprised to
sec far ahead up the Smoky Hill trail
a lone woman dressed in buckskin
coming toward him on a pinto horse.
She was a fine looking crature and
the old scout could not understand
why any young girl should he trav-
cling alone there at such q danger
GUS time. ~ Z Z
Az they met and pulled up she said
in response to his inquiry: II am
Calamity Jane and am going over
to Fort Harker where the soldier
boys are SO very sick with cholera
and I intend to nurse them" The
old frontiersman explained to. her
how bad the Indians were and tried
to have her turn back with him to
the post where he said Colonel Mel
son would give her an escort to see
her through all right but the girl
only grinned and replied as she
moved on: "rd like to see any old
scamp OF an fnjun here on the plains
who COULD, catch nae on my horse
Calamity" and in a few minutes she
was only a speck on the. receding hor;-
izon. The courier then recalled the
lines from the old hymn. :"Oh -the
world isgfull of signs. .'full, of sad and
and weeping eyes; heip your fallen
brother rise while the days are 60
ing by" " s=t ~ /.
The next time the. scout saw. this
waif on the desert was at gTom
Drums saloon in Hays City. A gen
eral fisht had broken out; gums WE'RE
cracking like all get out, and three
men lay dying on the floor when
suddenly through the smoke OF bat
tic there rushed female peacemak-
er: stop IT," she Called as she held
up her hand and, faced the three
principal belligerents.i Asdead calm
rested on the sea Of trouble and q
shfvering silence overspread the
friEhtful place. Then as the men put
mp their guns Calamity Jane said:
"Barkecp, get busy and give us all a
drink Somebody packed out the
dead men and Calamity Jane was the
Joy of the hour, for she had pre-
vented the Wholesale killing of ev-
erybody in the place.
Jane Canary lies buried on the hill
ut Deadwood sleeping peacefully
alongside her old friend. Wild Bill
Iiickok, and the citizens of the town
through the efforts of Mike Russell
efectedra monument but the tourists
chippcd away SO much of the origin
al SHAFT to get souvenirs. that the
town folks took down the -vandalized
granite and put up'a better one
Then they built the fence around 1,
to mark the. halfowed spot. There
on the lonely hill touched by light
that has no name, gfary never
1sung, the silence of eternity seems
falling upon the world. "a garden
OF light full of heavens perfume
where never teardrop is shed. and
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