The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-01-21
Madam Nordica Mined in Idaho.
(New York SUM

Last summer l spent six weeks on
fruit ranch in western Idaho on the
banks Of the Snake river. one day
while driving through the sage brush
and sand in what is known as the Big
Bend country | noticed out in the river
some small islands and on the end of
the largest Of them the remains of a
derrick.
That" said my companion, lis
where Nine Nordica was dredging for
gold some years ago. Those small is
lands We're made then"
Nine. Nordica!" ! exclaimed. Not
the singer"
ayes, and Mrs Bremen over here
boarded her while she was looking af
ter the work. If you are interested,
you'd better call and talk with her"
| was interested and lost no time in
getting a mutual acquaintance to take
me to call on Mrs. Bremen, The Bren-
ners live in one Of the larger and older
places; the house is now II years old
rather a venerable age in that new
country where much of the desert is
Istill unreclaimed.
Tell me the story Of Nine. Nordlca's
being here" | asked Mrs. Bremen af-
ter we had talked a while of other
things. How did she happen to come p?
And was she really looking for gold
or did she just want to get away from
everybody and everything?"
"Oh. she was really interested in
gold mining, and 1t came about natur,
Tally enough Capt Morgan of the geo.
logical survey knew of the gold in the
Snake river. There is gold there all
fright; it is called flour gold and is
linked with the black sand in the river
bed. Well, he thought he had discov-
lered a practical process for separating
the gold from the sand, so he formed
a stock company of II New York
Ipeople. among whom were Nine. Nor
dca and her fiance, Mr.. Young.
! mime. Nordica had some western
engagements that season and decided
to stop off and see for herself where
the money went While in this region
| Capt. Morgan used to board at thu
Huttons, the next place, but when HI
land Nine Nordica came along abou
| 5 o'clock one Tuesday afternoon, RICH
fin one of our awful sand storms, Mrs
Hutton was seriously ill., and codldn'
keep them They came to my hous
land asked me to take them just TO
that night and l agreed.
Mime. Nordica quickly made her
| self one of US and after supper helpe'
| me with the dishes, and was so nat
| ural and unassuming and friendly tina
| | told her she might stay as long a
| she wished. Later her negro servan
iEdward came, and she made him d
all kinds of things to help me; MAX
the beds, wash dishes, prepare veget
ables, fill lamps and the like. He wa
very handy and could do most any
thing"
"How long was Nine Nordica wit
you?"
well, she stayed that time till tn
next Monday, six days, when she wer
to Portland to sing at the rose fest
val. During that time Capt. Morga
went up to Boise to get machinery IL
dredging out the sand and two expel
fenced miners, and when Madame can
back from Portland she stayed te
days longer.
"She was 40 when she was here
was in 1908-and in the height of HI
powers. She was deeply attached
Mr.. Young, her fance, and wrote
him every day She showed me h
picture and spoke Of him. often ar
ALWAYS most affectionately."
How did she spend the time viii
here%
Usually she slept till 8; then hf
, Iher breakfast, rolls and very stroT
coffee with cream but no sugar 81
went through her vocal gymnasti
, faithfully every morning and h'
: Edward read to her a good deal. MAJ
times she would take a shallow pf
I and sit out by the well in the ba
8 yard and wash out the gold for he
S self
y "She was always humming som
= thing or other, At that time IT
Merry Widow was all the rage, al
q it seemed for weeks after she left
s if that music were still floating abo
h the house. One evening she sang
= lullaby to Rex, my little son, who W
n three and a half then, and he calm
n remarked, ! like my mammals singl
8 better That amused Madame We
s much, and she enjoyed telling 1t, sa
= ing that child did not know how
d flatter.
= I'm the afternoons Mr. Bremen
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