Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1917-06-16
The Last
Hope Mine
How the Miners Were
Civilized
BY ALAN HiNSDaLE

mliiu camps, SAIL the Old prbSuCetof
"onc of the best Htl III hoes iu the
grouu before il run out was the Last
Hope mine It's name WIS given il
hy the man WIN struck 4 who was
much down ~ the heels ~ the time
and fully intended that II it Didn't re-
icy" his necessities he would hang
himself To- the limb Of Il tree that ~.
tended directly over 4, He sold his
claim for Sluu0Ou Ia a cumpnuy aud
rctirc- fr-t m FROM this here story
The pres idcnt Of the Last Hope
lived Ia HE cast and sent ont Il man
agcr from that region Mr. farkhgrSt
among other things. NJ h"uc had been
superintendent of a SUNDAY srhpo
Naturally u" didn't Ike tire appear
nncc Of colorado mimi camp. The
cussin that wars goin. nu Was Just like
fireworks The saloons did II better
business than the store. Whenever the
wind riZ the plnylu cards Oiled the
air Ike ~u"wStorm As Tor sunday.
there wa> no work Oh that day. but
in~tcnd or .rr' ices there WAS -.amhlin'
There was a few women in the emp
but they was Wnr,r'n Ia" men
"Mr lnrlhur>t loohcd the ground
over and sized ~ tic situation What
that camp needed wars wives He ar
sucd thar mcu without the rcstrainn'
influence of women would naturally
turn into Wild nuimals. and h" rcSolv-
cd Ia send for some girls He called
the miners together and told ON thnt
II thcy would iurn out the women
there was IN camp he would send for
carload 81 real good. true members
uf the female sex 10 he hClpmccis for
EN- The miners agreed aud Mr.
parkhurst wrote Miss Amelia Bowers.
who had succeeded him rs head of his
sunday school 10 come ont with
dozen OF the best behaved and best
lookin' young women she could pick
up Her influence was Ear more need.
cd In the west than where she Was
Husbands would bc provided.
Miss Bowers. middle aged. con,
scicniious woman. concluded that II
was her duty To accept the situation
anil proceeded 20 collect u dozen Young
women who would rather get married
than work She also shipped several
hundred Bibles and hymn books The
company paid all expenses and give
each gal hundred dollars to set up
houschc"pin' with
The day Miss bowers arrived with
them twelve gals was Il Scrcamcr Not
man would work. and every one "f
EN- went Ia the tavern where the
coach was Ia unload While they was
wnitin Ben higgins. an old Teller who
was leader among cm. mnde ON
speech. rcmindIn EN- that they
mustn't he In too much Of u hurry 10
wed and that gals liked 10 he cOurtcd.
There wasn't enough gals Ia 80 round
by any mems but any t.htu' for en-
would spoil he whole business II
the men behaved right another lot
would bc provided; II they didn't those
who had come would 20 back.
when the coach drove up 20 the
tavern door there was a yrll Some Of
the gals was on top. and they WAS
mighty good lookn. Them miners
hadn't seen nice woman IN years
some of EN- and they wasn't used To-
such beauty II was like angels comm
down from heaven Tho men was re-.
Spcctful. Won bet. There's 10 place
whore good woman IS So rcycrenccd
as where she's rarity \ way was
opened from the coach 10 the tavern.
and the gals went inside. but there
was Sich howl fer ON that they
come out on To Il balcony and stool
there, while the men Mt an order from
Higgins tho old Teller who had spoken
10 EN- short time before. took OF
their hats. The gals looked kind OF
funny ms II not KNOWN what TO make
OF the reception.
"If the manager had sent for
enough gals to 20 round III the first
place there wouldn't likely have been
any trouble. ~ II was. several OF the
most desperate men each saw among
the lot gal he wanted. and some of
EN- wanted the same gal. The gals
hadn't morcn gone back into the tav-
ern before there was half dozen
fights. Higgins he goes of to the man
ager. and he says
"'Mr. Parkhurst. I'm afraid there's
goin' Ia he commotion In this yerc
camp Why didn't YOU send for enough
for feed
What do you suggest. IIuggins"
"'rhe most natural way the way
the men would take to easiest, would
bo o., RI ~, 'pp
MIR. Parkhurst looked glum You
forget. higgins. he said. that a wo
man has the right to marry whom she
chooses To rattle them would be TO
give them away without their consent
That wouldn't do NJ all
well. MIR rarkhurst. all I've got
TO say IL that II somcthin' isn't done.
and that pretty quick, there won't be
enough men left 10 furnish husbands
for this lot of gals.
"'l'm afraid We'll have TO send the
women back. said MIR Pnrkhurs,.
81 reckon said Higgins. scratch.
in his head, we might cit the men 10