The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-03-27
The Last
Hope Mine
How the Miners Were
Civilized
By ALAN HINsDALE


"In the early days of the Colorado
minin' camps" said the old prospector,
zone Of the best payin' holes in the
groun' before it run out was the Last
Hope mine. Its name was given It
by the man who struck it, who was
much down at the heels at the time
and fully intended that If it didn't re-
deve his necessities he would hang
himself to the limb of tree that ex-
tended directly over it. a.. sold his
claim for 100000 to a company and
retires first of from this here story.
"The president of the Last Hope
lived in the east and sent out man.
ager from that region. Mr.. Parkhurst,
among other things, at home had been
superintendent of Sunday school.
Naturally he didn't like the appear
ance of Colorado minin' camp. The
cussin' that was going on was just like
business than the store Whenever the
wind riz the playin' cards filed the
air like snowstorm. As for Sunday,
there was no work on that day, but
instead of services there was gamblin'.
There was a few women In the camp,
but they was worse'n the men.
"Mr. Parkhurst looked the ground
over and sized up the situation. What
that camp needed was wives He ar
gued that men without the restrainin'
influence of women would naturally
turn into wild animals, and he resolv-
ed to send for some girls. He called
the miners together and told 'em that
II they would turn out the women
there was In camp he would send for:
carload Of real good, true members
Of the female sex to be helpmeets for
'em. The miners agreed, and Mr..
Parkhurst wrote Miss Amelia Bowers,
who had succeeded him as head Of his
Sunday school, to come out with a
dozen Of the best Behaved and best
lookin' young women she could pick
up. Her influence was far more need
cd In the west than where she was.
Husbands would be provided.
Miss Bowers, middle aged, con-
scsentious woman, concluded that it
was her duty to accept the situation
and proceeded to collect 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 a hundred dollars to set up
housekeepin' with.
"The day Miss Bowers arrived with
them twelve gals was screamer. Not
man would work, and every one Of
'em went to the tavern where the
coach was to unload. While they was
waitin' Ben Higgins, an old Teller who
was a leader among EN-. made 'em
a speech, remindin' EN- that they
mustn't be in too much Of hurry to
wed and that gals liked to be courted.
There wSsn't enough gals to go round
by any means, but any fightin' for 'em
would spoil the whole business. If
the men behaved right another lot
would be provided; If they didn't those
who had come would go back.
'sWhen the coach drove up to the
tavern door there was yell. Some of
the gals was on top. and they was
mighty good lookin'. Them miners
hadn't seen nice woman In years
some of 'em-and they wasn't used to
such beauty. It was like angels comm
down from heaven. The men was re-
spectful, you bet. There's no place
where a good woman is so reverenced
as where she's rarity. A way was
opened from the coach to the tavern,
and the gals went inside, but there
was SIGH a howl for 'em that they
come out on to a balcony and stood
there, while the men at an order from
Higgins, the old teller who had spoken
to 'em short time before, took or
their hats. The gals looked kind Of
funny, as If not KNOWN what to make
of the reception.
"If the manager had sent for
enough gals to go round in the first
place there wouldn't likely have been
any trouble As it was, several of the
most desperate men each saw among
the lot~a gal he wanted, and some Of
'em wanted the same gal The gals
hadn't more'n gone back into the tav-
ern before there was half a dozen
fights. Higgins he goes off to the man.
ager, and he says:
"'Mr. Parkhurst, I'm afraid there's
a-goin' to be commotion in this yere
camp. Why didn't you send for enough
for feed?'
What do you suggest, Huggins?'
1.-THE most natural way. the way
the men would take to easiest, would
be to rattle EN-
"Mr. 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 at ALL
"'WeII, Mr.. Parkhurst. all I've got
to say is that If somethin' isn't done,
and that pretty quick. there won't be
enough men left to furnish husbands
for this lot of gals
".Tm afraid well have to send the
women back said MIR. Parkhurst.
81 reckon said Higgins, scratch
in his head. we might git the men to
draw lots for a chance to git some
one o. en-
That's a good idea: try It.
Higgins went away and called q
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 man failed to find any
| one OF the girls he wanted and who
wanted him that left girl for sec
ond drawin' of chances. Many OF
| those present would rather have fought
| for their chance; but, recognizin' the
deIicacy of the situation and the plan
! bein' the nearest that could be sug
gested to rattle. it was unanimously
approved. Blanks and ten prize slips
were placed in hat and ten men were
selected. Every one of the lucky ter
was ordered to black his boots, take
his trousers out of them, wear coat
If he had one and report at the tavern
that eyenin' for introduction by Miss
Bowers.
1.-THE next mornin' Mr. Parkhursi
called for Higgins.
Well, Higgins he said when the
old man appeared, how did it turn Out
last nightY
cat the courtin? Tol'able. sir
tol'abie. Three men proposed to gal
as TUX 'em, four men was too or'nar,
to go down with any of the gals, tw,
men wanted the same gal and wal
killed in a shootin' match afterward
One man got up on his ear with ga
who wouldn't have him and said b,
had wife already In Frisco and didn'