The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-11
The Last
Hope Mine
How the Miners Were
Civilized
BY AL AN HINSDALE

"In the early days Of the Colorado
minin' camps" said the old prospector.
"one of the best payin' holes in the
| groun' before 1t run out was the Last
Hope mine Its name was given II
by the man who struck 1t, who was
much down at the heels at the time
and fully intended that IL 1t didn't re-
lieve his necessities he would hang
himself to the limb Of tree that ex-
/ tended directly over it, He sold his
claim for 100000 to a company and
retires first off from this here story
'.The president of the Last Hope
| lived in the east and sent out a 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
| fireworks. The saloons did better
| business than the store. Whenever the
wind riz the playin' cards filed the
| air like n snowstorm. AS for Sunday.
| there was no work on that day, but
instead of services there was gamblin'.
There was 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
dozen Of the best behaved and best
lookin' young women she could pick
up. Her influence was far more need
ed in the west than where she was.
Husbands would be provided.
Miss Bowers. a middle aged, con-
scientious woman. concluded that It
W0o uuty W uSCCPt tuO oltu0tlOu
and proceeded to collect a 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 n screamer Not
man would work, and every one Of
'em went to the tavern where the
coach was to unload While they was
waitiE' Ben Higgins, an old feller who
was leader among 'em, made 'em
speech. remindin' 'em that they
mustn't be I'm too much Of a hurry to
wed and that gals liked to be courted.
There wasn't enough gals to go round
by any means, but any flghtin' for 'em
would spoil the whole business. II
the men behaved right another lot
would be provided; If they didn't those
who had come would go back.
| when 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 a nice woman In years
some of 'em-and they wasn't used to
such beauty. 1t was like angels comm
down from heaven. The men was re-
spectful, you bet There's no place
where 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 sich howl for 'em that they
come out on to balcony and stood
there. while the men at an order from
Huggins, the old feller who had spoken
to 'em short time before. took OF
their hats. The gals looked kind Of
funny. as II 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 gal he wanted, and some of
'em wanted the same gal. The gals
hadn't more'n gone back into the tav-
ctu DtlOIe tucle was udll uOEcu
fights. Huggins he goes of to the man.
ager. and he says:
"'Mr. Parkhurst. I'm afraid there's
a-goin' to be a commotion In this yere
camp. Why didn't you send for enough
for feedT
What do you suggest, Hugginsf
1.-The most natural way, the way
the men would take to easiest, would
be to rattle EN-
"Mr. Parkhurst looked gium. You
forget. Huggins.' 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
well. Mr.. Parkhurst. all I've got
to say is that II somethin' isn't done,
J and that pretty quick. there won't be
enough men left to furnish husbands
4 for this lot of gals
| I'm afraid We'll have to send the
| women back said Mr.. Parkhurst
| al reckon said Huggins, scratch.
| In his head we might CIT the man n