The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-14
The Last
Hope Mine
How the Miners Were
Civilized
By AL AN HlNSDALE

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 IL it 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 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. bur
instead of services there was gamblin'
There was n 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
a 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
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
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 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
waitin' Ben Higgins, an old feller who
| was a leader among em, made 'em
speech. remindin' 'em that they
mustn't be in too much Of hurry to
wed and that gals liked to be cOurted
There wasn't enough gals to go round
by any means, but any fightin' 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 nice woman In years
some Of 'em-and they wasn't used tt
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 reverencet
as where she's rarity. A way was
opened from the coach to the tavern
and the gals went inside. but ther,
was sich howl for 'em that the!
! ! come out on to balcony and stoot
there, while the men at an order from
Higgins, the old feller who had spokel
to em short time before, took of
their hats The gals looked kind o
funny. as II not KNOWN what to max,
Of the reception.
"If the manager had sent 70
enough gals to go round in the frs
place there wouldn't likely have beeI
any trouble. As 1t was. several Of tn,
most desperate men each saw amonl
the lot a gal he wanted, and some o
'em wanted the same gal. The gal
hadn't more'n gone back into the tav
ern before there was half a dozel
fights. Huggins he goes Off to the man
ager, and he says:
"'Mr. Parkhurst. I'm afraid there
| a-goin' to be a commotion In this yer
| camp. Why didn't you send for enoug
for feedr
| ".What do you suggest, Hugginsr
| 1.-The most natural way, the wa
the men would take to easiest, woul
be to rattle EN-
"Mr. Parkhurst looked glum. 'Yo
forget. Huggins.' he said. that a We
man has the right to marry whom sh
chooses. To rattle them would be {
give them away without their consen
That wouldn't do at all.
'"'Well. Mr.. Parkhurst, all I've g
to say Is that II somethin' isn't don,
and that pretty quick. there won't b
: enough men left to furnish husband
for this lot of gals
| I'm afraid we'll have to send tn
women back said Mr. Parkhurst.
| "'l reckon said Huggins. scratcl