Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-06-29
The Last
Hope Mine
How the Miners Were
Civilized
by ALAN HINSDALE

So WV NHll wy . VI WV ''''ANA'
mimi camps" said the old prospector,
zone of the best p0yln' holes in the
grOun' before 1t run out was the Last
Hope mine, Its name was given it
by the man who struck It, who was
much down Mt the heels at the time
and fully intended that If II didn't re.
lieye his necessities he would hang
himself TO the limb of n tree that eX-
tended directly over 1t. He sold his
claim for 100000 10 company and
retlres first Off from this here story.
"The president Of the Last Hope
lived in the east and sent out n man
agcr 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 a Colorado mimi camp The
cuSSin' that was going on was just like
fireworks, The saloons did better
business than the store. Whenever the
wind ri2 the playin cards filled the
air like a snowstorIh 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 worsc'n the men.
MIR, parkhurSt looked the ground
over and sized up the situation. What
that camp needed was wives He ar
gucd that men without the restranin
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
If 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 hclpmcets for
EN-, The miners agreed, and Mr..
Parkhurst wrote Miss Amelia Bowers,
who had succeeded him as head of his
Sunday school, to come out with n
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 1t
was her duty to accept the situation
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 n hundred dollars to set up
hOusekeepin with.
"The day Miss Bowers arrived with
them twelve gals was n screamer Not
Il man would work.. and every one of
'em went to the tavern where the
coach was to unload. While they was
waitin' Ben IIuggins, an old Teller who
was leader among 'em, made EN-
Il speech, remindin' 'em that they
mustn't be In 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 tightin' for EN-
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.
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 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 a 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 a balcony and stood
there, while the men at an order from
HIGGINS, the old Teller who had spoken
to em a short time before, took off
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 90 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 dozen
fights. Higgins he goes off 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 a feedY
"What do you suggest, HugginsY
THE most natural way, the way
the men would take to easiest, would
be to rattle EN-.
MIR. parkhurst looked glum. You
forget, HugginS.' he said, that wo-
man hlS the right to marry whom she
chooses. 10 rattle them would be to
give them away without their consent
That Wo'ltnt do ut all
Well, Mir. parkhurst, all I've got
- say is that If somethin' isn't done,
and that pretty quick, there won't be
chouah men left to furnish husbands
tor this lot of gals
Tim afraid Wen have to send the
Mnn,nu ,,ni1 M. Do Ill ttrcf