Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-05-10
A Worthless
Lot
II Was Used For q
Bridal Outfit
By MARGARET c. DEvEpEAUx

RADIO on the breaking out Of the gold
fever there was Amos Clark. His fam.
lly consisted Of his wife and his
daughter, Maria, the latter sixteen
years old. Clark was an u~neducated
man, but with a good deal OF grit.
Mrs. Clark was a sickly woman, while
the daughter was a sprightly girl. bnt
unsophisticated.
The Clarks were Missourians. and
the natural route for them to take was
overland from St. Joseph. CLARK pur.
chased an outfit consisting OF a "prai
RE schoOner"-the name given to the
wagon used by emigrants crossing the
plains-drawn by four horses. in which
were stored such articles as would be
needed on the journey. Jacob Cow
dry, a young man who had been a
neighbor of the family In Missouri.
volunteered to go with them. and the
offer was gladly accepted.
One leaving the Missouri river today
in a palace car and sklmming along
over the plains IAN hardly realize what
that journey was sixty years ago.
True, the alkali plains are there; but.
protected by the comfortable car. 1t is
hard to appreciate what tOihng along
In a wagon would be over the limit.
less. unshaded stretch OF country be-
tween the Missouri and the mountains.
The route was infested with Indi-
ans. the atmosphere was so dry that
the wheels Of the wagons would shrink
and fall apart, and there was lack of
good water On the way Clark fell III.
and COwdry. who was only twenty
years old. assumed the leadership. To
his strength Of will and his manage
ment was due the safe arrival Of the
family at the foot Of the mountains.
where. In the salubrious climate. they
rested till Clark recovered. Then they
assembled till they reached what after
ward became Georgetown.
Gold was being taken out all along
Clear creek. and Clark and Cowdry
occupied themselves in washing for
the precious metal-a process which
consisted I'm putting dirt from the mar
gin Of the creek into a pan, washing II
out and leaving tiny bits " gold.
which sank to the bottom Of the water
in the pan. In this way they made a
living, occasionally stopping their work
to do some prospecting.
But the story of the Clark family Is
the same Ms that OF nearly all gold
hunters. No great luck came to them.
Mrs. Clark died, and Maria. who by
this time was eighteen years old. was
obliged to supply her place. 1t was
hard work for the girl, and she repined
that she had been brought to 4 rough
country, where she was spending her
youth without the advantages Of edu.
cation or refinement
COwdry adOred her. She appreciated
his worth. but there was not in him
that culture to which she aspired, The
country was filling up with men who
were bringing capital with them or
representing capital. and Maria had
her eyes open for a husband from
among them.
Clark entered a number Of claims,
but had not the means to develop
them. He was tied down to rocking
pans OF dirt In order tn support him.
self and his daughter. Cowdry did
some digging for himself and his
friend, but did not strife pay dirt.
Such was the situation when CLARK
died. Maria, being cut Off from hel
fathers support. lived by ~dispOslng one
by one. Of the claims he had left her
COwdry would have gladly married
her, but she looked higher. While hel
property was passing out Of her hand
a young man named Stapleton came
from the east. representing or claiming
to represent eastern capitalists desir
GUS Of investing their money In Colo
RADIO gold property.
One day some p~rOspectors went t
StGpletOn and let him into the secreI
that they had struck q vein OF rich or
and would like TO get some money Will
which to develop 1t, StapletOn mad,
an investigation and found that tn,
vein widened toward a Ave acre claim
to the west. He represented no CAPT
tai. IA he pretended, but had gone gu
to Colorado to try To make none!
by his wits. Telling the p~rOspectoru
that he would write to his principal
Of the find and endeavOr to secure tn
capital necessary to develop It, he Sc
about to discover the owner OF the 10
lying TO the west, with a view to get
ting possession Of 1t before the owne
became aware Of its value.
Now. this lot was the last OF tn
claims that Amos Clark had left hi
daughter. Maria. The Ouly reason I
was the last was that It was suppOset
to be the least valuable. At any rate
so she considered 1t.
Learning that the property belonge,
TO Maria Clark. Stapleton sought he
and, finding that she was a marriage
able young woman. laid his plans aC
eOrdingly. without saying anythin
about her property. he began to pa
court to her. This was exactly Wild
she wished. and had not StnpletOn bee
an INSCRIPTIONS adventnrer Their
would have been no reason why sh
should not encourage him. He did nc