The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-11-06
Calamity Jane Could Drink and S1Dear
But She Had Many Admirable Traits
By sEYMOUR G. POND

$1,000 0e 40 \
INTO THE setting sun Of the old
west there sinks from view one of
the most romantic characters Of
frontier days-"Calamity Jane" She
was a tough hard swearing, hard
headed gunwoman. SchOOled by that
great teacher, experience, she was
not without her good points, chief
Of which was charity. In time Of need,
Calamity was never known to fail.
Courage was hers to a point Of dar-
ing and her physical battles would
put many a man to shame.
How Calamity received her sObri-
Quet seems to be a disputed fact.
One oldtimer says that Bill Nye gave.
her the name in his paper. The
Laramie Boomerang, in the early
'70s. Another version relates that
Jane got her popular name while
travelling with a scouting band Of
soldiers through a deep and wooded
canyon in the lower Dakotas. Sud
denly the soldiers were surrounded
by Indians. One Of the officers was
shot and fell from his horse. AS he
slid to the ground a redskin dashed
up to scalp him. At this juncture
young Jane gallOped up, clinging to
her horses side Indian fashion. She
shot the redskin before he could &C
cOmplish his grim mission and, with
a struggle, hauled the limp body of
the soldier across her horse.
When he regained consciousness
the young officer stated that 'a man
was usually lucky to have such a
heroine as Jane around in time of
calamity" His apt combination Of
words, together with James popular
ity with the regiment, it is said,
gained her the sobriquet. Calamity, &"
a title which chung to the end of her
days.
The most accepted version, how
ever, is that in almost every calamit-
Gus affairs which took place in the
Black Hills frontier days-and there
were many-yOu were sure to find
Calamity at the bottom of the heap.
AS to the actual birthright of
Jane, it is best stated in her own
words:
my maiden name was Martha
Canary and I was born in Prince
ton, Mo-, May I, 1852. My father and
mother were natives of Ohio. I had
two brothers and three sisters, I be-
ing the eldest Of the children"
She Had an ImitatOr
At this time Calamity was known
as Mrs. Mary Burk. Jane was &C
counted an uncOmmOnly good look
ing young woman, with a 1.-the form,
a smooth complexion, auburn hair
and sparkling dark brown eyes full
of the fun of life. It should be said
that there was a second Calamity
Jane" who m-asqueraded as the orig
inal, but this character was a dance.
hall renegade of inferior fame. She
has been described as doing many
ludicious acts along the Union Paci-
fic and adjacent terrain, following
the trails of the one real Calamity
Jane" The masquerader died in {
hospital in Denver August II, 1878
1t seemed that fate had destined
/ Calamity Jane to lead a life of ad
venture where Oftentimes her guI
was her best friend. The early dealt
of her parents, her rugged life il
, Indian wars, her experience annie
travelling bands Of scouts and tn.
dangers Of the open prairie all com
[ bined to make Calamity a woman
who feared neither man, beast no
spirit.
Her deXterity with firearms sOOl
gave her a reputation that command
: ed respect, and what was more i'm
Il pOrtant, many times warded of
e trouble before affairs reached eth
shooting stage" She despised Grim
:, inals and brutal bad men. It wa
4 this aversion that made her TespOn
+ sible for the capture Of Jack Nc
y Call, wanted for numerous barbara
crimes. Calamity cOrnered Jack i
a meat shop and, welding a cleave
over his head-his own method
brought him to surrender.