The Bozeman courier., 1926-10-08

a loss of five Of their number, the woman
having done a good share of the killing.
The "GOOd Angel of DeadwOOd
ALTHOUGH Calamity was admittedly rough, |
she had a warm heart, which fact was de-
mOnstrated time without number during
the turbulOus days Of DeadwOOd Gulch.
1t is told of her that on one occasion while
she was in the employ of General Custer in
the Black Hills country, mul skinner was
maltreating his animals. Calamity Jane
cautioned him to cease his cruelties and
go easy on the beasts. At this the skinner
flecked off Calamity's hat with his whip
lash.
In flash the man was looking along
| the blue-steeled barrel of the wOman's six
shooter, and he heard her cOOlly drawl:
| Put that hat back where you got it. "
| There was but a moments pause on the
slCinner's part. AS he looked into the cold
eyes confronting him, he stopped, picked up
the hat anG replaced it on Calamitys head.
Later in che day, after the mule-skinner
learned from others in the camp that he
had actually met Calamity Jane he was
exceedingly thankful that wOse fate had
not befallen him. Then, with a manly re-
spect for the charitable deeds that the wO-
man had performed, he returned to the
camp wagon where the woman was lOung
ing and apOlOgized for insulting her.
I'm glad to hear that there's a gentle
man in camp as well as a lady," the wO-
man responded, and thereafter she and the
lskinner became friends.
During the smallpox epidemic at Dead
wood, it has been stated of Calamity that
she turned a regular female Robin Hood"
going into the homes of the afflicted, TAX
ing food to them and administering to
their needs. Seymour G. Pond in an ar
ticle published several years ago tells
of one episode in connection with the small
pOx epidemic, which depicts the character
, of the woman.
She had entered a DeadwoOd grocery
store; and, ordering several cans Of white
, cherries, fancy delicacies and high-priced
fOOdstuffs for the sick, commanded the pro-
prietOr to place the goods in a sack and to
tie the sack in such a way that she could
her gun hand free. When she stopped to
pick up the sack, the proprietor halted her
saying:
"YO0 will pay me two ounces of dust be-
fore taking those gOOds!' In an instant
the groceryman was covered by Calamity
gun. The man lodged behind his counter
as his hands and the hands of those near
him went straight up. The woman glanced
quickly about her, threw the sack over heI
shoulder and backed out of the store. Once
outside, she dashed toward the smallpox
cabin in the hills. The grOceryman was
about to give chase, but was prevailed upOI
by his neighbOrs to refrain.
Her DeadwOOd Romance
OF Calamity James love affairs, very littl
has ever been written. One writer states
that in her early years, she was enamOreC
with a young sergeant at Fort Laramie
but there is no proof Of this.
Being a frequenter of the dance halls
saloons and gambling houses Of DeadwOod
she came to know all Of the famous frOntie
characters. 1t is stated that she had tn
real romance of her life through admira
ton of and infatuatiOn for the celebrates
wild BiIl' Hickok, famous frontier sher
iff and Indian fighter, who had come tt
the Black Hills from the south.
'sWfd BfITp Hickok
l. Wild Bill, who had a remarkable Civi
war record as a scout and spy, first be
came known on the Old frontier as the tow
1,,1 Z AIarz hon
the toughest center that the world eve
!. knew. He was a dead shot with any kin,
u . of firearm, and after he had delegated sew
) eral desperadOes to f'BOot HIP cemetery
his authority throughout the west was un
disputed.
y In physique, Wild Bill was as perfect
= specimen Of manhood as ever walked Il
= moccasins or donned buckskin coat III
e stood about six feet two inches, had 1.-the
: slender figure, broad shoulders, small feet
e He was quick to feel the cards or to pul
q the trigger of a pistol His hair was au
= burn and his face clean-shaven, excepting
, for a thin, dropping, sandy brown nous
y tache. He had clear, gray eyes, and firm
E but pleasant expression. His luxurian
? growth Of hair fell in ringlets over hi
% shoulders. In fact there was nothing il
: the mans appearance to denote the herc
y and deadly fighter that he was other thai
q his step. He walked like q tiger, and
much. the same as that denizen of the jun
: gle, when aroused he was ferociOus ant
pitiless.
le day on the frontier, but never did he XII
= except in the performance Of duty or T.
q save his own life His greatest exploit wa
le enacted in 1861 on the bOrderland Of Kan
= sas, when he singly- handed fought ant
le killed the McCandles gang Of 10 despera
4 d0es. The fight took place after the ganl
y had chased HickOk into a dug-out cabin
3 and then stOrmed his place Of refuge. Hick
2 ok's deadly aim accounted for man a
/ long as his ammunition held ont, and, whel
a that had exhausted, he used his knife Z
the best advantage. HickOk was badl!
q wounded in the fray.
The last man Wild Bill killed was hi
s. best friend through a mistake on the lat
tefs part that Htekok himself regrette,
y sorely to the day he himself fell with q bul
p let through his heart, treacherOusly sh0
le In the back. This last killing by Wild Bill
9 took place IN Abilene while he was mar
y shall at that place. A tough gang Of COW
% boy outlaws had been terrorizing the tow
"a for several Gays at the time Wild BIZ be
le came peace officeE. He looked them uD an,
II Informed them that they must cease thai
!, shooting II they desired to remain In town
i They agreed.
It was thea chat Phil Coe the leader
4 broke faith with Wild Bill After profDls
n ing that be would not do any, fuzthe
- smoking up Of the town, be st0oc ol
main street and fired, as he claimed after
e ward, at a dog. wild Bin was IA the Nov
e city saloon with his deputy marnhall, Mix