The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1927-06-15
ROMANTIC TALES
Z. HISTORY OF Hills
COOLIDGE WILL SEE MANY
SCENES OF EARLY PIONEER
DAYS IN SOUTH DAKOTA AT
SUMMER WHITE HOUSE.

Romantic tales of the early days
of the gold rush when Calamity Jane"
the gun woman, "Wild Bill' and
preacher Smith" were not uncom-
mon names in the Black Hills, are
interviewer with the history of the
'hills" which President Coolidge will
visit this summer.
"Now amt that a calamity" an
expression often used by gun women,
earned her the name of Calamity
Jane. She is described as a woman
of sympathetic nature, kind hearted
to the rough miners, and nurse in
times of sickness.
"Wild Bill" was one of the best
shots and most accurate gunner in
this new country, while Preacher
Smith" was among the first minis
tiers to bring the gospel to the gold
fields.
Another name which is highly re-
spected by the Black Hills folk to-
day is that of Anna D. Talent, the
first white woman to come into the
hills. Refined and possessing fine
education, she made her home in the
hills and did much for the early COM
ers.
Major o. w. Coursey of Mitchell
relates an incident Of those gold
crazed day which affords an insight
into the lives of those people who
made Black Hills history romantic.
The Major tells of a conversation
between Calamity Jane" and "Wild
Bill" late in June 1876 when Jack
Brennan, twenty-five year old youth
was executed in true western style
for stealing a sack of gold which he
sent home to his folks.
Meeting Bill in Deadwood saloon
| calamity" told him. There's going
to be an execution down the gulch
about a mile from camp tomorrow"
and asked him if he desired to see
it.
NO." Bill told her with a shake
Of his head. "You see I just arriv-
ed in the Black Hills a few days
ago; and having been mixed up in
many gun scrapes before coming here
my presence might excite suspicion
and be misunderstood.
"Well, it's a game boy that's go
ing to die. He's been up around those
diggins since about the first of March.
He's been around number of bold
mix-ups, and have never yet seen
him finch under fire."
Stealing sack of gold dust hadn't
ought to be considered such a grave
crime up here where they say the
very beds Of the streams are lined
with gold and where the ground is
filled with it," Bill remarked.
Bremen's body was taken to Dead
wood where Mrs. Talent helped to
prepare it for burial. Preacher
Smith preached an eloquent sermon,
and the body was laid in an unmark-
ed grave.
Bremen was well built, handsome
fellow. He had been a baseball star
on the college team of large eastern
school and graduated in 1873. Then
he added two years of law to his pre-
paration. On his way to the Black
Hills Bremen met another adventurer
and they came to this country to seek
for gold. The quest was unsuccessful,
but one day Bremen's partner went
into the hills and returned about a
week later with $4,000 worth of gold
dust, which he turned over to his
friend. 1t was this gold that Bre-
men sent east to his needy family.
1t is believed in the hills Bremen
died sheltering his guilty friend who
left the camp on a stolen horse.
While Mrs. Talent was preparing
the body for burial letter was found
in Bremen's possession. 1t was ad-
dressed to Miss Lucy Adams of Con-
necticut, whom he was engaged to
marry. 1t was written the night pre-
vious to young Bremen's execution.
"Inasmuch as we are all out here
in region wholly outside the pale
of the law, and apparently outside
of civilization also, strange and startl-
ing things are happening" Mrs. Tai
ent wrote. "This letter may be from
two to four weeks in reaching you.
1t will, / fear, convey some dreadful
news for the party who wrote it has
been executed by vigilence commit
tee at miners camp near this place"
Later Miss Lucy Adams visited the
grave of her Inflated lover, and she
and Mrs. Talent became fast friends.
Many young couples learn the first
weeks of married life it is impossible