great Comstock Lode. Her abilities as a seeress seemed proven.” ‘‘But there was another seer in the land who had other ideas for the Saints,” the girls wrote. . mE ma Ne aR me rman an Comment Page 4 When she died at the age of 49 in 1901, “‘not a word was said during her crowded Methodist funeral about her Utah Mormon connection.”’ Brigham Young called the Saints Army. return with Eilley Alec, refused rode over to to nS ston’s a back to Salt Lake City in 1857 during the war scare with John- Genoa and obtained a divorce on grounds of desertion. re ¥ a i ras met. adh gem eS are Saeieed | oa “5 ree hy . 4s :; yl F 4 Calamity Jane ae Another woman who filled a non- A CLICK OF the tray and it’s back to the 1800's - with the “Wild Women of Utah,” narrated by researchers Debra Solomon and Sue Larsen. traditional role was Ann Bassett, ‘“‘a genuine daughter and lover of the West,’’ She was born in 1878 in a sod cabin at Brown’s Hole near the Utah-Colorado border in a snowstorm and was suckled by a Ute squaw. Although her father enrolled her in St. Mary’s of the Wild women?! Weill, yes afew... Did the women western novels and have a place in Utah In a history senior depicted in movies ever history? seminar Sue Eilley Orrum Wasatch “Shortly after she left Hunter, Eilley came into possession of an item that would prove to be her fortune, in more ways than one. John ‘While working in Enoch Reese’s Wayne fans, discussed that question while exploring ideas for a store, a Yankee came in to trade for some supplies. Among his items research topic. They for barter was a peep stone . they were common in Scotland. She worked a day without pay in order Larsen and Debra Solomon, had heard stories of the more traditional women who “‘raised children wrote poetry, and endured vicissitudes with great dignity’’ but wondered about women in non-traditional roles - ‘women who contributed to the history of the region by raising hell, writing legends, and fighting . with grit and damnation.”’ The ‘‘wild women of Utah.”’ Their primary and secondary source research uncovered enough ‘“‘wild women’’ to prove to be an interesting paper that has brought them unexpected success. Women’s stories, hidden away in journals, diaries, old newspapers and archives, came forth with a wide-range of colorful occupations and events. One of the most interesting stories they discovered was that of Eilley Orrum. Eilley was born in the highlands of Scotland and joined the LDS Church with her family and migrated to Nauvoo in 1842. There she became a plural wife of Edward Hunter, later a presiding bishop of the Church, and came with him to Utah. Childless, Eilley divorced ‘‘the old patriarch when he brought three of his nieces_ to Salt Lake City and began to build a house for them.” to obtain the stone ployer.’”’ from The next day she married Tenuel Sanford Bowers, a Scott whose claim streaks empire as a young woman but was settle a eastern Nevadas. Mormon colony slopes of the She farmer named marry her and colonization. persuaded on the Sierra a dirt Alec Cowan to sign up for the The colony did not prove to be what Eilley had expected. Bitterly disappointed she asked her defied her accusers and managed to gain acquittal at every trial. Still, she lost the war, and was forced to leave Brown’s Hole for Arizona, and eventually southern Utah, with her second husband, Frank Willis. Ann then decided to become a forest ranger, but was rejected, she said, because of her Sex. (continued on page 5) While researching, Miss Solomon was surprised to find that the wellknown “‘Calamity Jane’’ began life as Martha Jane Cannary, daughter of Mormon converts. Her mother died on the trail to Utah and her father died after unsuccessful attempts also that gold the the at farming, leaving six children. The four youngest children were adopted. Jane and a sister boarded with a couple from Missouri for a time, and then in 1867 went out into the world alone. At sixteen she abandoned ‘“‘staid Mormondom”’ for the mining fields of Wyoming and went from cook in Express house from rustling to whoredom, but she traveled all over the West as a professional clairvoyant, she died a pauper, a victim of the inevitable bust that follows the boom.”’ This was the place she had seen. a boarding because of unruly ranch hands and ways. “By 1911, Bassett had been accused of everything unladylike finally failed her, and although she a Hilley opened a ‘She predicted the Comstock would continue to boom indefinately, but her peep stone husband to keep moving. Eventually they came to Washone Lake nestled against the Sierras, near Gold Hill, destined to become nearly as famous as Virginia City. and laundry service and predicted through her crystal there would be a fabulous strike. ‘‘Shortly thereafter original strike was made on built began giving readings for a living, she The ‘‘vision’’ she saw in her peep stone led her to join an expedition organized by Elder Orson Hyde to rich, After Bowers died in 1868, Ejilley moved out of the mansion and could see on the mountains were gold. Ann quickly brought into conflict with the large ranchers about her her em- of yellow became City, and invested heavily in the mines. by a meadow set against snowcapped peaks. Eilley was conthe They Lake mansion, extremely The peep stone displayed a lake vinced joined hers. in Salt refused to give up her early addiction to the ways of the rough cowpoke. She built her own ranching raucous South Pass City restaurant to “bull whacker, army scout, Indian rider, fighter, Pony bawdy camp follower, mule skinner, nurse and mistress of Bill Kickock.’’ She came back to Utah only once on her way to California and made a “half-hearted attempt to locate her missing sisters and brother.” Anne Bassett