The San Francisco call. [volume], January 09, 1910, Page 8, Image 8

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
By L. H. S. B.
She was the pride of Monte Flat,
In Jier quaint fashioned dress;
I'm sure the girls of later times
No finer charms possess/
Not every day we chance to meet
A face more sweet and fair,
Such shapely hands, .such brilliant cheeks,
Such dark abundant hair; „
As proud was she as jeweled maid
Or dame of high degree,
For. she was pure Sierra gold —
The belle of '53.
When she appeared on Sunday morn
In her bewitching gown
• 4 Us fellows" would be lined along
The leading street in town. ,
A smile or nod upon each one
She wisely would confer; '
We seemed so handy with our guns —
The jealous fools we were.
Then we would follow her to church
And very pious be;
for her, we'd fill the parson's hat—
The belle of '53.
The trick is old, and I'll not tell
Just how I jumped the claim; ;
The boys gave in most gallantly
And saw her change her name.
And she was dressed appropriate, %
Guests came from near and far;
They staged it in from Shirt Tail camp,
Hangtown and Grizzly Bar.
Their gifts were nuggets, newly mined;,
'Twas all they had, you see, »
To shower upon her— "just for luck—
The bride of 's3.
The pioneers of forty-nine.
They come to see her still,
She welcomes them so warmly to
Our home on Villa Hill.
She listens to their old time yarns,"
And lets them have their ways ; - ,
If they would fill a glass to her ;
As in thegoodold days, v*
And when we stake out heaven's claims,
Where "many mansions" be,
They'll doff their crowns to honor her—
The belle of '53. i V-
BETTY
A BELLE OF '53
The '\u25a0 San Francisco Sunday Call