A long time ago, back in the early 1900s, there was a man that eked out a living with a coal mine on the Big Dry in Garfield County Montana. He ordered a bride through the mail. I am sure she was stunned and desperate when she saw the living conditions in this dugout. It was bigger back then before erosion silted in the living space but still this would have been crude when it was freshly dug. The husband suspected that his bride was not happy and took her shoes away from her so she wouldn't try to run away. She put in a winter there and when things warmed up in the spring she left--on foot, bare feet. The husband had to go to Jordan that day and as soon as he was out of sight she lit out. She probably walked to the Green Trail that went East and West along the Big Dry and followed it to the Ingomar road where a freighter picked her up and took her to Ingomar. She had no money, so people took up a collection and bought her a train ticket home. I don't know if they bought her some shoes or not. One of the old timers by the name of Ward Haislett said he and his dad went to get a load of coal and the lady took him to the dug out so he could warm up by the fire. Ward was born in Iowa about 1894 and was pretty young when he visited the dug out, but old enough to remember her. So, I think the bride probably came to live there about 1900. We don't know what her name was or where she was from, which is sad. I would like to know how her story went after she walked out of the biggest nightmare of her life, at least I hope that was the worst thing that happened to her. What stories she must have had to tell (if she could stand to talk about them), and I am sure there were other mail order brides that had harrowing stories to tell. Chris Enss wrote a good account of these brave, adventurous ladies in Hearts West. People really haven't changed down through the years, only technology changed.
P.S. This is my Dad in the picture.
