Silver Queen: The Fabulous Story of Baby Doe TaborBancroft, Caroline
History
Silver Queen: The Fabulous Story of Baby Doe Tabor
Bancroft, Caroline
Baby Doe, -1935
I felt in my bones Silver was right and I ordered those two pieces put
back into the safety deposit box. But the rest of the jewelry went to
pay debts just as the diamonds of Queen Isabella of Spain had
previously. My wedding present! What a sad memory! I never could bear to
go back to that vault—I was afraid I should burst into tears. But Silver
returned in 1911 and brought the two pieces to me at about the time we
decided to make our permanent home in Leadville, living at the Matchless
cabin to save rent.
“I met Mr. Edgar McMechen coming out and I showed him Papa’s fob,” she
told me. “He thought it was gorgeous and said to be careful of that—that
it was of great historical interest. I told him I wanted you to see it
again—that you needed cheering up—and just to see it, would help you
from getting discouraged and blue.”
“You are a sweet, thoughtful daughter,” I answered, kissing her. “I will
look at them for inspiration. Then I will give them to the sisters at
St. Vincent’s hospital in Leadville. They are always so kind to us and
will store anything I ask.”
But it was the year before that, in 1910, that Silver had given me my
greatest happiness about her. In 1908, President Roosevelt had visited
Leadville and Silver had ridden into town to see him. That evening when
she came back to the cabin, she wrote a lyric entitled “Our President
Roosevelt’s Colorado Hunt.” A. S. Lohmann of Denver later set it to
music and we had it published. The _Denver Post_ wrote up her
accomplishment and printed a picture of Silver two columns wide. I was
so pleased!
Two years later President Roosevelt, although no longer in office,
returned to Colorado and made an address in Denver. Silver was there,
close to the platform, and when the speech was ended, was presented to
him as the author of the Roosevelt song. The ex-president willingly
posed with my daughter and the next day, the Denver newspapers printed
photographs of Silver and President Roosevelt shaking hands.
“My darling, brilliant daughter!” I exclaimed in natural maternal pride
when I saw the account. “Again a Tabor associates with a president of
the United States—the Tabor luck is coming back!”
But I was wrong—that was the last day I was to experience great joy. My
dearest treasure, Silver, with her piquant profile and sweet demure
ways, was marked already with the shadow of tragedy. She had grown up
very fond of horses and riding. I could not afford anything for her to
ride but a burro that I used for hauling out ore from the mine. She used
to hang around the livery stable hoping for better things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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