Once again Augusta was the first woman in the camp, and once again the men built her a primitive log cabin. This one had a sod roof, no window, and a dirt floor. She promptly went into business and Horace went prospecting. As the Tabors were the only people in the upper end of the gulch who owned a gold-scales, Augusta added weighing dust to her duties of taking boarders and doing laundry. In a few weeks ten thousand men were crowded in the gulch, and a mail and express office was needed. Augusta was appointed postmistress of Oro City.
THE PASSAGE-WAY OVER ST. LOUIS AVENUE
The Tabor Opera House was connected with the Clarendon Hotel for the ease of Tabor and Bush who had private suites in the former.
“I was very happy that summer,” she added.
By September 20th Horace had accumulated $5,000 in gold dust from his claim. He gave $1,000 worth of this dust to Augusta, and she prepared to leave the mountains to spend the winter with her father and mother.
“I put my wardrobe, what there was of it, in a carpet bag, and took passage with a mule train that was going to the Missouri River. I was five weeks in crossing and cooked for my board.”
(Horace and Maxcy also went to Maine that winter but Augusta did not mention this.)
“With that $1,000, I purchased 160 acres of land in Kansas, adjoining the tract we already owned. My folks dressed me up, and in the spring I bought a pair of mules and a wagon in St. Joe to return with, which took about all my money.”
Horace spent the $4,000 that was left of the gold dust for flour in Iowa on the way back. In the spring they opened a store in Augusta’s cabin. While he mined the claim, Augusta waited on customers and raised her son. She even transported gold to Denver on horseback for the express office. In order to fool highway robbers, Tabor carried a small amount of gold, while large amounts were hidden under her skirts enjoying the protection of chivalry to ladies! That summer of 1861 the store was more profitable than mining because the easy placer gold was nearly played out.