| I was born in Hanford,
California, in the year 1852. I was sixteen when my family lost their
farm, which the railroad took by eminent domain. I left Hanford for
Virginia City, Nevada, where I found work as a hurdy-gurdy girl in one
of the many dance halls. Hurdy-gurdy girls dance with customers who
buy drinks (whiskey for them, tea for me… but they don’t know that!).
My, but those miners and teamsters surely did love to dance! And they
tipped well, too By the end of the night I was
really tuckered out, but the money I earned made it worth a few aches
and bruised toes. I saved my money and was able to return to
California, where I purchased a small home in a beautiful little town
in the southern part of the state. And now I only dance when I want
to.
Oh yes, people have asked me how I got the moniker Te-Killya Rose. One
evening a teamster came in the dance hall carrying a bottle of liquor
he had brought all the way from Old Mexico. Well, I fell in love with
that amber elixir and ever since I’ve been known as Te-Killya, since
no one at that time knew how to spell tequila. I also carried a
derringer in case a dancing partner got a little free with his hands.
After all, I wasn’t a “soiled dove”. |
