Mary Jane Simpson – The Lady and the Mule – Legends of America: A Tale of Silver, Scandal, and One Very Special Mule
Okay, buckle up, because this is one wild story. It’s got everything: a sassy newspaper columnist, a mining boomtown, a potential scandal, and… a mule who becomes a local legend. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up.
Our story starts with Maria Percival Robbins. She passed away on January 9, 1893, at the age of 65. Her hubby, James J. Robbins, followed her on September 19, 1898, at 76 years old. Both got a brief mention in the obituaries, and now they rest together in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California. No fancy headstone or anything. Pretty low-key, right?
But hold on, because Maria wasn’t always so quiet. Back in the day, she caused quite a stir in Virginia City, Nevada. You see, she was a "lady correspondent" for the San Francisco Chronicle, and she wrote under the pen name Mary Jane Simpson.
Now, if you wander through the Silver Terrace Cemeteries in Virginia City, you’ll find a monument dedicated to Mary Jane Simpson. But here’s the kicker: it’s not for the writer. It’s for a mule who shared her name!
Boomtown Shenanigans
Let’s rewind a bit. Virginia City was a boomtown thanks to the Comstock Lode, a massive deposit of silver and gold. It was a wild place, full of miners, entrepreneurs, and all sorts of characters.
Enter Mary Jane Simpson (the human). She wrote a weekly column for the Chronicle from mid-1870 to early 1871. She covered everything from theater and fashion to more serious stuff like fires, water supplies, and, most importantly, the mining industry.
Mary Jane wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. She went after "the Ring," a group of powerful businessmen who were trying to get rich off the mines using some shady tactics. She called them out on insider trading, stock manipulation, and creative accounting.
She questioned reports of new ore discoveries that drove up stock prices. She sided with the miners in labor disputes, especially when there was talk of cutting wages and hiring cheaper Chinese labor. She even accused the Nevada Republicans of being in the Ring’s pocket. Basically, she was a firebrand.
In one particularly juicy column titled "How the Stockholders of the Mines are Robbed," she laid out all the corruption and dishonesty happening at every step of the mining process.
Love Her or Hate Her
Naturally, she made enemies. One newspaper, the Gold Hill Daily News, called her letters "lying" and claimed she was getting bad info from her husband. They even said the Chronicle was lucky to get rid of her, or they’d have no readers left in Virginia City! Ouch.
But she also had her fans. The Chronicle itself defended her, saying she was a "thorn in the sides" of the Nevada Ring and that the people loved her for it.
Speaking of her husband, James J. Robbins was a bit of a Renaissance man himself. He was a lawyer, stockbroker, editor, and even president of a mining company. The couple was clearly into the arts, as they both published ghost stories in a literary magazine. They were doing pretty well for themselves, living in fancy hotels and hanging out with big shots like George Hearst.
A Scandalous Detour
Now, here’s where things get really weird. In 1883, James Robbins was accused of sexually assaulting two young girls. It sounds like a blackmail attempt gone wrong. He was almost lynched twice, but he managed to prove his innocence in court. He even had to take off his clothes to show that he didn’t have certain tattoos the girls claimed to have seen! The newspapers declared that he was completely vindicated. Talk about a bizarre twist.
The Mule of Legend
Okay, back to the main story: Mary Jane Simpson, the mule. This Mary Jane was brought in to help with a problem at the Belcher mine. The miners were having trouble pushing loaded cars up a steep incline. So, they decided to use mules.
First came Old Pete, a male mule who didn’t seem to mind being lowered down a mine shaft. A few days later, he was joined by a female mule. And, in a move that shows the miners’ sense of humor, she was named Mary Jane Simpson, after the outspoken columnist. Later, they added another female mule named Susan B. Anthony. Apparently, the miners weren’t big on women’s rights.
For 18 months, Mary Jane (the mule) hauled cars full of ore. Mules aren’t always known for being easy to work with, but this Mary Jane was a star. She was cooperative and good-natured, and the miners loved her. She even stole a few of their lunches!
In 1873, they didn’t need her services anymore, so she was retired to a ranch with another mule named Victoria Woodhull (another women’s rights activist). Sadly, Victoria Woodhull died in a freak accident.
But Mary Jane wasn’t done yet. She was bought by the Consolidated Virginia mine and put back to work hauling ore above ground. Again, she charmed everyone she met. Her groom, Ben Smith, was especially fond of her. He was a lonely guy, and he really loved that mule.
More Than Just a Mule
Mary Jane Simpson wasn’t just a cute animal. She was a hard worker who hauled a lot of valuable ore. According to the Territorial Enterprise, she hauled about $18 million worth of silver and gold during her time in the mines. That’s over half a billion dollars today!
The Fiery End
On October 26, 1875, disaster struck Virginia City. A fire broke out and quickly spread, destroying much of the city. The Consolidated Virginia mine was hit, and Mary Jane Simpson’s stable caught fire. Ben Smith tried to save her, but it was too late. The stable and the mule were engulfed in flames. He tried to shoot her to end her suffering, but he couldn’t get close enough. Mary Jane Simpson died a terrible death.
Ben Smith was heartbroken. He gathered her remains and buried her near the Masonic Cemetery. He marked her grave with a simple wooden board. In 1993, a proper monument was placed there by a local historical group. It reads:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF
MARY JANE SIMPSON
THE WITHIN WAS ONLY A MULE
STILL SHE WAS NOBODY’S FULE
STRANGER TREAD LIGHTLY
Irony of Fate
So, there you have it. Maria Robbins, the fiery columnist who took on the powerful mining interests, is remembered not for her journalism but as the namesake of a beloved mule. It’s one of those historical ironies that just makes you shake your head.
She spoke up for the voiceless. She put her reputation on the line. All the while, a mule that shared her name became a symbol of resilience, hard work, and the quirky spirit of the Old West.
©Daniel R. Seligman, for Legends Of America, submitted January 2023.
About the Author: Daniel is a retired computer engineer from Massachusetts with a lifelong interest in the American West. He teaches seminars on western gunslingers and has authored a number of articles on western history in various publications.