Frank Bates is all the go, 1860

“Romantic Career of an Eccentric Girl—Four Years’ Adventures of a Fair Cincinnatian—Her Successful Masquerade—A Supposed Tragedy Resolved Into a Pleasant Comedy.” Council Bluffs Eagle [Council Bluffs, Iowa]; reprinted in Cincinnati Daily Press [Cincinnati, Ohio] 5 November 1860; p. 3.

About four years since, our community was startled by the announcement in the daily journals, of what was supposed at the time to be a fearful tragedy, in which a young and beautiful girl was believed to have been carried away by some wretch; and as nothing had since been heard from her, little doubt was entertained by her friends that she had, after a brief space, either experienced the fate of “Desdemona,” or what was more shocking still, had been compelled, in her disgrace, to barter virtue for life. Her parents, who were well advanced in years, gradually sunk [sic] beneath the terrible calamity, until they became living personifications of settled melancholy and deep despair.

Numerous circumstances had led them irresistibly to this conclusion; on the night of her departure, policemen had heard the smothered shrieks of a female, in the vicinity of her parents’ residence; but before they reached the spot all was silent; neighbors, too, had heard mysterious noises, and observed dark figures beneath the lady’s window; but, strange as it may appear, they did not think to raise the alarm, or even speak of the matter, until her absence was discovered; but afterward there was such a marked similarity in their stories, that there was no room to doubt their truth. Besides, if she had simply eloped with a love, and been legally married, she would have informed her parents of her whereabouts, and ascertained from them whether they approved or disapproved the course she had taken, before she cut them off forever. Nor was this all; her lover, the man to whom she was supposed to have been betrothed, still remained, and evinced a distress as deep, if not as lasting, as that of the parents. Under such circumstances, the conclusion that she had been forcibly abducted appeared necessarily to follow.

About the same time a young man, or rather boy, named Frank Bates, of slight stature, but with rosy cheeks, smiling face, ready step and winning demeanor, engaged in the service of a river captain as a cabin-boy, and by his promptness, and ingenuousness, so ingratiated himself into the good will of his patron, that he was elevated to an assistant clerkship, a position for which his education and activity eminently qualified him. He remained on the boat in this capacity for about two years, when he went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and engaged as a clerk in a dry-goods store. Here his affability did not fail to draw toward himself numerous friends, and among the fair belles of the Bluffs, he was the admired of all admirers, and his employer’s store was soon discovered by all of them, to be the best in the village, and Frank was every-where [sic] applauded as the most agreeable of clerks. When he attended parties and places of amusement, he was always assigned the post of honor, and it must be confessed that no other young man in the vicinity could fill the station with such perfect ease and grace as could our hero.

It would be useless, however, to trace his history during the two years he remained at Council Bluffs, nor to chronicle the oft-raised hopes and repeated disappointments by his female admirers—they will readily suggest themselves to the reader. But in the midst of life there is death—the glory of victory is often succeeded by disgrace and defeat, and it so happened in this case. About three weeks ago, at a masquerade, “Frank” was discovered—how the paper that relates the facts narrated above, does not state—to be a female, much to the chagrin of all the fair sex, and to the scandal of the neighborhood. At this unlucky mishap, “Frank” revealed name and parentage, at the same time coolly requesting to be retained in his employer’s service, promising to draw around the place of business two male patrons for every female repulsed, but whether or not he was allowed to remain, we are unable to say.

“Romantic Incidents: A Pretty Girl in a Pretty Fix—A Counterfeit Clerk.” Daily True Delta [New Orleans, Louisiana] 24 November 1860; p. 10.

A paper published at Council Bluffs, Iowa, reminds its readers of a mysterious occurrence in that place some four years ago. It was a case of suspected murder, under peculiarly dark circumstances, and had some resemblance to a tragedy once enacted in this city. The central figure in this very “mysterious occurrence” was an exceedingly beautiful girl—the sole hope and pride of her venerable “parients,” who disappeared from her home one night, leaving no trace by which she could be recovered. Dark surmises were made as to her probable fate, and murder was not the least evil conceded to her, while the deepest sympathy with the girl’s bereaved parents was felt by the whole community. They—poor old people!—were crushed by the terrible blow, and died in less than six months after their daughter’s disappearance. As time rolled on, the belief that murder had been done grew apace; and the circumstances of the case seemed to justify it. On the night of the girl’s departure, policemen had heard the smothered shrieks of a female in the vicinity of her parents’ residence; but before they reached the spot all was silent. Persons living in the neighborhood, too, had observed dark figures beneath the lady’s window, and heard mysterious noises; yet they raised no alarm. All these circumstances excited suspicions of foul play. If the girl had only eloped with her lover, she could not have been so heartless as to suffer her parents to die without hearing of her safety; and, besides, the young gentleman to whom she was supposed to be betrothed remained at Council Bluffs, and showed every sign of the deepest affliction. So the public talked of the matter in hurried whispers for a while, and then forgot it. But every mystery has its sequel, and this dark affair finds a solution thus: Shortly after the disappearance, a young man, of rather a boyish appearance and medium size, calling himself Frank Bates, applied to the captain of a river-boat for the place of cabin-boy. His polished demeanor and open countenance won upon the captain’s good humor, and secured the position he craved, from whence he was rapi[d]ly promoted to the office of assistant clerk, as his various abilities were developed. His patron was somewhat surprised at first to find a lad of such education with such designs; but supposing him to be some rebel against strict parental authority, forbore to question him regarding it. In the position of clerk, Frank’s esprit, thorough good humor and unswerving gentility, brought him under the notice of a dry-goods merchant doing business at Council Bluffs, and he was induced to take a clerkship in the merchant’s store. This happened two years ago. As a counter-jumper the young man was even more popular than he had been on the river, and speedily made his employer’s store the most frequented establishment in the place. While the young men could not help liking him for his courtesy and good temper, the young ladies fell in love with him for his good looks; and, between the two, Frank was all the go. The belles of the Bluffs laid various traps to catch his heart; and after manœuvering for two years, no less than six of them imagined they had succeeded, when, suddenly—last week—it was discovered that Frank Bates was a girl! The development was made at a masquerade, and, on the following day, the whole place was in a commotion about it. Frank’s employer immediately took the matter in hand, when “Frank” very coolly acknowledged that for four years she had been sailing under false colors, and was no other than the maiden whose mysterious disappearance from the Bluffs four years ago had killed her poor old parents and plunged the whole community into consternation. She expressed no remorse, but actually had the impudence to request the merchant to retain her as clerk, promisng to draw more male patrons than she had females before. How the matter was settled we have yet to learn.

“Omnibus: At Council Bluffs, Iowa.” Buffalo Morning Express [Buffalo, New York] 24 October 1860; p. 2.

At Council Bluffs, Iowa, the alarming discovery has just been made that Frank Bates, a young, dashing, popular, lady-fascinating dry-goods clerk, is a—girl!

Frank Bates. Goodhue Volunteer [Red Wing, Minnesota] 14 November 1860; p. 2.

Frank Bates, the most fascinating dry-goods clerk in Council Bluffs, and the liveliest beau in the city, turns out to be a girl. Her success in captivating the fair, proves that all the ladies require to beat the males in gallantry, is a coat of broad-cloth, pants, plug hat, a cigar, and a few other trifles.