YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Bought with the income
of the
MATTHEW C. D. BORDEN FUND

OLDEN TIMES IN COLORADO

THE AUTHOR
At the Close ot the
Civil War 1865

THE AUTHOR
As Writer and Promoter 1915

THE AUTHOR
As Editor of the St. Charles
Cosmos 1873

THE AUTHOR
Just Before His Physical
Collapse, 1895

THE AUTHOR
After Succumhing to
Nature's Exactions. 1915

Olden Times in Colorado

BY
Carlyle Channing Davis
Aufbor oi
"Tte True Story o£ Raznona**
Etc.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
THE PHILLIPS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1916

De Luxe Edition

N- 142

COPYRIGHT, 1916
BY
CARLYLE CHANNING DAVIS

' He was m}f friend, faithful and true.
— Shakespeare

TO
Calvin Henry Morse
This volume is affeciionately dedicated by
THE Author

PERSONAL AND EXPLANATORY

The single perplexing prohlem encountered in
the preparation of this -work was the choice of a
suitahle title. The story is some-what less, yet
considerably more than an autobiography an
abbreviated biography of half a hundred persons,
replete with historical facts, still not a consecu
tive hi^ory — neither fiction nor yet a -work of
reference — scarcely -worthy in any sense to be
classified as literature — -what, indeed, should it
have been called ? Perhaps, "An Odd Story of an
Unique Career," since it is that — told in a homely
fashion, -without attempt at polished diction — -would
have been as appropriate as any other name. But
"Olden Times in Colorado" has been chosen for
reasons that to the reflecting reader -will be ob
vious. Wholely -written from memory -while in
valided, it -will not appear remarkable if minor
errors have crept into its pages, considering the
fact that the events chronicled cover a period
of nearly seventy years. The reader -will be dis
posed, the author hopes, to overlook its short
comings, to piece out imperfections -with kind
thoughts, as -well as to give credit to the author
for a design to approximate the truth, and to have
had ever in mind and heart a purpose to scatter
good seed in a fruitful soil.

AN APPRECIATION

My friend, the Author, "Cad" Davis, asked me to
write an Introduction to this Book. It instantly sug
gested to my mind Buckle's Introduction to his great
"History of Civilization," containing nearly half a
million words — and I shuddered.
At any rate, an Introduction to this Book would be
supererigatory. It needs no bush, for if ever a Book
spoke for itself, it is this one in question.
Nevertheless, I must write something. Hence a few
appreciative words of the Author and his work may
answer the same purpose as an Introduction — that is, if
any Book ever required a Preface, an Introduction, a
Foreword or an Appreciation, other than being con
ventional. But to ignore conventionality altogether
should be fatal to betterment. It is a good servant, but
a bad master.
Davis' Book is in form autobiographical. But in
fact it is historical, in the best sense of that badly
maligned term. There is no more delightful reading
than an able autobiography or biography, provided the
egotism of the writer is under proper control. This
Book is discriminating and discerning in this respect.
In fact, there is not enough about the Author. The one
picture, limned by a contemporary journalist, that is in
serted in the Book, is a mere sketch that utterly fails to
express the soul of the man; and I mean by soul the
development of the phronetal cells of an organism. The
writer fails because of the measure he uses. Like most
persons, this writer measures Success in life from the
hackneyed standard — which is arbitrary and dangerous
— of mere possession — possession of wealth or posses
sion of power, and in most cases of both. In a critical
letter to the Author of his manuscript I wrote: "I say
that your career has been in the best and highest sense
monumentally successful. It is what a person does in

life, not what he swipes and stows away, that spells
Success." If this conclusion is correct, Davis in his day was
one of the most capable of the big men that were
developed in Colorado during that period. When many
a "great" Statesman, corporation lawyer, millionaire of
this age, is in oblivion, "Cad" Davis will be respected
and honored by the coming appreciative student of his
tory. Not because he was and is a paragon of virtue, a
genius, or a man of superlative knowledge. But be
cause, in consequence of heredity and practice, he
invariably did the right act at the proper time. What
does that consist of? Surely those actions that make
for the good of the race, without being derogatory to
self interest. In other words, a nice balancing of altru
istic and selfish acts. "A mediocre person," say you.
Be it so. It has been and ever will be mediocrity that
betters humanity. The genius and the commercial Naps
are too one-sided or too narrow to be of much account
in the uplift process.
Davis was nurtured on newspaper work from his
nonage. He functioned what he acquired by experience
perfectly. We see that he began as a "printer's devil,"
and became the; editor and owner of three daily news
papers in the most unique city of all time, on the peak of
the world, populated with as heterogeneous and fan
tastic a people as ever composed a community. The
bars were down, and the best emotions and the worst
passions ran riot.
Scratch off our veneer of civilization, which is no
difficult task, and we are back in barbarism if not
savagery. Davis, consciously and unconsciously, wielded
his newspapers in behalf of betterment and righteous
ness, and the influence of those journals not only
modified Leadville, but spread for right doing to every
corner of Colorado. He deserves credit merely because
he was fortunate to be what he is and not because he
could, if he chose, have done differently. Much of
which is due to his ancestors, and some to his own
exertions, in acquiring the knowledge that proved to be

most suitable to allow him to adapt himself to one of
the most unique conditions in the history of the world.
That Leadville and those persons are no more, and never
again can the precise environment become to reproduce
a similar city and people. Is not, may be asked, a
truthful account of those conditions and of those
persons, by a participator, far more entitled to the name
of history than the rude guesses and deductions that
have long been considered history ?
Our Author was a competent editorial writer, hence
his style is simple and impressive. What he knows he
knows thoroughly, and he expresses himself clearly and
logically. This is why his Book is so delightful to read.
When we think of the exactions of newspaperdom, is it
any wonder that so few editors rise above the level of
the crowd that they are compelled to patronize to exist
at all? Davis was wise but not servile. Had he learned
to bend the pregnant hinges of the knee, he would surely
have been Governor of his State, or installed in some
other high office within the power of the politicians.
Though a loyal partisan, if not a stubborn one, he fought
crooked methods and crooks within his party fully as
sincerely and ably as those men and measures he was
opposed to.
In my opinion the quality of the man that deserves
the most praise is his warm affections for those he likes.
No doubt he underrates this sublime qualification. We
are falsely educated to consider any display of affection,
outside the family, as something akin to moUycodling.
A mistake. Charles Darwin, of whom none was more
competent to speak, in a letter to J. D. Hooker, the great
botanist, says : "Talk of Fame, Honor, Pleasure, Wealth,
all are dirt compared with affection; and this is a
doctrine with which I know, from your letter, that you
will agree from the bottom of your heart."
Why our affectionate emotions are not educated
similar to the intellectual faculties must seem ridiculous
to a person who gives the subject a modicum of
consideration.

What we desire the most we leave to fortuitous
causes or Providence. There is no necessity to confound
ethics with affection, though of course they are inte
grants. So is intellectuality. Nature abhors lines of
demarcation, but man must have them for classification
to acquire inductive knowledge — the knowledge of most
import to humanity.
This inadequate foreword may help the reader to
enjoy and to appreciate the treat that lies before him.
It is my desire that others will see in the Book all that
I got out of it. Robert J. Belford.
Los Angeles, 1916.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.
Buffeted About from Ocean to Ocean and from the
Great Lakes to the Gulf  1
CHAPTER H.
A Five Months' Journey from Northern New York to
Central Iowa  4
CHAPTER HL
Four Dollars Earned in a Day — An Entire Year's Labor
for a Red Cow  8
CHAPTER IV.
Beginning of a Half Century's Career in the Field of
Journalism  13
CHAPTER V.
Peace Hath Its Victories No Less Than War — Career
of the Anamosa Tigers  16
CHAPTER VI.
How With Some Assistance I Succeeded in Putting
Down the Rebellion  19
CHAPTER VII.
Gruesome Work — My First Shock — A Captain in Dis
grace — An Irksome Detail .... 23
CHAPTER VIII.
Chased by Guerillas — Burning of Grand Junction — For
rest's Dash into Memphis .... 26
CHAPTER IX.
A Near Tragedy — Thrilling Recapture of Colors — A
Regiment Shot into Bits  30
CHAPTER X.
Embarked for Home— Thrilling Steamboat Race Be
tween Two River Leviathans .... 33
CHAPTER XI.
Paths of Peace — Experiences as a Tramp Printer —
"Beardless Editor of Egypt" .... 37

CHAPTER XII.
Juvenile Missionary Work in the Queen City Yields
Handsome Returns ...-¦• 40
CHAPTER XIII.
Decided to Locate in a Field Where I Was Neither
Needed nor Wanted  42
CHAPTER XIV.
Single-Handed Engagement with an Infuriated Mob to
Save a Miserable Life ..... 48
CHAPTER XV.
Death and Destruction Come Out of the Heavens on a
Peaceful Sunday  51
CHAPTER XVI.
Fearsome Midnight Conference with Condemned Mur
derer in His Cell  56
CHAPTER XVII.
The Great Revenue Conspiracy of '73 — My Connection
with Its Principals  60
CHAPTER XVIII.
Earnings of Five Years Ascend in Smoke — Failure of
Health— Off to the Rockies .... 70
CHAPTER XIX.
A Summer in the Mountains — Perilous Ascent of Long's
Peak — Triumphant Tour  74
CHAPTER XX.
Glimpse of the Early Colorado — Progress from Grazing
to Gold and Silver Greatness , . , , 77
CHAPTER XXL
Thrilling Railway History — Guarding Mountain Pass
with Cannon — Gorge Fortified ... 80
CHAPTER XXII.
Privileged Peep into the Archives of the Denver and
Rio Grande Railway  g4
CHAPTER XXIII.
Allurement of Mining Booms — Fingerboard to Fortune
— Birth of a Great Newspaper .... 102
CHAPTER XXIV.
Snowed in on the Kansas Plains — Discomfiture of a
Railway Agent  J06

CHAPTER XXV.
An Impressionist's View of the Weirdest City on the
Face of the Globe  109
CHAPTER XXVL
Climbing into the Clouds — Lost in a Blinding Snow
Storm at High, Noon  112
CHAPTER XXVII.
First Night Amidst Scenes Never Before Witnessed
in a Civilized Country  114
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Weird Sights by Dayhght — A Bank Outside the Coun
ter—Wonderful Postoffice . . . .120
CHAPTER XXIX.
Launching of the Most Successful Journal in History —
An Enormous Sale ... . . 123
CHAPTER XXX.
Phenomenal Success of the Carbonate Chronicle — $3,500
for 10,000 Copies  129
CHAPTER XXXI.
Fifty Thousand to the Good the First Year — Vale Ar-
kins and Burnell  131
CHAPTER XXXII.
Fight for Titles — Difficulties in Procuring News — Dead-
wood Destroyed  135
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Order Out of Chaos — City Flooded — Office Fortified —
Life in Jeopardy  139
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Startling Disintegration of the Working Force — One
Man Only at the Helm  144
CHAPTER XXXV.
The Retort Final — "A Thief by Instinct, a Blackmailer
by Profession"  151
CHAPTER XXXVI.
First Editor of Harper's Weekly Joins the Staff — Re
porter's Tragic End  154
CHAPTER XXXVII.
The Brilliant Career of Orth Stein, a Strangely Con
tradictory Character  159

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Discovery of a Prodigy — An Editor with Fifty-Six
Ounces of Gray Matter  •'"^
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Col. Joyce of Insane Asylum and Prison Fame Ascends
the Tripod  ^^^
CHAPTER XL.
Vivian, Creator of Benevolent Order of Elks, Joins the
Local Staff  1^6
CHAPTER XLI.
The Chronicle Absorbs Democrat and Herald, Becom
ing a Grinding Monopoly  1'9
CHAPTER XLII.
Human Life the Cheapest Commodity in the Local
Market — Shameful Corruption .... 185
CHAPTER XLIII.
Fabulous Riches Uncovered — Fortunes in a Day — 30,000
Claims Recorded  189
CHAPTER XLIV.
Opening a New Chapter in the Fascinating History of
Famous Fryer Hill  198
CHAPTER XLV.
First Authentic Account of the Discovery of the Little
Pittsburg Mine  203
CHAPTER XLVI.
Inspiration for the Building of a Great Transcontinental
Railway Line  207
CHAPTER XLVII.
Corruption in City Affairs — A Model Mayor — Schemes
of Graft Circumvented  214
CHAPTER XLVIII.
The Brighter Side of Life — Characteristics of Society
in the Early Day  217
CHAPTER XLIX.
Appointed Master of the Mails — Most Remarkable
Postoffice in the World  222
CHAPTER L.
The Terrible Fate of a Postal Clerk and Three Asso
ciates in a Snowslide  226

CHAPTER LI.
Lot and Mine Jumping — Tragic Occurrences — Two
Men Jibbeted— Mines Fortified . . . .229
CHAPTER LII.
Riot of Corruption in Public Office — Frightful Crimes
and Accidents  236
CHAPTER LIII.
Visited by Gen'l Grant, President Harrison, Vanderbilt
and the Goulds  239
CHAPTER LIV.
Era of Legitimate Acting — Theatre in a Tent — Strong
Stock Combinations ...... 246
CHAPTER LV.
A Gigantic Conspiracy to Depress Stocks — Eight Thou
sand Miners Strike  248
CHAPTER LVI.
Numerous Incidents of Thrilling and Tragic Interest
in Banking History ...... 262
CHAPTER LVII.
A Stormy Political Battle as an Aftermath of the City
National Bank Row  283
CHAPTER LVIII.
The State Treasury Ring Beaten to a Frazzle and
Driven from Power ...... 289
CHAPTER LIX.
Excessive Wickedness Redeemed by Unexampled Char
ity — The Fighting Parson  294
CHAPTER LX.
Summit to the Sea — Efforts Far Afield — How a Deep
Water Port Was Secured  305
CHAPTER LXI.
Strange Facts, at Once Thrilling, Pathetic, Grotesque
and Humorous  310
CHAPTER LXII.
With the Collapse of Silver Leadville Again Turns to
its Gold Deposits  332
CHAPTER LXIII.
Crystal Carnival and Ice Palace — A Most Gorgeous
Architectural Spectacle  337

CHAPTER LXIV.
Heart-Rending Cablegrams that Sent the Author Upon
a Very Sad Mission  352
CHAPTER LXV. '
The Influence of the Press — Essay in "Political Por
traits," by Fitz Mac  372
CHAPTER LXVI.
My Relations with the Press Gang — 'Gene Field and
His Eccentricities  386
CHAPTER LXVII.
Surrender to Nature's Exactions — Life in the Palaces
of the Afflicted  400
CHAPTER LXVIII.
Boarding the Oregon — On to Zion — A Nemesis — Shel
tered in Home for Veterans .... 405
CHAPTER LXIX.
Again in Harness — Second Collapse — Proposal by Wire
— Shirt-Waist Wedding  410
CHAPTER LXX.
Again with Angels — Creating Fiction and Dealing in
Junk — Farmer Once More  419
CHAPTER LXXI.
The Case Submitted to a Jury of My Peers — What
Shall the Verdict Be?  430'
APPENDIX
Summary of More Recent Developments in the Lead
ville Mining District, by Henry C. Butler, Editor
Herald-Democrat  435
A Few Excerpts from the Contemporary Press . . 436

Glen Street. Glen's Falls, New York, Author's Birthplace
Falls of the Hudson in Winter, Head of Navigation
Parade of State Militia at Glen's Falls, New YorK

CHAPTER I.
Buffeted About from Ocean to Ocean and from
THE Great Lakes to the Gulf
How I have escaped becoming President of the
United States may not easily be explained ; for, although
not born in a log cabin, I have passed through most
of those borderland vicissitudes and rugged experiences
that characterize the lives of most of our chief
executives, from George Washington down to the
schoolmaster of Princeton.
I may not be able to trace my genealogy to Plymouth
Rock, but even that may not wholly rob my story of
human interest. My ancestry, nevertheless was decidedly
Puritan. My mother, rest her saintly soul, was a
Vermont school marm, from the little village of Bethel;
my father, both preacher and doctor — a Homeopathic
preacher, and an Allopathic doctor — sprang from the
larger community of Killingly, Connecticut.
Nor was it an uncommon combination of pursuits
three-quarters of a century ago, when preachers were
so poorly remunerated that they must needs piece out
scant incomes with earnings in more sordid spheres.
Medical science was not far advanced in those early
days, and doctors were wont to ride about the country,
their saddle-bags stuffed with quinine and blue mass
pills on one side, and, when also preachers, the other
side containing the inevitable Bible and a few tomes of
sacred song.
I often smile when I think of my father ministering
to the sin-sick souls as well as the bodily ills of mankind
[1]

—practicing "old school" medicine and preaching uni
versal salvation, at one and the same time. He was a
pioneer Universalist preacher, ordained at seventeen,
devoutly believing in the Fatherhood of God and the
Brotherhood of Man; and when the ponderous pellets
failed in their mission and all hope had fled, he at least
could give assurance to his parishioner patients that,
when the hills and valleys of Time had passed, and the
wear and fever and disappointments of Life were over,
there was a place and a rest appointed of God — Some
where. I am by no means certain my father ever
attempted to indicate the precise locality, but his belief
in a fixed and definite Heavenly Abode was as profound
as was his disbelief in a Hefl of any kind whatsoever;
and, lest I later omit to mention the fact, and leave an
unwarranted inference, I will here solemnly affirm and
affix my seal, that, as to this latter proposition, I have
never been able to agree with my father.
Long before I shall have finished my story, the re
flecting reader — if so kind as to follow me to the end —
will agree that I have had some cause for my heresy.
But if I have traveled a weary trail, and been buffeted
about from ocean to ocean, and from lakes to gulf, I
at the same time have rather enjoyed life, rough hewn
as at times the ways have been, and am now able con
fidently to look forward to the coming sunshine of truth
and redemption, with that faith my father preached,
and that was radiated in my mother's saintly
countenance. A trifle strange it may seem that I should write of
what my father was and did, when I never had the good
fortune to know him; this information came to me in
books and papers left behind — when he died ? No. And
that was my first great cause for grief — for surely it is
a handicap to be born into the world with a father living
[2]

yet dead, a wee bit of helpless humanity, cast upon the
troubled waters, the youngest of five, and who never
should have been born at all. I never knew why it should
have been so. I never sought to know. It had been enough
for me later to realize that I, before yet a year old, was
fatherless and that it must be a long time before I could
be of assistance to my struggling mother in keeping the
little family together, away out on the borders of civili
zation, with Indians all around and about, and the door
of Opportunity not very wide open.
Before my advent, in the beautiful little village of
Glen's Falls, overlooking the rapids of the Hudson, and
near the borders of classic Lake George, my father had
filled various pulpits in New England, mainly at
Providence and at Boston, and there also he had
published a denominational newspaper, while yet preach
ing universal salvation and distributing blue mass pills,
as heretofore mentioned. Soon after my birth my
father had a "call," or at least thought he had a call,
which is much the same thing, for it took him, together
with my mother, brother and three elder sisters, from
the rest and peacefulness, the civilization and the cul
ture, of Northern New York, to the center of the then
territory of Iowa, to preach his benign doctrine to the
pioneers of that remote section, as well as to the
neighboring Indian tribes that yet lingered on the fringe
of civilization.

[3]

CHAPTER II.
A Five Months' Journey by Water from Northern
New York to Central Iowa
The trek from Northern New York to Middle Iowa,
in the late 40s, may be contrasted, but scarcely compared,
with the later hegira from the Missouri River to Pike's
Peak. It consumed more time and developed greater
hardships. Today one may travel from Glen's Falls to Iowa City
in magnificently appointed vestibuled trains de luxe in
perhaps thirty hours. A letter from my brother to a
cousin "down East" gave some details of the journey as
my father and family took it. From this scrap of
ancient history I gather that five months of time was
consumed, although no unnecessary stops were made.
The expense of the trip must have been great. Every
league of the journey was by water! Five passengers —
if the wee mortal represented by myself, and carried all
the way on a pillow, may be entitled to figure on the list
— a jag of household goods, and the first library of any
dimensions ever taken into the Territory, consisting of
many thousand volumes.
How my father accumulated sufficient funds to
transport the animate and inanimate items of his
belongings to the Promised Land I may not even conjec
ture, for, as I have suggested, his income, as doctor,
preacher and editor, was precarious, and in those days
neither canal boats nor steam vessels were given to
rebating, passes were unknown, nor is it likely that
[4]

"members of the cloth" were given any more considera
tion than the average sinner.
But he achieved his purpose, and on a bleak Novem
ber day the plunder and plundered were unloaded from
a little side-wheel steamer on the banks of the Iowa
River, under the shadows of the present State Univer
sity buildings, and the work of regenerating the heathen
presumably was begun without unnecessary delay. The
course had been down the Hudson to the Erie Canal, up
through the sinuous meanderings of that interior
waterway to and through the Great Lakes to Fort Dear
born, present site of Chicago, thence down the Illinois
to the Mississippi, up the Father of Waters to the mouth
of the Iowa, and on to destination. At that date there
was not a foot of railway west of the AUeghanies, and
the route taken was the only one open to the traveler
except the "prairie schooner."
My father's first sermon was delivered from a
roughly devised pulpit at one end of a long tent, and
among his listeners was a sprinkling of Pottawatomie
Indians, who evinced quite as much interest in the new
and to them not altogether novel teachings as did the
average white men and women present.
Indians, in a way, are all UniversaHsts. They be
lieve only in a "happy hunting ground" in the Great
Beyond, and take little stock in the Immaculate Concep
tion, the Trinity, or any of the other essentials of modern
Evangelical belief.
My father remained in Iowa City long enough to
organize a society of his liberal faith, and to build a
small adobe church on the outskirts of the settlement.
Later a more pretentious edifice of real brick was
erected, and this has withstood the march of progress
for three-quarters of a century, silent reminder of the
struggles of that early day to advance the cause of
[6]

liberal religion, to give comfort to the sin-sick soul, and
to instill in the minds and hearts of the pioneers, white
and red, the promise of final redemption.
My earliest recollections were of a deserted mother,
struggling under the most adverse circumstances to
keep her five children together, to keep them fed and
warm, and to give to them an education. Her capability
to teach the "three Rs" saved the family from actual
suffering, for there were no public schools in that
distant outpost, and the pioneer denizens gladly em
braced the opportunity of exchanging produce for
tuition. There was very little money in circulation at the
time, and that in use was of such doubtful purchasing
power that a dollar of "wild-cat" currency was likely to
shrink to "four bits" over night. I well remember how
the merchant, before delivering his precious goods over
the counter to the waiting and often trembling customer,
was compelled to consult a ponderous volume, periodi
cally issued by some banking house, to ascertain the
value, upon that particular day, of the issue of the
"Farmers Bank of Plunkville," since it was wont to
fluctuate between the setting and rising of the sun. It
was the period following the great financial crisis of
1837, when the country was flooded with the most
vicious issue of currency with which a land was ever
cursed. It had not been like your modern bankers' crisis,
to be ended at the pleasure or the interest of a Morgan
or a Rockefeller. It lasted for decades, and its effects
did not entirely disappear until the advent of the Civil
War, and the supplanting of the "shinplasters" with the
welcome greenback, which, however, as the struggle pro
gressed, also decreased in purchasing power, until the
dark days antedating Gettysburg, when it required a
five dollar note to purchase a satisfying breakfast.
[6]

The struggle for possession of the children that
followed the separation of my parents did not include
me. Poor little scrofulous creature, ushered into the
world half made up, there was little reason why either
should want me. But my mother did, and the fact that,
unlike the others, I did not have to be hid away, gave me
a freedom in my earlier years which brothers and sisters
were not permitteed to share.
Greatest of all my earliest ambitions, all-consuming
in a way, were to assist my mother, and this, with my
limited equipment, physical and mental, I nursed to the
limit.

[7]

CHAPTER III.
Four Dollars Earned in a Day — An Entire Year's
Labor for a Red Cow
Vivid is my recollection of my advent into the fi
nancial world. Who but an ambitious boy, with like
experience, can conceive of the joy that comes with the
first dollar legitimately earned. Mine came in the cigar
trade. A dealer, with faith in my integrity, if not
abounding confidence in my rustling ability, "staked"
me to a box of cigars.
The occasion was a monster Democratic rally, with
Stephen A. Douglas in the stellar role, in the memorable
Presidential campaign of 1860. I was born a Republi
can, early enrolled myself as a Lincoln "Wide Awake,"
and had no sympathy with the object of the gathering;
hence I gladly surrendered the opportunity to listen to
a noted orator for the more alluring hope of making
that first dollar.
And by nightfall the dollar grew to four, each one
bigger in my sight than a cartwheel. The pride with
which, after settling with the dealer for the last box of
cigars purchased, I ran home and dumped the shining
coin into my mother's waiting lap, may perhaps be
inferred. But the joy of that night was saddened by what
followed the succeeding day, when my mother, tearfully
bidding me good-bye, handed me over to a German
farmer, named Charles Druff, living fifteen miles from
town, and for whom I was to work a year for my board
and clothes.
[8]

To be sure, I was to have the advantage of three
months' schooling; but as I now reflect upon the deal my
mother negotiated for my labor, I am in some doubt as
to which of the three considerations was the worst, the
food, the clothing or the schooling.
But I entered willingly upon the task, grievous as it
was to part with the loved ones at home, and I am sure
no lad ever labored more faithfully or loyally than did
I, or devour the coarse but wholesome and plentiful
food with greater reHsh.
To me it was a year of healthy expansion, mentally
as well as physically, and before the twelvemonth was
rounded out I was able to do almost the work of a robust
man in field, garden or corral. I indeed had been so
useful to my employer that, at parting, he displayed his
appreciation by presenting to me a handsome cow.
A property owner at last !
But the cow was fifteen miles from home, and I
fancy few men of mature years would have thought of
driving her all that long distance, wholly unassisted.
However, I tackled the prospect without the slightest
hesitation, and swung along that tortuous country lane
the proudest kid in all the broad state of Iowa. It was
not an easy task, I do assure you, dear reader, for there
were many roads crossing the highway traversed, and I
do not recall a single one that my beautiful cow failed to
turn into. Nothing so perverse as a cow in all Nature,
I do verily believe, and I am free to confess that, before
nightfall, I more than half wished Mr. Druff had kept
his cow and not wearied my patience and endangered
my immortal soul by the thoughts I gave utterance to
and those I harbored, but dared not breathe aloud. I
got the beast to the bridge spanning the river, but there
I was compelled to leave her, since, by the exercise of no
degree of ingenuity, skill, diplomacy, tact, persuasion,
[9]

trick or devise, could I, unassisted, induce her to enter
upon the bridge and cross to my home.
All day I had anticipated the pride and joy of my
mother, when she should see me coming home with a
cow, a beautiful and a prolific cow, all my very own to
give to her, for it was to be a surprise party without
counterpart in my youthful history. Disappointing as
it was, I was compelled to part with the beast on the
wrong side of the river, and go home to my mother
empty-handed. Possibly, however, since there is supposed to be a
law of compensation in all things, my dreams were
tinted a brighter hue in anticipation of the conquest of
the morrow. It surely was a memorable day in my
calendar. To my mother that cow proved a God-send indeed,
with more meaning in the economy of the household than
I at the time could be expected to realize.
I have earned and owned property, real and personal,
many times since, but never a chattel of which I was
prouder than of the cow that Mr. Druff gave to me for
zealous labor, in excess of promise or anticipation.
My year's experience on a farm had been highly
beneficial in many ways. I had learned the first im
portant lesson, that fidelity, loyalty and devotion to duty
are quite certain to be rewarded. Failure of apprecia
tion on the part of my employer might have impressed
me differently, and coming at so early a period in my
career easily might have had a more or less controlling
influence upon my future course. Parting with that
cow did not impoverish Mr. Druff, while, on the con
trary, it did more to strengthen my character and direct
my future conduct than any anterior or subsequent
event. The reader may think me inclined to overestimate
[10]

the importance of trivial events, but to me, and at that
time, this one was of immense importance.
I had little liking for farm life. It was, in the first
instance, too strenuous for my meager physical equip
ment; its limitations upon my mental expansion were
too narrow ; and, moreover, I recognized the fact that it
was not adequately remunerative. I had enjoyed the
rather questionable benefit of three months' schooling,
involving a three-mile walk twice a day, with an accum
ulation of chores night and morning; and I doubtless
would have prized the privilege more highly had I
realized it was to constitute the only "education" I ever
was to have — at least in a school room.
That magnificent libra!ry of my father's had been
exchanged for worthless Illinois coal land, and the
meagre returns from the sale eaten up.
In the family circle at night, around a cheery log
fire, I read a great deal that winter ; read everything, in
fact, in the farmer's meagre library, from a "Child's
History of the Universe" to Thomas Carlyle's "Sartur
Resartus." How much of the latter I comprehended I
leave to the imagination of the more cultured reader of
19th century literature. But the reading of it and
similar books was excellent mental discipline, and,
moreover, I felt that I should not reject the work of
a distinguished author for whom in part I had been
christened. Nor was that winter on a Washington County farm
without its interesting diversion of spelling matches in
distant school houses, and sleigh rides over expansive
prairies and through forests of somber timber, where
the snow obliterated even the fences, and clothed the
stately trees with white mantles glistening in the moon
light. I had not seen my mother all that lengthened twelve-
[11]

month, and the joy of both being reunited quite passeth
ordinary understanding. I indulged for a few days in
recounting to her the more interesting episodes of my
farm life before giving serious thought to the future.
I was desirous to learn a trade, but undecided as to
which one, and while casting about for an opportunity
I engaged in a number of pursuits, of varied duration,
but each educative in a way, and all, to my then modest
ambition, highly remunerative. I was not proud, and
scorned nothing that promised adequate returns. For
a time I served as a waiter in the leading hotel, chopped
wood for neighbors, cleared shavings from the machin
ery of a planing mill, gathered wild flowers from the
surrounding hills for subsequent sale on the streets,
and finally became apprenticed to an "artist."
Photography had not been invented and the chef
d'ouvre of the gallery was the ambrotype, set into more
or less gorgeous cases or frames, supplemented, for
those not able to indulge in such luxury, by the tintype,
which, if I mistake not, has survived to this day. Before
I had fully mastered the mysteries of the developing
room, the building in which the gallery was housed was
destroyed by fire, and thus ascended in smoke my lofty
ambition to become an artist of renown. It was a cruel
blow to my aspirations, but proved a blessing in dis
guise, for my next venture was in a field I was destined
to occupy, with more or less credit and honor to myself,
for a full half century.

[12]

CHAPTER IV.
Beginning of a Half Century's Career in the
Field of Journalism
I do not recall just how it came about, but in the fall
of 1861 I was apprenticed to a firm of printers in the
town of Anamosa, Booth & Parrott, publishers of the
Eureka, the early issues of which were printed on a
press made entirely of wood, and the bed of which would
accommodate but a single page of the little folio news
paper. This press, I am told, is still preserved in the
rooms of the State Historical Society, silent reminder of
the strenuousness of journalism in Iowa in the early
60s. Its operation called for the labor of two persons,
one to pass the ink roller over the type forms, the other
to place the sheet on the tympan, drop it down upon the
form, roll.it beneath the platen, pull the lever, and re
verse the operation. Although the circulation of the
paper did not exceed 500, two days of each week were
devoted to the task of printing alone.
Inking the forms was not a highly intellectual per
formance, but it was one of the ancient, fixed and
unchangeable stunts of the "printer's devil," and I
tackled it with the same devotion to duty that ever
since has, I believe, characterized my busy life.
The remaining four days of the week I set type, and
within a twelvemonth I was able to "galley" as much
"matter" as any full journeyman, although a four
years' apprenticeship was presumed to be essential to
proficiency.
[13]

The terms of the agreement with my mother were
that I should have board and clothing, $45 a year for
the first two years, $75 for the third and $100 for the
fourth. That, to me, seemed munificent. My wants
were confined to bed and board, and my entire wage
could go to my mother. I boarded with the junior
partner and slept in the office, and to adjust matters
between the partners on board account, it was agreed
that I should have certain duties to perform "at home."
These included chopping the family wood, rocking the
junior proprietor's baby, and sundry minor chores.
From none of these exactions did I shrink, for none
were so onerous as inking the forms, and the sHght
participation in the home life of my employer partially
compensated for my absence from mother, and perhaps
served as a buffer for lonesomeness during morning and
evening hours.
The senior partner, a man of rugged proportions,
more resembling a lumber jack than an editor, was the
high and mighty intellectual faculty of the combination,
writing all of the editorials, local intelligence, funeral
notices and paid advertisements. From birth he had
been deaf and dumb; hence one of my first duties, ab
solutely essential in its nature, was to acquire the silent
alphabet, and so proficient did I become that to this day,
after a lapse of over half a century, I am able to con
verse with fair speed in the language of the deaf mute.
Typesetting proved a delight to me, and I early
recognized its advantage as a teacher. I easily might
have regarded it as an onerous task, to be performed
mechanically and perfunctorily, but my ambition for
advancement along intellectual lines prompted me to
secure the greatest possible results from the exercise.
In the rather meager office library was a dictionary and
an encyclopedia, and the boy who may not, with these
[14]

adjuncts, provide himself with a fair working education
may be said to be unworthy of it.
Alongside my type case I kept a paper tablet and
pencil, and during the course of the day's work, com
posing four columns of reading matter, I naturally
encountered much that required elucidation. Hence upon
the tablet was entered a reference to everything I needed
light upon; and through all the years that followed I
made it an invariable rule never to seek my couch until
I had satisfactorily cleared the tablet of every entry of
the day, storing away in my mind, for future profitable
use, a copious fund of information upon an almost
limitless range of subjects.
At the end of the second year the co-partnership of
Booth & Parrott dissolved, the junior withdrawing for
the purpose of establishing a new journal at Morris,
Illinois, now almost a suburb of Chicago.
Flattering to my pride was the announcement that I
was to accompany him to his new field, and finish my
trade there. Transportation was to be provided, and
my wages materially increased. Moreover, I was to be
permitted first to visit my mother, and to see, for the
first time in many years, my elder brother. Graduating
at Kenyon College, Gambler, O., in 1861, he was among
the first to enlist in a Buckeye regiment, hasten to the
front, engage in battle, be captured, exchanged, pro
moted and f urloughed home.
I paid a high price for that reunion, covering the
sixty-five miles between Anamosa and Iowa City in a
single day on horseback, blanketed but without saddle.
For a fourteen-year-old-lad, I now reflect that the under
taking at least bordered on the heroic.

[15]

CHAPTER V.
Peace Hath Its Victories No Less Than War-
Career OF the Anamosa Tigers
An outside enterprise, undertaken by me while at
Anamosa, may be deemed worthy of mention. Shiloh
had been fought and Fort Donelson taken. The little
village had early sent to the front the flower of its. man
hood, embracing a goodly proportion of heads of
families, and some of the latter were none too well
provided for. Realizing that I could not join the
volunteers, and loyally ambitious to contribute in some
way to the Union cause, I conceived the idea of organiz
ing a relief corps among my youthful companions, and
the "Anamosa Tigers" was the outcome, the little band
pledged to chop wood, contributed by citizens, and
deliver it in stove lengths to the families of the men at
the front. Of this organization I logically was chosen
commander. The zest and enthusiasm with which this
work was undertaken by my followers was truly typical
of, American boyhood, and there was nothing of the
Tom Sawyer finesse indulged. Each member of the
corps labored as though the perpetuity of the Union
depended solely upon his individual efforts.
I had indulged an excess amount of pleasurable
anticipation in parading the streets with my brother,
togged out in the uniform of his rank, with perhaps a
sword dangling at his heels! But, alas, for human
vanity! It was hopelessly dashed in this instance, a
circumstance due to the extreme modesty of the elder
Davis, who, instead of the regulation dress suit ahd
[16]

REV. ASHER AUSTIN DAVIS, D. D.
Pioneer Preacher. Doctor and
Journalist. Father of Author
MARY ALICE SUMMERS DAVI-S
Wife of Author

JANE MOULTON CUSHING DAVIS
Pioneer School Teacher.
Mother of Author
COL. MURRAY SPURZHEIM DAVIS
Eighth Calalry. U. S. A.

epaulettes, wore only the blouse of a private soldier,
with evidence of rank almost concealed in the folds of
its sleeves. Hence, if any one was impressed with his
greatness and the majesty of his position, it was easily
traceable to the quiet tips I gave to youthful acquaint
ances when he was not looking.
Furlough ended. Captain Murray S. Davis, 95th
Ohio Volunteers, joined his regiment with the Army of
the Cumberland, while "Captain" Carlyle C. Davis, late
of the Anamosa Tigers, took up his duties with Mr.
Parrott in the Illinois town.
My career at Morris was brief and uneventful. My
employer's enterprise there early proved a failure, and
his newspaper suspended before I had finished the term
of my apprenticeship.
Thence I went directly to Chicago, a city at that
time numbering less than a hundred thousand, and there
met my first Waterloo. The wages of apprentices were
hardly sufficient to sustain one, and because I had not
served full time I was barred from the Union, member
ship in which was essential to employment. I was a
phenomenal type-setter, later distinguishing myself as
such in some of the larger newspaper offices of the
country, and it struck me as peculiarly unjust that I
should be shut out on so slight a technicality.
Defeated and crestfallen, I withdrew from a city in
which, twenty-two years later, I. participated, as
delegate-at-large from the Centennial State to the
National Republican Convention, in nominating for
President of the United States that peerless statesman
of the time, Hon. James G. Blaine, and went home to
my mother.
I had saved a little money, and upon arrival at Iowa
City I invested it in a modest little ice cream parlor and
confectionery store. In that undertaking I would have
[17]

succeeded, had I not, in a moment of weakness, con
sented that my partner should keep the books.
But even that calamity subsequently proved a bless
ing, for duplicated ten years later, I suspended business
for a period and matriculated in a commercial college at
St. Louis, mastering the branches of book-keeping and
commercial law, determined that if, in the future, there
should be any losses chargeable to faulty account-
keeping, I would not be the sufferer.

[18]

CHAPTER VI.
How With Some Assistance I Succeeded in
Putting Down the Rebellion
Rather discouraged with my brief mercantile ex
perience, I went back to the case in the office of the Iowa
State Reporter and worked until the spring of 1864,
when, after having my enlistment in three different
commands rejected, on account of age and lack of
physical equipment, I was accepted as a member of a
company being recruited from the students of the Iowa
State University, of which Professor Charles E. Bor
land was chosen captain. I was the only member not a
student, and was accepted only because, at the depot on
the eve of departure, it was discovered that the company
lacked one of its quota.
The boys had marched under the windows of the
Reporter office to the station. I looked down upon
them but a moment; then, grasping coat and hat, I ran
home, a few blocks distant, bid my mother a tearful
farewell, and hastened to the railway.
Fortunately for me, the ladies of the town were
giving the boys a parting "feed" in a grove near the
station, and I was in time to be enrolled a "high private"
in Company D, 44th Iowa Volunteers, aged 18, height
5 ft. "6 in., dark hair, blue eyes; and prouder than a
Major General.
At 2 o'clock I had been setting type on a provincial
weekly newspaper. At 6 I was cleaning out a bunk in
old Camp McClellan, at Davenport, on an eminence
[19]

overlooking the Mississippi River, sixty miles from
home and mother.
It had been a strenuous afternoon, comprehending a
march of several miles from the city, and although the
barracks had a forbidding appearance, I doubted not I
should enjoy a night's rest. But in this I was woefully
disappointed, and at midnight a companion joined me in
a second attempt out in the open, a single army blanket
beneath, and a single army blanket above us.
Ah! how many times during that long, restless,
sleepless night, did thoughts recur to mother and the
snug bed at home !
In a few days I became accustomed to the hardships
of the service, and it was not long before our regiment
was being transported down through the length of
Illinois in cattle cars to Cairo, thence by vessel to Mem
phis, and eastward to the borders of Tennessee and
Mississippi, where actual service at once begun, for we
were in the enemy's country at last, with the strictest
regulations regarding picket and vidette duty, with
orders to shoot at every moving object.
Gen'l A. J. Smith's army was at the front, harrassed
day and night by the fast-riding guerrillas of Gen'l
Forrest's command, familiar with every by-road and
pass in all that section, while the disloyal citizens of
Memphis were resorting to every device to get food and
ammunition to the rough riders.
The battles of Guntown and Tupelo followed quick
ly upon our arrival, and before the first week had passed
the pampered students of the Iowa State University,
few of whom had ever undergone any hardships, found
themselves facing the actual realities of grim-visaged
war. My army experience, although brief, was not wholly
devoid of human interest. Enlistment at my age was

[20]

S. K. HOOPER
G. P. A. Denver and Rio
Grande Railway Co.
MAJOR J. B. WHEELER
First President Colorado
Midland Railway Co.

D. B. ROBINSON
Formerly President
A. T. & S. F. Ry. Co
COL. R. E. GOODELL
Builder of the Chicago and
Alton Railway

foolhardy in the extreme,- and when the fact is con
sidered that my mother already had given to the cause
her only other son, it merited a harsher classification. I
was but eighteen, however, and had partaken largely of
her extreme anti-slavery views. I had paraded with
the "Wide Awakes," the marching organization of the
young Republican party, and my loyalty to the Union
cause simply knew no bounds. Rejected time and again
by recruiting officers, I had embraced what seemed to
be, and actually was, the last opportunity to break into
the ranks. Moreover, the martial music, borne to me
from the street as the University students marched on
toward the railway station, had completely carried me
off my feet.
Had I been given opportunity to reflect upon pri
mary duty to mother, I perhaps would have remained by
her side, great as the sacrifice would have been ; but that
was denied me, for impulse rather than reason guided
my footsteps. In the circumstances she had abundant
reason to demur, but her approval of my action was un
tainted with even a shade of selfishness or vain regret,
and her "Good-bye, God bless and keep you from harm,"
was as genuine and hearty as if the very cockles of her
heart were not severely wrenched.
Obvious as it seemed that I was totally unfit for ser
vice in the field, it is a fact that while fully matured and
strongly knit men frequently fell out of the ranks and
were brought on by ambulances, during some of the
more strenuous marches that fell to our lot, the smallest
bit of humanity in the regiment — my only distinction of
note — ^never once wavered or fell by the wayside. On
the contrary, I not infrequently eased a comrade's bur
den by adding a portion of it to my own, although
handed down rather than up to me.
What I did in the campaign of '64 may scarcely be
[21]

worth recording, but a reference to what I saw may hold
the reader's attention for a brief span at least.
Soon after arriving at Memphis I saw Gen'l A. J.
Smith's army of 60,000 men march to the station of the
Memphis & Charleston railway and loaded on to succes
sive trains of flat cars, the marching column as inspiring
a spectacle as ever I had witnessed. Embracing most of
the 18th Army Corps, recently returned from the dis
astrous Red River campaign, the various depleted
commands recruited to their full marching strength, and
all provided with fresh new uniforms and glistening
armor, the gallant veterans of four years' arduous ser
vice marched with heads erect and hearts inspired with
hopes of retrieving the disasters lower down the river.
A few weeks later I saw that same command return
ing from the terrific threshing administered at Tupelo
and Guntown — not in well-ordered divisions, brigades
and regiments, however, but as a disorganized mob —
many without arms or accoutrements, marching deject
edly back to Memphis, in bunches and squads of
anywhere from half a dozen to a score or more, whipped
to a frazzle, whatever the historian may record of the
disastrous campaigns of General Sturgis; and reaching
Grand Junction, beyond which it was not found possible
to operate the railway, a day ahead of the main
command. The wounded were there placed aboard cars and
rushed to the hospitals at Memphis. Many of the
injured had not even experienced the blessings of "first
aid," and the wretched victims of rebel bullets and
schrapnel, many with leg or arm missing, were strung
along the railway platform, some on the floor, others,
more fortunate, upon stretchers — all suffering for sur
gical and medical attention, food and water.

[22]

CHAPTER VII.
Gruesome Work — My First Shock — A Captain
in Disgrace — An Irksome Detail
My regiment was detailed for this work, and in
carrying out orders I experienced a shock that well nigh
paralyzed me. In one of the first ambulances that
backed up to the station platform I recognized the
bleeding and disfigured form of my brother, stretched
upon a cotton bale, well nigh exhausted from loss of
blood and want of nourishment.
I had not heard of his being among the wounded,
and was looking pleasurably forward to a joyful re
union the following day, when the main command should
arrive. I only had time to provide him with such
articles of food and drink as could be purchased of the
sutler before he was carried into the car and whisked
away to Memphis, perhaps never again to be seen alive.
Partially recovered from the shock of this episode,
I resumed my duties in caring for others among the
wounded. Before many minutes I was eye-witness to another
episode, less personal but more thrilling, in which Cap
tain Borland, commander of my company, figured as
the victim or culprit, as one may chose to regard it.
Before enlistment a professor in the Iowa State
University, a man with splendid record as an educator,
in the full flush of early manhood, esteemed at home
for his many excellent qualities of head and heart, and
respected by the men of the company, most of whom
[23]

had for years been under his direct instruction — this
splendid specimen of American manhood, without
previous blur upon his escutcheon, and facing a future
full of promise, sacrificed all on that fateful August
day to a momentary weakness of judgment, to a sudden
paralysis of human sympathies, to an inexpHcable
surrender of manhood.
The weather was extremely sultry. The resinous
pine floor of which the station platform was constructed,
and upon which the wounded were loaded, fairly sizzled
under the tropical rays of that August sun.
Only a meager supply of ice had been obtainable for
these wretched stricken men, and Captain Borland had
appropriated a portion of that for use in his own head
quarters !
The atrocity of this act may not easily be character
ized in words. I shall not attempt it. But the discovery
and retribution followed so quickly as to rob the incident
of some of its terrors in long drawn out recital.
Information speedily reached General Smith, who,
with ill concealed indignation, approached Captain
Borland, and, tearing the epaulettes from his shoulders
with one hand, and relieving him of sword with the
other, sent him to headquarters under guard, later to be
court-martialed, cashiered, relieved of command, and
sent into lasting and well earned ignominy.
I never saw him again. The unfortunate episode
barred him from restoration to his chair in the Uni
versity, and the disgrace and humiliation followed him
to a dishonored grave.
During a portion of my service at Grand Junction I
was detailed to guard a well, at the home of a prominent
citizen, who it was feared might poison the water needed
by the troops. At first I may have shared the appre
hension of the commanding General, but before being
[241

relieved I almost came to despise him for his unwarrant
ed fears. A noble Southern gentleman, surrounded by a
Christian family, impoverished by the vicissitudes of a
most cruel war, he yet was loyal to the stars and bars.
It would have been little less than natural or human that
he should come to hate me, for there could be no misap
prehension of the purpose of placing me there to guard
the well, but if he entertained any such sentiment it was
not disclosed by his attitude or that of his family.
Accepting it as an unpleasant though perhaps an
essential precaution, and myself as an innocent instru
ment, all resentment was speedily swept aside, and my
enforced stay on his premises constitutes one of the
pleasantest recollections of a sojourn not surcharged
with cheerful episodes.
Indeed, long after the war had ended I wrote to this
gentleman, asking that I might, while journeying
through that section, pay a visit to himself and family,
and thank them for the courtesies extended me while
performing an unpleasant duty at his home. My letter
fell into the hands of his executor, who courteously con
veyed the information that such members of the family
as had survived the war had removed hence, leaving him
very little indeed to administer upon.

[25]

CHAPTER VIII.
Chased by Guerillas — Burning of Grand Junction
Forrest's Dash into Memphis
General Forrest's guerilla band was a host to be
reckoned with in the campaign of '64 in Western
Tennessee and Northern Mississippi. It became im
possible for the Federals to operate the railway beyond
Grand Junction, and between that point and Memphis,
Forrest's men frequently made a dash to the line and
hastily removed a few rails or cut the telegraph wires.
Dave, Wooten, chief telegraph repairer, with a
considerable force of linemen, was kept exceedingly busy
maintaining communication between Memphis and the
front. With a detail of four men, I accompanied him
upon one of these repairing expeditions, and narrowly
escaped capture and a term in some one of the Southern
prisons. Wooten, from the top of a sixty-foot pole,
espied a troop of cavalry debouching from some low-
lying hills but a few miles from the railway. From his
vantage point he soon made out that they were Con
federates, and that they were bearing down directly
upon us. There were, perhaps, fifty men in the troop,
whereas we had but six rifles and our side arms.
Obviously discretion was more commendable than
valor, and without waste of a moment's time our party
were loaded upon the hand-car and speeding down the
track at thirty miles an hour. The men worked the
double lever with exceeding great energy, and before
the "rebs" could get within rifle range we were out of
harm's way.
[26]

In my haste I had forgotten a much-prized silver
watch that I had hung to a telegraph pole, and that is
all the "Johnnies" got for their long chase. It constituted
a very amusing episode, though I fear I may have failed
to make it appear as such.
The capture of Wooten would have been a great loss
to the army, since he was one of the most skillful, daring
and intrepid wiremen in the employ of the government.
Sometime in August, '64, 1 was a member of a squad
detailed to conduct to Memphis a number of guerillas
captured in the neighborhood of Grand Junction. The
expedition almost culminated in the capture of our
entire party.
In the early morning of the day following our
arrival, and before time to return to the front. General
Forrest and a rather formidable troop of cavalry made
a wholly unlooked-for dash into the city from the south,
looted the Gayoso house, a number of banks and mer
cantile establishments, and were out again to the north
before more than a fraction of the Federal troops or
citizens were aware of their presence.
A detachment of "Johnnies" stormed a building in
the very heart of the city, the Pemberton Block, used for
the confinement of rebel prisoners, but the heavy guard
stationed there succeeded in beating them off. It was a
hot engagement, the first I had witnessed, and when
fully assured that the Confederates had withdrawn from
, the city and were not Hkely to return, I began to appre
ciate the hazard of the experience.
There were a sufficient number of Union soldiers in
Memphis to have overwhelmed Forrest and his little
band, had time enough been allowed to form and march
into the city, whereas to the eastward, within two hours
run from Memphis, was an army of 60,000 men.
Perfect knowledge of the country gave to Forrest
[27]

an immense advantage in his operations. His troop
was always well mounted, and it was possible for him, at
almost any time, to duplicate his August dash into
Memphis. Successful in surprising and capturing the pickets
on the outskirts, at break of day, within an hour his
troopers were dashing through the main streets of the
city, to the infinite dehght of its disloyal citizens, and the
corresponding terror of the smaller bunches of Federals,
stationed here and there to guard prisoners and stores.
General Washburn, commanding the department of
Western Tennessee, a guest of the Gayoso House at the
time, barely escaped in his nightclothes to the river,
whence he was rowed to the protecting walls of Fort
Pickering. It was a rather undignified spectacle for a
Major General to present, and contributed much to the
gayety of camp life when the facts became known.
Mistaking the sortie for an advance in force upon
Memphis, General Smith was ordered up with his army
from Holly Springs. Before he reached the city, Forrest
was following up and harrassing his rear, having made
a wide detour and got in behind the Union forces.
The order for Smith's return to Memphis was tan
tamount to the abandonment of most of the country
between that city and Holly Springs.
Before the war Grand Junction had been a somewhat
noted educational center, boasting of a college and a
seminary. The buildings of these institutions presented
a mournful spectacle when we were there, having been
targets for the heavy artillery of the Union army.
The town and its environs possessed many beautiful
homes, and those on the outskirts had protected our men
on picket and vidette duty through many storms of that
summer. My last view of the once handsome little city was
[28]

filled with genuine sadness, since the order had been
given that all should be handed over to the torch when
the last of the troops and the stores had been loaded, and
the trains were ready to pull out for Memphis. Great
clouds of smoke were being poured into the heavens
from all points of the compass, lurid flames lept high in
air, and doubtless before the last train had departed all
that was beautiful and artistic in Grand Junction had
been wiped from the face of the earth.
Prior to that time, the country for miles around in
every direction had been completely devastated. There
was left scarcely a habitation, a barn, fence or corral,
within a radius of a hundred miles. Planters who had
not joined the Confederate army, together with their
families and servants, had moved into Grand Junction,
existing I know not how, and the spectacle I witnessed,
of their last shelters going up in flames and smoke, was
one well calculated to move the dullest heart.
Many of the soldiers were loaded on flat cars, from
which their vision was unobscured on either side. Among
these was a company from a State I will not disgrace by
naming, the members of which, as the train moved east
ward, amused themselves by shooting at every living
object along the right of way, human as well as beast.
Taking no heed of a warning sent forward by the
officer in command, the train was brought to a stop, the
offenders to a man unloaded, and compelled to march
into Memphis, a hard two days' jaunt, through a barren
waste, with scant rations.
The punishment visited upon this merciless band,
who, had they been sailors would have been pirates, met
with the spontaneous approval of their comrades, and
when the import of the order came to be understood, a
shout of approval went up from thousands of throats
calculated to drown the thundering noise of the trains.
[29]

CHAPTER IX.
A Near Tragedy — Thrilling Recapture of Colors
A Regiment Shot Into Bits
Arriving at Memphis, our regiment went into camp
at Jackson Spring, five miles eastward, and there en
joyed well earned rest from a rather strenuous summer's
campaign down in the enemy's country.
Here, while on vidette duty, perhaps two miles from
camp, a rather humorous incident occurred. My brother,
from his camp on the opposite side of Memphis, had
sent his colored servant with a note to my Captain,
requesting that I be permitted to visit him in the field
hospital there.
The darkey was directed to the vidette post where I
was supposed to be stationed, and, as he approached, I
gave the command to "halt."
Paying not the slightest heed to my order, he con
tinued to advance, displaying, as he did so, a matchless
set of teeth, and grinning from ear to ear.
Under the strictest orders to shoot any living thing
that failed to respond to a challenge, I repeated the
command to halt, at the same time bringing my rifle to
bear directly upon the smiling darkey. My obvious de
termination not to permit him to approach at last
reached his inner consciousness, and he called out :
"Is you Mistah Davis ?"
"Yes," I repUed.
"Well, sah, Mistah Davis, I dun been sent heah by
your brother, Major Davis, to bring you over to where
he is, and I'll be glad, sah, if you'll quit pintin' that gun
[30]

at me, cause I'm your brother's orderly, and he wouldn't
like to have me shot for doin' it, no sah !"
Needless to say, I lowered my rifle, and gave the
grinning darkey the welcome desired.
Sorry was the sight witnessed at my brother's camp.
Of the fully recruited regiment of a thousand and one
men, before the summer campaign began, less than one
hundred were able to respond to the call for dress
parade, nor was there a commissioned or non-commis
sioned officer in the entire command who had escaped
death or more or less serious injury, incapacitating him
for duty.
While in this camp I was the guest of the Drum
Major, a warm friend of my brother, who helped me to
a better understanding of the latter's mishap at the
front, and how it was occasioned.
At the battle of Tupelo, a stand of colors, presented
to the regiment by the ladies of Columbus, Ohio, had
been captured, and my brother, astride a white horse,
and wearing a white linen duster, dashed into the
enemy's ranks, recovered the flag, and, wrapping it
about his body, wheeled and flew back to his command — •
but not until he had received an almost mortal wound
in the neck and face, the ball just missing the jugular
vein and piercing his right cheek.
Needless to say, I was highly elated over this thrill
ing narrative, and later read, with more than ordinary
interest, the newspaper accounts that had been given of
the heroic act of my brother. For it he was promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel and Brevet Colonel, and detached
for duty at the War Department, soon becoming the
confidential military aide attached to the person of
Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. He was with
that distinguished personage all through the trying
period following the assassination of Lincoln. At the
[31]

close of the rebellion he was commissioned Captain in
the Regular Army, assigned to the Sth U. S. Cavalry,
and served until 1874 in various Indian campaigns, at
one time being in command at Fort Yuma. After re
tirement he was happily married and settled in San
Francisco, his bride a daughter of General Kirkham,
and the first offspring named "Stanton" Davis. He was
appointed Superintendent of the Mint at San Francisco
by President Johnson, and later was appointed and con
firmed as Minister to China. While preparing for this
mission he was attacked by a fatal illness, and within an
incredibly short time was laid to rest in the Kirkham
family vault at Oakland.

[32]

CHAPTER X.
Embarked for Home — Thrilling Steamboat Race
Between Two River Leviathans
If any verification were needed of the truth of Gen'l
Sherman's declaration that "War is hell," it was plainly
visible in all that I witnessed in Tennessee and
Mississippi in the last year of the frightful fratricidal
struggle. It was in the very atmosphere, on the face of
the landscape everywhere, stamped upon the counte
nances of the people, suggested in the drawn features of
soldiers and citizens alike, whether Unionist or
Confederate, and seemed even to have been impressed
upon the brute creation. Torch and sword had indeed
wrought fearful havoc, and left that entire section of
the country a blackened waste, from which recovery
seemed at the time almost hopeless.
I was glad when my term of enlistment expired, and
rejoiced that the government, seeing the end in sight,
no longer required the services of self and comrades. I
longed to have the veil drawn and the terrible scenes of
carnage, of bloodshed, of ruined cities, of wrecked
homes and devastated fields, shut out from view — if it
might never be from memory.
I was not nearly so enthusiastic a warrior at the
close as at the beginning. My appetite for glory was
appeased without having absorbed much of it. My
loyalty was as dependable, though my zeal had precept-
ibly diminished, and whereas I never wavered in my
devotion to the Union, I yet came away from the South
with revised opinions of its people, and the strongest
[33]

possible conviction that they believed in the justice of
their cause, and were battling for it with all the sincerity
and hopefulness and trust of inspired patriots. My
profound sympathies for them in their deep distress and
almost hopeless prostration had been ineradicably en
listed, inspiring me with respect that has survived to this
day and hour.
We were to return as we had come, by vessel to
Cairo, thence by rail to the muster-out camp. Our regi
ment was packed, veritably like sardines in a box, aboard
the steamer "City of Alton," while a sister steamer, the
"Warsaw" — two of the largest vessels in the lower
Mississippi river trade — was similarly packed with
troops of other commands.
The two leviathans backed out from their slips
practically at the same moment, and, before the grim
walls of Fort Pickering had faded from view it was
plainly apparent that a race was on. When the famous
Island No. 10, a few miles above Memphis, was passed,
the vessels were abreast, and, during the long leg to
Cairo there was scarcely a moment when there was a
boat's length between them.
Down in the engine room the members of the lusty
black crew were ceaselessly charging the capacious
maws of the furnaces with fuel — first with wood, then
with oil — each fully realizing the importance of never-
flagging zeal in firing, and straining every muscle to
outdo their fellows of the Warsaw, each as ambitious as
the skipper to win a victory over the rival craft.
Officers monopolized the state rooms between decks,
and made futile efforts to snatch a little sleep, while the
hurricane deck was crowded with private soldiers,
racing from stem to stern, noting every lurch of both
vessels, lustily cheering when the "City of Alton"
seemed to be gaining, and correspondingly depressed
[34]

when the "Warsaw" showed a trifle advantage. There
was no provision for sleeping, and it is questionable if
any would have embraced it had there been, so tense was
the feeling aboard, so concerned in the contest that never
for a moment lagged.
The spectacle was indeed inspiring. The river was
running full, the night was pitchy black, the lights from
the cabin windows cast a shimmer upon the rushing
waters, and ever and anon, when the furnace doors were
opened to receive a fresh supply of fuel, long fingers of
flame shot out, Ughting all of the decks for an instant
as by a noon-day sun, and illuminating the dense
growths of stately pines on either side of the river.
These periodical flashes of flame lasted but a moment,
and by their intensity accentuated the blackness of the
night with their disappearance.
Before midnight the excitement among the spec
tators had developed almost into a frenzy. Each fairly
fought for a place at the rail, and so densely were the
men packed on the side overlooking the competing
vessel that the "Alton" was seen to be Hsting heavily,
while the same condition obviously obtained on the
"Warsaw." Discipline had become so relaxed among the men
that orders were wholly disregarded, and it became
necessary, before morning, to mount guard on the hur
ricane deck, and force the soldiers back from the rail at
the point of the bayonet to the opposite side of the boat,
to prevent it from capsizing.
The sun rose next morning upon a weary host, not a
member of which had closed an eye, nor did the distri
bution of the morning ration with hot coffee seem to
relax interest in the contest between the two great
vessels for supremacy on the Father of Waters.
Both drew into Cairo as the shades of night were
[36]

falling, each docking at a different pier, and neither with
the advantage of five minutes in its favor.
Record time was made, and for many years after
the war the famous race between the "Warsaw" and
the "City of Alton" was a familiar topic for gossip
among steamboatmen of the lower Mississippi.
Upon arriving at Davenport I learned that a near
relative. Col. Henry Parkhurst, was the paymaster, a
circumstance I availed myself of to secure discharge
and pay check in advance of comrades, and to reach
home days ahead of them.
That was a trick I should not be proud of, but when
my age at the time is considered, the reader, I feel cer
tain, will be disposed to cover it with the mantle of
charity. If I may not successfully plead age in this
instance, I at least may be privileged to suggest the
consciousness that at the earliest possible moment a
waiting mother longed to see her baby boy.

[36]

CHAPTER XI.
Paths of Peace — Experiences as a Tramp Printer
"Beardless Editor of Egypt"
Three months later, just past 18 years of age, found
me the editor and publisher of the Olney Record, a
weekly journal of some note in the "Egypt" of Illinois.
Strange how the fate of individuals is controlled
and directed by circumstances trivial in themselves!
Working my way from town to town through Iowa and
Illinois, as journeyman printers were wont to do fifty
years ago, I arrived in St. Louis at an inopportune time,
just as a strike of compositors was being inaugurated.
I had joined the Union at Peoria, and, with a travehng
card in my pocket, I fancied myself secure from calamity
of any nature whatever. But I had not counted on the
perversity of the "walking delegate," nor did the ple
thora of my purse assure me continuing meal tickets.
But your average American boy may be counted upon
to make good under almost any conceivable train of
circumstances, as I did in this case.
Charles R. Bell was my "angel." He possessed a
trunk full of silver poUsh. I yet possessed a few pieces
of coined silver. Result : a merger, and one not contem
plated by the Interstate Commerce act. We took to the
road to sell the commodity, following the line of the
Ohio and Mississippi railway, until Olney was reached.
There I found conditions not only to my liking, but
apparently shaped accurately to my needs.
The polish business had not been excessively remu
nerative for two. We had a considerable quantity of
[37]

the silver polish yet in stock, but most of my coined
silver had been parted with along the trail. I placed the
few remaining pieces in Bell's palm, "God blessed" him
two or three times, and sent him on his way down the
pike. For myself a job was waiting. A little coterie of
local politicians and office-holders owned a newspaper
plant, but their paid manager was indulging a pro
tracted spree, and the prospects of an issue of the paper
that week were exceedingly meager.
Could I write locals, editorials, set type and operate
a Washington hand press? That was the complex
question fired at me by the interested parties on the day
of my arrival, which chanced to be a Sunday. To all
these I could readily answer in the affirmative. One
more : "Do you drink ?" To this a most emphatic nega
tive. So, on Monday morning, I was given full charge
of the plant — all profits to me, no assessments upon the
stockholders. In the absence of any other distinctive feature or
circumstance, the fact that I was the youngest editor in
Illinois, if not in the universe, attracted some attention
to the Olney paper. People who had no interest there or
concern for the journal or what it represented, yet were
curious to see what a 19-year-old kid might have to say
upon national issues.
I believe I made good, at least for a time, and while
the cards were dealt to me straight. But at the first
recurring election every one of my stockholders was
knocked out at the polls, and speedily lost interest in
maintaining a partisan paper. I had no continuing con
tract with them, and apprehensive that they might
embrace the first opportunity to rid themselves of
responsibility, I anticipated the event by surrendering
my charge while yet my fame as the "Beardless Editor
[38]

of Egypt" was at its zenith, and withdrew with what
honors I had earned.
Once more on the road! To Vincennes, Louisville,
Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Parkersburg, Wheeling, and on
to Pittsburg. Then, doubling back on the trail, I again
landed at Cincinnati, destined to become my abiding
place until 1872.

[39]

CHAPTER XII.
Juvenile Missionary Work in the Queen City
Yields Handsome Returns
While in Cincinnati I was variously employed on the
Enquirer, the Times and the Chronicle, my sojourn there
being quite without notable event until the close.
I had become interested in, and attached to, the
"Union Bethel," a mission on the river front doing a
vast amount of practical good among the riff-raff of the
Queen City. My assignment was to the Sunday School,
which boasted 5,000 pupils, a few of them old enough
to be my grandfather, and some of whom had to be
taught the alphabet.
My efforts in this mission work, a side issue of
course, and calling for my services mainly on Sundays,
awakened the attention of Henry A. Manning, a silver
merchant, who, although doing a prosperous business,
was yet doing it on borrowed capital. Aware of this
fact, he would have been the last of my acquaintances to
whom I should have appealed for assistance in an
emengency. He one day approached me with the somewhat
startling proposition that I must leave Cincinnati. He
had noted my failing health, and possibly the exhibition
of a degree of energy and ambition not consistent with
it, and had concluded that, if I desired to remain on
earth and continue to provide for my dependents, I must
seek a change of climate and environment, and to some
extent relax my all too ambitious struggle.
Had I at the time known he had not a cent of his
[40]

f% .^

HON MATT PARROTT
Ex-Lieut. Governor of
Iowa
FRANK A. VAUGHN
Printer-Poet of the Rockies

COL. NAT DANIELS
Beau Brummel of Leadville

HENRT A. MANNING
Manning, Bowman & Co.,
New York
WM. N. BYERS
Founder Rocky Mountain
News HON. DAVID DAY
Oracle of the Spanish
Peaks

own to loan me, I certainly would have refused his
proffer of financial assistance, but the information only
came to me years after that the funds with which I was
"set up" in business for myself in a distant State were
borrowed by my benefactor in driblets of a hundred
here and two hundred there, wherever he could lay
hands on the money.
"Find the opportunity, my boy, and I will do the
rest," was his kindly and earnest assurance; and thus
it came about that the only outside assistance I ever
had came from one in no way related and under no
obligations to me.
It was an episode quite out of the ordinary, and yet
so possible of repetition, in like circumstances and con
ditions, as to encourage the more youthful reader of
these lines to so conduct himself, in all the relations of
life, as to merit just such assistance at a critical juncture
as was forced upon me.
By means of advertising far and wide, I soon had
numerous proposals to invest the borrowed funds in an
estabhshed newspaper plant, from which my choice fell
upon one coming from St. Charles, Mo., a city of only
5,000 people, although its birth antedated St. Louis.
Indeed, I was told that a hundred years previous to my
advent there it was a common custom to address letters
to St. Louis, "near St. Charles," the additional direction
being considered essential to its proper dispatch.
The newspaper purchased, with its robust mortgage
attachment, was the Cosmos, the oldest weekly pub
lication in Missouri, and as if to add to the aroma of
antiquity of the journal, it was pointed out that upon the
identical spot where the office was located the Stars and
Stripes were first raised over the entire Upper Louisiana
country after its cession to the United States by
Napoleon.
[41]

CHAPTER XIII.
Decided to Locate in a Field Where I Was Neither
Needed nor Wanted
Thus, at twenty six years of age, I again embarked
on a strange craft, and in new and troublesome waters,
taking chances that an older and wiser person would
surely have shrunk from. The population of city and
county was about evenly divided between Germans and
Americans, but even that would not have been so bad
for me had not political lines been so unfortunately
drawn, the Republican party being made up almost
wholly of Germans, who had two papers printed in their
own language to support; albeit the American residents
of this border county of a border State, still unrecon
structed and unreconciled to the defeat of the Confeder
acy, could not be expected to look with much favor upon
a Republican journal, edited by a Yankee ex-Federal
soldier. As I regard it now, my decision to locate in such a
place, in the circumstances, was the very concrete
essence of journaHstic madness. It was obvious, al
though I did not recognize it at the time, I was neither
needed nor wanted at St. Charles. Had I been less
egotistic, I should not have settled there, and yet, had I
been less bold and courageous in defending my convic
tions, I should have failed to command the respect of
either nationality or political faction. That I met with
even a modicum of success is certainly creditable to my
management, for there was not a feature of the
situation in my favor.
[42]

Singularly enough, a great disaster that befell the
city soon after I began operations there, a calamity in
the ultimate results of which I was naturally supposed
to share, opened the way to placing every resident of
St. Charles under lasting obligations to me, and from
that day my triumph over all obstacles was assured.
The principal, and indeed about the only, industrial
estabhshment in the city, was the repair shops of the
North Missouri Railway, now a link in the Wabash
system. Some fifteen hundred mouths were fed from
the robust pay-roll of this concern. I had hardly cast
my little craft adrift when the shops were removed to
Moberly. With almost a third of the population directly or
indirectly dependent upon the industry, the effect upon
business and credits, and all of the multifarious affairs
of life, in that little world, may perhaps be inferred. The
announcement of the calamity came like a bolt from the
blue, only it promised to prove more disastrous than a
hundred bolts from aerial batteries.
Citizens of every class were terribly depressed, for
all were sufferers, and gave themselves up to vain re
grets and bemoanings of their fate. Values went to
smash almost instantly, money tightened in the local
banks, credit was partially suspended, and an almost
impenetrable gloom settled over the community.
At once realizing that I was up against a very serious
problem, I speedily brought to bear upon its solution
every faculty in my possession.
"Why is not St. Charles as good a point as any for
the manufacture of cars by an independent company?"
I asked, and speedily gave myself to the task of disclos
ing a reason, should there be one.
Without consultation with any one, I slipped away
to St. Louis, to Litchfield, and to Dayton, where inde-
[43]

pendent car shops were in successful operation, and soon
I was able to return with such a mass of favorable
statistics as to convince local capitalists that I was
entirely correct in my judgment, although it was more
an inspiration than a deliberate operation of the mind.
I will not say it was easy to interest capital, for the
fact that a great railway had, at considerable sacrifice,
abandoned the city for a site elsewhere that seemed
superior, was everywhere urged as an off-set to my
claims. But eventually I succeeded in securing sub
scriptions to $150,000 of the stock of a new company
which I launched, although unable to take a single share
for myself. Within a year the new industry was in
operation, and since has developed into one of the
largest and most prosperous car building industries in
the country.
Directly I profited not a cent for the expenditure of
time and effort, but my. success caused all classes of
people to sit up and take notice of me, and in after years,
when visiting St. Charles, the management honored my
call with generous blasts of the factory whistle and
liberal clangs of the factory bells.
After all, I believe the average man cares more for
the approval of his fellows than for sordid gain. At all
events I was mightily proud of my first achievement in
the line of promotion.
Indeed so deeply was I impressed with my achieve
ment and its promised consequences, that I at once began
investigation in another direction, in the fond hope
that, possibly, I might add another factory and another
pay-roll to the city's productive industries.
A strip of land, mainly alluvial, between the Missis
sippi and Missouri rivers, so narrow that both streams
may be seen from the same vantage point, annually
produced three million bushels of corn. This was known
[44]

as "St. Charles White," and so excellent was it that all
first grade corn in the St. Louis market was and con
tinues to be sold under that name. Oftentimes, however,
the crop did not warrant shipment, and instances were
frequent where it was employed as fuel.
I sent a sample to the leading chemists of St. Louis,
developing the unlooked-for fact that the corn contained
a greater quantity of starch properties than the product
of any other section of the country.
Supplementing this encouraging information with
ample data as to the profit of manufacture, I had little
difficulty in financing the new project of a starch factory
among home capitalists, mainly those who had sub
scribed to the stock of the car company. Then all that
remained to be done was to interest a practical starch
maker. While casting about for such an essential, my eye
caught a three line telegram from Kansas City to the
St. Louis Globe Democrat, to the effect that
"A party of EngUshmen are here, looking for a site
for a starch factory."
The fates, apparently, were playing directly into my
hands, and this relation of what followed will give the
people of Kansas City the first authentic explanation of
how it missed securing a big industry when little re
mained but detail. I took the next train for Kansas
City. Encountering Col. Van Horn, veteran editor of the
Journal, on the street, he invited me to attend a special
meeting of the Board of Trade, called to consider the
starch proposition.
The avidity with which I embraced this wholly
unlooked-for opportunity to learn all that was to be
known about the matter would have struck my journal
istic friend with amazement, had he been anything of a
[46]

mind-reader; but inasmuch as he graciously suggested
that the building of a factory in Kansas City would open
a new market for "St. Charles White," my all too ob
vious enthusiasm was accounted for.
The meeting lasted two hours, and resulted in a
proposal to offer "the party of Englishmen" title to a
piece of ground for the factory, free water, and
exemption from local taxation for a term of years
The English party turned out to be a single person,
one Charles Fairfield, who appeared to be greatly en
couraged by the evidence of hearty co-operation, and
especially by the added assurance that "St. Charles
White" was readily obtainable in unlimited quantities.
When, later, I joined him at his hotel, his pockets
were bulging with the great product of my county, upon
the merits of which he seemed quite disposed to enthuse.
When advised by me that the raw material would
first have to be hauled across the entire State of Mis
souri, and the finished product transported back again
to the larger market, his interest in my scheme per
ceptibly increased, and when I related what had already
been accomplished at St. Charles, the victory over
Kansas City was complete.
Fairfield was my companion on the return journey.
He subscribed for a considerable block of the stock of
the new St. Charles company, and at once got busy
drafting plans for the factory.
More could not weill be done until the financial
success of the enterprise had been demonstrated. This
achieved, a glucose factory followed, and within
fourteen months three rather pretentious industrial
enterprises were in full operation, and the loss of the
old North Missouri repair shops quite forgotten.
Later, sundry correspondents of the Kansas City
Journal made pointed inquiries regarding the failure of
[46]

the proposed starch factory for that city to materialize,
but no one seemed able to satisfy public curiosity.
It now was desired that the advantages of St.
Charles as a imanu facturing center should be more
widely known, and in the line of publicity I got up a
special edition of the Cosmos, detailing its advantages,
for general distribution throughout the country. To
this issue the local Board of Trade subscribed for
several thousand copies for distribution at the Inter
national Exposition of that year at Vienna, Austria.

[47]

CHAPTER XIV.
Sinqle-Handed Engagement with an Infuriated
Mob to Save a Miserable Life
While engaged in the work of publicity and develop
ment a most deplorable incident occurred, and one that
briefly threatened to balk my efforts to induce all
classes of people to locate.
A strapping negro tramp had been arrested for
attempting a nameless outrage upon the wife of a
German farmer. Feeling against the brute ran high,
and while his preliminary examination before a Justice
of the Peace was in progress, a mob, embracing several
hundred Germans, their frenzy enhanced by liberal
potations of beer, indulged the morning hours, gathered
in front of the court room and waited with obvious
impatience for the termination of the hearing.
On my homeward way, at the noon hour, I noticed
the demonstration, and before reaching the opposite
side of the street, I observed a man with a rope, the
noose adjusted, standing before the door of the Justice's
office. The intention of the mob was all too obvious, and
I felt that I must do everything in my power to thwart
its purpose. Had the accused been acquitted, I perhaps
might have regarded the matter with a shade of ac
quiescence; but the Justice had held him to answer to
the grand jury, and officers were emerging from his
office with the prisoner.
I felt that the hanging of a man in broad dayUght,
in the principal street of the city, would be a lasting
[48]

^ ^^ .©- -wa.^^...^.p^iii-c'<...

EARLY RAILROADING
First Locomotive Used West of the ivlississippi River
NORTH-MISSOURI RAILROAD BRIDGE
Spanning the Missouri River at St. Charles
ST. CHARLES CAR WORKS
Conceived tnd Founded by the Author
COUNTY COURT HOUSE AND CONCERT HALL, ST. CHARLES, MO.

-:ity

disgrace to St. Charles, and that such an episode, given
wide publicity, would prove an immediate and continuing
damper to my hopes of adding to the industrial
population. The criminality and shocking immorality of
the thing aside, there was enough in the former con
sideration to heighten my indignation and nerve me to
an effort at least to save the good name and fame of the
town as a law-abiding community.
I did not for a moment realize that I had a monopoly
of this line of reasoning. Hastily crossing the street,
just as the fated victim was being pushed out of the
door, and men were placing the rope about his neck, I
appealed successively to the Sheriff and to the Chief of
Police, passive witnesses of what was transpiring, to
help me save the town from impending disgrace. Neither
responded. Then, quickly opening a large pocket knife, for no
time was to be lost, I jumped into the midst of the mob
and cut the rope; while the noose was again being ar
ranged, the officers succeeded in pulling the terribly
frightened negro across the pavement and into the street,
and when again it was placed about his neck, I forced
myself to his side and again cut the rope.
The jail was but a short distance, else I certainly
would have been defeated, and the officers finally were
enabled to approach a little nearer to it with the prisoner
each time I cut the rope. I think I repeated the opera
tion four times before the prisoner was landed behind
the bars.
Needless to say, I was not handled very gently by
that mob, and with my clothing torn to shreds, and with
blood flowing from numerous superficial injuries
received in the melee, I turned in an opposite direction
for my own home, also but a block from the jail. Upon
opening the door of my home, I fell in a dead faint
[49]

across the threshold, to the intense alarm and consterna
tion of all within.
When consciousness returned, I discovered that the
mob, their frenzy intensified by a realization of defeat,
had quitted the precincts of the jail, and were gathered
in groups on all sides of my home. Hatred of the negro
had been transferred to me, but the mob was too
cowardly to make an attack, and too excited to withdraw
and give up their hellish design.
Some time during the night, however, the crowd
dispersed, leaving me to wakeful and troubled dreams,
in which always the horrible face of a negro, livid with
fear, his eyes protruding, his tongue hanging on his
chin, was the central and dominating feature.
The St. Louis papers printed elaborate reports of the
near tragedy, according to me more than my meed of
praise for physical courage displayed.

[EO]

CHAPTER XV-
Death and Destruction Come Out of the Heavens
ON a Peaceful Sunday
Before the close of my second year in St. Charles the
old town began to put on modern garments, and to
prepare for the place it was earning as an industrial
center. My political status, always agreeable to the
German element, no longer seemed to concern the
English-speaking population ; but, whereas the Germans
were at times fulsome in their praise, they reserved
patronage for their own papers.
However, I had little cause for complaint, since
what was done or left undone was consistent with
natural laws and the eternal fitness of things. I secured
sufficient patronage to keep my newspaper enterprise in
the current, to enlarge and improve the plant, and
eventually to remove the incubus of debt hanging over it.
After a somewhat strenuous campaign, I was able
to show a larger circulation than either my English or
German competitors, and thus secure the public printing
contract; albeit, all classes seemed to rejoice in this
triumph, for the reason that the opposition press had
pursued a dog-in-the-manger policy toward industrial
advancement, ridiculing my efforts to establish car
works, starch and glucose factories, and in all ways
consorting to defeat my purposes.
There had been quite an addition to the population,
later arrivals becoming my most dependable allies. New
houses sprang up, business blocks were erected, and the
city was just fairly launched upon a new era of pros-
[51]

perity, when another awful calamity was visited upon it,
and with scarcely a monent's notice.
The Cosmos office occupied the second story of the
Mittelberger Operahouse, overlooking the Missouri
River, a few hundred feet distant.
While sitting at my desk, one quiet Sunday after
noon, I observed a sudden change in the atmosphere, the
blue-white air of the sunny day turning to a bright
copper color in the space of a few moments, the dark
ness of night following. The change both oppressed and
startled me. For a time breathing became difficult.
Looking out upon the river, I saw approaching the
hideous shape and terrible visage of a cyclone cloud,
formed like a cornucopia, and charged, as my instinct
told me, with death and destruction. It seemed to emit
a sulphurous odor, and as it approached the air became
almost stifling. It appeared to be following the course
of the river, and I calculated that unless its bulk should
expand or its course change, the city might escape its
ravages. Although it appeared to move slowly, re
volving as it approached, really not more than a minute
passed before it swept over the city like an avenging
Nemesis, visiting ruin on all sides.
Rising hastily from my desk, I noticed the partitions
of the building swaying like leaves in an autumnal
storm; the lights I had turned on when darkness first
appeared went out, and, with a crash as of thunder, the
roof of the Operahouse was whipped off bodily and
stood upright in front of the building, smashing all of
the windows, and leaving the interior in utter darkness.
Terrorized by the frightful noise created by falling
walls, I made my way through the building to the rear
as best I could, since egress from the front was entirely
shut off, and gained an eminence overlooking the whole
city. [62]

My first impression was that everything had been
destroyed, since such buildings as had not wholly col
lapsed were covered with the debris of the less fortunate,
and the main street for a distance of two miles was so
filled with brick and mortar and twisted timber that
passage through it, save afoot, was for days impossible.
Almost my first thought was as to the fate of a
funeral procession that I had observed passing the office
only a few moments before the storm broke. Fortunate
ly, as later appeared, the long line had emerged from the
path of the cyclone and escaped over the crest of the hill.
Delayed ten minutes in its progress through the main
street, it is not likely there would have been a single
survivor. For the information of readers who never saw a
cyclone, or studied the peculiarities of one, I may state
that it is usually a funnel-shaped cloud depending from
the sky, narrowing as it approaches the earth. In that
shape it passes over a well-defined but usually narrow
strip of territory, moving with almost lightning rapidity,
bounding up and down like a ball, or, perhaps, more like
a spiral spring, expanding and contracting, with its
progress. This peculiar jumping or bounding motion produces
most astounding results. I encountered localities in its
wake where the fences on either side of a house would
be completely removed while the building would be left
uninjured. At one point, where, before the storm, stood
a solid square of buildings facing four streets, upon the
site of all which not a nail could be found.
Arriving at my home, I found it the only structure
in the entire block not wholly or partially ruined. And
here a singular phenomenon occurred. My mother was
lying in a second-story room. Bricks from the chimney
of the adjoining house were carried through a side
[53]

window and over the bed, without injuring the occupant,
but smashing a mirror on the opposite side of the room.
A huge timber, 12x12 and 60 feet in length, was
carried a distance of several blocks and projected
literally through both walls of the County Courthouse.
A baby was picked up, carried over the river, and
safely deposited in the town of Brotherton, not a hair
injured. The massive metal roof of the county jail was
whipped off, as if but a shingle, and carried through the
air a distance of three miles, passing over a bridge
spanning the river, like a huge aeroplane.
The effect upon the jail constituted perhaps the most
singular and startling phenomenon. A vacuum ap
parently had been created, causing the four walls above
the first story to fall outward, leaving the iron cages
intact. Through the bars could be seen numerous prisoners
moving about, as untamed animals pace their cages,
blood streaming from the faces of many, and all
screaming and shouting for succor like so many howling
dervishes. The cages had been so severely wrenched
that the locks would not work, and it became necessary
to saw the bars to liberate them.
The cyclone passed diagonally through the country,
spending itself in the Mississippi just above St. Louis,
but leaving death and destruction in its wake.
The worst over, I set about the task of partially
clearing the debris from my printing plant and preparing
to issue "extras."
The gas plant had been destroyed, and under the dim
light of hastily improvised kerosene lamps my printers
and pressmen worked the night through.
I fancy extras of a newspaper were never issued
under so many disadvantages. I wrote the story of the
[64]

storm in the open, as I passed from street to street, my
faithful "printer's devil" following my footsteps and
conveying copy from wherever I might be to the printing
office. There was no sleep in St. Charles that night, and the
bonfires kept burning here and there made it possible for
me to write out of doors and keep from freezing, since
an unusually low temperature followed the cyclone.

[56]

CHAPTER XVI.
Fearsome Midnight Conference with Condemned
Murderer in His Cell
During the summer of 1873 one Charles Foster was
lodged in the St. Charles jail and booked on a charge of
murder. At his trial it was shown that, while tramping
through the county from Alton, 111., he encountered a
negro carrying a rifle, which he coveted.
Approaching an apple orchard, Foster induced his
companion to enter and secure some of the fruit, offer
ing to hold the weapon and stand guard in his absence.
The unfortunate victim of his avarice had scarcely
cleared the fence when Foster sent a rifle ball through
his body, killing him instantly.
The deed was not without a witness, and the mur
derer was soon apprehended. He was convicted, but
secured a second trial, and altogether spent more than
a year in the local bastile.
Having to pass the prison several times a day on my
way to and from the office, it was convenient for me to
drop in occasionally and carry to the fellow some dainty
from my own table, as well as a supply of tobacco. I
had entertained no sentiment for him other than loath
ing, but I had heard some of the testimony at the
preliminary investigation, and scented a good story in
the man before he should be executed.
Convicted a second time, he was sentenced to be
hanged at Warrenton, a neighboring town, in the im
mediate future.
There had been rumors that the train bearing him
[66]

hence might be held up and the prisoner released, and,
out of abundance of precaution, the authorities had de
cided to take him away on a freight train passing St.
Charles in the night, the date of departure closely
guarded. Foster, grateful for the courtesies extended him, had
promised me a story, and I had arranged with the jailer
to send for me the moment he should receive notice of
the hour the culprit was to be taken from his custody.
The summons came at midnight. Foster was to leave
at 4 A.M. A few moments later I was alone in the cell
with the doomed man, the turnkey asleep in the corridor,
a fact borne to me by his uninterrupted and heavy
breathing. Foster, attired only in flannel underwear, sat upon
the edge of an iron bed facing me, sitting on a low stool.
He was a man of great muscular strength. The face
turned toward me for two mortal hours was that of a
murderer, with every bestial instinct marked, and as
the recital of his life's brutal history was unfolded, and
the closing scene set for the morrow was borne in upon
him, his facial aspect sent thrills of horror through me
and awakened a fearful apprehension, before the inter
view ended.
The story he told, with a facility that marked it as
substantially true, was full of human interest, and even
after a realization came to me of my peril I hung on to
his words, hoping for more.
He confessed to me, as he had not to another living
soul, that he had long been a member of the James gang
of outlaws, and then followed with many details the
story of a score of bank robberies, a dozen train hold
ups, and murders almost beyond belief.
In the haste of my departure from home I had pro
vided myself with but a single pencil, and, in taking
[67]

down so lengthy a narrative, it naturally needed fre
quent sharpening, albeit in my excitement I broke the
point oftener than ordinarily would occur. In the atti
tude described, with an open knife in my hand, and the
turnkey out of sight and sound asleep, consciousness of
my peril came with a shock that well nigh unbalanced
me. With the knowledge that he was to face the gibbet
before the sun again should rise and set, it was not
unreasonable to suppose that he might hazard anything
to free himself from his fetters. He had but to throw
his ponderous weight upon me to crush me, seize the
knife, with it attack the guard, and from him recover
the key that would set him free.
A full half dozen ways of escape, all of the simplest
nature, occurred to me, as I alternately wrote and
sharpened the pencil, and the difficulty of my position
was accentuated by the added fear lest I might betray
the terrible thoughts that were surging through my
brain, and give him hint of his power.
That it did not occur to him as it had to me has ever
been a profound mystery. The only theory upon which
I have been able to reconcile it with the possession of the
commonest degree of human instinct is that the man
was absolutely and wholly absorbed in the recital of his
life's history, in which he displayed singular pride — that
his thoughts were concentrated upon the events of
yesterday, wholly shutting out the frightful vision of
the morrow. It is certain that thought of escape never
entered his mind.
Half an hour before train time the Sheriff arrived,
bringing to sudden and welcome close the most terrify
ing ordeal ever endured before or since.
I knew the St. Louis papers would all be represented
at Warrenton on the morrow, and I pledged Foster that
[68]

the story he had given me should be exclusive, regard
less of pressure brought to bear, a pledge he kept with
strictest fidelity. I was the last person to bid him
good-bye on the scaffold, just before the black cap was
adjusted, and his last words were an expression of
gratitude for the kindness of my treatment.
I returned to St. Charles and printed a story that
was appreciated for its news value, being put on the
Associated Press wire and sent to the four corners of
the earth. By my metropolitan contemporaries it was
accounted a clever bit of newspaper work, although none
knew at what cost to my sensory nerves.

[69]

CHAPTER XVII.
The Great Revenue Conspiracy of '7Z — My
Connection with Its Principals
Files of the St. Louis papers alone contain the story
of the greatest conspiracy ever organized in this country
to defraud the revenue. The present generation know
little about it. And yet the discovery of the plot, after
hundreds of thousands of dollars had been filched from
the national treasury, the apprehension of the ring
leaders of the conspiracy, their subsequent trial and con
viction, constituted perhaps the most sensational oc
currences of the early '70's, and held the closest atten
tion of the people of the nation for the greatest part of
two years.
Discovery was accidental, and came about by a
comparison of whiskey known to have been produced
within certain districts, and the gross revenue derived
from the same, showing an enormous discrepancy.
Supervisors, gangers and storekeepers in the revenue
service, from Louisville, Nashville and Memphis, in the
south, to St. Louis and St. Joseph, Mo., in the north,
were involved, as were owners of influential newspa
pers, notably Mr. Wm. McKee, founder of the St. Louis
Globe Democrat, and the proprietor of a journal at St.
Joseph, a person named Bittinger.
A circumstance that accentuated the thoroughness
of the organization, and the safeguards with which it
was buttressed, was the proved direct connection with
the ring of General Babcock, private secretary of Gen
eral Grant, then President of the United States.
The chief spirits in the combination, the men who
[60]

discovered the plan to systematically rob the government,
and who organized the plunderers into one more or less
cohesive band of robbers, were Supervisor John Mc
Donald and Ganger John A. Joyce, both of the St. Louis
revenue district. The latter supplied the brains for the
combination. All of those named, and numerous others,
including Secretary Babcock, were indicted.
At that time, political feeling running high, it was
not difficult to place one's hands upon men, some high
in public life, who professed to believe that even the
President had guilty knowledge of what was transpiring.
No such absurd thought is entertained at this time by
any one, but reference to the popular trend of the time
seems essential to the consistency of my story, a true one,
and here for the first time given publicity.
So complete were all the links in the slimy chain,
extending from the White House to the banks of the
lower Ohio and upper Missouri, that every act of the
treasury officials at Washington, almost their very
thoughts and most secret intentions, were instantly com
municated to the conspirators, enabling them to "clean
house" and fortify against detection and exposure, thus
prolonging the existence of the ring, and enabling its
members to continue their plundering of the revenue,
even after the existence of an extensive leak somewhere
was known to the treasury officials.
The most trusted men in the secret service were
periodically sent into the several districts, but they would
scarcely start on their mission before the fact would be
wired to all of the interested parties. The value to the
ringsters of the services of the President's Private Sec
retary was thus doubly accentuated, and, in a way, ac
counted for the belief, quite popular at the time, that the
conspirators were being shielded even by the Chief Exec
utive himself. [61]

The facts here recited added greatly to the perplex
ities of the government's chief prosecutor. United States
District Attorney D. Pat Dyer, at this writing, U. S.
District Judge at St. Louis. And it was here that my
humble connection with the matter came in. Dyer's chief
assistant, the man who drew up all of the pleadings in
the important cases, was Col. Ben Emmons, of St.
Charles, a neighbor and confidential friend and at the
time a partner of Col. Dyer, long since passed to his
reward. Up to a certain juncture in the proceedings before
the federal court. Col. Emmons was accustomed to re
turn home for the night. Through him I thus was kept
advised of every step of the prosecution, and soon I was
in possession of secrets which the tortures of the Inqui
sition could not have wrested from me, but which the
St. Louis papers would have paid handsomely for.
But the Nestor of St. Louis journalism, Wm. McKee,
was under indictment, and Col. Dyer, reasoning from
analogy, was in such doubt as to the proven ramifications
of the conspiracy, that he dared not trust any of the St.
Louis newspapers.
There were periods, during the protracted hearings,
when he desired certain intelligence to go to the country
through the medium of the press, and it was here that I
became a more or less useful medium of communication
for the chief government prosecutor. At such times I
went to St. Louis and interviewed Col. Dyer, and the
outside press, without apparently divining the source
of my extraordinary pull, was content to take the infor
mation second-hand from the columns of my little coun
try paper.
But, as the hearing progressed. Col. Emmons ceased
his nightly visits home, and I discovered, by means of a
Httle probing, the reason for it. His office had been ad-
[62]

vised of the dispatch from Washington of secret service
men, commissioned to break into the vaults in Col.
Dyer's office, and steal the documentary evidence against
Col. Babcock stored there. For a considerable period of
time, and until all danger had passed. Col. Emmons slept
on a couch, in front of the vaults, with two revolvers
under his pillow.
Such was shown to be the power of Gen'l Babcock,
even after indictment by the Grand Jury — almost un
thinkable the proposition, yet true, — that some men, high
in authority at the capital, actually conspired to defeat
the government they served, taking the extreme risk
of safe-breaking to save a fellow-conspirator from mer
ited punishment.
The trial resulted in the conviction and punishment
of most of the offenders; Dawes, Bittinger, Feineman,
Hasselman, Sheehan, Borngesser, Rendelman, Avery,
Maguire, Ernest, and others whose names are not re
called. Mr. McKee died in the St. Louis jail, while
awaiting trial.
Babcock escaped on technicalities, but subsequently
went down to a dishonored grave.
McDonald, who, just before exposure, gave to Pres
ident Grant a ten thousand dollar span of horses, was
lost sight of behind the walls of a federal prison.
The one bright particular star, who rose superior to
all his accumulated difficulties, was sent to the State
prison at Jefferson City, but emerged from its grim walls
two years later with flying colors. Going to the Su
preme Court upon a brief prepared by himself. Col.
Joyce was liberated upon the ground that a "cumulative
sentence," such as imposed upon him, was unconstitu
tional. The previous and subsequent career of Joyce entitle
him, as well as the reader, to an added paragraph. At
[63]

twenty-two he was an inmate of the Kentucky insane
asylum, "gone daft" on perpetual motion. His cure was
slow but absolute, and upon regaining his liberty he
wrote a book upon the treatment of the insane in asy
lums. It attracted the attention of that small but earnest
and worthy class given to the study and correction of
social and humanitarian problems, to whom doubtless it
proved illuminating.
The position to which President Grant had assigned
Joyce at St. Louis was neither profitable nor influential
in itself, but he possessed a high order of intellect, was
versatile in his accomplishments, with a most ingratiat
ing address, his expressions scintillating with wit and
humor, an all around racconteur, and, above all, a born
diplomat. He was one of the most interesting, enter
taining and lovable characters I ever have met. His
equipment for plotting and scheming, for finesse and di
plomacy, was complete, and, by the adroit use of all these
instrumentalities, he soon became a factor in Missouri
politics to be reckoned with by all who sought govern
mental recognition at home or at Washington. His
power was so comprehensive that it was said one could
not hope for appointment to even a fourth-class post-
mastership without his endorsement. There was scarcely
discernible in his make-up a single weakness, and all
through his trial he bore himself with such a degree of
manly courage and fortitude as to force admiration, even
at the hands of the government prosecutors.
When, after conviction. Judge Krekel asked if he
had anything to say why sentence should not be pro
nounced, he arose in his place in the dock and deUvered
one of the most remarkable appeals ever heard in a
court-room, a speech that filled every auditor with its
eloquence and pathos. I offer no apologies for reproduc
ing, and thus perpetuating, a portion of it here. Sub-
[64]

Early Home of Daniel Boone, Near St. Charles. Mo.
"Judgment Tree." Under Which Boone Held "Court"
House Near St. Charles, in Which Boone Died

sequently it found its way into the publications of nearly
every civilized country in the world, being everywhere
recognized as a distinct literary classic. Col. Joyce said :
Before this honorable court passes sentence, I beg
leave to state my conviction was secured by the per
jured testimony of self-convicted thieves. Feineman,
the rectifier; Borngesser, the ganger; and Rendleman,
the storekeeper — all Hneal descendants of those ancient
scoundrels who crucified Christ — came upon the witness
stand and paraded their own infamy by acknowledging
that they had stolen whiskey from the government
through a term of years, at the rate of from one dollar
to fifty cents a barrel. The pencil of Gustave Dore
could not do justice to those three wandering Israelites,
who seemed ever to be on the lookout to steal small
things when big ones were conveniently at hand. Feine
man and Fagin are identical characters, and should be
immortalized in living infamy. I dismiss these pillars
of fraud and perjury, consigning them to the devouring
fury of a rotten conscience.
I was indicted for failure to report in writing cer
tain alleged knowledge and information of certain fraud
ulent transactions of petrified perjurers. The jury found
me guilty on the counts, but, as a matter of fact, the con
clusion was as false as the evidence. I agree that it had
the appearance to the jury of failure of duty. We know,
however, that things are not always what they seem. I
simply declare upon my honor as a man, and my alle
giance as an American citizen, here in the presence of
this honorable court, to the whole world, and facing my
God, that I am absolutely innocent of the charges
trumped up against me by pretended friends and viper
enemies. It has not been shown in evidence, or even intimated
by anybody, that I ever received a single cent in fraud of
the revenue. Then, where is the motive that induced me
to withhold the information? I did make a report in
writing to the Supervisor and to Commissioner Doug
lass. The report, it is alleged, was not fuU. Neither was
[65]

the information in my possession full or complete, as the
facts were in Colorado, out of my district, and the theory
I reported was in Missouri.
The District Attorney of the United States, in his
concluding speech, introduced my copy-book, showing
the transmittal letter to the Supervisor as something
fraudulent. My lawyers or myself had not opportunity
to explain the letter in evidence, which could have been
done to the utmost satisfaction of everybody concerned.
Your honor, from the beginning of the case to the
end, extended consideration and ordinary rulings. For
this I thank you, in the name of the people and in the
name of justice. I stand here today strong and bold in
conscious innocence. My heart is actuated by that noble
impulse that nerved Winkelried, when he opened a
breach for the Hberty of his country; or by that lofty
courage that inspired Sir Walter Raleigh at the block.
Like Raleigh, I may have puffed smoke through the win
dow at the execution of some official Essex; but I never
trampled on the royal robes of the virgin queen! For
myself, I have no fear of any punishment on earth ; yet,
in behalf of my past good character, this being the first
suspicion of guilt that has ever darkened my life, and in
consideration of the support I owe my wife and children,
I ask that magnanimity at this bar of justice that would
be reasonably claimed by yourself under like circum
stances. A few short years will sepulchre the living of today
with the dead of yesterday, and the celestial sunlight
of tomorrow will bring us all to the bar of omnipotence,
where the judge, jury, lawyer and client will meet upon
the level of eternity and part upon the square of final
judgment. Then all hearts shaU be laid bare, and Truth
will rise in magnificent triumph. The blood of innocence
flows free and unruffled through the channels of this
frame, and the artificial terrors that surround the vic
tims of crime find no lodgment in my heart. When I
look back to the field of battle, where I fought and bled
for my country in its hour of terrible trial, I wonder
whether patriotism is but a name, and gratitude of na-
[66]

tions a mockery and sham, to lure the brave to destruc
tion. My simple sin is that of omission, and for it I suffer
the deepest humiliation, while all the glorious services
and recollections of the past are buried in the grave of
forgetfulness. Is this right? Is this just?
This epidemical era of reform has arisen Hke the
rush of a mighty flood, and speeds on to the gulf of
punishment. The good and the bad suffer alike. The
stream is full of driftwood and dead timber, while many
young oaks and tall sycamores on the banks are loosened
from their firm foundation and dashed into the river
of destruction. But the rain falls Hghtly on the moun
tains, the sun shines warmly on the plains, and the flood,
even now, is settling into its former bed, where the crys
tal waters shall again reflect the green foliage of the
oak and sycamore, and the gentle breeze and the birds of
spring shall make merry music in the cathedral aisles
of generous nature !
The prison walls that hemmed in Galileo, Columbus,
Tasso and Napoleon, did not measure the minds of the
men. It is true their bodies suffered some torture, but
the proud spirit that rose in their hearts leaped the
bounds of clay, and soared away into the illimitable re
gions of science, poetry and war, making them monarchs
of the hour and masters of eternity! Humble as I am
in the walks of life, my soul is inspired by their illus
trious example; and it shall be my future endeavor to
show the world that, although I may suffer for a time
the penalty of perjured testimony, yet, Hke a mountain
crag, I shall breast the pelting storms and Hft my head
clear and bold to the coming sunshine of truth and re
demption !
I have done !
I had met Col. Joyce in pohtical conventions, in his
office, and elsewhere, and an enduring friendship was the
result of the contact between two appreciative and sym
pathetic natures. Not even the uncompromising atti
tude of my paper regarding the conspiracy served to
[67]

shake our faith in each other or weaken the ties that
bound us. I sympathized deeply with him in his down
fall and disgrace, and early took occasion to visit him
in his prison home at Jefferson City, hoping that I might
give him some comfort, and possibly in some degree in
fluence the Warden in the treatment of his distinguished
charge. He was given a congenial position in the ac
counting department, and at once became a most re
spected "trusty."
Col. Joyce's devoted wife rented a cottage under the
shadow of the grim walls of the prison, and, perhaps
oftener than a strict interpretation of the rules would
warrant, was permitted to see her husband. Soon after
his release he published a book on prison treatment, and
an autobiography entitled "Checkered Life," a work of
absorbing interest from cover to cover. He wrote a
great deal of verse of a high order of merit, the most
enduring of which, "Love and Laughter", I here re
produce. EUa Wheeler Wilcox has taken occasion to
dispute with Joyce the authorship of this poem, but I
know, if I may not prove, that it was the product of the
Colonel's pen. It is the philosophy of his life, and, be
sides that, John once took me into a saloon in St. Louis,
and pointed out the identical beer barrel he sat on while
writing it. That ought to be conclusive. Here is the
verse: Laugh, and the world laughs with you ;
Weep and you weep alone;
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer ;
Sigh, it is lost on the air,
The echoes bound to a joyful sound.
But shrink from voicing care.
[68]

Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn to go ;
They want full measure of all your pleasure.
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad and you lose them aU ;
There are none to decline your nectared wine.
But alone you must drink life's gall.
Feast, and your halls are crowded ;
Fast and the world goes by;
Succeed and give, and it helps you live.
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a large and lordly train.
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.
From Jefferson City, Col. Joyce returned to the
national capital, happily Hving with his family in his
wife's beautiful home on Georgetown Heights, and de
voting himself to literary pursuits. There I leave him
until ten years later, when, through a singular train of
circumstances, he again injected himself into my Hfe.
I shall have more to say about him in its proper place.

[69]

CHAPTER XVIII.
Earnings of Five Years Ascend in Smoke — Failure
of Health — Off to the Rockies
Five years of devotion to what I had come to regard
as a "mission" at St. Charles, found me in a condition
bordering on nervous collapse, and I was advised that a
change of climate was essential to continued existence.
While there I had participated in a ten days' editorial
excursion to Denver, and having been benefited almost
beyond belief by the diversion, and, moreover, enrap
tured by the enchanting scenery of Colorado, and stim
ulated by its life-giving atmosphere, I determined to mi
grate thither, and, under the stimulus of its effulgent
sunshine and the tonic of its ozone-laden air, undertake
the rebuilding of health and rehabilitation of fortune.
I sold my newspaper property to W. A. McHenry at
a good figure, but was forced to take mortgage notes in
payment for it. A few months later the printing plant
was completely destroyed by fire, and on a fateful New
Year's night, all that was pledged to secure payment of
my lien — the concrete product of five years' arduous la
bor — went up in smoke. The mortgagor had permitted
aH insurance to lapse, and what I had counted upon to
start me in business in the far west was irretrievably
lost. It was a terrible blow, calculated to paralyze the
average man. It must be that I was not entitled to that
classification, for I determined not to permit it to dis
courage me or alter my determination to hew out a for
tune for myself, plus at least a modicum of fame, under
[70]

the shadows and uplifting influence of the rugged moun
tains of my new home. Restoration of health was the
first consideration, and I happily chose the speediest road
to that consideration.
Journeying to Fort CoHins, in the spring of '76, I
sought out the largest rancher in the Cache-le Poudre
VaHey, Mr. WiHiam Batchelder, and tendered my ser
vices in herding his sheep, of which he possessed thous
ands. The fact that he did not need an additional herder
at that time, a circumstance he stated without expendi
ture of surplus gentility, had not the slightest influence
upon my purpose. The more important fact that I should
exact no wages, and that I would serve him as faithfully
as though abundantly remunerated, had the desired
effect. On the following morning I was placed in charge of
a band of sheep in the foot hills, remote from the ranch
house, and provided with a tent for shelter from sun and
rain, an iron cot, sheet iron stove, a chest of cooking
utensils, rifle and revolver.
Thus I began a new life, the varied delights of which
may not easily be portrayed. My duties, with the aid of
a number of those singularly intelligent animals known
as shepherd dogs, consisted mainly in keeping the sheep
from straying away, and protecting them from the rav
ages of mountain lions and other beasts of prey. Oc
casionally they were stampeded at night by those pred
atory animals, and scattered for miles over the foothills,
the only occasions when the labor became at all strenu
ous. When such visitations were coincident with thunder
storms, the element of danger in the task was three-fold,
since, in the darkness encompassing the hills, it was dif
ficult to pick one's way over unseen fallen timber, half-
concealed precipices and other pitfalls, and to avoid too
close contact with the great yellow monsters, watching
[71]

in covert hiding places for opportunities stealthily to
approach the sleeping band of sheep, gather a lamb in
their capacious jaws, and noiselessly return to their
haunts high up on the mountainside.
Upon one such occasion, after the entire night had
been spent in repelling repeated forays of this nature, I
had lighted a large fire on the side of a "draw" in the
mountains, perhaps fifty feet wide, to thaw myself out
and dry my clothing, and had thrown myself on a blanket
on a shelving rock near by. I awakened from a sound
slumber, just as day was breaking, and, to my amaze
ment, observed, through my half-closed optics, an im
mense cat, with a lamb in its mouth, leisurely ascending
the opposite slope.
It was my first sight of a mountain lion, and I con
fess to a little shakiness, a slight tendency of the heart
to escape through the throat, as I grasped my rifle and
brought it to bear upon the huge bulk of the audacious
brute. Did I miss my aim ? Hardly. Blindfolded, one could
scarcely miss a broadside target such as that, thirty
paces distant, but the ball failed to reach a vital organ,
and a second was necessary to its final dispatch. The
animal, from tip of nose to end of tail, measured over
nine feet, and I am sure Teddy Roosevelt was never
prouder of rhino trophy in South Africa than I of that
monster, brought down on the slopes of Sawtooth moun
tain. Days and weeks thus passed without sight of human
being, days of quiet rest in the shade of my tent, reading
favorite books, smoking friendly pipe, and for diversion
engaging in pistol practice, with bounding jack rabbits
or coiled rattlesnakes for quarry.
The glory of the sunrise, coming out from the distant
east over measureless level wastes of buffalo grass, and
[72]

lighting with flames of fire the miriad snow-clad spires
and pinnacles of the lofty mountain range that stretched
out its broad arms as far to north and south as eye could
see, was equalled, if not surpassed, by the hardly less
beautiful, though more subdued, effect of moonlight on
the mountains and plains, clothing the foliage of lofty
pines and rugged rocks and verdured tablelands with a
mantle of satiny sheen.
Three months of that sort of life, and I was ready
for braver enterprises and a more strenuous career. I
had put breakfast foods in the discard, and placed sole
reliance upon canned pork and beans, and like substan
tial flesh and nerve-building foods.

[7S]

CHAPTER XIX.
A Summer in the Mountains — Perilous Ascent of
Long's Peak — Triumphant Tour
Pooling issues with an asthmatic friend from' Cin
cinnati, Henry Wood, we bought two horses, a wagon,
and a complete camping outfit, and started upon a leis
urely tour of the State, taking in North, South and Mid
dle Parks — a day here, a week there, as good fishing or
hunting directed, living mainly upon the product of rifle
or hook-and-line, and putting in such a summer of joyous
sport as two rejuvenated semi-invalids rarely ever en
joyed. We made a somewhat perilous ascent of Long's Peak
to its very apex, 14,380 feet above the level of the sea, to
witness a gorgeous sunrise from that lofty elevation,
camping at timberline the first night, and rising at four
in the morning to make the final climb. The last mile
was over vast beds of frozen snow, frequently at an agle
of 45 degrees, sometimes standing upright, but oftener
prone on our faces, cutting our way through icy barriers
with dirk knives, measuring each step with great pre
cision, lest we miss our footing and be precipitated into
the depths, thousands of feet below.
At one point we were compelled to creep on hands
and knees, on a narrow shelf of rock, around a semi
circular curve in the mountain, so narrow indeed that a
portion of our bodies projected over a sheer precipice of
almost unfathomable depth.
But the goal finally was reached, and the view that
met our gaze was so truly wonderful and entrancing as
[74]

HON. ALVA ADAMS
Twice Governor of Colorado

HON. FREDERICK W. PITKIN
Early Governor of Colorado

HON. JAMES B. GRANT
First Democratic Governor
of Colorado
HON. JESSIE R. MCDONALD
Late Governor of Colorado

to well repay all the hardships endured. The great chain
of mountains, three hundred miles in width, extended
north and south to the limit of vision, cloaked in a mantel
of eternal, never-melting snow ; the vast plain, level as a
floor, reaching out to the eastern horizon.
Although eighty miles distant, so clear was the at
mosphere, the houses and fences in Denver could plainly
be seen, while to the southward, 120 miles away, a train
of cars on the D. and R. G. R. R. was seen rounding a
curve in the vicinity of Pueblo.
Return to timberline was more speedy and less peril
ous, and after a few days' rest we were off in search
of new worlds to conquer.
Approach of winter brought an end to our expedi
tion, and on a bleak November day we drove into Den
ver, defying any one to identify us as the two semi-inva
lids who, six months before, had unfurled our banners
and set out for sight of the high places.
Were I not writing for a new generation, presumably
unfamiliar with Colorado's earlier history, it would be
unnecessary to refer to the salient features of its marvel
ous growth and development, but it seems more or less
essential, since it proved to be the scene of my labors for
nearly a quarter of a century, and within its borders
were to be found opportunity for health, wealth and hap
piness. Every influence of earth and air early inclined me to
its majestic mountain ranges, its expansive parks, and
broad sweeps of verdured plain, its crystal streams and
roaring cataracts, its ozone-laden atmosphere and its
effulgent sunshine. Our single season's sojourn had suf
ficed to restore the wasted tissues, to multiply the red
corpuscles of the blood, to dissipate the brain fag, and to
rehabilitate and rejuvenate every function of the body.
Contact with the earth and exposure to the air had
[75]

stamped me with a ruddiness that would not wash off,
added luster to the eye, firmness and assurance to the
step, hope and good cheer to mind and heart. I walked
on air, my thoughts as lofty as the mountain range that
formed the western barrier, and I was impatient to
plunge into inviting activities.

[76]

CHAPTER XX.
Glimpse of the Early Colorado — Progress from
Grazing to Gold and Silver Greatness
Denver, at that time, was a straggling city of scarce
20,000 population, and there were few places of any im
portance elsewhere in the State. Father Meeker, in
spired by the optimism of the sage of the New York
Tribune, had started a little colony in the north, and
named it Greeley.
General Palmer, General Cameron and their asso
ciates, from Philadelphia, had just laid the foundation
for Colorado Springs and Manitou in the south.
Pueblo, later the "Pittsburg of the West," was little
more than an outfitting point for prospectors for the
San Juan country, while Georgetown and Central City,
on the west, divided honors, one a gold, the other a silver
camp, although a single mountain spur separated them.
The original hegira to Colorado was occasioned by
the discovery of placer gold in Cherry Creek, near the
present site of Denver, and this was known as the
"Pike's Peak excitement". When the gravel beds there
became too lean to warrant further exploitation, miners
abandoned the field and found their way into the moun
tains to the westward, in more or less successful search
for gold and silver, and thus Georgetown, Central City
and Black Hawk came into being.
Another contingent pushed their way farther into
the heart of the Rockies, and California Gulch, some 200
odd miles to the south and west, disclosed auriferous
[77]

wealth compared with which Croesus' horde or Inca's
gold fades into insignificance.
Scarce a mile from the present site of LeadviHe, a
camp christened "Oro City", had grown from a strag
gling, one-street village, of a few hundred inhabitants,
to a city of 60,000 within a twelve month ; that was way
back in the early 60's.
The placers exhausted, Oro City vanished, almost
as magically as it had arisen, and a few years later only
half a hundred men were left to continue the search for
the source of the gulch gold in the mountain range that
encompassed it. "Tabor's Store," a famous land mark,
was about all that remained of Oro City when I first
saw it in my tour of the State in '76.
Mining was not a flourishing industry at that time.
Cattle and sheep raising were esteemed the more remu
nerative, and claimed the attention of the greater num
ber of persons. The Kansas Pacific had been completed
to Denver, and a line northward to Cheyenne, the Den
ver Pacific, afforded an outlet to the east and west by
junction there with the Union Pacific and its connec
tions. The Denver and Rio Grande, then a narrow-
gauge Hne, connected Denver with Pueblo, 120 miles
southward, and that constituted the entire transporta
tion facilities of the State.
There was a gradual increase of population, but its
natural advantages and resources were but little appre
ciated at home or known abroad.
The wonderful mineral springs at Manitou, resorted
to by ailing red men before white occupation, drew a
few hundred people from the East every season, but
the marvelous wealth of the State, in base as well as
precious metals, in coal, and especially iron, and the
adaptability of the soil to cereals, to hay, and more par
ticularly to fruit, was not even dreamed of.
[78]

In 1876 the ranchers, for the first time in history,
produced more wheat than could be consumed in the
commonwealth. Freight rates were prohibitive, and it
was seen that wheat production must be restricted, or
home consumption increased, the solution of the problem
being a tacit agreement to diversify crops, and join in
the efforts being made to promote migration and coloni
zation.

[79]

CHAPTER XXI.
Thrilling Railway History — Guarding Mountain
Pass with Cannon — Gorge Fortified
Having lost my "stake" by fire at St. Charles, I had
an immediate personal problem to solve, the bread-and-
butter issue. Finding that the pay of printers was more
remunerative than that of editors, I turned to my trade
for sustenance, although later I was influenced to ex
change "stick and rule" for pen. My initial assignment
was to furnish the Rocky Mountain News with a report
of the first excursion over the Denver, South Park and
Pacific Railway to Dome Rock, in the canon of the South
Platte River, a distance of about twenty mfles from
Denver. My production was so satisfactory to the manage
ment of the paper that I was at once offered the position
of chief editorial writer for the paper, retaining it until
the Democrats secured control and changed its politics.
The distinction was mine of having edited the last num
ber of the News as a Republican journal. I then took
the city editor's desk, where I could grind out all manner
of stuff without shock to my conscience, and I retained
that place during the remainder of my sojourn in Den
ver. But a word in passing about that little railroad, which
a noted traffic man humorously described as "starting at
a stone quarry and running up a tree." The Denver,
South Park and Pacific was the exclusive enterprise of
local merchants and capitalists, but I question if any of
[80]

LEADVILI.E IN ITS INFANCY
View of the Em.bryo City in 1878, from Brooklyn Heights

the original incorporators had the slightest conception
of where it was going, when or why.
Nevertheless the inspiration of Ex-Governor Evans,
for whom Evanston, IHinois, was named, proved to be
the most profitable bit of railway construction ever en
tered upon in the United States, the stockholders receiv
ing $248 for every doHar invested, when the line was
absorbed by the Union Pacific. This was brought about
by the later marvelous discoveries of carbonate ore at
Leadville, resulting in an immense tonnage.
The management of the Denver and Rio Grande had
decided to extend its line to Leadville by way of Pueblo
and the Grand Canon of the Arkansas, and although a
hundred miles farther, it beat the Denver, South Park
and Pacific to the goal by several months.
The history of the struggle of each road reads like
a romance. The latter was extended a mile a day, the
traffic paying all operating expenses, fixed charges and
cost of construction.
Passengers for Leadville were taken to the end of
the track, where stages were in waiting to transport them
hence to destination, a weary ride over lofty mountain
ranges, occupying thirty-six additional hours.
But it often happened that more persons were tick
eted over the line than could be furnished with seats in
the coaches, holders of through tickets from the East
being given preference, and upon such occasions, there
being no means for their entertainment, nothing was
left for the hapless passengers but to return to Denver
by the train that took them out, and try for better luck
next day.
The railway charged ten cents a mile from Denver to
the "end of the track," while the stage fare exceeded
that. Freight rates were something to conjure with, more
[81]

from Denver to Leadville than from New York to Den
ver. To be explicit, the commodity rate from Denver to
Leadville, for a long time, was maintained at $29 a ton,
or $1.95 per cwt., a rate in excess of that from New
York, by way of Cape Horn, to Guymas, on the Gulf of
California, or from the mouth of the Columbia to the
Firth of Clyde.
Nor was it always possible to secure transportation
for the less desirable classes of freight, the wagon
freighters being the arbiters, free to accept only such
goods as yielded the larger revenue.
When the road had reached, and was being operated,
to the Platte Canon, one man, A. S. Hughes, filled all of
the administrative and operative berths in the company
below the presidency. This "Poo Bah" of the early days
was vice-president, secretary, treasurer, general man
ager, freight and passenger agent, and, singularly
enough, not being provided with an office, the books and
records of the company were kept in a convenient drug
store !
It is related of Hughes that, at a later period and
after the gauge of his road had been changed, upon ap
plying for exchange of passes with the Kansas Pacific
Railway, he was asked by the General Manager thereof
where his railroad was located. Catching the irony of
the interrogation, he replied: "Oh, I'll admit my road
isn't as long as yours, but it's as wide."
While this Httle "jerk-water" road was reaping its
golden harvest in the early Leadville trade, its coming
rival was being held up at the gateway, the southern por
tal of the Grand Canon of the Arkansas. Engineers had
reported this the only feasible outlet to the upper Arkan
sas Valley, and its possession was being contested by the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.
There was room in the narrow gorge for but a single
[82]

track, the precipitous walls on either side rising to a
height of 3,000 feet. So bitter was the contest waged
that the Denver and Rio Grande, in order to maintain
possession, fortified it with cannon, and mounted a heavy
guard at each entrance, twelve miles apart. The con
troversy was finally determined by the courts, adversely
to the foreign corporation, and the work of construction
thereafter was pushed with the utmost vigor.
The cost of this section of the line was enormous,
$100,000 a mile for a portion of the distance.
So narrow is the chasm through the "Royal Gorge"
that it became necessary to hang a bridge to the opposing
walls, the only one of its kind in the world, parallel with
instead of across the river. At this point the Arkansas
is compressed within a channel scarcely fifty feet in
width, through which the angry waters rush and roar
at all times with the thunderous noise of a Niagara.
The first train over the "Baby Road," as it then was
caHed, reached LeadviHe in July, 1880, and numbered
among its passengers General Ulysses Grant and wife.
Colonel and Mrs. Fred Grant, and the party that accom
panied the ex-President on his trip around the world,
an epoch-making day for the City of the Clouds, surely!

[83]

CHAPTER XXII.
Privileged Peep into the Archives of the Denver
and Rio Grande Railway
Written for the general reader, unacquainted with
the intricacies of mining, smelting and railway construc
tion, I have endeavored to avoid technicalities as much
as possible in this volume and keep away from dry statis
tical facts and deductions. In this endeavor I have been
so successful as to warrant me in departing from the
plan, to the extent of a single chapter, in order to give
place to a most remarkable letter dated September 15,
1877, from General Palmer to Dr. Lamborn, then Treas
urer of the company, in answer to a communication from
the latter, written the year previous, in which the opinion
was expressed that "the newly discovered deposits of
carbonates in or near California Gulch might draw a
railroad from the plains up the Arkansas Valley to tap
it." No such illuminating document, descriptive of the
conditions obtaining in Colorado prior to the foundation
of Leadville, has ever been given to the public. For the
privilege of using it in this volume I am indebted to Mr.
Frank Wadleigh, chief traffic official of the line, who dis
covered it lately among the musty files of the company in
the office of the Treasurer. It is a most valuable contri
bution to the history of Colorado, and emphasizes the
marvelous discernment of General Palmer, the sagacious
founder and developer of the great system. Perusal of
it, and careful analysis of its contents, will disclose the
remarkable fact that the inducement to extend the line
[84]

Trout Fishing Ten Thousand Feet Above Sea Level
Hell Gate, Colorado Midland Railway, Twelve Thousanj Fe.et Altitude
Typical Miner's Cabin Two Miles Above the Sea

from Pueblo to California Gulch was a gross tonnage of
ore that since has been equalled if not exceeded by that
of a single mine in the LeadviHe district.
Dear Sir : I was gone eight days in South Park and
along the Arkansas, taking McMurtrie along, and mak
ing careful revision of the ground and estimate of cost
with reference to present prices of labor and material.
You will doubtless be surprised to learn that I am satis
fied the proper route is from Canon City to Oro (Lead
ville), 110 miles, with a branch of 39 miles, if necessary,
from the mouth of Trout Creek to Fairplay — a cheap
line to build. We can either run through the Arkansas
Canon or via the iron mines and down Texas Creek,
avoiding the worst canon, and at an increased distance
of say fifteen miles. This would greatly develop Wet
Mountain Valley, which has a surplus of 5,000 tons best
hay, besides oats and potatoes; and Rosita, which is to
day as important perhaps as Fairplay, and apparently
as large as Fairplay, Dudley and Alma put together, and
has two reduction works in full blast, with another just
going up on Oak Creek, and according to Prof. Hill's
statement to me, is good for 20 tons a day of shipping
ore. Gold has been found at Rosita, and R. N. Clark,
who at first doubted, speaks quite differently now, since
the pocket seems so large. It pays from discovery shaft.
Harrison guarantees (guarantee increased to 85 tons of
ore, bullion and coke per day in May, 1878) at once to
a railroad 15,000 tons of the high grade silver ore for
shipment, besides the base buHion (33 to 40%) of prod
uct of two furnaces, and the coke and merchandise. I
will report fully soon concerning the Arkansas Canon
route, but meanwhile just give you a general idea. We
are only threatened by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Railroad on the south and South Park on the north. One
line built up Arkansas Valley should keep both off most
effectually. Tonnage is larger than last spring when
you sent me that silver-lead phamphlet of Wood &
Stevens, and said that this deposit may serve to build a
railroad to that country from the plains. Stevens esti-
[85]

mates the daily shipments of ore with railroad 1,000 tons
daily. Wood, 500 tons daily. Meyer (Harrison's cau
tious manager), who certainly has no interest in magni
fying, says it is safe to assume for a number of years a
tonnage equal to what is now being produced, which he
says is 50 tons daily (of which 30 tons is high grade for
shipping and 20 tons for smelting at his works; esti
mate very much increased since). Every gulch in the
120 miles of Arkansas VaHey, however, from Grape
Creek to Tennessee Pass, on each side of Arkansas river,
seem to have men working. It is a great advantage that
the main Continental range doubles back from the head
of the Arkansas all the way to Poncha, 70 miles, in
course of which it averages, perhaps, not much over
twelve miles between Continental water shed and Ar
kansas river. The country on the west side is the well-
known Elk Mountain country, very promising in mineral
(see map). There are smelting works on Chalk Creek,
and another just going up; a mill or two at Granite;
one smelting furnace at Malta; one at Oro (Leadville) ;
one mill at Printer Boy mine, California Gulch; say
three reductions works at Rosita; Harrison's manager
says they will reduce in each furnace 20 tons of car
bonate lead ore daily (they already want a car-load of
coke per day from us for six months to feel safe). The
50 tons daily being now mined averages 30 bz. silver
and 40% lead to the ton of 2,000 pounds. Ten bushels
of coke are used to one ton of ore; 25% iron ore to one
ton of silver ore. He has about 200 tons of our coke
on hand awaiting commencement; will begin operating
one furnace October 1, another in the spring. This car
bonate district extends from Iowa to Evans Gulch, say
two miles long, 1^^ miles wide. The ore is in three great
breaks of the strata. There are said to be six to eight
such breaks between South Park rim on the east (head
of Mosquito range of South Park, gulch opposite Fair
play) and Arkansas river on west, distance of say eight
or ten miles. About eight or ten mines were benig
worked, turning out ore, while I was there. Wood &
Stevens have a mile in length on the Strayhorse break
[86]

on which they have shafts sunk to mineral, continuously
or close enough to show continuity of deposit. In rich
ness, however, the "Gallagher," abutting them on the
north, far exceeds. Everything appears to pay from
time of striking deposit, 10 to 20 feet down. The Hays
& Cooper mines were discovered a week or two before
my arrival, within 200 or 300 yards of Harrison's new
furnace. There was considerable excitement, and Sena
tor Logan and Governor Routt were there, and out with
picks, searching for ore. Archer's Homestake, a true
fissure silver mine, is some eight miles further up, near
Tennessee Pass. There also are two or three fissure
mines at head of Evans Gulch, near CaHfornia Gulch,
around which most appears to concentrate, and which
is said to have produced over three millions of gold in
early days. It was the richest placer found, I believe,
in Colorado. They are still washing there by a large
canal from Arkansas river, and small water works from
the gulch. The Printer Boy, a famous gold mine, with
substantial works, is three miles above Harrison's fur
nace, California gulch; not now at work. Fourteen
miles down the Arkansas are the Twin Lakes. With a
railroad this would be the most attractive summering
spot in Colorado, and could not be exhausted of fish. The
lower lake is 2% miles diameter, the upper a mile
or more. Two peaks, of about 14,000 feet, look down
upon the lakes, on either side. I doubt if it would be
necessary to build for some time the branch to Fairplay,
so that less than $1,000,000 would be absolutely neces
sary. If built to Fairplay, add 30 tons of ore daily from
that district, besides merchandise. The carbonate of
lead district alone, on present yield, and Harrison's guar
antee, would pay as follows, so say nothing of any of the
other numerous mineral deposits from Rosita to Ten
nessee Pass or the South Park, which would come in at
Trout Creek. By the way, active prospecting has traced
the lead deposits southeast down Arkansas Valley, below
Trout Creek, and on most of the gulches between Trout
Creek and Oro. The hematite ore deposits at Oro, Pon
cha, etc., are rich and extensive, and at Oro can be pro-
[87]

duced cheaply ( Captain Breese, who is acquiring all at
Oro, says he can dehver at Harrison's furnace at fifty
cents a ton). We visited the mine. It will last, I sup
pose, as long as Grape Creek deposit, and may come in
well to mix with other ores. Rough estimate 114 miles
to Canon City via Arkansas Canon to Oro.— $1,000,000
Ten per cent on which is per annum  100,000
Cost of operating, say 114 miles (with 52-feet
grade for most of the way and no swing
ing grades) would not exceed $10,000
per month  120,000
Necessary to earn, gross yearly, therefore, to
pay operating expenses and 10^" interest
on cost  220,000
Ore and Coke Business Alone of Oro Only.
Harrison's guarantee, 15,000 tons high grade,
he now pays $18 ($25 per ton paid in win
ter) per ton ore to the Mexican wagons,
freight to Colorado Springs, and say by
railroad (half present cost) $9  $135,000
Forty tons daily of low grade ore reduced in to
Harrison's furnaces to 13 tons base bullion
daily, 4,700 tons, $9  43,000
Requiring 10 tons coke daily, 3,650 tons for
which he now pays freight from Colorado
Springs $12 per ton, say by railroad half,
or $6 ($25 paid for half the year when ox
teams not practicable)  22,000
Omaha Works, in high grade ores, shipped out
ten tons per day  32,000
Total  $232,000
The product of other than two furnaces at Oro
(Eureka has 17) with the ores of other shippers than
Harrison and Omaha, and the passengers, merchandise,
express, timber (the Upper Arkansas Valley is well tim
bered for Colorado), grain, hay, etc., of this district, and
the same, besides ores and coke for all the other gulches,
between Rosita, at head of Arkansas, and for South
Park, with the coal from Canon City, could be allowed
[88]

for insurance of above calculation, dividends, etc. I
sent you statement of shipments to and from Colorado
Springs Station by our railway in detail, January 1 to
September 1, for and from South Park, Oro, etc. By
building from Canon, 110 miles, we would, of course,
thoroughly control the trade and carry it to Denver as
readily as Pueblo. We could discourage Denver ex
tending the South Park Railroad, thus as readily as by
building from Colorado Springs. Denver now gets
most of Canon City and Colorado Springs trade. But
without more detail I will enumerate some points for
your reflection: Advantages of Canon Route.
1. Low gradent, 52 feet per mile for 80 miles, 75
feet maximum for remainder ; can carry coal in and ore
out cheaply. A 24-ton engine on eight driving wheels
(three tons to a wheel, same weight as our Fairlie),
could haul 20 cars loaded, up to Malta, and any number
down. Our Fairlie can bring 50 or more cars of coal
from Canon mines to Pueblo, and take supplies back;
also merchandise and passengers attached.
2. Good, sweet water all the way in abundance.
3. Good winter route, deep valley, no snows to
bother; these would trouble all the way across South
Park. 4. Has considerable timber and population en
route. 5. The Arkansas, after 30 miles up from Canon
City, is a good agricultural valley, all the way to near the
mouth of Piney, say 60 miles. Less upper canon, above
Pleasant Park, 10 miles, leaves 50 miles of good agricul
tural valley for oats, wheat, field peas, potatoes, hay,
barley, etc. It is greatly to our interest to control such
valleys, so that we can give the farmers protective rates
and get the country settled up and secure carrying of
supplies back and passengers.
6. It would form the most valuable tourist route in
Colorado. Our passage of the Veta has already shown
how popular such railroad rides, showing wonders of
[89]

natural scenery, quickly become. From Canon City to
Oro the attractions to passenger travel are unusual. The
Arkansas Canon would undoubtedly be traversed by
nearly every tourist coming to Colorado, and much of
the CaHfornia travel would come by way of Pueblo or
Denver, in order to take in this bit of grand scenery.
The resident population of Colorado would mostly man
age to see it by means of excursions, to which the natives
are much given. Above the Arkansas Canon the ride is
mostly through the cultivated, park-like valley of the
Upper Arkansas, interrupted by dashes into occasional
short canons, with rapids and falls. For 60 miles here
the passenger can look up on one side to the Continental
Divide, which the line runs parallel with, and from
whose crest it is but about 12 miles distant between Pon
cha and Oro. He looks up in this last three hours' rail
road ride at ten peaks whose elevation exceeds 14,000
feet, and sees fields of snow which drain into two oceans.
On the right is the high rim of the South Park. When
within 1 1 miles of Malta he passes the outlet of the Twin
Lakes, a mile or two distant, nearly encircled by high
mountains, whose height seems doubled by reflection in
the blue waters. There is nothing I know in Colorado
finer than this spot. The lakes attain a depth of 80 to
100 feet, and the trout cannot be exhausted here by
armies of tourists. The park around Poncha is very
attractive. The hot springs here have the greatest
abundance of waters, and seem to be very like those of
the State of Arkansas, while by climbing 16 miles up
Trout Creek, the basin of the South Park, with the Snow
Mountains opposite Fairplay, Grey's, and Pike's Peak are
seen. We have hitherto considered the Ute Pass route
superior for passenger travel, because of its proximity
to Manitou. The Arkansas Canon, however, is worth
much more, besides bringing the Manitou frequenters
and those from Denver over 82 miles more of Denver
& Rio Grande line.
7. We have a large amount of capital invested at
Pueblo, Canon City, etc., which this would make good.
Colorado Springs was not expected to rely upon mer-
[90]

cantile business, and can be sustained on other attrac
tions. As regards the branch railroad, I take it the re
sult is the same, whether the gain goes to main line or
branch, but by building from Canon it may be made to
benefit both, since all the business from Denver would
pass over 120 miles of main line, besides the branch, and
the tourists from Manitou would likewise traverse both.
8. As iron works will be at Pueblo, large smelting
works, etc., we could supply iron cheaper to the mines
in the mountains, the argument being similar to the coal
traffic. 9. It will pass very large deposits of 60% hematite
iron ore near Poncha (up South Arkansas), on Trout
Creek, and adjoining Oro. This ore could be brought
down to Pueblo very cheaply, and maybe the cheapest
way to get rich ores to mix with the carbonates of Trin
idad. 10. This route has a mineral range on each side for
the whole distance; mines have been opened on nearly
every tributary and gulch on each side. Besides Rosita,
recent strikes have been made in Wet Mountain Valley ;
copper at Bayles ; copper at Poncha, etc ; with the argen
tiferous carbonate of lead and other silver deposits, from
Trout Creek to head of the Arkansas ; the gold mines of
Granite and CaHfornia Gulch. Gold washing is being
carried on in the Arkansas river and in side valleys, as
far down as Brown's Canon, 50 miles below Oro.
11. The route commands and helps develop besides
the immediate Arkansas Valley, collaterly, the Rosita
mines, our magnetic iron mines by a deviation of route.
Wet Mountain Valley (which has 2,200 people), Texas
Creek Park, the Elk Mountain country. South Park, and
a country beyond the Tennessee Pass, on head of Eagle,
Grand and Blue, (dominated by Mount of the Holy
Cross), through which wagoning would extend 100
miles, as it now does for 100 to 200 miles west of Col
orado Springs, Canon City and Garland. The Wet
Mountain VaHey has over 20,000 head of cattle, and
with Texas Park, Elk Mountain country. Upper San
Luis Park, and the south rim and slopes of South Park,
[91]

constitute a large cattle country, and a most important
factor in the new dressed-beef trade.
12. It would COMMAND the following important
railroad passes: The Arkansas Canon, Grape Creek
Canon, Poncha, Marshall's Pass, Trout Creek, Weston's
Pass and Tennessee Pass ; some of these against the At
chison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and others against a dispo
sition to advance from the Denver and South Park Co.
13. While the best route for local business, passen
ger travel, gradients, climate, water, strategy, cheap
operation, etc., it also takes in the South Park by a
branch of 39 miles from Trout Creek to Fairplay, cross
ing with no grade exceeding 1 50 feet, and that for only
16 miles, and which can be built very cheaply.
14. It not only has the main Continental range, 12
miles distant on the left ( for 70 miles from Poncha Pass
to head of the Arkansas) and the limestone rim of the
South Park basin on the right, but by certain passes
(through one of the poorest of which, Cottonwood, a
wagon road has already been built by the people of Col
orado Springs) at the head of a branch of the Poncha,
Chalk Creek, Cottonwood, Lake Gulch, etc., the Conti
nental divide is easily crossed, and the Elk Mountains
can thus, in proper time, be easily developed.
15. I heard from old miners and others many
praises of the country beyond Oro, on Eagle, Frying
Pan, and Roaring Fork, for precious minerals, timber,
water and pastures.
16. By extension in due time, either through Mar
shall's Pass (the middle Poncha, which heads direct with
the Tomichi), down the Gunnison waters, or over the
Tennessee Pass, to the Eagle, or both, it forms a cheap
and easy grade trunk line, through a good local country
to the Grand River, from a point on which (see map)
one line can be extended northwesterly to the White
River or the Green, and so on to Salt Lake ; and another
southwesterly to and through Southern Utah, Southern
Nevada, and the mines of the Desert of CaHfornia, to
Morengo Pass, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and San
Diego. This would make a real Central and National
[92]

Pacific railroad line, good for Oregon and Southern Cal
ifornia, equally on the west, and Chicago and Memphis,
or Texas, on the east. This plan would leave our south
west line, from Alamosa, to reach and develop the San
Juan proper, the Wingate and Zuni districts, the copper
of the San Francisco Mountains, the Prescott mines of
Arizona, which I hear are producing now about one and
one-half millions yearly (and whose ores are rich and
easily treated), and eventually be prolonged southwest
to Tucson, in Arizona.
17. The "Marshall Pass" route, from the Arkansas
range at Poncha, would go down the Gunnison waters,
with Lake City, Ouray and San Miguel mines on the
south, and the Elk Mountain country (of which Prof.
Gardner formed most favorable opinions) on the north.
18. The Arkansas Canon route to Oro, when ex
tended to Utah, or the Pacific, would form the most at
tractive passenger route across the continent by all odds,
with the best climate (a medium one). The southwest
ern extension would pass not far from the Grand Canon
of the Colorado, doubtless the greatest scenic wonder of
this continent.
19. The Oro carbonate of lead district furnishes the
largest immediate business, being "poor men's mines,"
cheaply and quickly opened, paying from the grass roots
nearly, and yielding 50 tons daily. They are of particu
lar value to transporters, because, 1st, they can be mined
and deHvered at furnace or a railroad depot at $3 per
ton. Some of the ore is soft Hke sand, and a good miner
has taken out 10 tons of ore in a day. Very little cap
ital or machinery required; 2d, they furnish large im
mediate business in shipping high grade ores out; 3d,
the ores smelted there will require nearly one ton coke
to four tons ore; 4th, even the low grade ores smelted
at Oro furnish one ton base buHion to every three tons
of ore for transportation out ; 5th, the large number of
mines that can be worked at once when cheap transpor
tation is afforded will furnish a demand for large sup
plies, merchandise, supplies, provisions, clothing, etc.,
back, with forage; 6th, with a district averaging from
[93]

10 to 12 mines now opened over so large an area, 40%
lead and 30 ounces silver per ton, and requiring no prep
aration, how much ore ought to be produced daily, if
freight per ton to St. Louis was but $1 5 per ton, instead
of $28 as now ($18 to Colorado Springs, plus $10 to St.
Louis). Captain Breese says that upon two months'
notice the district could furnish 500 tons daily, if freight
were only $15 to St. Louis. Stevens says 1,000 tons;
Wood, at least 500 tons. I should think 100 would at
least be within bounds. The supply will last long enough,
anyway, I have no doubt, to build up into activity other
mining districts along the railroad line on each side for
the whole distance. What would this make lead cost at
St. Louis? Let us see. The amount of ore in Stevens
and Wood's mile of continuous development by shafts,
that has in it 40% lead and 10 ounces silver ore, is
enormous. p j,
Cost mining and delivery ore at railroad
station, say  $ 5
Freight to St. Louis, via Canon City  1 5
Per ton of ore  $20
Per Ton
Lead
Equivalent, say (at 40% lead) to  $50
Deduct the silver in 2^ tons ore, at $10.— 25
$25
Add cost of reduction per ton lead
Gives $50 per ton lead as net cost at St. Louis, $25.
Total, $50, or 2J^ cents per pound.
Lead has not gone down that low yet. Harrison tells
me the ore he has been shipping over our railroad aver
ages 40% lead and over 50 ounces silver, and he says it
would do to ship at present low prices of lead down to
20% lead, in spite of the expensive wagoning.
20. The carbonate of lead deposits have been traced
in the limestone on the tributaries of the Arkansas River
down to Trout Creek, and even I believe to the South
Arkansas.
[94]

21. It is the shortest and cheapest single line which
will at the same time tend to keep out both the Atchison
Company and the Denver and South Park Company
from our territory ; while also certainly paying from the
start. 22. The westerly terminus, near Oro, would be
within 350 or 400 miles of Salt Lake City, which could
be built for $3,000,000; the most costly part would be
already built.
23. One of our last freight engines could haul 18
or 20 loaded cars (150 tons freight) up the Hne to Oro
from Pueblo.
24. The most sheltered and appropriate places for
consumptives in winter that I have seen are the little
warm openings or parks beside the dashing river which
separates the several canons of the Arkansas, from
Canon City up to the South Arkansas (Nepesta).
25. Sources of freight traffic: Up — Hay, coal, coke,
merchandise, machinery, forage, flour, provisions, gro
ceries, etc. Down — Ores, base bullion — lumber, cattle
and beef both ways. Local — Oats, field peas, (every
body was raising them in the upper valley) grasshoppers
don't hurt them, hay, wheat, dairy produce. Feeders —
Wet Mountain Valley, Rosita, Texas Creek Park, South
Park, Poncha, and intersecting valleys each side and
for 100 miles in front of Oro. The agricultural country
above the canon begins at mouth of South Arkansas and
extends to three miles above Riverside (total 42 miles),
with say 12 intersecting vaHeys. Up the South Arkan
sas there is a fine fertile valley ten miles long by two
wide, say 10,000 acres. Even below, after plunging into
the long canon, in ten miles from South Arkansas, we
reach "Pleasant Valley," where there are twelve-miles-
in-length of open fertile park — say one mile wide, 7,500
acres good lands. Corn, hay, barley, etc., were seen all
over the park. After first 25 miles above Canon City
the mountains begin to have forests of fine timber, be
ginning with heads of Texas Creek. Wet Mountain
Valley is strong on hay, oats and potatoes, all of which
will probably be needed up in the mountains. Can raise
[95]

8,000 to 10,000 tons hay yearly, and for export ship
about 5,000 to 8,000 tons. Bell's volunteer crop of oats,
ju^t being cut when we arrived, was a marvel — 6,000
bushels on 130 acres of land. The grasshoppers des
troyed it last year, so he did not prepare the ground or
sow at aH for this crop. It came up of its own accord.
Our ride from Texas Creek saw mill to cheese factory,
17 miles, was a most interesting one — a beautiful
country, many streams coming down from the Crestones
and Sangre Cristo range; many ranches, lots of hay,
timber on the mountains, a rolling, smooth, glade
country. This is Texas Park, and is good for perhaps
3,000 tons of hay yearly. Dr. BeH has 1,000 tons of
hay in stack at his cheese factofy. Although there is no
market for hay now, there were 3,000 to 4,000 tons in
stack in Wet Mountain Valley. If the railroad goes up
Arkansas Canon, the shortest and cheapest branch to
develop Wet Mountain Valley, Texas Park, and Rosita
Ula mines, would perhaps be from the mouth of Texas
Park (I examined it down to its mouth), up Texas Park,
and across to Wet Mountain Valley through the country
last above described, 20 miles to Ula, the capital of Wet
Mountain VaHey, 22 miles to Bell's cheese factory, and
30 in all to Rosita, a very cheap line, costing not much
over $150,000. But, if thought best to avoid the main
Arkansas, a good Hne exists up Grape Creek from Canon
City, past the Iron mines, thence over to Texas Creek,
and down to the Arkansas again at the mouth of Texas.
This would be, perhaps, 16 miles longer, which would
more than balance possibly the saving of $67,000 in
grading and bridging over the main Canon line. It must
be examined more carefully, however, as a shorter line
may be got possibly. It would have the advantage of
going by our magnetic iron mountain, and of crossing
within ten miles, say, of Ula, with first-class, easy road
thence to all parts of Wet Mountain Valley, including'
Rosita, 18 miles. Cost to build, complete, $90,000. It
may be that Rosita is more important than Fairplay. If
so, Oro and Rosita can be reached for $1,000,000 (.with
out equipment), and still use the Arkansas Canon. The
[96]

E. L. SALISBLTRY W. S. WARD
American Association of Principal Owner Morning
Mining Engineers and Evening Star Mines
PETER FINNERTY
Prominent in Early Mining
Develoi)nrient Leadville District

WM. L. DAVIS
American Association of
Mining Engineers

JOHN L. EMERSON
American Association of
Mining Engineers

roundabout line I have described would have 150 feet
grades, and be but temporary. In time the line from
intersection down to mouth of Texas, or to mouth of
Grape, would be taken up and used to prolong to Rosita.
Rosita is nine miles from Bell's, elevation 8,600, in
smooth, picturesque, grassy country. Clark's Mill and
Mallet were running night and day, producing 410
pounds silver bullion weekly. Clark's is 500 fine;
Mallet, 900. (Both are running merely from the old
dumps of Humboldt mine, thrown aside as useless be
fore these works were built). Average fineness, say
800, say $340,000 yearly from these works. Another is
about going up on Oak Creek. Clark is smelting six
tons daily. Mallet seven tons. There are also being
shipped from Humboldt, Bassicik and LuciHe mines
three tons; daily — say 20 tons per week — to Hill at
Black Hawk. Total, 16 tons, which is worked up and
shipped daily. The ore reduced at Rosita averages $50
per ton. The Virginia, Humboldt and Bassick are
running; Lucille and Pocahontas mines just starting up.
Bassick gets net for his ore at Rosita $235 per ton. This
is the gold blow-out to which I have alluded. The Lu
cille ore is 250 to 300 ounces per ton taken from the
shafts, of which there are six (for 600 feet length). The
shipping ores going off average, I believe, 125 ounces
per ton. They go over our road from Canon to Denver.
Prof. Hill told me he thought the Rosita district good
for 20 tons shipping one daily. A good mine is an
nounced, since I left, as discovered within a mile and a
half of Ula. Clark says the Verde district opposite
Bell's, at foot of Sangre de Cristo range, is quite
promising. The wagon rate on ore from Rosita to
Canon City is $8 per ton; on merchandise back, $10 per
ton. If Oro line were built through main Arkansas
Canon, getting the benefit of easy gradient, gross year
ly earnings of but $51,000 would be required to pay
operating expenses ($3,000 per month), and 10%
interest on cost of building branch from mouth of Texas
Creek to develop Wet Mountain Valley, Rosita and
Texas Park. After allowing present passenger travel,
[97]

mails and expresses, $42,000 would be required to be
earned yearly, gross for freight $65 per train (one each
way daily), at say $3 per ton, equivalent to 22 tons each
way daily (three car loads). Would the 8,000 tons of
hay, potatoes, oats, barley, salt, (both smelting works
use it), coal, ores, machinery, lumber, dairy produce,
etc., make up this quantity? I think it would. It looks
as though the sanguine predictions of our cautious
French expert, Chapier, with regard to the Rosita dis
trict, are in a fair way to be fulfilled. I returned from
Rosita down the Hardscrabble by wagon road to Pueblo,
50 miles. It is no railroad route, but we came through
the Hardscrabble Park, where there were more crops
than I have seen this year elsewhere in Southern
Colorado. A large farming population is here, and as
far as the eye can reach were crops (being gathered) of
wheat and oats. All their water is being used for irri
gation; cause, no grasshoppers last year. Hence they
had the courage to plant. It will make them independent.
Now for South Park: There was not much change
since you and I were there last. At Alma Hill's works
were smelting seven to 10 tons dailv into $1,500 to
$2,000 per ton matte, and shipping that to Black Hawk.
Hill told me if his works were moved from Black Hawk
to Denver he would shut down Alma, and ship 20 tons
of ore daily to his Denver works. At Dudley Gill, with
amalgamating works, was smelting 10 tons daily, he said,
into silver. The Moose mine, on Mount Lincoln, was
working 75 men, winter and summer, producing $250,-
000 per year. Dolly Varden mine was yielding only
$125,000 per annum (can do much more). GiH uses
5% salt (100 pounds to one ton of ore). It comes from
Kansas. He amalgamates all ore with 55 ounces per
ton and sells to Hill or East all above that grade. It
runs up to 330 ouncees per ton. Average of aH Moose
ore last year was 157 ounces per ton. I looked over the
books for the year, and saw how it was running. The
ore is very rich. Gill estimates all the Fairplay district
is yielding now 25 tons daily. Hill's superintendent at
Alma considers it nothing near that, but that a railroad
[98]

would increase it to 30 tons. He has at times shipped
ore to Colorado Springs as low as $10 per ton — 84 miles.
The country across the range on the Blue seemed to be
developing, but bases mostly now on Georgetown — that
is. Colonel Candler does. McMurtrie went through the
Arkansas Canon for us several winters ago, and is con
fident of his estimates of that part. The curves are not
severe. The rest of the lines I went over during this
trip, very carefully with him, estimating by short sec
tions of classified work, and we make no mistake in
trusting to them. At the same time it may be well to
allow a small margin — equipment, that will be required.
The work could be finished and rails laid in six months —
winter about as readily as summer. Ties will be quite
cheap. Under date of March 23, 1878, General D. C. Dodge.
who later became General Manager of the Denver and
Rio Grande Railway, wrote to General Palmer from
Denver as follows:
"In conversation with E. Harrison, last evening, he
told me they had purchased the Gallagher mine, near
Leadville, and that they would ship 25 tons of ore per
day by the 1st of May. Harrison goes East via Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe, on invitation of Mr. Strong. They
are determined to get his shipments of ore if possible.
Mr. Strong is getting all the information he can with
regard to that section, and I believe intends to make a
move in that direction. Harrison says there would
certainly be 75 tons of ore shipped every day, if a rail
road was completed from Canon to Leadville. He will
enter into a contract to ship 50 tons per day the first
year, at a rate not exceeding $10 per ton ore, Leadville
to Canon (110 miles), and 30 tons coke back at same
rate. His business alone would almost pay to build the
road."

[99]

On April 15, 1878, Gen. Dodge wrote to Gen.
Palmer as follows :
"Mr. CoHins, of the Executive Committee of Harri
son Reduction Works, just left my office. He says they
are going to increase their shipments of ore and bullion
to 50 tons per day, as soon as they can get the wagon
transportation, and, if they cannot get it here, they will
send it from the East. He says they could ship 100
tons a day if the transportation could be had."
R. F. Weitbrec, Treasurer of the Denver & Rio
Grande, on March 28, 1878, wrote to Gen. Palmer as
follows :
"Mr. Streeter told me last night that the Harrison
Reduction Works were anxious to make a contract for
moving from Leadville to Colorado Springs, this season,
of ore and bullion daily, 100,000 pounds. As whatever
they ship out has always served as a basis for up-
freights, the up-freights would probably be increased
proportionately, say as in the past, 60% of down
freights, 60,000 pounds, total 160,000 lbs.=80 tons.
This, for one concern alone, being at the rate of 24,000
tons per annum. Streeter said he thought it would be
impossible to move it. It is purely a question of trans
portation whether the tonnage would not exceed that
of New Mexico and San Juan combined."
Chas. B. Lamborn, Vice-President C. C. Improve
ment Co., wrote to Gen. Palmer, April 1, 1878, as
follows :
"The ore shipments this summer promise to be much
larger than at present. Mr. Streeter, freighter, informs
me that he has arranged to take charge of the transpor
tation from Leadville across Weston's Pass to South
Park, with mule teams. From the Park down to Cold
Springs bull teams are being arranged for. He has
agreed to commence during this month, and carry over
Weston Pass 50,000 pounds ore and bullion per day,
[100]

and to increase at any time, on notice, to a capacity of
100,000 pounds per day. Harrison's people expect to
ship soon 100,000 pounds per day, and are only anxious
to get enough transportation. The rate they expect to
pay is $18 per ton to Colorado Springs and Canon City.
Streeter says that, owing to the large amount of mer
chandise going into the mountains from this point, he is
trying to arrange for a portion of the ore to be delivered
at Canon City, and he will want coke at Canon as well as
here. It is quite probable that, for the sake of good
grazing for teams, and the number of animals likely to
be on the road this summer, a good deal of ore will be
delivered at Canon City. From about May 1, Harrison
will take ten tons coke per day. The Omaha people
expect to ship about ten tons of ore per day."
Hugh Moore wrote to Charles B. Lamborn from
Leadville, May 7, 1878:
"I have been in this camp about two weeks, during
which time I have visited many of the mines, and
traveled over much of the country in this district. The
season with us will probably not be fully open till 1st
prox. The prospects for a busy one are very, flattering
indeed. Since my arrival here many good developments
have been made, as well as numerous 'strikes,' and from
aU I have been able to learn I am of the opinion that,
during the coming season, from 8,000 to 10,000 tons of
ore can be worked or shipped at or from this district
per month, provided transportation can be obtained at
reasonable figures. Experienced men and money are
much needed for the proper development of the mines
generally, and reduction works of large capacity,
adapted for the successful working of low grade — say
from 20 to 50 ounces silver per ton — ores could be of
very great value to mine owners, and conducive gen
erally to the prosperity of the camp."

[101]

CHAPTER XXIII.
Allurement of Mining Booms — Fingerboard to
Fortune — Birth of a Great Newspaper
Great excitement was produced at Denver, in the
autumn of 1877, by the reported discovery of rich car
bonate ore in Boulder County, a few hours' ride to the
westward, and there was a mad rush to the new
"diggings." I easily became infected with the fever,
but restrained undue impetuosity with the reflection that
I should not know what to do or how to do it upon
arrival. I compromised with myself by joining Col. John
Arkins in the expense of sending a representative. That
is what in mining parlance is termed "grub-staking."
For this mission James M. Burnell was chosen, he having
been a native of Gilpin County, familiar with mining,
and always imbued with the miner's eternal hope of
"striking it rich." Arkins and Burnell were printers,
employed on the Denver Tribune,
The alleged discoveries did not materialize, the boom
collapsed, and Burnell returned to the "case."
A few weeks later excitement was again aroused by
reports of fabulously rich silver ore discoveries in Cali
fornia Gulch, near the site of the former Oro City.
Undaunted by the Boulder fiasco, Burnell was ready
for another expedition, and was promptly dispatched to
the new fields.
Denver and California Gulch had long been con
nected by a single telegraph wire, and Burnell, after a
twenty-four hours' investigation, hung a dispatch on
the line that fairly sizzled with hope and encouragement.
[102]

"Greatest silver camp on earth ; but better for a news
paper than for silver."
Here was something to conjure with. Newspaper
patronage in mining camps is proverbially generous. The
new one already gave indications of permanency. With
out delay I wired Burnell to return.
Within twenty-four hours following his arrival at
Denver, "The Chronicle Publishing Co." was organized
—Davis, Arkins and Burnell the incorporators. Arkins
was to edit the new sheet, Burnell to manage the me
chanical department, while I was to be the business
manager. Arkins was dispatched to the new camp, now
dignified with the magic name of "Leadville," to rent
quarters, solicit advertising, and otherwise to prepare
the way for the new venture, while I was sent to St.
Louis to purchase an outfit.
Our combined capital aggregated but $3,000, a
beggarly sum with which to launch a daily newspaper
in a mining camp more than ten thousand feet above sea
level, two hundred and fifty miles from a railway, and
where the cost of everything soared with the altitude.
But we were undaunted. With us it was "Leadville or
bust," and into the pool we cast our last dollar.
Notwithstanding previous experience in the publica
tion of a newspaper, it promised little service to me in
this undertaking, so totally different were all the
conditions, circumstances and environment.
I contracted with the St. Louis Type Foundry Com
pany for a modest plant, to cost $5,000, giving $1,000
cash and notes for deferred payments. But for the fact
that I had been a prized patron of the company while at
St. Charles, such favorable terms could not have been
hoped for. I knew intuitively that every remaining dollar
would be required to launch the enterprise; hence I se
lected material sparingly.
[103]

The plant purchased, I soon reaHzed that my trials
had only just fairly begun. Arkins had been wiring me
to make all possible haste, since we ""were losing a hun
dred dollars a day," and following with the almost
paralyzing statement that an "office could not be rented
for love or money," adding that "we must buy a lot and
build one." To do that would call for the expenditure
of more dollars than we possessed.
The next blow was administered to me in the St.
Louis office of the Santa Fe Railway, where I went to
arrange for the transportation of the printing office.
The rate given me was well nigh prohibitive. I did not
at once disclose my hand, but returned to my hotel to
cogitate over the situation, and frame up such an appeal
to the agent, Mr. S. P. Hynds, as would pierce the very
citadel of his sympathetic nature.
Next day, I again called upon him, exhibited my
letters and papers, told him how liberal the foundry
people had been, hinted at the value to a railroad of
newspaper friendship, and finally suggested that, in ad
dition to the printing plant, I had a "jag" of household
goods at St. Charles that I desired to ship with it.
The last suggestion, advanced with excessive ti
midity, proved a key to a solution of the problem. But
for that Mr. Hynds could not have made me a rate. But
for that I might not have had the courage to ship that
plunder to the mountains at all. But for that the Lead
ville Chronicle might never have been born.
Tariffs, he reminded me, were inviolable, but —
there was a rate on "emigrant household goods."
It was with some difficulty that I resttained my
impulse to fall upon his neck and weep tears of joy. I
think I did suggest to him that he was deserving of a
blessed immortality, and let it go at that.
The outcome was that Mr. Hynds got permission of
[104]

KENNETH LORD FAHNESTOCK
Mining Promoter and
Superintendent

DAVID G. MILLER
Prominent Mining Engineer

CHARLES L. HALL
Pioneer Mine Promoter
and Operatoi

WM. K. BURCHINEDL
Ex-SherifE Arapahoe and
Lake Counties

HARRY S. PHILLIPS
Postal. Bank and Club Man

the Wabash Railroad to back the car containing the
printing material up to St. Charles, where my little snag
of household effects was added, the car sealed and billed
through to Colorado Springs as "emigrant household
goods," the charges scarcely more than equalling tariff
on a single printing press !

[105]

CHAPTER XXIV.
Snowed in on the Kansas Plains — Discomfiture
OF a Railway Agent
Returning to Denver, I awaited, with ill-concealed
impatience, the slow movement of that precious car
westward. During my absence announcement had been
made through the Denver press of our contemplated
enterprise at Leadville, a most unfortunate, though well
enough intended service, for the reason that it gave hint
to the owners of two weekly papers at Alma and Fair
play, in an adjoining county, of the great promise the
new camp held out for a daily publication; and, before
we succeeded in getting our material into Leadville, two
daily papers were being published where we had count
ed upon being the pioneers. Both, however, chose the
morning field, an apparently inconsequental circum
stance at the time, but one which contributed to their
downfall within sixty days after the Chronicle was
launched. For the first time in the history of the Santa Fe
Railroad, the train bringing our plunder was snowed in
on the plains of Kansas, occasioning a delay of three
weeks. Burnell had been left to earn what he might, but
Arkins and I were living on our capital, and the delay
was almost maddening.
Another grave complication had in the meantime
arisen. The struggle between the rival railroads for
possession of the Grand Canon was at its height, and the
officials of both were at daggers' points in their relations
with each other. It was necessary to break bulk at Pu-
[106]

j.

U. S. Signal Station, Summit of Pike's Peak
Gateway to the Garden of the Gods, base of Pike's Peak
City of Manitou. Early Mecca of the Indians to the Curative Waters of
the Springs

eblo, and transfer freight destined for the north from
standard to narrow-gauge cars. My material called for
two cars of the "Baby Road," and I feared that when the
erroneous classification was discovered there would be
an explosion, a reclassification, and demand for full
tariff. I was at my wit's end to discover some method of
meeting such a contingency. Finally I received intelli
gence that the stuff had been transferred, and that the
train hauling it would arrive at Colorado Springs the
following night.
Dropping down there early in the morning, I en
gaged True & Sutton, a freight-hauling firm, to trans
port the plunder to Leadville. I dared not sleep, and on
one of the coldest December nights in 1878 I walked the
streets of Colorado Springs until sunrise. My plans
were all laid, and they worked out with mathematical
precision. Acquainted with the local agent, Mr. EHison, I "laid"
for him, followed him to his office, and asked for the
expense bills. These properly receipted, I safely tucked
away. Then I asked Mr. Ellison for help in unloading,
pleading a desire to get the stuff well out of town before
nightfaH. The work had not proceeded very far when one of
the railroad roustabouts reported that the shipment did
not consist of "household goods." This brought Mr.
Ellison down the platform in high dudgeon.
"Davis," shouted he, "by what sort of d-d hocus
pocus did you get that iron foundry billed through here
as emigrant household goods ?"
Casting an eye upon the remains of a marble-top
table upon which a press cylinder weighing half a ton
had been deposited, I repHed: "Aren't these household
goods, Mr. EHison?"
[107]

"Not by a damned sight," he retorted, "nor would
they be if you had not the expense bills in your pocket."
There was no help for EHison.
Just as the sun was falling behind Pike's Peak I had
the satisfaction of seeing seven "prairie schooners" con
taining my plunder pull out of the Springs, pointed to
ward the Ute Pass.

[108]

.yf

¦''1

THE CLOUD CITY IN THE EARLY' DAY
AN IMPRESSIONIST VIEW IN THE SPRING OF '78
CONTINENTAL RANGE, LOOKING WEST
THE MODERN CITY'
.\ CITY IN THE MAKING
Harrison Avenue in 1879, Showing Log Cabin in Center of Street

CHAPTER XXV.
An Impressionist's View of the Wierdest City on
the Face of the Globe
There has been but one Leadville. Never will there
be another, A city on a mountain throne.
With vaster wealth than ever shone
In India's lap — ^peerless, alone.
From the cold womb of certainty.
Born in a day, an hour, we see
The marvel of a century.
Once the wildest and most tempestuous municipality
on the face of the earth, it since has settled down into
a quiet and decorous place, where life and property are
as secure as in any American city. Crude and incongru
ous elements here, in the course of three decades, have
developed into a fair civiHzation. Order has come out
of chaos, and a quiet, peaceful life has succeeded the
hilarious roundelay of the "days of '79."
High on a mountain bosom born.
Bride of the snow, whose childhood's morn.
When years had scanned thy waning prime.
Will seem as story of mystic time.
When Islam prated of Genei's might,
And fortunes garnered within a night,
Not old Damascus, by ancient stream.
Not Golden Ophir, present in her dreams,
[109]

Compared with thee, whose youth doth own
And gather all that Science yet has sown.
Deep lunged and strong, thy children rend
Thy mountains' breasts, and from their trend
Of rich arteries wrung such hidden store
Of marvelous wealth that nevermore
Shall Croesus' hoard or Inca's gold
Make wonder when thy story's told.
Bride of the snow ! whose stiburbs teem
With silvery rock and golden stream ;
I greet thy hills, thy pine clad domes,
Thy children's love, thy children's homes !
Though falsely charged with guilty fame.
Sweet Charity redeems thy name.
The site of Leadville is picturesque in the extreme.
It lies in an elevated basin, between the main range of
the Rocky mountains and a parallel spur, known as the
Mosquito range, and between them, midway in a broad
valley, courses the Arkansas River, its source but twelve
miles distant. At right angles with the last named range
California gulch extends westward to the river. Midway
on the left bank of the gulch Oro City arose and fell, the
early settlement having been made there in close prox
imity to the placer workings, and without thought of
future needs for expansion.
Early in the history of Leadville, and before it had
been dignified with a name, the St. Louis Smelting and
Refining Company amended an application for a pend
ing placer claim, higher up the gulch, surveying a
narrow strip along the water line to a point sufficiently
wide and level to accommodate a good-sized city. This
was platted, and the meager little subdivision sold to the
pioneers, at excessive figures, as the town began to
expand. [110]

This obvious perversion of the intent of the federal
mining laws, secured by means of untruthful declara
tions regarding "mineral in place," was, nevertheless,
subsequently sustained by the Supreme Court, and it
enabled the owners of the patent to hold up lot-buyers
from the very inception of the town.
The elevation of the plateau upon which the city was
built ranged between ten and twelve thousand feet above
sea level. Back to the eastward, and paralleling the
Mosquito range, extended four mountain spurs, known
as Carbonate, Iron and Breece Hills and Ball Mountain,
the main treasure chest of what came to be officially
known as "The LeadviHe Mining District," and reach
ing an altitude of nearly 14,000 feet.
The resident population of LeadviHe in January,
1879, was estimated at 1200, but within six months had
increased to 60,000.
The soil upon which it is built is almost as barren as
the lava beds of Arizona. Stunted pines, with an oc
casional scrub oak, alone varied the unattractive land
scape. Untold wealth lay buried below the surface —
above it naught was found to sustain life. Only stout
hearts could have conquered the natural obstacles to
city-building in such an isolated place, where man's
every requirement had to be hauled in wagons a distance
of three hundred miles over mountain roads, crossing
successive ranges nearly two miles above the sea, and
frequently with twelve to fifteen per cent, grades. But
it was accomphshed, despite the stern protest of Nature
against the wierd invasion.

[Ill]

CHAPTER XXVI.
Climbing Into the Clouds — Lost in a Blinding
Snow Storm at High Noon
I confess to a feehng of disappointment over my
first sight of Leadville, in the early part of January,
1879. It came after a more than ordinarily tedious
forty hours' journey from Denver, on the top of a
Concord coach most of the way, feet hanging over the
boot, the mercury far below zero, and the frost-laden
wind blowing such a gale that it was difficult to keep a
blanket over one's knees.
The route traversed, the great South Park, is a wide
depression in the mountains, sixty miles in length, eight
thousand feet elevation, but as level as a floor.
On the first day out, and at high noon, a terrific snow
storm was encountered. The heavy moisture-laden
clouds came down to the very earth, completely envelop
ing coach and passengers, and soon it was realized that
the driver was lost. He stoutly denied the imputation,
jocularly retorting that it was the wigwam that was
lost, but finally conceded the fact, and appealed to the
eighteen men in the coach, and on its hurricane deck, to
help him out.
By ranging ourselves in a line and grasping each
others' hands, we formed a human whip-lash, and thus
disposed, we circled round about the coach in all di
rections in the hope, about the only one left us, of thus
locating the telegraph poles stretched along the road.
This device finally proved effective, and soon we were
again pointed in the right direction.
[112]

THOS F. WALSH HOWARD CHAPIN
Pioneer Proprietor of the Formerls' Proprietor Claren-
Grand Hotel. LeadviHe don Hotel. Leadville
CALVIN HENRY MORSE
Proprietor Brown Palace
Hotel, Denver _ ,
W. H. BUSH C. W. KITCHEN
Formerly Manager Formerly Proprietor Hotel
Clarendon Hotel. Leadville Kitchen, Leadville

The episode, singular as it was, yet lacked the thrill,
later experienced, when the lumbering coach, rolling like
a crippled vessel in the trough of the sea, lurching from
one side to the other, bumping over boulders and into
ruts and quagmires, plunged and swayed down the wind
ing, tortuous road, from the summit of Mosquito
mountain, 13,000 feet above the sea, to the level of
Leadville, and in sight of its scattered blinking lights.
At 11 o'clock the coach rounded into Chestnut
street, and brought up in front of the Grand hotel, the
pioneer hostlery of the Cloud City, presided over by a
person whose name subsequently became widely known
to the people of two continents — Tom Walsh, one time
owner of the Camp Bird mine, a multi-millionaire, dis
tinguished as the mining partner of King Leopold of
Belgium, and lavish entertainer of official Washington.
How gladly I record the fact that, notwithstanding
his financial, political and social triumphs, in the capital
of the nation and elsewhere in his world wanderings in
state, he remained to the last that same large-hearted,
broad-minded, kind, sympathetic, genial, bluff Tom
Walsh, who welcomed me to the shelter of his hospitable
boarding house in Leadville, on that cruelly bitter night
in the long ago!

[113]

CHAPTER XXVII.
First Night Amidst Scenes Never Before
Witnessed in a Civilized CotJNTRY
Disappointment over my first glimpse of Leadville's
single street was short-lived. After a midnight meal,
partaken of with unconcealed gusto, and assignment to
a ten-by-ten chamber, the bed of which I must share
with another, and a stranger at that, I set out for an
inspection of the city.
The scene unfolded was unlike anything I ever be
fore had seen or conjured in my imagination. The main
thoroughfare was pretty closely and compactly lined
with houses on either side, for a distance of two miles,
following the contour of the gulch, all of log or rough-
hewn slab construction, only a few of them two stories
in height. Every other door seemed to open upon a
saloon, dance hall or gambling den. There were no
street lights, but the thousands of coal oil lamps indoors
cast fitful flashes of baneful light across the way.
The board walks on either side were filled to the
center with a constantly moving mass of humanity, from
every quarter of the globe, and from every walk in Hfe.
The stalwart teamster jostled the banker from Chicago;
the deep-lunged miner, fresh from underground work
ings, divided the walk with debonair salesmen from
Boston; the gambler and bunco-steerer walked arm-in
arm with his freshest victim picked up in the hotel lobby.
Apparently, every nationality was represented in that
throng of fortune-seekers, their garb, and carriage, and
address, aiding in the classification.
At that hour, long past midnight, few could have had
[114]

any mission other than sight-seeing, hence the mass was
constantly being augmented or diminished by the crowds
pouring in and out of the scores of resorts with which
the thoroughfare was lined.
Had one the least cause for haste, he was compelled
to seek the roadway, not so densely thronged with the
curious, excited, impetuous sight-seers.
Belated Concord stages, hauled by six-horse teams,
huge freight vans, lumbering prairie schooners, and all
manner of wheeled vehicles, were toihng up and down
the street, separated from the board walk by parallel
lines of snow, piled in the gutter to a height of three or
four feet.
The buzz of conversation, the resounding snap of
drivers' whips, the crunching of steel-shod wheels in the
icy thoroughfare, and the frequent profane shouts to
weary horses and mules, that mingled with the question
able musical sounds from the orchestras within, filled the
air with a compound of sounds scarcely soothing in its
effects upon unaccustomed ears.
Taking in the spectacle, I joined the throng, passing
from door to door and witnessing scenes that almost
beggar description. Chief among the places visited was
Pap Wyman's combination concert and dance hall, with
every game of chance known to the fraternity in full
blast — faro, keno, roulette, stud poker, pinochle, and
what not. On the face of a monster clock, behind a bar
scintillating with a wealth of crystal, was painted the
significaht invitation to guests, "Please Do Not Swear,"
while upon a slanting shelf on the counter, facing the
motley throng, was a large Bible, whose weH-thumbed
leaves gave strong indication that it had been frequent
ly consulted. An orchestra of many pieces was grinding
out popular music for the dancing that never lagged,
and which kept up until the dawn of day drove the weary
[118]

participants to wretched sleeping quarters, the heavens
only knew where.
Here, perhaps, were a score of girls and women of
the underworld, of varying ages and types of attractive
ness, attired in more or less picturesque and fantastic
garb, some wearing Httle surplus apparel of any des
cription, dancing with bearded bull-whackers, uncouth
delvers in the mines, with soil-besmeared attire to mark
their vocation; with the dapper clerk, out for a night's
lark — with anybody and everybody disposed to clasp
their soiled waists, whirl them through the mazes of a
two-step or a polka, and then accompany them to the
bar, the only compensation exacted by the house, but
quite ample, since each number consumed but a few
moments of time, and the drink at the close was as in
evitable as fate.
The floor manager, yclept "the herder," with a
diamond on his soiled shirt front as large as a two-bit
piece, kept the figures moving, and distributed to the
girls the pasteboard checks entitling them to a commis
sion upon the liquor consumed by self and partner at
the end of each number.
Elsewhere in the immense hall were seen groups of
men from every walk of life gathered about a faro
table, with stacks of white, red and blue chips piled be
fore them, eyes riveted upon the dealer, each watching
the successive turn of the cards with an earnestness and
intensity that indicated all too well their alternating
hopes and fears.
Other groups, perhaps not so intensely absorbed, sat
around a roulette table, or lounged upon the rim of the
crowd of players, placing their coin on the red or the
black or the numbered squares, raking in the proceeds of
the bet, or seeing it ruthlessly "swiped" by the repre
sentative of "the house," this happening much oftener.
[116]

Other and smaller crowds were gathered about little
tables, playing stud poker or some other popular game
of chance ; while to one side a noisy crowd indulged the
more healthful, if less seductive game of ten pins, the
roar of the huge balls, as they flew down the course,
drowning anon the clatter of ivory chips and the din of
the orchestra. Billiards and pool, and the throwing of
dice, filled a niche here and a nook there, each adding
interest and picturesqueness to the wierd and near-en
chanting spectacle.
Across the street a vaudeville theatre was in the
midst of the night's programme at 3 A.M., and there I
lingered for another hour, fascinated at what was being
unfolded. The programme announced that there were
forty "ladies" in the cast, and I discovered that this em
braced some of the best-known and most popular artists,
male and female, in the country. An orchestra, of
proportions unusual, was rendering music of really high
order, and if there were any weary eyelids in the vast
audience that thronged parquette or dress circle, the
fact was not obvious.
In a vast hall adjoining the theatre, in the same
building, another gambling hell was disclosed, replica of
Pap Wyman's, minus Bible and clock, but with other
features scarcely less unique, including what I took to
be a No. 2 Hall's safe, but which, for my special delec
tation, was quietly folded up by the manager and tucked
away in his overcoat pocket — its entire construction
being of cork.
I was told that the management of this theatre paid
$1,750 a month rental for the building, exclusive of the
gambling privileges. And it lacked a good deal of
having a monopoly in furnishing amusement for the
multitude. The procenium boxes, six in number, were
filled with "classy" customers from the higher walks of
[117]

life, the mine-owners, managers and superintendents,
prosperous chemists and assay ers, bankers, merchants,
traders, contractors, well-known politicians and office
holders, the major portion many thousand to the good in
their mining operations, with prospects of adding un
measured wealth to their store.
Far removed from home and friends, the bars down
and aH restraint removed, these men gave themselves up
completely to the wierd fascinations of the place, the
scenes and the hour. Fortunes made in a day were
squandered in a night, and accent was given to the
couplet : "Its day all day in the day-time.
And no night in Leadville."
On that first night I fequently saw golden eagles cast
upon the stage at the feet of some favorite actor or
actress, at the completion of a catchy skit, while at other
times "Bland dollars" fairly rained upon the heads of the
more popular members of the cast.
There was a constant pop of champagne corks all
the night through in the procenium boxes, the opulent
revelers scorning plebeian beer. Between acts they, in
turn, entertained the more attractive actresses and the
painted darHngs of the chorus.
Unwilling to return to the hotel until assured that
the party booked to sleep with me had arisen, I was
willingly led by my guide to places viler than any yet
visited, to witness scenes of degredation I previously
supposed had no existence beyond the confines of Can
ton, Pekin or Shanghai.
Some of these dens occupied sumptuous quarters,
richly furnished and presided over by persons with some
pretentions to gentility, but most of them were in rook-
[118]

eries, reeking with filth, and emitting odors that smelled
to heaven. I was denied the consolation that my own country
men could not fall into such depths of depravity, for I
was told that up to that hour no Chinaman had ever
dared to set foot in Leadville.
Just as the sun was lighting the snow-capped mount
ain tops of the main range, I found myself back at the
Grand hotel, my sleeping partner up and gone, and a
warm though not altogether wholesome bed awaiting
me. Without wasting much time in re-arranging the
coverings, I was in and off to Dreamland.

[119]

CHAPTER XXVIII.
Wierd Sights by Daylight — A Bank Outside the
Counter — Wonderful Postoffice
I had seen the greater portion of the city proper in
the few hours following arrival. The next afternoon
sufficed to complete my tour of inspection. Aside from
Chestnut Street, there were but a few slab shanties
scattered here and there over the broad plateau selected
for the prospective mining metropolis.
There were at this time no public utilities whatever.
Water for domestic purposes was being pumped and
sold by the barrel. Coal oil was the sole dependence for
lighting. Sewers, gas and means of local transportation
were to be provided.
A bank had just been opened in Tabor's store,
brought down from Oro City, but it had no fixtures as
yet, and the cash was kept in an ordinary iron safe that
sat outside the counter, and the cashier divided his time
between the dry goods and grocery divisions, the re
ceipt of deposits and the writing of exchange.
The postoffice was a feature worthy of brief des
cription. It yet was a fourth-class office, the salary of
Postmaster based upon the sale of stamps. No allowance
was made by the department for rent, light, fuel or
assistance, but Postmaster Tabor*, already on the
?"Tabor" is a name to conjure with in the Rocky Mountain region.
Of all the human documents he may be said to be the "father of
Leadville." His son, N. Maxey Tabor, has helped me to the sub
joined brief sketch of the movements of his parents antedating the
Leadville era:
"Along about 1855 my father settled upon a farm in Riley County,
Kansas, and during some of the border troubles was either in the
State Militia or volunteer companies in connection with the Quan-
[130]

Lower Chestnut Street, Leadville, Tabor's Bank in Left Foreground
Lower Chestnut Street, Leadville, Tom Walsh's Hotel in Right Foreground

highway to affluence, provided the necessary funds to
handle the enormous incoming and outgoing mails.
While yet his salary could be named in hundreds of
dollars, he provided a suitable housing for it, and em
ployed twenty clerks. But one mail each day was
received, and that took the force all night to sort, ready
for delivery in the morning. Long before the opening
hour a line of patrons formed in front and extended far
down the street, and so eager were the people to secure
their letters without delay that cash in large sums,
ranging from one to five dollars, was paid for positions
at the head of the line. Indeed, this practice early be
came so common that a few persons profited handsomely
by selling their places, returning to the foot, again ad
vancing, and selling again and again.
It may be helpful to the reader to know that cash
was always abundant in Leadville, and its expenditure
ever lavish. Few came in without ample funds ; whereas,
trell troubles. In the spring of 1859, imbued by the Pike's Peak gold
excitement, he gathered up all of his effects and family, and we
landed in Denver in June of that year. Shortly thereafterwards,
leaving my mother and myself at Golden, he followed the crowd up
Clear Creek to Gregory Gulch, and engaged to some extent in mining
operations there. In the fall we moved to Colorado City and spent
the winter there. In the early spring of 1860 we went on up Ute Pass
and across South Park and down Trout Creek, to where Buena Vista
is now located, then on up the Arkansas River to the mouth of Cash
Creek, where the town of Granite is now located, and while en
gaged in prospecting there a party passed, going west, that a short
time later were the discovering party of California Gulch, and it was
not long until news reached our party of this discovery, when the
party moved on, and sometime in the month of May, 1860, arrived
in California Gulch, and were the second party to arrive there. During
that summer my father engaged in mining operations, and that fall,
accompanied by my mother and myself, returned to New England
for the winter, coming back the next spring and continuing operations
in California Gulch for the summer of 1861. That fall we moved to
Park County, going over Weston Pass, and located in Buckskin Gulch,
where the town of Buckskin later came into existence, engaging in
the mercantile business, and remaining there until the spring of 1868,
when we returned to California Gulch, continuing in the mercantile
business until the beginning of the Leadville discoveries." Mrs. Au
gusta Tabor enjoyed the distinction of being the first white woman
in California Gulch. The second woman was Mrs. Mary M. Hall.
A population variously estimated at from thirty to sixty thousand
soon crowded into the narrow gulch. [121]

the greater number were reaHzing handsome profits
from the production and sale of fabulously rich silver
ore, mines and prospects.
Cost of living was excessive, due to the high freight
rates, rents and salaries. Nothing could be bought for
less than twenty-five cents, the ruling price for a glass
of beer, a shave or a shine ; whereas the minimum
charge for a meal was one dollar.
Several smelters and sampling works were in oper
ation in the gulch, treating only the highest grade of
ore. Freight rates were practically prohibitive, and the
lower grade stuff had to await the coming of the rail
roads, or the lessening of the cost of home treatment.
Three wagon transportation lines were in operation
over three different routes, and five to seven thousand
men were engaged in the business of hauling the enor
mous quantities of merchandise, building material and
machinery required for the rapidly augmenting popula
tion, for the construction of habitations for the sixty
thousand yet to come, and the vast tonnage comprehend
ed in the requirement of mines and smelters in the way
of boilers, engines, hoists, piping and other accessories.
Such, briefly told, and much interesting detail
omitted, was the aspect Leadville presented on the first
day of my pilgrimage.

[122]

Thk Daily (tiiioNKLii;.

sirriM) mxi.,

iUT I'llK-t.lf, iTll

#

4C^ ^

Fac-Simile of the first number of the Leadville Evening Chronicle and its
Founders. Sales of 500 copies were anticipated — 7000 sales were realized

CHAPTER XXIX.
Launching of the Most Successful Journal in
History — An Enormous Sale
No one perhaps is better quahfied to record the
history of journalism in Leadville than the writer ; since
my direct connection with it covers an uninterrupted
period of seventeen years, and would have continued to
this day and hour had not its exactions resulted in a
complete physical breakdown, forcing me to surrender
the substantial business built up, under such nerve-rack
ing conditions, to others, and to seek surcease from pain
and a modicum of comfort in a lower altitude, and
under more friendly skies.
Familiar with every phase of the subject, it will be
a comparatively easy task to record the events as they
occurred, with fidehty to the subject, with perfect can
dor, and unvarying devotion to truthfulness.
And yet there is no other division of the work that
I approach with such feeling of hesitancy and caution,
mainly because, as so often happens, truth is stranger
than fiction, and in this instance I am warranted in ap
prehending that my simple relation may by some read
ers be set down as a Munchausen yarn, wholly trans
cending the realm of belief.
Again, in recording the facts, it will be necessary to
exalt myself above a multitude of co-workers, and to at
least appear to claim more than was and is my due. But
it would not be history were it not true, and so I shall
endeavor to keep steadily to my purpose, which will be
to give somewhat of novelty to that which was old,
condensation to that which was diffuse, perspicacity to
[128]

that which was obscure, and accuracy to that which was
recondite. I will try truthfully to relate what has been,
and for all I shall humbly ask the considerate reader —
Gently to hear, kindly to judge.
Taking into consideration the time and the place,
the almost unsolvable problems and inscrutable perplexi
ties involved in altitude, climate, incongruous and shift
ing population, difficulties and excessive cost of produc
tion, meager equipment and total lack of credit, the most
ordinary success in building up a great newspaper prop
erty, on the very crest of the continent, over 10,000 feet
above the level of the sea, might be regarded as border
ing upon the miraculous. But my venture there proved
vastly more than that.
The fact is widely recognized that, relatively, the
Leadville Evening Chronicle was the most successful
journalistic enterprise ever launched in America. This
was more largely due to the conditions that obtained than
to any superior intelligence, skill or sagacity upon the
part of its founders. Indeed the lack of these qualities
only served to place a limit upon its success.
While waiting for the arrival of the material. Col.
Arkins had purchased a lot, 25x67, out in the sage brush,
a thousand feet north of Chestnut Street, and caused to
be erected upon it a slab shanty 20x30.
The only title to realty obtainable was a squatter's
quit-claim deed, conferring possession only, and for this
he paid $175. At the same time, as was the custom, he
entered into a contract with the St. Louis Smelting and
Refining Company to pay a "nominal price" to it for the
lot when, by the acquisition of a placer patent, it could
give a warranty deed, perfecting title.
The demand for lumber was so great that something
[124]

more than the tender of the exorbitant price was neces
sary to secure it, and heavy bonuses were frequently
exacted. Lumber dealers bought and sold millions of
feet without a board ever reaching their yards.
Weary of the delay. Col Arkins finally stationed
himself at Malta, a settlement five miles below town,
where he was able to intercept supplies as they ap
proached. Buying and paying for the lumber was not
in itself an assurance of securing it, however, since a
higher figure might be offered and accepted before
reaching destination; hence Col. Arkins shared the seat
with driver, with a free hand to his hip pocket, to
provide against a contingency that had happened to
others. Later, when a few boards, surfaced on one side only,
were required for drying shelves for printed matter in
the job department, four hundred doHars were paid for
what at this day could be obtained for a single golden
eagle. Another interesting detail of construction related to
the providing of a chimney. In securing brick for this
Col. Arkins was in the market from October to January.
When the expense biH was analyzed, the startling fact
was developed that the brick could have been shipped in
by mail for considerably less money, only that each brick
slightly exceeded the four-pound limit.
The choice of a location remote from the business
center was due to its relative cheapness, and the fact that
fire risks were unpurchaseable. Out of abundance of
precaution. Col. Arkins had located on the extreme
northern boundary, but within six months from the
completion of the building it was found to be south of
the businesss center, so rapid had been the city's ad
vancement. Although unlooked for at the time. Col. Arkins'
[125]

sagacity had prompted the leaving of a five-foot open
space to the south, that the printers might not be de
prived of light. For ten feet of that space, or an area
of 5x10 feet, one-story high, soon was rented for a news
and tobacco stand, the modest rental of $45 a month be
ing cheerfully paid by the lessee, John M. Whitton, a
pioneer newspaper man from Deadwood, who enjoyed
the distinction of being the first man employed by the
Chronicle Publishing Company, and placed in charge of
its circulation. With the addition of a number of rudely constructed
sleeping bunks in the corners and the loft, the little
20x30 slab shanty was ready for the reception of the
presses and other material some days before arrival.
Col. Arkins had made contracts for advertising, but
here his sagacity had utterly failed him, for the rates
were so out of proportion to the cost of everything that
it would have been madness to attempt to fulfill their
terms; hence arose the embarrassing necessity of ap
pealing to the merchants for cancellation of the old, and
the signing of new contracts. The cheerfulness with
which this awkward appeal was complied with indicates
the fairness and broad-mindedness of the early mercan
tile firms.
Presses and other machinery in place, type distrib
uted and help engaged, every preparation was found
complete for launching the little daily on the afternoon
of Thursday, January, 29, 1879.
At the outset, power was lacking to drive the ma-
fchinery, and two burly negroes were engaged to turn
the driving wheel of the cylinder newspaper press. The
dollar an hour agreed to be paid to each for this service
was not considered excessive.
But the high cost of everything deemed essential
had well nigh depleted the company's treasury, and the
[126]

evening before the initial publication the three doubting
and distraught founders of the enterprise held a solemn
conclave to determine the weighty problem as to whether
they could afford to buy a hand-saw and buckj with
which to work up the office fuel, each having discovered
that an axe was not adapted to the pulpy nature of the
only wood obtainable.
Probably never before was a daily newspaper
launched without a subscription list previously obtained.
But the Chronicle started without a solitary subscriber.
The people had been disappointed in the performance of
pledges made by the two morning papers, that had
slipped in and begun publication while our plant was
snowed in on the Kansas plains, and were ready to wel
come the product of three men whom the Denver papers
had assured them were "live wires." We felt well as
sured that we should meet with the success merited —
that, if we should succeed in creating a real newspaper,
it would sell.
But our most ambitious hopes and optimistic calcu
lations as to the patronage that would be extended were
so far exceeded that realization came in the nature of a
shock. We had been entirely too modest, and, conse
quently, suffered by our excessive conservatism. I had
determined to be satisfied with initial sales of 500 copies.
The capacity of the press was 1,800 an hour, but at first
the production did not exceed 1,500. The machine was
started at 3 o'clock, and it was not until six hours later
that the clamoring crowd in front of the office dispersed,
their appetite sated. Nine thousand papers had been
printed and sold by newsboys and over the counter ! This
exceeded many times the entire population of the city at
the time, and is accounted for by scores of orders of
from one to five hundred from mine owners and mana
gers, promoters and real estate operators.
[127]

But this phenomenal reception was disconcerting.
Should it be repeated for a week or two, our summer's
supply of print paper might be exhausted before fresh
invoices could be secured. The Chronicle was a five-
column folio, not much larger than a theatre program.
Before retiring the first night I telegraphed for ma
terial for enlargement and additional supplies of paper.
Subsequently the journal went through all the
changes from a five to a six, seven, eight and nine
column folio ; and then to a twelve column quarto — eight
pages and supplement.
By the first of May the street sales averaged five
thousand a day, with two thousand subscribers served
by carrier, so rapid was the growth of the city.
And before that date the lights in the offices of our
morning contemporaries, the Eclipse and the Reveille,
had forever gone out, leaving the Chronicle master of
the field.

[128]

Animated Street Scene in Lead^'ille, Winter of 1878-9
Sketch of the Early Leadville, Before Honored with a Name

CHAPTER XXX.
Phenomenal Success of the Carbonate Chronicle
$3,500 FOR 10,000 Copies
Emboldened by the phenomenal reception accorded
the daily, the publication of a nine column folio, with the
caption: "Carbonate Weekly Chronicle," was begun.
This met with instant success at home and before long
was being mailed to nearly every State in the Union. In
Iowa alone it boasted of eight hundred subscribers.
Pen pictures of the unique and wonderful city above
the clouds had proven wholly inadequate to portray its
principal features, and the strange and wierd scenes
rapidly following one another in the streets. The de
mand for pictures was universal, and I made them a
leading feature of the weekly pubhcation.
The standing order of four local newsdealers called
for 10,000 copies of that publication, while other ven
ders took a smaHer number. The price to dealers was
seven cents, to the public ten cents. Wagon loads went
out each week to every quarter of the globe, and not a
few to Europe.
It was regularly kept on file at the Paris office of the
New York Herald, the Anglo-American Bank, and
similar public places in the chief cities of the continent.
The special editions sent out on the first of each
January met with astonishing sales. The first venture
in this line was on New Year's day, 1880. It was
patterned after such publications as the Ladies' Home
Journal, printed on fine calendered book paper, and pro
fusely illustrated with half tones of scenes typical of
mining camps and mining camp life.
[129]

The home facilities for such a publication were
wholly inadequate; hence, I contracted with the New
York Graphic, the first illustrated daily in the country,
for the printing. When all other details had been ar
ranged, I was asked how many copies would be required,
and when I said sixty thousand, the Graphic man
gasped with astonishment. He declared that twenty-
five thousand copies of the holiday number of the
Graphic was all the metropolis of the country would
consume. Sixty thousand for a wild and woolly mining
camp, on the dome of the continent, was to him un
thinkable; and I later learned that, before signing the
contract, he inquired of my bank references, not only
as to my financial standing but as to my sanity as well.
But I knew the people and the market, and my judg
ment was confirmed on New Year's day following by
the sale of the last number before the sun went down
over Mount Massive. The retail price was 50 cents a
copy; newsdealers' rate 35 cents. One dealer, Ben
Gardner, later a prominent stationer of Los Angeles,
handed us a check on New Year's eve for $3,500 for
ten thousand copies. And this before seeing even a
sample copy.
I took the precaution of insuring the sheets, while in
process, for $10,000. Although the cost of publication
was excessive, I was able to carry $7,500 to the profit
side of the ledger for that single issue.
Ever since 1880, on each recurring New Year's day,
a special edition of the Carbonate Chronicle stiU goes
out to the world, telling the thrilling story of the year's
events, the production of mines, and the performance of
smelters — none so elaborate, perhaps, as that initial
number, but always bulky, and crowded with attractive
features, pictorial and letter-press.

[130]

CHAPTER XXXI.
Fifty Thousand to the Good the First Year — Vale
Arkins and Burnell
The balance sheet at the end of the first twelvemonth
disclosed astonishing totals. I had, within that time,
purchased and paid for the interests of both my partners.
For Mr. Burnell's interest, the Company (Col. Arkins
and myself) paid more than the combined capital of the
three at the inception of the enterprise, three months
previously, and for Col. Arkins' half interest I paid,
before the close of the first year, $15,000, he having en
joyed several dividends in the meantime. I had added
a story to the Chronicle building, augmented the
equipment of the plant, cleared off the debt to the type
foundry, and increased the bank balance to $29,000.
AH this in a building 20x30, from which went out
three editions of the Evening Chronicle and a monster
weekly. The job printing department was so crowded with
orders that it was necessary to run the presses day and
night, nor did the thunder of the clanking cyHnders
seem to disturb the slumbers of either Davis, Arkins,
Burnell, or the eleven other men, editors and printers,
stowed away in narrow bunks against the wall and above
the ceiling, although these latter did sometimes complain
of the snow sifting in upon their couches and into their
faces at night.
Mr. Burnell withdrew from the company at the close
of the first quarter, attracted by the seeming greater
inducement to engage in active mining operations. I
parted with him with extreme reluctance, for sentimen-
[131]

tal as well as business reasons. Primarily it had been his
enterprise. He had been the original discoverer. But
for his sagacity it never would have been undertaken.
He had wholly taken from my shoulders all responsi
bility for the proper working of the mechanical depart
ment, and had been a good counselor and loyal friend.
Before long he made a fortunate strike in a Red CHff
mine, parting with it one hundred thousand dollars to
the good, and later duplicated his experience in other
districts. A few years later, unable longer to resist
the allurement of the print-shop and the smell of
printer's ink, he purchased a large interest in the Rocky
Mountain News at Denver, the ownership of which had
been acquired by Col. Arkins, and became its Business
Manager. In this capacity he at once won distinction,
soon increasing the value of the property from a few
thousand dollars to half a million, upon which valuation
he later parted with his half interest.
Col. Arkins' withdrawal was involuntary, his phy
sicians cautioning him that he could not hope to survive
the rigors of cHmate and altitude. Parting with him
was not easy, since he was one of the most genial,
companionable and lovable characters that ever came
into my life. He had, during our brief association,
performed more than his part, borne more than his share
of the burden, and perhaps contributed more than my
self to the phenomenal initial success of the Chronicle,
In the broader field of Denver, which he soon after en
tered, he rapidly arose to distinction as a versatile
editorial writer and political commentator.
Before dismissing these "old pals" I must revive a
story told of the three, by that incomparable wit and
practical joker, the late Eugene Field, then editor of the
Denver Tribune. The yarn had little foundation in fact
— just sufficient to hang a story upon and Field's pro-
[132]

duction speedily went the rounds of the press. As before
stated, the demand for printed stationery was pressing.
Hundreds of business houses of all sorts were being
established, and all were impatient for their letter heads,
cards, envelopes and invoices. Such a dialogue as this,
then, was not uncommon :
Customer: "What is your price for a thousand
letter heads ?"
Burnell : "Fifteen dollars."
Customer : "All right. When can I have them ?"
Burnell: "Some time next week."
Customer : "Can't wait. I'll give you twenty dollars
if you will get them out this week."
If, as alleged, it became habitual with Burnell to
postpone delivery until "some time next week," possibly
he may escape serious criticism.
Field's story ran something after this fashion :
A gambler desired some numbers, 1 to 0, printed in
big type on card board, for use in a game of chance of
questionable sort. Characteristic of that liberal class,
the gambler neglected to ask the price, and BurneU
entered the order on his job register, fixing the charge
at $10. Davis, scanning the register, noted the entry, and
demurred to the price, declaring that we would be jus
tified in holding up such a disreputable character as the
one in question.
BurneH changes the charge price from $10 to $20.
Enter Arkins, who is appealed to by Burnell for
justification of the charge. "Sure," replies Arkins, "He
is a disreputable whelp, deserving of no consideration.
Besides, he'll pay $30 as quickly as $20."
The charge price is again changed.
Then Whitton, the circulator, comes in, and BurneU
inquires about the gambler.
[133]

"Know him?" repHes Whitton, "I should say I do.
Why, he's an escaped convict from the Dakota peniten
tiary. If you are doing work for him, slap on the price.
He is in an unlawful business, and wiH not dare to
squeal." Advised as to the charge and the successive raises,
Whitton finally advises making it $50.
To this BurneH agrees, providing Whitton will de
liver the goods and make the collection. After satisfying
himself that the cards had been correctly printed, the
gambler draws a check for $50 and hands it to Whitton
without a word, but as the latter turns to depart, he is
hailed by the Bad Man from Dakota with : "John, I was
a thief once myself, you know. But, isn't this price a
Httle high?"

[1S4J

CHAPTER XXXII.
Fight for Title — Difficulties in Procuring
News — Deadwood Destroyed
By the 1st of July the country road upon which the
Chronicle office had been erected developed into a broad
street, and was pretty solidly built up on both sides for
a distance of three blocks. This was named Harrison
Avenue, in honor of Edwin Harrison, President of the
St. Louis Smelting and Refining Company, a corpora
tion that, by means of resurveys and questionable testi
mony before the Land Office officials, in which I feel
well assured Mr. Harrison took no part and had no
knowledge, had acquired title to a large portion of the
area north of Chestnut Street, over which the city was
rapidly extending.
The contract made with it by Col. Arkins, before my
arrival, provided that the Chronicle Publishing Com
pany should have a deed for its lot for a "nominal"
consideration. Not satisfied with the ambiguous clause, I sought to
have the Smelting Company define its meaning in
figures, before the patent was issued by the government.
Twenty-five doHars would have been such "nominal"
price at the time the Smelting Company applied for
title, but in the meantime realty values were advancing
by leaps and bounds, and the best compromise I could
make was the insertion of $750 in the contract.
Ordinarily, that would have closed the incident. But
after receipt of patent I tendered $750 and demanded a
[136]

deed, only to be laughed at for my tender. The repre
sentative of the Smelting Company repudiated the
contract, and advised me that I could have the alterna
tive of paying $3,000 for the lot or abandoning it.
Suit in ejectment followed, and, after three years of
litigation, Judge Hallett, of the federal court, decreed
that I should have a deed for $750.
The Smelter people, in the interim, had paid taxes
on the lot, which they could not recover, and the prop
erty in the meantime, small as it was, had advanced in
value to more than ten times the contract price. Indeed,
$8,000 had been offered for it, and refused, two months
after the first issue of the Chronicle.
One reason for the early demise of the pioneer morn
ing papers, the Eclipse and Reveille, and perhaps the
major reason, was that they made no attempt to furnish
their readers with telegraphic news. There was but a
single wire connecting the city with the capital, and
commercial business almost completely monopolized it.
Knowing that the Western Union could not deliver
the Associated Press report to the Chronicle, we em
ployed a correspondent at Denver, to skim the columns
of the world's news from the Denver morning papers
and send it to the Chronicle in cipher. The few hundred
words thus wired were extended to the limit, and made
to fill a page of our little paper. Col Arkins did the
"padding" of this skeleton report, and I greatly fear he
at times wove into the daily story features not wholly
warranted. Thus, upon occasion, we received two hundred
words, descriptive of a fire in Deadwood. Leadville
was full of people from the Black Hills, all of whom it
was presumed would be intensely interested in the in
cident. With the assistance of Circulator Whitton, who
had recently come from Deadwood and was acquainted
[136]

HYDRAULIC MINING
Breakingr down the Banks
in California Gulch

PLACER MINING
Sluicing for Gold in
California Gulch

A CITY FEATURE
Dumc of the Penrose 30
feet above street level

CALIFORNIA GULCH
Scene of Early "Worlc, Showing Primitive
Ssir.T>l7n£^ ¦"'"orks

with aU of its people. Col. Arkins built up a vivid story of
the calamity, a full column in length, giving the losses
and insurance in extenso, and set it off with a "scare"
heading so luminous as to warrant the reader in believ
ing but little of Deadwood remained. A diagram of the
burned district also was given. No city in history was
ever so quickly and neatly removed from the map as
was Deadwood on that, occasion.
Sales of the paper were greatly augmented that day.
A fortnight later, when exchanges from the place were
received, it was with difficulty an account of the fire
could be located, the Deadwood papers having dismissed
the incident with a single short paragraph !
Wire trouble was frequent, and sometimes truly ex
asperating. It was not an uncommon thing for members
of the Chronicle force to get into the field and assist the
Western Union linemen in restoring a fallen pole or
grounded wire, in order to expedite service.
Before spring arrived there came a demand for the
Chronicle in the neighboring towns of Kokomo and Rob
inson, Summit County, eighteen miles distant, and
over a mountain range of thirteen thousand feet ele
vation. To supply this demand an early edition was
issued and dispatched in a sleigh over that waste of
snow and ice.
It was an arduous task for the driver, but he never
failed to reach destination in time for the rustling
newsies to serve three thousand subscribers, and af
fright the frosty mountain air of the eyries at sunset
with the legend: "Here's your Evening Chronicle! All
about the shipwreck in California Gulch !"
We had a noble band of these Arabs on the Chronicle
and I always felt well repaid for any particular attention
accorded them. Knowing all, I was one day attracted
by the appearance of a new acquisition, the most dimin-
[137]

utive chap I had ever seen in the trade. Hailing him,
I said :
"Where do you get your papers, young fellow?"
"Oh, I buy 'em of Johnny Green."
"Oh, you buy them of Johnny Green ! What do you
pay for them ?"
"Five cents."
"What do you sell them for?"
"Five cents."
"Well, you don't seem to make any profit, at that
rate. What do you do it for?"
"Oh, just to get to holler,"
Meeting another, one day, I thus saluted him :
"How are you getting on, Walter ?"
"Oh, I'm gettin' on fine, Mr. Davis; I've got a
system." "Oho, you've got a system ? Well, well, what's your
system." "Well, I made up my mind that whenever I lose one
subscriber, I'll just go out and get two new ones."
I assured him no one could beat a system like that,
energetically pursued. The same little chap, before the
end of the first year, had earned the price of two cabins,
which he rented at good figures.

[1381

CHAPTER XXXIII.
Order Out of Chaos — City Flooded — Office
Fortified — Life in Jeopardy
Prior to the advent of the Chronicle, chaos prevailed
in the location and identification of freight, for it must
be remembered that within a period of six months near
ly sixty thousand persons were being added to the
population. All had to be housed, clothed and fed, and
every requirement had to be transported hundreds of
miles over rough mountain roads. As the "end of the
track" advanced from week to week, machinery and
merchandise of every conceivable description was piled
upon the right of way in the uttermost confusion.
Wagon freighters were unable to handle the enormous
tonnage offered. Hundreds of loaded wagons arrived
daily, and their cargoes dumped in confused heaps with
in twenty enormous warehouses, without attempt at
sorting, classifying or indexing. Merchants with wait
ing storerooms and clamoring customers were f renzieQ
by their inability to secure consignments after arrival.
Great difficulty also was experienced in locating in
dividuals. Twenty monster coaches would dump their
passengers in the street at aH times of the night, and
within an hour they would be lost in the crowds that
surged up and down Chestnut Street, or in the hills back
of town. There were neither street names or house numbers ;
the utmost confusion prevailed, until the Chronicle
solved the problem, and almost within a day order and
system was established and maintained.
A representative of the newspaper, stationed at the
[139]

end of the track, daily secured the names of passengers,
and copied the way-bills of the railway in extenso, tele
graphing the information as fast as compiled. Thus,
readers of the Chronicle were advised as to those that
would arrive the following day and by which stage line,
and shippers were informed as to which transportation
line was bringing in their freight, of what it consisted,
date of probable arrival, and to what warehouse
consigned. The Chronicle lost no subscribers by this stroke of
enterprise. Ninety per cent, of the people were directly
interested in the two propositions. Virtually everybody
had to have the Chronicle,
Rapid increase in circulation necessitated the sub
stitution of some kind of power for the two darkies em
ployed to turn the cylinder of the big newspaper press.
Upon completion of the water works a turbine water
wheel was introduced, and during the summer of '79
filled every requirement; but, when winter came, the
water discharged from the pipes froze in the gutters of
Harrison Avenue and overflowed half the town. This
trouble had not been anticipated, and before the water
wheel could be exchanged for a steam engine, scores of
merchants were threatening damage suits.
We telegraphed an order, appealed to the railroads
to expedite the shipment, and offered a bonus of $100 to
the freighter that should land the engine in the office
within thirty days.
The wagon freight on that boiler and engine, from
the end of the track, at ten cents a pound, far exceeded
the railway expense bill from Troy, N.Y.
During that thirty days' period of waiting we were
put to our wits' end to keep the office from being mobbed
by sufferers from the overflow. But the Chief of Police
and Sheriff finally came to our relief, loaning the ser-
[140]

vices of a Httle army of prisoners from city and county
jails. At times a hundred men were required to keep
the gutter open to CaHfornia Gulch.
Perhaps the gravest problem was to maintain a
stock of news print paper, since at times supplies were
on the road for two months. In such crises it became
necessary to send mounted couriers out along the sev
eral transportation lines, instructed to find freighters
with consignments of paper and offer handsome bonuses
to the one first arriving. Once only did it happen that
the last sheet was being fed to the press when a fresh
supply appeared in sight.
To suspend publication for a single day would have
inflicted immeasurable damage upon the mining indus
try. Many columns were filled with advertisements of
patents pending, a legal requirement of the government
of sixty days' continuous publication. The lapse of a
single issue would have necessitated a republication of
them all, the delay inviting the filing of adverse claims.
Upon our fidelity in strictly complying with this regula
tion rnight involve the title to claims valued in hundreds
of thousands, if not milHons, of doHars.
Difficulty was at times experienced in procuring even
so common a commodity as coal oil, sole dependence for
lighting purposes, and I not infrequently stood in line
for an hour behind an oil wagon, waiting my turn to be
served, at a dollar a gallon.
Before the installation of a water system, that essen
tial was purchased of peddlers at 50 cents a barrel. My
order for an empty barrel was filled at the end of a
three weeks' wait, and the final possession of that barrel,
my dear reader, might easily have cost me my life.
The merchant, Mr. Geo. B. Robinson, directed me to
a warehouse at the rear of his store, where a barrel had
been set aside for me, but a burly miner from the Black
[141]

Hills got to it first. He towered above me a full six
feet ; there was apparent in his features a set determina
tion, while in his belt dangled two six shooters.
It didn't take him long to convince me that I didn't
want that particular barrel at aH, though by all the rules
of law and equity, not to mention courtesy, it was my
property. I had ordered it, waited three weeks for de
livery, and paid three dollars for it. I believe I apol
ogized for coveting the barrel at all, and timidly backed
out of the warehouse while he was rolling it out of an
other door ! As a reward for my patience, Mr. Robinson
soon supplied me with another barrel.
Early in the history of the Chronicle, S. C. Beckwith,
New York representative of the Kansas City Times,
wrote for authority to act as our agent in the metropoHs.
His credentials being satisfactory, an exclusive agency
for the Eastern States was given him. On a visit to New
York, two months later, I found Beckwith installed in
a badly equipped office, in a dingy loft in Park Place.
This was not likely to impress large advertisers. He
was just starting and not able to plunge. I authorized
him to lease the finest obtainable suite in the Tribune
Building, telling him if the Kansas City Times would
not share in the expense of suitably furnishing it, he
could draw upon me for the entire cost.
The genius in his make-up had not escaped me. The
arrangement made with him as agent proved a master
stroke. The business secured for the Chronicle from
Eastern advertisers aggregated many thousand dollars
annually. From time to time he was permitted to take
on other non-competing newspapers, until the "S. C.
Beckwith Special Newspaper Agency" came to be recog
nized as the largest in the country. Beckwith possessed
a large quantity of gray matter. Its pre-emption by the
Chronicle proved immensely profitable.
[142]

In the course of time Beckwith wrote me that the
leading newspaper men of England and America were
arranging a pretentious banquet, to be given in London,
in honor of Mr. Barrett, advertising manager of Pears'
soap, the largest patron in Europe of American news
papers, and soliciting a contribution toward the expense
of the elaborate function. I responded with a check,
accompanied by a copy of the Evening Chronicle, wholly
printed on white satin, and carrying an advertisement
of Pears' soap in the center of the first page.
This unique souvenir of a journal, printed at an
elevation two miles above the sea, was presented to Mr.
Barrett at the banquet, eliciting the attention and admir
ation of the hundreds of guests present from all over the
continent. Years later, when a wide-spread financial
crisis dictated curtailment of advertising in America,
the Leadville Evening Chronicle was the only paper in
Colorado that escaped the sweeping retrenchment order.
Casting bread upon the waters sometimes is expen
sive, but there are occasions when it is returned multi
plied an hundred fold.

[143]

CHAPTER XXXIV.
Startling Disintegration of the Working Force —
One Man Only at the Helm
I assume that, ere this, the reader wiH have con
cluded that the publication of a daily newspaper in Lead
ville was a trifle difficult. I have really related but a
few of many instances suggesting it. Surplus men,
skilled in journalism, were never wont to hibernate
where altitude and cost of living were on a level. Edi
tors and printers had to be imported from Denver or
farther East.
Before the paper was four months old Col. Arkins
was attacked by pneumonia, and it was arranged to send
him to the valley.
The same day the advertising manager received tel
egraphic announcement that his wife was dying in Mis
souri, and he decided to accompany Col. Arkins.
That night the pressman died, and the next day, be
fore Arkins and Manager Pritchett had fairly cleared
the outskirts, word came to me that five printers had be
come ill, presumably from drinking water from a spring,
discovered the day before in the mountains.
The working force eight men short on that memor
able Monday morning, made the prospect of an issue of
the paper exceedingly doubtful, but with a fair represen
tation of editorial, local and telegraphic news matter, I
closed the forms at 4 o'clock, threw on the power, and
took the pressman's place at the feed board.
It well may be doubted if ever, before or since, an
[144]

HON. THOS. M. PATTERSON
Journalist, Bx-U. S. Senator

HON. SIMOX GUGGENHEIM
Mine and Smelter Owner,
Ex-U. S. Senator
HON. HENRY M. TELLER
Ex-Secretary of Interior,
Ex-U. S. Senator
HON. PETER W. BREENE MAXEY TABOR
Ex-Lieut. Governor, Prominent Hotel Man and
Ex-State TrensiirP.j- ""^  '^--'¦urer

issue of a daily newspaper was accomplished practically
by a single individual.
While the paper was being printed that day one of
the most remarkable characters I ever met edged his
way into the press room. Without stopping the machine
to learn his mission, I yet was able to scan his stolid
features and eccentric garb, and, mentally to speculate as
to his proper place in the economy of nature, if indeed
he could claim place. Certain I was that his counter
part had never been seen. Five feet nine inches in
height, weighing nearly two hundred pounds, with broad
chest and well shaped, muscular limbs, he was a verit
able Hercules in physical appearance. He had a shapely
head, crowned with a wealth of black hair, straight as
that of an Indian, eyes of the same hue, set far back, a
heavy mustache falling over a distinctly overhanging
jaw. Every feature was indicative of strength, but aside
from that characteristic, it would be difficult to deter
mine whether he was a peasant newly arrived from
Hungary or the Balkan States, an emigrant from
Western Pennsylvania, a Sherlock Holmes in one of his
many disguises, or a plain clothes man from Scotland
Yard. His trousers, of coarse material, were tucked in
rough horse-hide boots ; his other visible garment was a
diminutive jacket or "wamus," the whole surmounted
with a poHceman's cap!
Introducing himself as Seth Payne, he said he was
a newspaper man in search of work.
I much doubted him, and under ordinary conditions
would have turned him down without ceremony. But
the circumstances were distinctly extraordinary, and,
without waste of words or time, I assigned him to the
streets, to gather what news he might for the morrow's
paper. Before 7 o'clock the next morning the copy hook
was loaded with local intelligence, stories of exceeding
[145]

great human interest, and "personals" that fairly sizzled
with wit, humor, irony and pathos. Let me give an
illustration of his "style:"
"John Henderson, an escaped convict from the
Indiana penitentiary, arrived in the city last evening.
He is quartered at 316 Hemlock Street, adjoining the
Last Chance Saloon. Six feet two inches in height,
black hair, florid complexion, deep scar on left temple.
Expects to locate permanently."
This, perhaps, would be followed by a minute de
scription of the personnel of a Bishop of the Episcopal
faith, including every detail of his attire, how he ap
peared as he entered the dining room of the Grand Hotel,
and appended with a list of items selected from the menu
for the evening meal, the only possible inference being
that the reverend gentleman was a gourmand, wholly
deficient in spiritual characteristics.
No reputable journal in this day and generation
would give place to such atrocious caricaturing of a di
vine, distinguished or lacking in distinction, but it was
highly acceptable to a large element of the population,
and I printed it, without much thought as to the deep
humiliation it might cause the Bishop. That he took
the outgoing coach the following day is not surprising.
As for the "escaped convict" item, I felt it might prove
expensive to me before the subject should leave the
camp. From all quarters of the globe there congregated in
Leadville, in 1879, all manner of wicked persons — mur
derers, thieves, bunco-steerers, confidence men, good
and bad members of the gambling fraternity, pickpock
ets, thugs, yeggs, and promoters of all sorts of swind
ling enterprises.
Every day brought its round of crimes, committed
[146]

the night before, and as time passed and they were un-
niolested by the almost powerless peace officers, they
grew bolder in their operations.
The Chronicle had just begun a merciless crusade
against this element, determined to drive it out of town.
In pursuit of this policy, Payne was in his element. His
looks, dress and general make-up greatly aided him in
his savage probing, since no one so much as guessed his
identity. He had the courage to write the truth, and
the Chronicle had the courage to print what he wrote.
When the chiefs of the outlaws came to realize that
It was to be a relentless crusade, they sent their emissa
ries to me in the hope that I could be bought off. They
reasoned and plead, cajoled and threatened, but all to
no purpose. In their boldness they did not hesitate,
through agents, to parley with me over the counter,
brazenly offering to share plunder with me upon a per
centage basis, or to give a fixed sum per diem for my
silence. My bookkeeper was a human dictograph, and every
proposition made was taken down at the time, subse
quently extended and published in extenso in the next
issue, names and description of the emissaries never
omitted. Discouraged by their efforts at bribery, they re
sorted to threats of personal violence toward myself and
members of the staff, and to raid the plant and burn it
down. It was at this juncture I first barricaded the of
fice and armed the employes.
Before the crusade had reached this extreme Hmit
of peril, inn amusing incident occurred. Payne, his iden
tity wholly unsuspected, was watching the games in a
large gambling hall adjoining the Grand Central Thea
tre, and apparently became absorbed in a particularly
brazen bunco scheme operated by "Doc" Baggs, one of
[147]

the most widely known all-around swindlers of the
country. Finally Payne was importuned to take a hand,
but pleading that his funds were in his room, he turned
to leave, feeling that the atmosphere was getting a trifle
too warm for him. He was followed to the door by a
"capper" for Baggs, to whom, in order to bring the mat
ter to a cHmax, he tendered his card :
"SETH PAYNE,
"City Editor Chronicle,"
The capper, who had sized him up as an easy mark,
was almost petrified by the intelligence that the intended
victim was none other than the hated reporter who was
firing such hot shot into the camp of his cult three times
a day. Had the disclosure been made while yet in the
jungle, there is no conjecturing what might have hap
pened. Instead of exploding, however, the capper became
convulsed with laughter over the contretemps, and
grasping Payne's hand he gave to it a cordial shake,
invited him to revisit the den that night, and promised
to give him enough material to make a good story.
The invitation was accepted, but as a precautionary
measure, I accompanied Payne, and both were highly
entertained by an extended description of all the games
and how they were employed to wrest money from the
unsuspecting. Payne's report upon that evening's de
velopment speedily went the rounds of the press of the
country. Seth Payne held the position of City Editor for two
years. I soon learned that he was not, as at first pre
sumed, a product of the far West. His native habitat
had been New Jersey, and he was the founder of the
[148]

Jersey City Times, He had previously enjoyed the dis
tinction of being the brightest and wittiest paragrapher
on the Atlantic Coast. His "style" had upon occasion
landed him in the penitentiary, convicted of criminal li
bel, and while incarcerated he wrote a book upon the
treatment of prisoners in penal institutions that had a
large sale. Mrs. Payne managed the Times during the
entire period of his confinement.
Payne's eccentricities were not wholly confined to
dress. During his lengthy connection with the Chron
icle he never wrote a line in the office — always and in
variably at the precise locality where the "bones" for his
article were discovered. The end of a counter, or con
venient beer barrel in saloon or gambling den, a newly-
made grave in the cemetery, the surface of a wall in the
city bastile, the steps of a church, bench in park or school
room — wherever the news originated, there Payne would
sit down, were there a seat, or stand up in its absence,
and write his story, handing into the office the "copy" so
produced in passing.
Thus it happened, in writing a description of a forest
fire that had reached the outskirts of the city, and threat
ened its destruction, he remained in an abandoned cabin
until the roof caught fire and fell upon his devoted head,
and so intent was he, even then, that he be allowed to
finish his story there, that he had to be forcibly pulled
out by the members of the fire department.
Suffering from insomnia, Payne was in the habit
of frequently changing his sleeping quarters, in the hope
that in a different environment he might fare better,
until he hit upon the idea that in the soHtude and "dim
religious light" of the sanctuary he might find rest. Rev.
Tom UzzeH, the "fighting parson," accorded him access
to the Methodist Church, behind the pulpit of which, and
on the floor, but well wrapped in blankets, he thereafter
[149]

found an abundance of "Nature's sweet restorer," nor
was he ever known to look for other accommodations.
Another notable eccentricity, the occasional exercise
of which almost drove me to hard drink, was his prone-
ness to drop out of sight, without hint left at office as to
why or wherefore. Thus would he wander off into the
mountains and remain for days at a time, resuming his
duties when fancy dictated, but without explanation of
his mysterious disappearance or apology for the incon
venience occasioned the management.
I cheerfully overlooked these extraordinary lapses,
realizing the impossibility of replacing him. To the con
tinued fame of the Chronicle, as a live wire in the jour
nalistic field, he was at the time well nigh indispensa
ble. But the Great Reaper came noiselessly along one
bleak November day, and thereafter Seth Payne had no
difficulty in sleeping. Under the soughing pines of Ever
green, beneath the shadows of Mount Massive, with per
petual ice and snow for a winding sheet, we mournfully
laid him, lovingly, tenderly, thinking only of his virtues,
piecing out his imperfections with our thoughts.
In sooth he was a man.
His daily toil and rough hardships of an arduous Hfe
Making some rude and rugged —
Filled him stiH
With kindly courtesy.
flis faults, say you?
Aye, if he knew one such
'Twas overbourne by the great good he wrought.

[160]

CHAPTER XXXV.
The Retort Final — "A Thief by Instinct, a Black
mailer BY Profession"
Col. Arkins' mantle had fallen upon the capable
shoulders of Major Henry Ward, U. S. Army, retired,
who for years had lent to the editorial pages of the Den
ver Tribune its brightest gems of wit and wisdom. A
man of mature years, scholarly and dignified, his con
scientious work at once gave the Chronicle commanding
position along with its elders in the field of Colorado
journalism. Major Ward was a man of wonderful
poise and self-control, complete master of his emotions,
and I recall but one instance, during his long connection
with the paper, when he gave vent to consuming inward
fires. A local morning contemporary, edited by a fire-
eating "Colonel," one Bartow, had for years proceeded
upon the theory that an issue of his newspaper that did
not contain an abusive thrust at the owner of the Chron
icle was a dismal failure.
Major Ward was restive under my policy of silence.
One morning he came in visibly agitated over a particu
larly scurrilous diatribe directed at me by Col. Bartow.
The latter had a distinctly bad personal record, familiar
to -Major Ward, and upon this occasion the latter plead
with me to permit him to pay his respects to the libeler.
"Let me write 'two sticks' about him," pleaded the
Major, "and I'll wager he'H never again mention you or
your paper."
I yielded, more as a concession to the man who had
been so loyal to me than through desire for reprisal, and
[151]

the result was the most illuminating exposure of a
wicked pretender I ever remember to have seen in print.
One of the Major's mildest expletives, that I now recall,
held up the offending Colonel as a "thief by instinct and
a blackmailer by profession."
The article was actionable in every line and para
graph, but Bartow knew the laws of Colorado permitted
the truth of publication to be set up in justification, and
he had no disposition to have his bankrupt reputation
aired in a court of justice.
Major Ward's conjecture proved correct. Bartow
never again referred to the Chronicle or its proprietor.
However, Major Ward's bitter castigation rankled in
the Colonel's bosom, and it was rightly surmised that he
would either chaHenge me to the field of combat or seek
an encounter with me in the streets. I was urged to arm
myself, and more as a concession to the fears of my
associates in the office than apprehension of possible con
sequences — really in a spirit of ironical mockery — I per
mitted them to lay on my table, in full view of passers-by
in the street, two loaded six-shooters. This hasty prep
aration had scarcely been completed, when the pompous
Colonel was observed approaching. A moment later he
passed the window behind which I sat, obviously saw
the ugly weapons lying before me, and moved hurriedly
by, doubtless mentally wrestling with the conclusive
proposition that :
"He who fights and runs away
May live to fight another day;
But he who in the battle's slain
Will never Hve to fight again."
In later years I embraced an opportunity to even
scores with Col. Bartow. His employers, without an
hour's notice, had dispensed with his services, which
[152]

left him practicaMy penniless to face the rigors of an ap
proaching winter, without provision for his dependent
wife and children.
I had not recognized him since the Ward episode,
but, learning of his unfortunate plight, I sent for him,
extended temporary financial relief, and tendered him
a position suited to his tastes on the Chronicle, This he
gratefully accepted and did yeoman service. He may
at times have winced, when the name of the late la
mented Major Ward was incidentally mentioned in the
office, but I never gave distant hint of the "late unpleas
antness." He was high strung and supersensitive. I, perhaps,
was rather considerate and forgiving. The war between
the North and South again was closed, at an Appomat
tox of my own choosing. Col. Bartow rests at Ever
green, companion of Major Ward, in the dreamless
sleep of the eternal years —
"Under the sod and the dew.
Waiting the judgment day ;
Under the roses the Blue,
Under the Hlies the Gray."

[133]

CHAPTER XXXVI.
First Editor of Harper's Weekly Joins the
Staff — Reporter's Tragic End
Leadville now was attracting a better class of people,
a higher order of intelligence and culture, and the hilar
ious roundelay of the days of '79 was gradually giving
way to a more quiet and decorous civilization. Changed
and changing conditions called for corresponding im
provement in the tone and policy of the paper. Without
sacrificing the distinctly "yellow" feature of the local
pages, for which there yet was a pronounced demand, I
supplemented thrilling narratives with a literary depart
ment, placing it in charge of Harry Norton, "Poet of
the Sierras," who came to me with the prestige of years
of cultured toil on the press of the Pacific Slope. "Fern
Leaves," and other volumes of verse, had estabhshed
his reputation as a poet. Adapting his muse to the
unique environment of Leadville and its cosmopolitan
population, that department of the Chronicle was in
stantly received with joyful acclaim, and its popularity
maintained. George Wallihan, author of the "Scarlet Letter,"
and one of the conspicuous characters in a nation-wide
scandal of the period (not related to the Hawthorne
Scarlet Letter, however) was next enrolled amongst the
galaxy of stars in the newspaper firmament of the Far
West, and contributed immeasurably to the steadily in
creasing fame of the Chronicle,
The paper had come to be as profitable as popular.
Hence, I was able to hang up seductive salaries, and to
[164]

JAMES MacCARTHY ("Fitz Mac")
Literary Editor Leadville
Herald-Democrat
COL. JOHN BONNER
Mining Authority, Editor Leadville
Clironicle
HENRY C. BUTLER
Latter-Day Dean of Leadville

JAMES RILAND
City Editor Leadville Herald-
Democrat
EDWARD R. COWEN
Managing Editor Leadville Herald-
Democrat
SETH PAYNE
¦n^r-f.^^-itr-i--: CiW ?^^dUor Leadville

pick my material without much reference to cost. Thus,
in turn, I engaged the services of Col. John Bonner, a
profound writer on political economy, philosophical com
mentator and historian, author of "Child's History of
the World," an editorial writer on the New York Herald
back in the 50s, and the first editor of Harper's Weekly,
Coming from England in early life, he located in the
metropoHs, and engaged in banking ; but in the historical
financial crisis of '73 his concern became deeply in
volved. Col. Bonner emerged from Wall Street with
an unsatisfied judgment against him of $250,000. While
in my employ he obtained a thirty days' leave, to enable
him to return to New York to endeavor to have this
incubus removed. Failing in the undertaking, he came
back to Leadville, to resume his labors with the enormous
burden still upon his shoulders.
Graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, but especiafly
equipped with technical knowledge of geology, mineral
ogy and ore occurrence, he built up for the Chronicle a
reputation as a mining authority nation-wide in its
scope, and surviving to this day. So capable was he in
this field that he came to be regarded as a seer, and
when his views seemed to conflict with periodical reports
of the United States Geological Survey, local mine own
ers and managers inclined to the opinion of Col. Bon
ner, rather than to those of Prof. Emmons and other
illustrious mineralogists and metallurgists of the bureau.
In 1897 I met Col. Bonner for the last time. Al
though past eighty, he enjoyed a fair degree of health,
and his activities would have taxed the strength and en
durance of many men his junior. Besides editing the
San Francisco Bulletin, he was contributing signed arti
cles to other coast journals, as well as to various Eastern
periodicals, walking to the office daily, scorning street
cars in reaching it, and the assistance of stenographers
[166]

when arrived there. A year or two later I was greatly
surprised to learn that he had pushed on almost to the
Arctic Circle, with operating base at Dawson.
Col. Bonner was at times amusingly eccentric. He
would brook no interference, advice or dictation in the
conduct of his mining department, and to "manage" him
without friction called for the exercise of considerable
tact and diplomacy. I recaH but one instance, however,
when our ideas clashed. He insisted upon spelling Czar
with a "T" — and it continued to be speHed that way to
the end of his "reign."
Another valued acquisition to the local staff of the
Chronicle was Henry Thornton. His record was clean
and wholesome, although without special distinction, but
his tragic death warrants a paragraph here. Of a deeply
religious nature, he early allied himself with the Presby
terian church and the good work it was doing in the
riotous mining camp of the period. In the course of
time he recognized a "call" to do missionary work in
Alaska, accepting with the proviso that he first be privi
leged to return to his native Pennsylvania village, marry
the sweet, patient girl who long had been waiting for
him to come out of the Great West with a "stake," and
take her with him. They were assigned to Cape Prince
of Wales, last outpost of civiHzation, with but eighteen
miles of water separating the United States from Si
beria. Bride and groom were the only white residents of a
broad scope of frozen land, the nearest military post
more than a hundred miles down the coast, transpor
tation overland confined to sledges. An occasional
whaler or fishing smack put in at the Cape, but oppor
tunities for getting away depended wholly upon the
fickleness of Chance.
Here Henry and his wife established a mission
[156]

church and school, and devoted themselves assiduously
to the work of regenerating the stolid and sodden Alas
kan Indian. For diversion they "published" a diminu
tive newspaper, filled with interesting news, comment
and gossip, the few copies issued being produced wholly
with pen and ink — red, purple and black — the product
constituting a most unique souvenir of their mission
work. Had they contented themselves with ministering
to the physical requirements of their wards, and given
less heed to their moral uplift, all might have been well,
but a fatal mistake was made in attempting to deprive
the Indians of liquor, procured by swapping pelts with
itinerant traders. Drunkenness was creating havoc in
the tribes, and to the eradication of the evil Henry and
his wife enlisted every faculty.
Unfortunately, he delayed too long the making of an
appeal for protection, and his dalliance cost him his life.
In a lengthy communication to me he pictured the situa
tion and extreme peril of his position, and expressed fear
that a climax at any moment might be precipitated.
I promptly wired the facts to the War Department,
and urged the Colorado delegation in Congress to sup
port my appeal. But, before an expedition could be fit
ted out to succor the unfortunate missionary, a band of
drink-crazed Indians forced their way into his cabin at
night and brutally murdered him before the eyes of his
devoted wife.
Can the reader, keeping in mind the sahent facts,
here briefly recited, conceive of a more desperate situa
tion than that which confronted this fragile American
girl, on that bleak Alaskan shore, and in the deep soHtude
of the long Arctic night, alone with the dead body of her
beloved and devoted husband ! My pen is palsied in con
templation of its duty in depicting the horrors of the
scene. [167]

How, I do not now recall, but in some way, and by
some means involving fresh hardships and new and
terrifying perils, she made her way to the nearest mili
tary post down the coast, returning with a detachment
of soldiers to recover the remains of her husband, by no
means assured of finding them upon arrival, and
haunted with the fear that they may have been mutilated
in her absence by the frenzied authors of her misery.
Brave little woman that she was, to accompany her
husband upon such a mission, her later heroism, in com
ing out with his voiceless remains, pursuing alone the
long journey from the Arctic Circle to the Atlantic
Coast, is calculated to bewilder the imagination.

[158]

CHAPTER XXXVII.
The Brilliant Career of Orth Stein, a Strangely
Contradictory Character
Orth Stein! After more than fifty years of journal
ism and near journalism, involving an acquaintance with
members of the craft from ocean to ocean, from the
Great Lakes to the Gulf, plus a few overseas, I here re
cord a conviction that his peer as a reporter has never
yet been born. And good newspaper men are always
born, never made. At the same time, and I set it down
painfully, there never was another so utterly deficient
in moral turpitude.
His mind was as active as the fan of an aeroplane,
as clear as the tones of a bell ; his instinct keen and alert ;
his insight into the springs of human thought and action
marvelously clear ; his conception of the laws of propor
tion accurate; his judgment faultless. His vocabulary
was large, although his diction might not so impress the
reader. He had a flowing style, always clear and lucid,
never in the slightest degree involved. His creations
were so plausible that the reader unconsciously absorbed
them as the very essence of truth.
His appearance, mannerisms and address, afforded
the strongest possible contrast with his character and
conduct. And nothwithstanding his equipment for at
taining exceptional distinction in his profession, he never
employed it in that quest, seeming to prefer infamy to
fame, easily within his grasp. Eldest son of one of the
first families in Indiana, grandson of Godlove S. Orth,
a statesman of renov/n, for whom he was named, his
[159]

career contradicted all of the favorite dogmas of hered
ity. Perhaps these animadversions should have fol
lowed, rather than preceded, a recital of his connection
with the Chronicle, for his exploits as an outlaw mainly
occurred after leaving Leadville.
Interest attaches even to the details of his initial em
ployment and his first performance on the paper. A
mutual acquaintance from Stein's home at Lafayette,
Indiana, had exhibited some clippings of his work on
the local press, that satisfied me of his rather extra
ordinary abihty, and I wired him an offer to come West.
He advised me of his acceptance, giving probable date
of arrival, and I awaited his coming with eagerness, his
services being much needed.
Passenger trains arrived only in the morning and
evening, and although failing to put in an appearance in
the early hours, I assumed that he had laid over at Pu
eblo, and would come up the next morning. Early in
the afternoon, however, he presented himself at the of
fice, and declared himself ready for assignment. I told
him he could take the street and gather what he might
for the next day's issues.
At this he handed me a large roH of manuscript, with
the explanation that, had he taken the risk of first identi
fying himself with the Chronicle, he scarcely could have
hoped to be successful in gathering the information
forming the basis of his contribution. He had, in fact,
arrived on an early morning train, and successively vis
ited every physician and near physician and surgeon in
the city, representing to each that he was a medical stu
dent desirous of finishing his studies in Leadville. There
were scores of them practicing there at the time, and
often it had been hinted that their "practice" had not
always been confined to the Hving.
Closely scrutinizing what appeared to be a diploma,
[160]

hanging unusually high in the office of one of the busiest
"doctors," he took advantage of a temporary absence to
slip it out of the frame and into his pocket, having dis
covered it was simply a working card in the plasterers*
union! Other, and younger men, growing confidentially
communicative, boasted to him of their success in prac
ticing without diploma, license or examination, while
others chuckled over fat fees earned and to be earned.
The mass of information gathered, in the early
morning hours of that first day, showed that but com
paratively few of the hundred alleged doctors were en
titled to practice, and that the community was being out
rageously plundered by a merciless gang of quacks.
Extended, Stein's story filled four columns of about
the hottest stuff that ever found place in a daily paper,
embellished with a fac simile reproduction, in double col
umn width, of the plasterer's working card. The article
produced a distinct sensation, was the talk of the town
for weeks following, and directly to it may be traced the
inspiration for the laws of Colorado now governing the
practice of medicine in that State.
One day, soon after the assassination of President
Garfield, a quiet little woman, with mysterious air, called
at the office and purchased a copy of each issue of the
paper since the event. She explained that she had been
in the mountains for a fortnight, ' and had not heard of
the tragedy until that day.
The incident attracted the particular attention only
of Stein. He reasoned that the woman had some pecul
iar motive for desiring the complete file, and scented a
story back of the palpable nervousness and wistfulness
displayed. Adroit probing, while she tarried in the of
fice, developed little, but sufficient to warrant Stein in
following the woman to her home in the suburbs. There,
after gaining admission by a ruse, he applied the "third
[161]

degree" with such vigor as to uncover the fact that the
mysterious woman was Mrs. Guiteau, wife of the assas
sin of the Chief Magistrate.
Once the disclosure was made. Stein's abundant evi
dence of her identity, in a batch of letters from her hus
band, supplemented with a document of more than ordi
nary human interest at the time, comprehending a large
lithographed marriage license, adorned with portraits of
the high contracting parties, her recital of the lives and
experiences of self and husband, contained a vast fund
of illuminating information, especially regarding Gui
teau himself, about whose history and antecedents the
entire nation was excessively eager to learn.
This data, plus the employment of Stein's rare imagi
native faculties, culminated in a story of extraordinary
interest, that was quickly reproduced in every newspaper
of the land. It, of course, was embellished with a four-
column fac simile reproduction of the marriage license.
It was a clever bit of journalistic work, affording
wide scope for Stein's facile pen. But he ever seemed
more at home in the realm of fiction, albeit he never
wrote a summer story that was not sufficiently plausible
to carry conviction to the mind of the average reader.
Reference to a few such creations would seem to fit into
this chapter.
Wandering over the mountains of the main range,
one Sunday afternoon, he stepped upon a bit of boggy
ground, into which he began rapidly to sink, and, before
reaHzing what had happened, he found himself slipping
down a slope of about forty-five degrees inclination into
a vast underground cavern, with arched entrances lead
ing into it from all sides, Hke cross-cuts in a mine. These,
he later found, led into other vaulted chambers, of which
there were scores, the entire excavated area compre
hending several acres in extent. Coursing through the

[162]

monster cave was a stream of water, containing an al
most unbelievable percentage of auriferous mineral in
solution, and here and there were seen the bent figures
of a number of men engaged in panning the gold. From
the ceilings of the caverns stalactites of varying lengths
and exquisite formations projected, and, under a more
powerful light than that furnished by the candles in the
helmets of the miners, would have produced a dazzling
effect. Mineral-bearing veins were clearly defined in
the enclosing walls, but, in the absence of picks, shovels
and drills, no effort had been made to extract the un
measured wealth. As yet, the placer gold had proven
sufficiently remunerative, albeit the miners, realizing
that The mill will never run
With the waters that have passed,
were confining themselves to the recovery of the placer
gold with which the water yet flowed, knowing that the
quartz gold could not escape.
Stein's quickly formed purpose, his appearance on
the scene not having been observed, was to return to the
surface the way he had entered, make a hasty survey,
set his stakes and hasten to the land office to file dis
covery papers. But an inspection of the incline showed
the hopelessness of getting out that way. No other
opening was visible, and finally he was forced to the
alternative of making his presence known to the canny
operators in an adjoining cavern. His sudden appear
ance in their midst was presumably as startling to them
as it was fifled with apprehension on Stein's part, since
he had no means of knowing what sort of a reception
would be tendered him. Fortunately, their attitude was
not belicose, and a truce was quickly arranged, by the
terms of which Stein reserved for himself the privilege
[163]

of the caverns as a "show place," while he was lo file
upon the claim in the names of the original discoverers.
His description of the cave occupied more than a page of
the paper, liberally embelHshed with illustrations of the
various chambers, with stalactite ceilings, each of which
was given a suitable name, the golden rivulet and the
figures of the men panning the glistening sand.
Fiction, from headlines to tail piece ! But so realistic
and plausible, in general and in particular, as to dispel
any lingering doubt as to the substantial truth of the
narrative. Indeed, later, upon application of the pub
lishers, I loaned the cuts, and each successive year there
after, the story of Stein's marvelous discovery was
featured in "Crofutt's Guide," as one of the many at
tractions of LeadviHe.
No less lurid and illuminating was a later discovery
by Stein of a full-masted minature ship imbedded in the
sohd granite walls of Battle Mountain. This remark
able story, with even less warrant in fact, -was not only
devoured by home readers with excessive avidity, but
attracted the attention of noted scientists throughout
the East, some of whom wrote to me for confirmation
and additional facts.
An episode in the history of Leadville, standing out
clearly in my mind, was the legal execution of two con
demned murderers, Rosecranz and Gilbert, in which
Stein figured most disreputably. Usually the simple de
vice of a "drop" is employed, but upon this occasion the
Sheriff was persuaded to use a device of Stein's con
ception, by which the victims were to be lifted into the
air by means of a weight, instead of being allowed to
dangle in space by removal of the platform upon which
they were to stand.
With heHish design, Stein specified a weight sufficient
to wrest their heads from their bodies, a climax that he
[164]

contemplated with ghoulish anticipation! Fortunately,
the fact dawned upon the Sheriff in time to save the
heads, if not the necks, of the miserable creatures, as
well as to preserve the name of Leadville from lasting
reproach. After Stein left Leadville, I lost sight of him for an
extended period, until the Associated Press finally
brought the news that he was in custody at Kansas City,
charged with the murder of a theatrical manager there
who, it was alleged, had become involved in one of
Stein's many liasons. He was tried, convicted and sen
tenced to be hanged. Powerful home influences were
then brought to bear to save him from the gallows. His
distinguished uncle, Godlove S. Orth, appeared in his
behalf. A writ of supersedeas, stay of execution, ad
mission to bail — the familiar story where wealth and po
litical influence become allies — and Stein was again free.
I knew nothing of the circumstances; he might be
innocent, for all I knew ; but he must live, and to live, he
must needs work. I wired for him to return to his for
mer position, indulging the fond hope that the terrible
ordeal through which he had passed would have had a
wholesome effect ; that, if he should emerge from a sec
ond trial a free man, he possibly might in time live down
the shame and ignominy he had brought upon his hon
ored name, but the thought was as hopeless as the base
less fabric of a dream.
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated, needs but to be seen ;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face.
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.
He had been thoroughly inoculated with the virus
of crime, and I soon was forced to recognize the painful
fact that the man was hopelessly lost, having no reserve
[165]

moral character to found a reformation upon, and I de
termined to dismiss him. He had given sufficient provo
cation in an indulgence of a propensity for borrowing
money, but he broke down completely, cried like a
whipped child, and begged to be allowed to remain until
the date of his second trial.
I reminded him that his creditors all over town were
embarrassing the collector, they insisting upon offsetting
claims of the newspaper with Stein's obligations ; but he
parried that with the suggestion that he was expecting
a large remittance shortly, and that with it he would
satisfy all his creditors, and would create no further
debts. Technically he kept this promise, but the funds used
in clearing off debts which I specified were borrowed
from others ! It was a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Had I a modicum of Stein's facility for borrowing
money, I should have no fear of dicing a pauper. Even
after his criminal instincts had begun to develop, it was
found easy for him to negotiate loans in quarters I
should have hesitated to enter.
His second trial at Kansas City resulted in acquittal.
A few weeks after freedom was regained the Associated
Press brought the intelligence that he had robbed his
own mother of money and valuable jewels and decamped
from his native town.
There will be no profit in pursuing him through a
subsequent career of crime, or waste time in guessing
what particular jail or penitentiary claims him for a
guest.

[166]

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Discovery of a Prodigy — An Editor with Fifty-Six
Ounces of Gray Matter
I one day received by mail a beautiful tribute to the
actor, Sheridan, signed "L. H. B., Box 36, General De
livery." It was a classic in its way, and displayed rather
extraordinary familiarity with actors and the history of
the stage.
By a process of elimination I arrived at the con
clusion that the contributor must be a certain cultured
lady of the city, Mrs. L. H. Barnes, and I at once ac
knowledged receipt of the communication, solicited fur
ther contributions, and begged the privilege of helping
her to seats at the Opera House at her pleasure.
Mrs. Barnes hastened to assure me she was not the
author of the Sheridan tribute. Shortly "L. H. B."
wrote, asking for two passes to the Opera House. I was
careful to locate these next to those always occupied by
myself, that I might become satisfied as to the identity of
"L. H. B." Two very young men occupied the seats.
Repeated a fortnight later, and two impossible old
women sat next me. Next time I remained away, in
structing the ushers to note who occupied the seats. No
one — seats vacant. Then I wrote to "L.H.B." that I
needed an understudy for city editor, asking if she could
recommend any one. This resulted in smoking out
"L.H.B.," no longer a woman, but instead a frail young
man, colorless cheeks, but bright eyes, Luther H. Bick-
ford by name, salesman for a local coal company, born
[167]

in Leadville, never beyond the confines of the city, and
hence his acquaintance with matters histrionic extremely
limited. But there was the Sheridan tribute, a classic in stage
literature, and disclosing talent almost approaching
genius. I determined to give him trial, and never had oc
casion to regret having done so. He did faithful, con
scientious service on the Chronicle, and in the course of
time wrote a number of musical comedies and extrava
ganzas, each enriched with distinct Rocky Mountain
flavor — plot, time, place and characters readily identified
as belonging alone to Leadville. Some of these were
staged in New York, bringing the author prominently
into the limelight. Later he accepted a position on the
San Francisco Chronicle, and speedily gained repute as
the ablest dramatic critic on the Pacific Coast. His
literary and histrionic fame firmly established, it was
not long before he was offered the position of managing
editor of the Sunday edition of the Chicago Inter-Ocean,
which he accepted and filled until his death.
As clouds may arise
To darken the skies.
And the bright light of noon may grow dimmer.
In the first flush of youth
You may learn this great truth.
There's a good many holes in a skimmer!
Had Sheridan not conveniently died, there would
have been no occasion for that delightful tribute, and
"L. H. B." might have indefinitely continued to illumi
nate wagon bills of a coal company, instead of familiar
legends on favorite librettos. The moral which the
youthful reader may glean from my poor tribute to Bick-
[168]

JOHN ARKINS JAMES M. BURNELL
One of the Founders of the One of the Founders of the
Leadville Evening Chronicle Leadville Evening Chronicle
JACOB HBIMBERGER LUTE B. BICKFORD MARK L. GOLDBNBERG
Business Manaser Leadville City Editor Leadville Business Manager Leadville
Evening Chronicle Herald-Democrat Herald-Democrat
COL. JOHN A. JOYCE JAMES M. KNIGHT
Managing Editor Leadville Business Manager Leadville
Herald-Democrat PTerniH-T>emocrat

ford is that one cannot judge what's in a boy until he is
given an opportunity. Now, as ever, is it true,
*Tis neither wealth or rank or state.
But git-up-and-git that makes men great.
I neither had ambition nor time to conduct a news
paper kindergarten. Lute Bickford came to me by
chance, as did another in the person of Robert Gauss.
I had known the latter previously as a struggling young
lawyer in Missouri. He reached LeadviHe in 1883,
stranded, after an unsuccessful jaunt through the State.
I offered him the position of assistant editor. His prog
ress was slow, but his work was full of promise, and
in time he was promoted to the managing editor's desk.
As in the case of Bickford, he needed only opportunity
to develop the best that was in him. After two years'
service he went to Denver, and for twenty-nine years
following was the chief editorial writer on the Repub
lican of that city. He died suddenly in January, 1913,
by universal acclaim conceded to be the ablest editorial
commentator the State ever produced. But he was more
than that. He played a very important part in the devel
opment of agriculture on the semi-arid plains. Long
before the people of Colorado began to realize what an
empire of agricultural wealth lay at their doors to the
eastward, Mr. Gauss, through his writings, and by act
ual experimental work, demonstrated that the dry lands
could be made productive without irrigation. He, of
course, was laughed at, but his optimism never flagged,
and he lived to witness fruition of his persistent preach
ing. He bequeathed his brain to science. Its weight
was found to be 55.7 ounces, or three ounces heavier
than that of his grandfather, the famous German mathe
matician, Karl Frederick Gauss. In weight it equalled
[169]

a number, and exceeded a few, of the most noted men in
history — Cuvier, Abercombie, Lord Byron, Schiller
and Dante.
Thirty consecutive years' service without a holiday
is the record of another graduate of the school of jour
nalism claiming the Chronicle for Alma Mater, The
work of few editors, even of metropolitan journals, will
compare with that of Henry Butler, who, before coming
to me, had never had a day's experience. Clean, whole
some, vigorous, forceful and effective, his writings ap
peal to the cultured taste as well as sound judgment of
the discriminative reader. He has given the best years
of his life to the creation and maintenance of a position
— still at the desk where I placed him three decades ago
— another striking figure of the self-made man.
Col. Marble and his petite wife, Callie Bonnie Mar
ble, formerly of Philadelphia, both liberally endowed
with the divine afflatus of poesy, and capital builders of
short stories, lent to the paper its brightest flashes of wit
and wisdom. They worked side by side, sympathizing
with each others' labor, the one a tower of strength to
the other. Their team work was ever harmonious, often
times brilliant, rarely indifferent. It indeed was a
unique combination of rare talent.
A "live wire" in journalism, who, pefliaps, to a
greater extent than any other, stamped his strong per
sonality upon the local and news pages of the Chronicle
and the Herald Democrat, was Edward D. Cowan, one
of the most accomplished all-around newspaper men I
ever had the privilege of knowing. Of myself, I should
not like to have it said that I am "first of aH an accom
plished nawspaper man," but Cowan enjoyed that dis
tinction. He gained international fame, after his Lead
ville career, in following that peerless statesman, James
G. Blaine, to Europe, in the early 80's, and reporting his
[170]

every movement all over the continent for the Chicago
Record-Herald. For this he was excoriated by the
higher class journals throughout the country. But the
nation-wide "roast" didn't give Cowan a bad half hour.
Indeed, he rather enjoyed the notoriety, justifying him
self with the plea that he was simply obeying instructions
of his employer. In the early 90's he was sent to Eng
land, to manage the London edition of the New York
Herald, later retiring to a ranch in the Sound section
of the Northwest, becoming a political factor of no small
importance at Seattle. Cowan was a most lovable chap.
The only way to avoid liking him was to keep away from
him.

[171]

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Col. Joyce of Insane Asylum and Prison Fame
Ascends the Tripod
The reflective reader will recall my parting with Col.
John A. Joyce, of whisky ring fame, at the portal of the
Missouri Penitentiary at Jefferson City, back in '76.
Ten years later I was mystified by the receipt of a tel
egram from him, dated at Glenwood Springs, Colorado,
where he had been a guest at a banquet given to com
memorate the completion of the Denver and Rio Grande
Railway to that point. The message was a characteristic
epigram : "I am coming over to sweep out your office."
Next day he stalked in, as magnificent a personaHty as
ever I had beheld, unless I except the Beadle in the Bank
of England. Straight as an arrow, with eyes that fairly
danced in their brilliancy, cheeks as rosy as those of a
country maiden, but hair as white as the snow that
mantled Mount Massive, changed from the glossy black
of the '70's by two years' confinement.
His story was brief. Ten years of hilarious living
at the national capital was telling upon him. He desired
to place half a continent between himself and his boon
companions. Moreover, he was charmed with Colorado,
and wanted to begin life anew amidst the grandeur of
the Rocky Mountains, and where he could draw strength
and inspiration from the eternal hills. He never had
worked under a "boss," but loved me and was not afraid.
Col. Joyce would have been considered an acquisition
to any journal in the land. He could have commanded
any salary within reason on any of the metropolitan
[172]

journals. His name alone would be worth more than
I should have to pay for it. But, and I candidly said it,
LeadviHe was not just the place in which to reform a
wine bibber. The office of the Herald Democrat and
the Chronicle had won no laurels as a Keeley cure. Sa
loons were as numerous as notaries public, and the side
walks leading to them were as level as a floor. Albeit
I had some ambition to sleep o' night.
However, after a rather protracted heart-to-heart
talk, I engaged the Colonel as chief editorial writer, with
the privilege to him of dropping into poesy at will on
the local side of the papers. As an evidence of his firm
determination to break away from "red licker" as a reg
ular diet, John suggested that we step down to the Board
of Trade and have a cocktail. Over this wals drunk his
favorite toast, "Well, here's to our noble selves ! There
are few like us, and — as few Hke us !"
For a year Col. Joyce abstained from drink, and did
the best pen work of his life. At no time were the edi
torial pages df my paper read with greater zest, pleasure,
satisfaction and profit. Then he fell! And
What a fall was there, my countrymen.
A single glance at the Colonel, one day as I entered
the office, was sufficient to satisfy me that he could not be
depended upon to prepare editorials for the morning
issue. I took his desk, saying nothing. All through the
long night John gravitated between the office and the
Texas House, a noted gambling hell, upon each return
quietly handing me a batch of manuscript. His contri
butions, hung upon a spindle in his presence out of re
spect for the author, were inspected at my leisure next
day, disclosing not a single scrap in prose! There was
"An Apostrophe to the Moon," "A Tribute to my Land-
[173]

lady," a sonnet dedicated to "The Sylph of My Neigh
bor's Kitchen," "Lines on a Stage Horse," "The Red-
Eyed Blue-Haired Biscuit-Shover of the Vendome," and
much more near poetic rot that only could emanate from
a whisky-muddled brain. Next day I procured a one
way ticket to Washington, and sorrowfully handed it to
John. My emotions at the moment may be summed up
in the language of that beautiful stanza from the "Uni
versal Prayer" of Pope :
"Teach me to feel another's woe.
To hide the fault I see ;
That mercy I to others show.
That mercy show to me."
After Colonel Joyce's death, which occurred in
Washington City in March, 1915, it was found that he
not only had written his epitaph in verse, but also had
contrived his last will and testament into a jingle of two
stanzas, a singularly unique document:
To my daughters, Libbie and Florence
In equal proportions to share,
I give all cash and property.
When my spirit is soaring in air.
And appoint Mrs. James J. Lampton
To execute this, my last will.
When I rest 'neath the bloomy flbwers
In Lot 444 on Oak Hill.
The distinguished Western author and poet, Mary
Hallock Foote, was for a long time domiciled in Lead
ville, where she came to procure local color for those
breezy Rocky Mountain stories that contributed so much
to her fame. Her mission did not permit her to con
tribute regularly to the columns of my papers, but such
[174]

desultory work as she was at liberty to do was highly
appreciated by their more cultured clientele. Two ro
mances, scenes and characters from real life in Lead
viHe, had a wide reading — "The Led-Horse Claim" and
"The Last Assembly BaU."

[175]

CHAPTER XL.
Vivian, Creator of the Benevolent Order of Elks,
Joins the Local Staff
For a brief period, on the local staff of the Chronicle,
Charley Vivian did no work requiring blue penciling.
He was its dramatic critic, and his contributions dis
played painstaking, conscientious effort. An actor by
profession, he was able to inject many pleasing side
lights into his reviews and criticisms. He also had
charge of the sporting department, and occasionally
favored the paper with acceptable verse, having distinct
local color. Later he conceived the idea of a great secret
society — the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks —
wrote the manual for it, organized the first lodge, and
lived to see it spread into every State in the Union, its
membership mounting into the hundreds of thousands.
He died in Leadville, and was followed to his last rest
ing place in Evergreen by an immense throng, including
many notables, but largely composed of his genuinely
sorrowing friends of the press and the theatrical pro
fession. Careless their merits or their faults to scan.
His pity gave ere charity began ;
Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride,
And even his failings leaned to virtue's side.
Two decades he rested beneath the shadow of the
mountains he loved so much ; then his remains were dis
interred and removed to Columbus, Ohio, under the
auspices of a committee of the national body represent-
[176]

THE MILKY WAY
How the Babies Were Served in the Upper Altitudes in the Early Day
ARCHITECTURAL ACTIVITIES
A Lumber Train Ready to Start for the High Places
DIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL
An Improvised Foot Bridge Across an Ice Crevice

ing the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. A beauti
ful and appropriate shaft marks the spot in the family
burying ground in Ohio's capital, while his portrait
graces the Assembly room of nearly every Elks Lodge
in the nation.
James McCarthy filled a short engagement on the
hyphenated dailies, but he proved a distinctive misfit.
His career with me may be said to have been brief and
briHiant. Over the pen name of "Fitz Mac" he had
earned a unique place in Western journalism as short
story writer, poet, character delineator, interviewer, po
litical philosopher and commentator. But as the respon
sible head of a department on a daily paper he was a
sore disappointment. He was an inspirational chap, and
when the divine afflatus struck him, he was good for
an entire page of most acceptable matter ; but Alas ! and
Alack! when not in the mood his column was a fathom
less void. He proved himself wholly unequal to the ex
actions of a given space per diem, and rejoiced over be
ing relieved of the irksome responsibility. There never
was a man on the staff of any of my newspapers who
could fill his place, and yet he was incapable or unwilling
to perform the duties of the least important of them.
I believe I enjoyed the distinction of being the first
American newspaper manager to employ a female re
porter. At all events, the results of the experiment were
questioned by the contemporary press of the day. Kate
Williams was the girl, and she made good on every as
signment. The first was to report a race meeting, and
her failure was freely predicted. But the unexpected
happened, and, instead of being helpless on the ground,
amongst the touts, the ticket and sheet-writers, solicitors
and runners, starters and judges, she had a hundred men
running to her with news of the track and the ponies
and the betting game, that the average male reporters
[177]

had to rustle for. She got all that was to be had, put it
in good English, got it on the wire in time, and in aH
respects vindicated my judgment as to her capacity.
Leadville men, justly proud of her, were ever ready to
lend a hand.
I have felt warranted in taking this side-step, at this
juncture, in order to pay brief tribute to the earnest,
faithful, loyal, never-flagging members of the editorial
staff, who almost lost their identity in patient, contin
uous devotion to my interests and their chosen mission.
Their labors were not confined to the Evening Chronicle,
however, for, as soon will be seen, I did not content my
self with the building up of one great newspaper.

[178]

CHAPTER XLI.
The Chronicle Absorbs Democrat and Herald,
Becoming a Grinding Mois^opoly
Emboldened by the immediate success of the Chron
icle, another afternoon journal, the Times, was launched
in the early summer of 1879. By the demise of the
Eclipse and the Reveille, the morning field was open to
the projectors of the Times, but for some inscrutible
reason they chose to enter my domain, thus inviting still
other competitors. It was neither logical nor business
like to attempt successfully to compete with an estab
lished journal, but it required three months' experience,
and all kinds of financial sacrifice, to demonstrate the
blunder. The suspension of the Times did not discourage
others from entering the rich journalistic field, and be
fore the end of the year two large morning papers
started upon a tempestuous career.
A syndicate of strong local capitalists were sponsers
for the Herald, a RepubHcan journal ; while an equally
formidable syndicate of Denver men, headed by Gov.
W. A. H. Loveland, founded the Democrat, Both were
provided with modern plants, complete in all details.
Capable writers, also, were imported. The population
had increased to 60,000. The Associated Press had de
cided to grant three exclusive franchises, one to each of
the existing papers, the Chronicle, the Herald and the
Democrat. Wire facilities were now sufficient to carry
the full news report of that Association.
The first election for municipal offices was carried
[179]

by the Republicans, and the Herald, which had supported
the ticket, was not only awarded the city printing, but
Its manager. Captain R. G. Dill, was given the fat berth
of City Clerk. This obvious discrimination occurred a
second time, but the Herald was not again the bene
ficiary. Thus, before the close of Leadville's first year, the
journalistic field was wholly filled and properly propor
tioned, each of the two great parties supplied with an
organ, the Chronicle remaining a free lance, with strong
Republican leanings. It was, in fact, as loyal to Repub
lican tenets as was the Herald, the only difference being
that the latter was owned by and conducted in the inter
est of politicians, while the Chronicle was "owned by
its owner." For two years the situation remained practically un
changed, but early in 1883 the Democrat began to ex
hibit that "tired feeling." Owing to bad management
or internal bickerings in its Board of Directors, it be
came involved in debt, and finally was sold to satisfy
its creditors. I was the only bona fide bidder, and when
my offer reached a figure corresponding with its secured
and floating debts, its was knocked off to me.
For a time I was compelled to publish the two papers,
morning and evening, in offices widely separated, the
Chronicle building being too small to house the large
printing plant of the Democrat, but soon I succeeded in
finding spacious quarters for the dual dailies in the State
Armory, where their publication has continued down to
this hour.
It soon was made obvious that my journalistic career
in Leadville, uninterruptedly successful thus far, was
to meet with a check. Had it been a simple case of legit
imate competition for business in the morning field, I
should have had no cause for apprehension as to the
[180]

MRS. GEO. GOLDTHWAITE
-\uthoress and Dramatist

MRS. FLORA BURNELL
An Early Leadville Society Matron

MRS. W. S. WARD
Early Leader of Leadville Society

MRS. DAVID G. MILLER
Leader in Early Leadville
Society

MRS. FRANK G. BULKLEY
Popular Leadville Society Matron

outcome. But it was a brace game I was up against, and
when the dice are loaded the honest player stands little
show of winning the other fellow's money or saving his
own. The Herald had been acquired by the late Senator
H. A. W. Tabor, seven times a miHionaire, and was be
ing run in the interest of that gentleman's ambition to
be Governor of the State. It mattered Httle to him or to
his managers whether the paper earned dividends, or
even paid expenses. The weekly deficit was wiped out
with a draft on "the old man." Under such conditions,
prices of advertising, for job printing and blank-book
making were slaughtered by the manager of the Herald,
whose only interest was to make the paper appear to be
weU patronized. The advertiser was not aware of the
conditions that had obtained, nor was it an easy task to
convince him that he should pay more for space in the
Democrat than in the Herald. The contest narrowed
down to a struggle between my practical knowledge of
every ramification of the publishing business, my expe
rience, and the closest personal application, and Tabor's
millions. It was a losing business for him from the in
ception of the competition, but he could afford to lose.
After a time it also began to be a losing business for me,
and it was obvious I could not stand it long. There is
nothing that absorbs cash so rapidly as a newspaper.
The losses, when they occur at all, are apt to be heavy.
By the summer of 1883 I had exhausted all I had earned
with the Chronicle, and owed the Carbonate National
Bank $26,000. The situation was growing desperate,
and, when I began to doubt the final outcome, I went to
Dr. D. H. Dougan, President of the bank, and proposed
to him, my principal creditor, that I make an assignment
and go back to setting type. This met with a wholly
unexpected and altogether vigorous negative. His re
sponse was : "Not by a d  sight, Davis ! Anybody
[181]

who says you'll not pull through is a liar, and I can whip
him ! How much more do you want ?"
Notwithstanding my obligation to the bank, naught
but my note was exacted, and I look back with pride upon
the fact that a mortgage was never recorded against my
property. With the assurance of continued backing, I put the
possibiHty of failure behind me, and buckled down to
work again.
In the meantime. Tabor's gubernatorial aspirations
had been denied; he had advanced $150,000 in two years
to keep his newspaper afloat, and had rio taste for con
tinuing the expensive luxury.
I had made overtures to him, but because I had op
posed his political ambitions, he refused to consider a
sale to me.
However, what I had failed to accomplish directly,
I achieved in another way, by employing James Mc
Carthy ("Fitz Mac") to turn the trick. He had there
tofore declined all tenders of positions on the press of
the State, and when he offered his services as managing
editor of the Herald, they were eagerly accepted. In
due time he made an acceptable offer for the property,
and it was turned over to him. Twenty minutes after
the deal was closed and the consideration passed, he re-
conveyed it to me — to my great relief and Tabor's ex
treme disgust. The latter never forgave Fitz Mac for
the "Irish trick" played on him.
The printing plants of the defunct Eclipse, the Re
veille and the Times had been absorbed by the Democrat
and the Herald, By the acquisition of the two latter, I
had come into possession of the presses, engines, boilers,
type and other appliances of six daily newspapers, in
cluding thirteen base burner stoves! The combined
plunder represented a cash outlay exceeding one hundred
[182]

thousand dollars, plus paper consumed and labor ex
pense lost, monuments to the ambition of individual man
and the impractical ideas of inexperienced boards of
directors !
I had survived them all simply by the steady and
persistent pursuit of ordinary common-sense methods.
While boards of directors were debating whether an
obviously proper thing should be done, I did it. I did
unto others what they would have done unto me, and I
"did it fust." That was aH.
Remoteness from market made most of the junk
unsalable, and a large part of it went into the scrap heap.
In addition to this contribution to the wrong side of
profit and loss account, I found myself saddled with
three Associated Press franchises, when only two were
required. Monthly tolls on each, abnormally high, had to
be met, or the surplus franchise would lapse and be re
sold. For some time my monthly contribution to the great
est monopoly of the century — the monopoly of the news
of the world — exceeded that of all the newspapers of the
capital. But Leadville, at that time, was larger than
Denver — promised, indeed, to distance it in population,
and was already bidding for the State Capital. In the
conventions of the two great parties, in '79-'80, Lake
County's representation exceeded that of Arapahoe. As
long as I could maintain the franchises, successful op
position to my morning and evening journals was not
possible. In the years that followed twenty-seven dis
tinct attempts were made to do this without the Asso
ciated Press news, and all found eternal rest in the same
burying ground ! Finally I made an appeal to the Asso-
sociated Press to cancel one of the franchises. This,
with the cordial fraternal help of the managers of the
Denver newspapers, was successful. The surplus fran-
[183]

chise was killed, but the tolls were added to those already
being paid by the Denver press ! This unlooked for and
unmerited burden was taken up with deep murmurings.
But the equity involved was indisputable. I now had
complete possession of the field, and was not seriously
opposed. When, from time to time, the afternoon field
was invaded, I threw all of my energy into the Evening
Chronicle; when the morning field was undertaken, the
Herald Democrat had the major attention of self and
staff. It was never a question of capital — a daily paper
without Associated Press news was what Senator In-
gaHs would have denominated "a d  n barren ideal
ity." The sea upon which I was embarked, occasionally
placid, nevertheless became tempestuous at times, and,
to successfully ride the storm that periodically impended,
called for the exercise of all the intelligence, experience,
tact, moral and physical courage which I possessed. In
subsequent treatment of other themes of greater human
interest my struggles will to a greater or lesser degree
necessarily be accentuated.

[184]

CHAPTER XLII.
Human Life the Cheapest Commodity in the
Local Market — Shameful Corruption
For a number of years nothing was so cheap in Lead
viHe as human life. Nor was the murderous instinct
confined to the lower and less cultivated element of the
heterogeneous poplation. The bars were down and free
rein was given to promiscuous blood-letting. The history
of crime easily would fill a large volume. One homicide
had particular significance to me, since a libel suit for
$50,000 damages grew out of it. In the spring of 1883
a most brutal and unprovoked murder was committed
in the heart of the city by one T. C. Early, a fiery South
erner and a lawyer of some considerable local prom
inence, his victim being Patrolman Townsend, with
whom he had been quarreling over some trivial matter.
Editorially and otherwise, in both of my papers, I
denounced the crime in fitting terms and demanded swift
punishment. So bitter was my denunciation of the
crime, and so persistent my pursuit of the perpetrator,
that he had little difficulty in procuring a change of
venue to Summit County, the State's attorney being
forced to admit that a fair trial in Leadville was not
obtainable. The hearing was manifestly so gross a perversion of
justice that I hesitated not to repeat the declaration often
made in my papers, even after the acquittal of the ac
cused, that it nevertheless was a cold-blooded, inexcus
able murder, without shadow of provocation. It had
been so universally regarded in the community that
[185]

Early realized he never could hope to live it down, and
at once upon his release from confinement he located in
the practice of law in Denver.
In the District Court of that city he speedily filed
an action against me for Hbel, fixing the damages at
$50,000. I realized that it was a bluff, pure and simple, an at
tempt to speculate upon his bankrupt reputation in a
community where he was unknown, and that he never
would bring the case to trial. However, I was obliged
to meet the issue and promptly prepared to do so by re
taining Judge Markham, later a member of the Supreme
Court, to file an answer, setting up the truth of my alle
gations as a defense, permissable under the statutes. I
had no further need of counsel. I was abundantly forti
fied, having reliable witnesses to prove that the jury
trying the case, as well as the Sheriff who summoned it,
had been bribed. I also was prepared to prove that the
wife of the prisoner visited him while in jail at Lead
ville, wheeling into the prison a baby carriage contain
ing an infant, and that upon leaving she took with her
the coat of her husband, concealed beneath the mattress.
Taking the garment out into the suburbs and hanging it
upon a tree, she shot a hole through the pocket, and this
provided an "exhibit" upon which counsel based the plea
that the crime could not have been premeditated, since
Early had not even drawn a weapon. This information
reached me through the medium of a neighbor whom
Mrs. Early invited to accompany her in her evidence-
producing mission.
With such facts as these at my command I welcomed
the action, since it promised to afford me an opportunity
of justifying my attitude and exposing the shameless
methods tolerated by the trial court. Thus prepared I
awaited Early's next move.
[186]

More than a year passed before he made any attempt
to have the case set for trial. Finally, in March of 1884,
immediately upon the adjournment of the Republican
State Convention, he had the hearing set for the day the
National Republican Convention of that year was to
meet in Chicago, in June following. I had been chosen a
delegate-at-large to the latter convention, and Early
counted upon the "difficulty I should have in securing a
postponement, since courts are not in the habit of recog
nizing political exigencies. His purpose was to em
barrass me by keeping me away from Chicago. I suc
ceeded, nevertheless, in securing a continuance for thirty
days. The case was docketed for a certain Monday
morning at 10 o'clock, yet I permitted the day to ap
proach without employing counsel or even preparing to
put in an appearance myself, although at that time a
judgment against me for the entire amount claimed
would have been collectable. On the Sunday afternoon
preceding the day of trial I sent for the lawyer who had
defended Early in the Summit County Court, who per
sonally had done the dirty work that resulted in his ac
quittal. He responded to my summons, scarce dreaming
of the object of it, since I had not recognized him for
more than a year, but he obviously was perturbed.
"Scott," said I, looking steadfastly into his eyes, "I want
you to go to Denver tonight!"
"To Denver? And what for, sir?"
"You will take the Rio Grande train for Denver to
night, see your cHent, Early, in the morning, and upon
the opening of Court have that libel case against me dis
missed, at his costs. If you fail in getting Early to act
as I have suggested, you need not trouble yourself to re
turn to Leadville, because I do not intend that you shall
continue to live here!"
It was a rather bold proposition to make to a prom-
[187]

inent lawyer, but he realized that I possessed knowledge
of his methods, in other instances as well as this, and his
first utterance convinced me that my bluff had succeeded.
Without demurring to the main proposition, he
pleaded lack of funds for such a mission; but I had an
ticipated that by procuring a round-trip ticket for his
use, and handing this to him, together with a ten dollar
note for his hotel bill, I dismissed him.
At 9 o'clock the next morning I received a wire from
the lawyer to this effect: "Early wiH dismiss for fifty
dollars." Any compromise would have saddled me with the
costs; hence I sent a rush message: "Not fifty cents.
Remember!" The case was dismissed, and that was the last I ever
heard of it or the villain who instituted it.

[188]

A RICH FARM ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP
From an area ten sQuare miles in extent, 40.000 mineral claims, 500 x 1500 feet m extent, over $400,000,000
in mineral values have been taken.

CHAPTER XLIII.
Fabulous Riches Uncovered — Fortunes in a
Day — 30,000 Claims Recorded
Great strides had been made in the development of
the mineralized section, and for the treatment of the
constantly increasing tonnage of silver-bearing ore a
number of large sampling works and smelters were
established in California gulch, employing thousands of
unskilled workmen. Only the richest ore would stand
treatment charges ; that carrying less than sixty ounces
of silver content to the ton was left on the dumps. The
ore encountered, almost on the surface, was a silver-
bearing carbonate of lead — hence the names "Leadville"
and "Carbonate Camp." It was immensely rich, and,
carrying its own fluxing material, was easily treated. I
have seen as much as $30,000 in values brought down
from the hills in an ordinary wagon.
The early great bonanza mines on Fryer Hill multi
plied millionaires and gave great impetus to prospecting.
Over the entire area, which later came to be designated
as the "Leadville Mining District," prospectors swarmed
in aH directions, and before the close of the second year
thirty thousand claims, 300 x 1,500 feet in area, were
considered worth patenting. Indeed, no man felt secure
in his rights until they were confirmed by the land de
partment of the government. A few instances will illus
trate the excessive richness of the silver ore and its
abundance. Sandwiched in between the famous "Little Pitts
burg," "Chrysolite," "Aime," and other bonanza proper-
[189]

ties, was a claim located by a group of Southern gentle
men, and named the "Robert E. Lee." Development of
this mine, at the time I reached LeadviHe, was confined
to a vertical shaft sixty feet deep. Here water was en
countered, and it was no longer practical to sink deeper
without a "hoist." The locators had exhausted their
means. No mineral had been encountered, and the only
encouragement to continue operations was the proximity
of the claim to heavily producing properties. My partner
and I took a sixty-day option on a sixth interest for
$1,500, the owners agreeing to expend the money in un-
watering the shaft and sinking to mineral. We per
mitted the option to expire, being unable either to take
it up or negotiate its sale. Within thirty days after
maturity, and while still using an old-fashioned windlass
and bucket, values aggregating $129,000 were taken
from the shaft within twenty- four hours. In the decade
following, the Lee mine yielded $7,000,000.
I have never thought our failure to take up that op
tion indicated poor judgment. On the contrary, it seems
to me now, as it then did, that it would have been mad
ness to have invested any considerable sum of money in
a sixty-foot hole in the ground, full of water, with no
other merit than being near to producing mines. At that
time, it should be remembered, mining was not pros
ecuted along scientific lines, and the average prospector,
ignorant of geology, mineralogy, or ore occurrence, was
quite as likely to blunder upon a rich find as his more
learned neighbor.
Prof. Emmons, and other distinguished members of
the United States Geological Bureau, have since sur
veyed, mapped and charted the entire district, located
the principal mineral deposits, their dips, spurs and
angles, defining the faults and disclosing every feature
of underground Leadville, reducing the pursuit of min-
[190]

ing to a fixed science, and enabling the miner to sink
with intelligence, to drift with knowledge, to cross-cut
with certainty, to discover, extract and hoist the ore to
the surface with economic appliances, securing the maxi
mum results with the minihium of labor cost.
It is rather singular, nevertheless, that the larger
number of important discoveries in the early days were
made by uneducated miners, and that the men most liber
ally equipped with scientific knowledge were proverbially
unsuccessful in their exploitations. Episodes similar to
the one related frequently occurred, and it would be a
comparatively easy task for me to fill a volume with du-
pHcate incidents. Perhaps, by a little generalization, I
may better succeed in impressing the reader with Lead-
viHe's contribution to the wealth of the world.
The simple statement that, in the first thirty years
of its history, it aggregated four hundred milHon dol
lars, is scarcely impressive, but when one reflects that
the sum represents four dollars for every man, woman
and child in the United States, and that it was all taken
from an area ten miles square, its significance begins to
be realized. Interest here also attaches to the immense labor cost
in extracting that vast tonnage from the bowels of the
earth, from a depth of from one to twelve hundred feet,
and from drifts and cross-cuts many hundreds of miles
in length. Another illustration will here best serve my
purpose. In 1886 a bill was introduced into Congress, carrying
an appropriation of $250,000 for a public building at
Leadville. In support of this measure it became neces
sary to compile a mass of statistics for the information
of Congressmen, and to me was assigned the task. One
feature of my exhibit was a statement of the tonnage of
the two railroads for the six years they had then been in
[191]

operation. The facts were secured from the auditing
departments of the lines, hence official and dependable.
But here again I was confronted with the necessity of
making comparisons, to the end that the figures should
prove impressive. I took account only of ore shipped
in and out, bullion shipped to Eastern refineries, and
coke, coal and lime-rock with which the local smelters
were supplied. Merchandise was not included. I found
that the tonnage of the items enumerated, within the
period of six years, if loaded into freight cars, twenty
tons to the car, would make a continuous train extending
from New York to San Francisco, and a thousand miles
into the ocean! And the value of the mineral thus
treated and handled was sufficient to pay the debt of
every State and Territory in the Union. Add to this the
tonnage since produced, and we should have a train gird
ling the world with several laps to spare. The tonnage
thus disclosed, all handled at the two Leadville stations,
exceeded the total tonnage, within the same period, of
the Atlantic and Pacific railway, eight hundred miles in
length !
The Guggenheim Syndicate, composed of half a score
members of an old Dutch family, is known to the world
of finance in every land. Yet few are aware that the
foundation of their immense wealth was laid in Lead
ville, midway of the decade 1880-90. The father, failing
in business in Philadelphia, came to Colorado in company
with R. B. Graham, both men of mature years. Their
combined capital was represented by four figures. With
this meager sum they bought two claims lying together
on the slope of California gulch, known as the "A Y and
Minnie," deferred payments to be taken out of the mine.
The properties were supposed to be worthless, and
long; had been idle. The main shaft was at once sunk
to "second contact," generally believed to exist, but the
[192]

fact never proven. Within six months the production
netted in excess of $100,000 a month. This sum was
evenly divided between the two aged partners, any ex
cess going into the treasury of the company for working
capital. The elder Guggenheim, with a steady income
exceeding half a million yearly, soon became a power in
the Western world of finance. One after another of the
sons joined the father, until aH of the male members of
the family had become active factors in the rehabilitation
of the lost fortune of the house of Guggenheim. They
built a large smelter at Pueblo, the Pennsylvania, which
proved immensely profitable, enabling them to extend
their operations to Old Mexico in the south, and to
British Columbia and Alaska in the north. AH of the
interests of the family were merged in the "Guggenheim
Syndicate," a corporation commanding capital reaching
into the hundreds of millions. Wealth, no less than pov
erty, however, has its trials and its griefs no less than
its responsibilities. The meteoric rise of the Guggen-
heims in the world of finance invited envy and jealousy,
and the members of the family, without exception, be
came the targets for all of the outrageous slings and ar
rows of envious people and at least of a section of an
unscrupulous press. The elevation of Simon Guggen
heim to a seat in the United States Senate opened wide
the door to slander and vituperation, and the family has
been made to suffer all of the penalties of vast wealth
without protest from a people and a country immeasur
ably benefited by activities vastly enriching empires in
extent in two republics. It may be conceded that Simon
Guggenheim would not have attained eminence had he
been a poor man, but how many members of the greatest
deliberative assembly in the world owe their triumph to
intellectual or moral attainments. ? He doubtless spent
more money in the campaign for the Senate than another
[193]

might have done, but I question if he knowingly spent
one dollar for any dishonorable purpose. Liberality is
one of Simon Guggenheim's marked characteristics. No
worthy person or cause ever appealed to him in vain for
succor. His charities have ever been broad and gen
erous, but perhaps not too discriminative. And if he
entered the Senate with a meagre equipment in the way
of experience as a legislator, I believe it will not be de
nied that he bore himself at the national capital with
becoming dignity and a proper appreciation of the high
trust imposed in him. His pubHc career began after I
left the State, and I have not had opportunity personally
to watch his course; but I am reliably informed that he
accomplished more for the State and the interests of his
constituents than any other man ever sent to the cap
ital. Such a record as that should be a pretty effective
answer to his detractors. Not yet past the mid-century
mark. Senator Guggenheim is far from being a waning
factor, and may yet give a good account of himself in
the world of finance and commerce. He is a native of
Philadelphia, educated in the public schools of that city
and the universities of Europe, and altogether is so affa
ble and lovable a person as to make acquaintance with
him a privilege. His friends in Colorado are legion, and
not one of them but bear willing testimony to his excep
tionally fine qualities of heart and mind. The Guggen
heim family have done a great deal for Colorado, and
deserve much gratitude from the people of that State.
That a vein of Spartan heroism runs in the house of
Guggenheim was abundantly illustrated in the tragic
death of a younger member in the historic sinking of the
Titanic, his conduct in that awful calamity having been
above praise.
Before the close of the first decade the great deposit
of carboniferous ore was found to be practically ex-
[194]

hausted, and it was freely predicted that Leadville had
seen its best days, and that before many years it would
begin to decline. Among a now numerous class who
entertained a belief that a second contact exists below
the deposit of carbonates, stood out prominently the late
Eben Smith, mining partner of the late David Moffatt,
who was encouraged by the success of the Guggenheims.
Mr. Smith was found quite wiHing to spend Mr. Mof-
fatt's money in proving his theory, and after hundreds
of thousands had been so expended in extending the
main shaft of the "Maid and Henriet" mine, enormous
bodies of rich sulphide ore were uncovered.
Leadville thereupon began a new era, known as the
sulphide period, and its life immeasurably extended, for
the deposit of sulphide ore was found to underlie the car
bonate throughout the entire district. It also became an
era of deep mining, vastly more expensive, but promising
endurance. Later, when Congress repealed the purchasing clause
of the Sherman Act, and silver was deprived of its legal
tender quality, Leadville sustained a body blow! The
selHng price of the white metal steadily fell from its
coinage value of 1.29.29 an ounce to 50 cents, and many
mines were in consequence closed. The fact that Lead
ville could turn out thirty to forty millions of silver an
nually alarmed the bankers of the world. They began
to fear there might be many more places just like it, and
their fears culminated in the closing of the India mints
to silver and the collapse of the whole silver fabric. Pros
pectors ceased the quest for silver and took up the search
for gold. Chief among those whose courage and persis
tence in this behalf were rewarded was John Campion,
who, in the lower levels of the "Little Johnny" mine,
uncovered the richest body of gold ore ever discovered
in America.
[195]

Before information of his good fortune became pub
lic property he had acquired an extensive area, end-
lining and side-lining the Johnny, added largely to the
equipment of the property, and began a campaign of
exploitation that resulted in the production of millions
annually. Campion was something of an eccentric. He had
brought a snug fortune tO Leadville in the early day,
and had about exhausted it when the Johnny began to
reward his labors. Indeed, it was whispered that on the
eve of that event he possessed scarcely enough money
with which to buy a meal ticket. In his operations, he
had met with some success, but the surplus taken from
one property would be promptly sunk in another. He
observed, however, that mines named for the deer family
uniformly yielded returns; whereas, no mine otherwise
christened ever produced anything. Hence, just before
his great discovery in the Johnny, he changed the name
to the Ibex, and to this day he is said to believe that alone
responsible for his good fortune. Among his holdings
thereafter were the Deer, Moose, Antelope, Kidoo,
Bison, and so on to the exhaustion of deer nomenclature.
For a quarter of a century, mining was retarded and
treatment charges enhanced by the presence in all of the
mines of the district of varying quantities of zinciferous
ore, an exceedingly refractory mineral, necessitating its
treatment in conjunction with a carbonate ore, the one
fluxing the other. But in the course of time a process
was discovered for economically separating precious
metal values from the zinc, and thenceforth the former
pestiferous metal was changed from a costly HabiHty to
a very profitable asset.
Improvements were made also in the treatment of all
varieties of mineral, greatly lessening smelter charges,
and bringing into pay large numbers of low grade prop-
[196]

erties, besides yielding profitable returns from the roast
ing and resmelting of the old dumps and tailings from
the smelters.
For many years, seventy-five per cent, of the output
of the camp found its way to the smelters by traversing
the length of Harrison Avenue. Naturally, quantities
of finely pulverized mineral sifted through instertices in
the wagons and was deposited in the street. An obser
vant individual, I am advised, recently had some of the
street dirt assayed for precious metal content, but was
close-mouthed regarding the result. Adroitly precipi
tating a newspaper campaign anent the wretched condi
tion of the thoroughfare, and the obvious necessity for
repaving it, he delayed action until the populace were of
one mind; then he came forward with a philanthropic
proposal to repave Harrison Avenue its entire length
with asphalt, wholly at his own expense. No city could
afford to reject such a liberal offer as that!
Noted as Leadville ever has been for developing con
ditions and situations unusual if not extraordinary, the
latest hint wafted to me from her snow-clad mountains
is that eventually, if not soon, the services of the assessor
are to be dispensed with! Hundreds of feet below the
city, the entire area is honey-combed with drifts and
cross-cuts, the bulk of the output of the camp at one
time coming from that region. The area below all dedi
cated streets and aHeys belongs, of course, to the munici
pality, and little doubt is entertained that the courts, in
cases now pending, wifl confirm its title, and compel an
accounting for all mineral extracted, and to be extracted,
from that public holding. The area comprehends many
hundred acres, the ore is mainly high grade, and it is
estimated that the revenue from this source will be suf
ficient, at least, to pay all expenses of maintaining the
city government. [197]

CHAPTER XLIV.
Opening a New Chapter in the Fascinating
History of Famous Fryer Hill
No one should ever be surprised over any change in
the kaleidoscopic career of Leadville. It was the mining
marvel of the nineteenth century, and now gives promise
of becoming the mineral wonder of the twentieth. No
area of like dimensions, so far as I am advised, ever
equalled the fabulous production in the precious metals
of Fryer Hill, a slight eminence lying just northeast of
the city, and separated from the main body of the Lead
viHe Mining District by Strayhorse Gulch. This Httle
elevation, scarcely rising to the dignity of a hill, distin
guished in no way from a score or more slight upheavals
in the same vicinity, with never an outcropping or other
indication of the vast wealth that for ages laid undis
turbed but a few hundred feet below the commonplace
surface, has a history that would not only make a stu
pendous volume, but would scarce fail to thrill the reader
with its realism, its glammor and its tragic romance.
How, when and by whom the initial discovery of mineral
there was made is told elsewhere in this volume by Theo
dore Hook, one of the intrepid discoverers. It is here
told for the first time, the simple story of Mr. Hook
scarcely giving hint of what that discovery meant to
LeadviHe, to Colorado, and to the world at large. That
one hundred and fifty millions in silver values were taken
from that meagre area, within practically a decade, is
not nearly so strange and unthinkable as that, after such
a matchless performance it should be almost entirely
[198]

abandoned and permitted to take its place among the
exhausted treasure houses of Nature.
Closely following the exposure of carbonate of lead
deposits in the Pittsburg, and before the early prospec
tors upon that and adjoining hiHs in the vicinity began
to realize the significance of the find, and the influence
it was destined to have in the peopling of Leadville and
the upbuilding of the entire State, came the uncovering,
in the Little Chief mine, nearby, of the largest body of
ore in place ever discovered — vertically eighty feet of
sohd mineral of high grade ! Then followed the expos
ure of almost fabulous mineral wealth in the Aimee, the
Chrysolite, the Matchless, the Duncan, Robert E. Lee,
and a dozen other properties, each destined to become a
bonanza. Elsewhere I have related how the owners of the last
named mine, with a forlorn hope of eventually reaching
pay mineral, gave me an option upon a sixth interest in
the property for the pitiable stipend of fifteen hundred
dollars — fifteen hundred dollars for a minority holding
in a sixty-foot hole in the ground, full of water almost
to the surface! It was not to be thought of! That is
what old miners told me when I sought to sell that option.
I reasoned that it was surrounded by producing prop
erties, that the rich veins in those mines could not possi
bly be confined to their limited area, and that a little
further development surely would disclose contact!
Thus I reasoned and plead and implored, to no purpose.
Yet out of the mouth of that sixty-foot hole in the
ground, filled with water, there was subsequently lifted
ore worth seven milHons of dollars.
Files of the local papers of the period, the early
months of 1880, teH the tragic story of the fire in the
lower workings of the Chrysolite, and how the few-
home owners of the stock of the company bemoaned
[199]

their fate, being unable to see anything but ruin of the
mine and the blasting of their hopes. The fire continued
to burn, nor were the methods then in vogue at all ad
equate to check it. Weeks passed, and the flames con
tinued to find their way into all of the levels, cross-cuts
and upraises. The Chrysolite was doomed! So nearly
everybody believed. The exceptions were two shrewd,
unscrupulous manipulators of the stock on the shares
market. Startling and inexplicable was the fact, how
ever, that as the fire progressed and hope began to die.
Chrysolite stock on the New York Mining Board stead
ily climbed upward, and before the flames were extin
guished had reached the highest quotation ever re
corded! This was an unfathomable mystery to all ex
cept the two wily manipulators. But they soon recog
nized the fact that their reckless design was known to the
Eastern owners of the mine, who refused to fall into the
net prepared for them and tenaciously held on to their
shares. Then resort was had to other devices to bear
the stock, and their wicked machinations eventuated in
the great labor strike of 1880. The dramatic and near
tragic episodes of that event are set out in another chap
ter of this volume.
The history of the Matchless mine, a record of phe
nomenal production, adding millions to the already ple
thoric purse of the late Senator Tabor, affords abundant
material for a romance, punctuated as it is with episodes
fraught with human emotions — the hopes and fears of
the early discoverers, their final triumph and ultimate
weakness in parting with the princely holding for a song.
Senator Tabor had prized it above all earthly possess
ions, and even after its reserves had been exhausted,
after his princely fortune had been snatched from him
by a combination of untoward circumstances, leaving
him stranded amidst the wreckage of a fortune of al-
[200]

most collossal proportions, he tenaciously held on to the
Matchless, imbued with the hope that one day it might
again become the corner stone of a rehabilitated for
tune. This hope was shared by Mrs. Tabor, and some
time after the death of her husband sympathetic friends
contributed to a fund to redeem the property and permit
the woman to make one more effort to restore it to its
former proud position. The story is not lacking in pa
thos. I sincerely wish I might be privileged to record
the courageous woman's success in her ambition. With
limited means, and up to a very recent period, her miners
were at work cleaning out the tunnels, drifts and stopes,
preliminary to extending them into virgin territory.
For nearly two decades Fryer Hill has lain prostrate,
the engines silent, the stacks smokeless, the costly plants
rusting away in idleness and exposure. The lofty shaft
houses have stood out like ghosts, silent guardians of all
that was left of pristine splendor, headstones to departed
fortunes. Another chapter, it now seems, is to be added to the
engrossing history of the famed Fryer Hill. A sum of
money equal to fifty per cent, of its contribution to the
wealth of the world, or seventy-five millions of dollars,
represents the capital of a syndicate that proposes to take
over all of the properties on the hifl, introduce monster
pumping plants, unwater the entire area, and then, with
the most approved machinery, sink shafts and drive tun
nels in all directions, in the confident hope and expecta
tion of proving the existence, at great depth, of a second
and possibly a third contact, below the levels and stopes
from which so many million tons of carbonate and sul
phide ores were extracted in the decade ending with
1890. Far-seeing men, mining engineers and mine man
agers, careful and painstaking students of the geology
and ore occurrence of the district, conceived this gigantic
[201]

undertaking early in 1915, and, having faith in its possi
bilities, they set about the task of securing title to every
thing of value on the hill, after which, armed with blue
prints and maps, statistics of past production and esti
mates of future developments, they appealed with suc
cess to the investing world on the Atlantic seaboard,
whose engineers even now are mapping out the great
work to be undertaken. Granted that the theory of these
courageous men is substantially correct, great transfor
mations may confidently be looked for before many
years. Leadville has had its Carbonate Era, its Sulphide
Era, its Gold Era, its Zinc Era. Soon it will have its Era
of the Unknown but Fathomable. I take little risk in
repeating a prophecy printed a quarter of a century ago,
that the coming Iron Era may prove to be the greatest,
most lasting and profitable of all that gone before.

[S02]

THEODORE HOOK
Discoverer Little Pittsburg Mine

AUGUST RISCHE
Mining Associate of
Theodore Hook

HON. GEORGE B. ROBINSON
Discoverer Famous Robinson Mine

CHARLES J. MOORE
American Association of

HENRT E. WOOD
American Association of
>"^i^:_L-;^ Engineers

CHAPTER XLV.
First Authentic Account of the Discovery of the
Little Pittsburg Mine
So numerous and varied, so questionable and con
tradictory, had been the stories of the discovery of the
Little Pittsburg mine, for thirty years succeeding the
event, that I determined to secure a truthful recital from
the surviving member of the couple who made it, and
here give the narration in the unaltered language of Mr.
Theodore Hook himself, a story that henceforth will
take the place of all that have preceded it, and to which
it bears no resemblance. Mr. August Rische, mining
partner of Mr. Hook, died many years ago. The latter
is among the few fortunate discoverers distinguished
for having made prudent investment of quickly made
fortunes. Historical interest of national scope is accorded the
discovery of the Little Pittsburg from the fact that it
gave rise and impetus to the greatest mining boom of the
nineteenth century, to the building of Leadville and the
addition of half a biHion dollars' worth of mineral
wealth to the world's store of the precious metals. Mr.
Hook's story follows:
"On Saturday evening of April 20th, 1878, August
Rische and I heard that George Fryer had made the
discovery of the New Discovery, and on Sunday we
concluded we would see what it amounted to. We went
up and looked it all over, and concluded the stuff had
come off the hill. Both of us were poor, and we had to
have somebody help us do it, so I went out to Tabor and
asked him if he would go to work and put up for us. We
[203]

found a shaft sixty-five feet deep, and found the thing
was upside down. We located on the 22d of April, and
had ore on the first day of May — had a shaft twenty-
nine feet deep, timbered. In thirty days' work, with the
assistance of one man, we had thirty feet of ore. The
shaft cut into the ore on the edge of the ore body. It
was only an inch thick, and we drifted on it to the east,
and in thirty feet driving we had twenty-nine feet of
ore. This was the first real discovery of high grade
carbonates in place in Leadville. The previous discovery
— Fryer's discovery of the New Discovery — did not
find ore in place — it was drift.
"We first started sinking a shaft farther down the
hill, but the boys on the Union claim notified us to quit,
and we changed our location and went a Httle farther
up the hill. It is a fact that had we sunk the shaft ten
feet farther to the south we would have missed the ore.
"We first named the claim The Pittsburg, from the
place where I was brought up, but another party came
and claimed the name, so we put the word Little before
Pittsburg in the location.
"Within the week after first starting we made the
first shipment of ore, through August R. Meyer, and the
ore was sent to St. Louis. The first-class ore ran $200
and $300, and the second-class $150 to the ton.
"The first sale of the mine was to a man by the name
of Williams, of New York, for $325,000 for the whole
mine. At that time we were shipping probably $10,000
worth of ore a week. This was during July. In August
we went on up to $50,000. Williams failed to take up
the option. Then I sold my third interest in the mine to
Rische and Tabor for $98,000. I turned it over to them
in September. Altogether I received in profits and for
the sale of the mine $153,000. Two or three months
later Rische sold out his interest to Tabor for $265,000.
This, with the profits he had received, netted him over
$400,000. In May, 1879, Tabor sold one half of the
mine for $1,000,000, and he made about two and a half
millions out of the mine, when he finally disposed of aH
of his interest.
[2041

"A curious incident in the discovery of the Little
Pittsburg was the fact that Rische and myself first
thought of going to Edwin Harrison to grubstake us.
Harrison was owner of the Harrison Reduction Works
at that time, and was the man for whom Harrison
avenue was named. Harrison, however, was indisposed,
and we were unable to see him on Sunday, the 21st of
April, so we concluded to go to Tabor.
"The Little Pittsburg was the first real discovery of
high-grade carbonates of lead in place in Leadville.
Previous to that these carbonates were known, and
Stevens had a contract with the St. Louis Reduction
Works for the shipment of a large tonnage, but it was
low-grade. The first mine that Rische and myself
owned was adjoining the Rock mine on Rock Hill, where
Stevens was shipping this low-grade ore. Our mine
was known as the 77 mine. We also shipped consider
able from the 77 , This 77 was a fraction of about four
acres, which we discovered was ground that had not
been located previously, and we sunk a shaft nineteen
feet during one night and struck ore. All these car
bonates on Rock Hill, however, were low grade, and the
real discovery of high grade carbonates was that made in
the Little Pittsburg by Rische and myself, as everyone
knows. This was the real beginning of the high-grade
silver and lead mining in Leadville, which led to the
boom of '7^ and '79.
"This is the plain, unvarnished tale of the discovery
of the Little Pittsburg, and all the various stories that
have been told about it have come from the imagination
of other people, not from the facts. Many of these
embellishments of the story are ridiculous, particularly
the tale of the burro and the jug of whisky. Doubtless
Rische and I punished many a jug of whisky, but not that
particular one. The Little Pittsburg location is less
than half a mile from Tabor's store in Leadville, where
we started from.
"Everybody knows the rest of the story, and what
a great mining camp this discovery led to, and its effect
on the rest of the State.
[205]

"In regard to the naming of Leadville, in the first
discussion, when the town was incorporated in '77, it
was called Agassiz because August R. Meyer was a
great friend of Professor Agassiz, of Harvard ; but the
name never had any standing, and the first postoffice was
named Leadville. Tabor was the first Mayor, and was
also the first Postmaster of Leadville. Previous to the
incorporation of the town, and the establishment of the
postoffice at Leadville, the postoffice for the district was
at Oro, at Tabor's store, and another one was at Malta.
"The first building put up in Leadville was a saloon,
on Chestnut Street, built by a man named Mande. The
next building was that built by Charlie Mater."

[206]

GLENWOOD SPRINGS. COLORADO
At the Contluence ol the Gunnison and Grand Rivers
ASPEN. COLORADO
At the Confluence ol the Roaring Fork and Grand Rivers

CHAPTER XLVI.
Inspiration for the Building of a Great Transcon
tinental Railway Line
It has been noted that the Denver and Rio Grande
and the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad were
completed to Leadville in the summer of 1880. For
several years, and until the promise of tonnage war
ranted it, no effort was made to extend them westward,
over the main or Continental range of the Rocky moun
tains, into the valleys of the Grand, the Gunnison and
the Roaring Fork. They were an empire in extent, and
known to be richly mineralized. Extensive bodies of
lignite and semi-bituminous coal and marble comparable
with the best Carrarra, also were known to exist there.
Considerable prospecting and development had been
done at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and of the
Grand, at the north end of the valley, and at the avoca
of the Gunnison and fhe Grand at the southern end.
Only the richest mineral was being extracted, since no
other would stand the expense of transportation.
I conceived the idea of an independent line of rail
way, connecting Aspen with Leadville, to bring the ores
of that district to our local smelters, thus making our
city a great smelting, as it already was a great mining
center. I little realized how soon my dream was to
develop into a substantial reality. While yet debating
the problem in my own mind, and before conference with
any one, or hint thrown out in my newspapers, a fortu
nate circumstance pointed to the solution.
While enjoying a brief respite at Manitou's restful
[207]

resort, under the shadows of Pike's Peak, I fell in with
Major J. B. Wheeler, active head of the great New York
dry goods house of R. H. Macy & Co., a gentleman of
large means and unlimited credit. He seemed much
interested in Leadville, and inquired if it still offered
inducements for investments in a large way. I made
suitable reply, and then rather timidly unfolded my rail
way scheme. Already familiar with the history of the
two roads terminating there, and the immense revenues
earned in supplying mines, smelters and merchants, as
weH as in the bullion haul, he lent a willing ear to my
half-baked scheme, and, before returning home, he
agreed to go over the ground with me.
While on the western slope, he satisfied himself as
to the probable existence of extensive coal deposits, and
before leaving bought an option on a controlling interest
in the Aspen silver mine.
The result of the expedition was encouraging beyond
my fondest hopes. Returning to Colorado in the faH,
Major Wheeler set about organizing the Colorado Mid
land Railway, became its provisional president, and to
gether with a number of financially strong men, provi
ded funds for a preliminary survey.
The estimated cost of the line, crossing the Conti
nental divide at an altitude exceeding 12,000 feet, was
$18,000,000. The task of building the road was made
difficult by the influence exerted in money centers by the
Denver and Rio Grande and the Denver, South Park
and Pacific (a Union Pacific influence), but the feat was
accomplished, and arrangements made to start the work
of construction. At this juncture another, and apparently insurmount
able obstacle was placed in our way. The Denver and
Rio Grande Railway people, seeing that their territory
was threatened with invasion, and too short-sighted to
[208]

recognize that the new line might become a valuable
feeder to their system, refused to make any concessions
in rates on rails and other material, assuming that the
regular tariff would discourage the projectors of the
new enterprise, and possibly compel them to abandon it.
But they counted without their host. "They may go to,"
declared Wheeler. "We will extend our line to the
valley, and bring in our own material." This did not
please me at aH. It meant ruin to my initial scheme.
While a line was being surveyed from Leadville east
ward to Colorado Springs, Mr. Wheeler returned home
and raised an additional ten miflions with which to build
the projected road over the Ute Pass, years before pro
nounced impracticable, even for a narrow guage.
This decision of the Colorado Midland to extend its
line to a connection with the entire railway system of
the State, while sound policy from the standpoint of the
railway investor, was fatal to my conception of what the
new enterprise was to be, and what it was to accomplish.
Instead of insuring to Leadville smelters, for all time,
the treatment of all Aspen ores, it provided a direct
highway for them to the valley smelters, already enjoy
ing preferential rates over the home concerns ; nor did I
even have the satisfaction of seeing Aspen's shipments
pass through Leadville, since, by means of a cut-off in
the valley of the Arkansas, five miles distant, they were
entirely diverted! Only passenger trains were to pass
through the city.
A little later the Midland was extended in the other
direction, to a connection with the Rio Grande Western
at Grand Junction, thus forming an important loop in
the existing trans-continental lines at Ogden and Salt
Lake eastward to Denver and the Mississippi river, and
westward, eventually, via the San Pedro, Los Angeles
and Pacific, to the Pacific coast.
[209]

The opening of the Colorado Midland for freight
and passenger traffic should have been a red-letter day
for me, its original discoverer and wet nurse. Instead,
it proved an occasion only for tears and vain regrets;
and the reason for it "points a moral and adorns a tale,"
worthy of mention here.
In promoting the initial sale of bonds in Eastern
money centers, in the face of powerful opposition by the
existing railway lines, I naturally and legitimately,
through the columns of my papers and otherwise, accen
tuated the abnormal profits that had been taken by the
initial lines. Capital had to be "shown." Had I not
shown it, the flotation of thirty millions of bonds would
have been quite impossible. But, in doing this, I was
wielding a two-edged sword. My illustration of the in
ducements for capital to invest in a new railway empha
sized the extent to which local shippers had been robbed
by the old carriers, and they decided that the psychologi
cal moment to strike for relief was when the Colorado
Midland was completed and ready to receive traffic.
A "round robin" was the instrument with which they
sought to achieve their worthy purpose, and whereas
that was a dagger in the breasts of my friends, the per
sons whose hard dollars had built the road, I could not
consistently, with my loyalty to local shippers, combat
it in any way, openly or covertly. The agreement, signed
by ninety-five per cent, of them, was a pledge to route
all shipments over one road, for an indefinite period, un
til the other two should be forced to concede a horizontal
reduction in freight rates. And, perverse as communi
ties acting as a unit sometimes are, they ignored the
claims of the new road, and concentrated their business
upon the one that had robbed them the longest and the
most unmercifully!
I question whether an unsophisticated, well-meaning
[210]

journalist ever before ran up against such an embarrass
ing and humilitating dilemma. One group of friends,
the shippers, were only demanding their rights, so often
and so loudly proclaimed by myself, while another group
of friends, the persons who largely through my efforts,
had been induced to invest thirty millions of dollars,
were out for business, unhampered by any sentimental
notions. The situation, as far as related to me person
ally, was exasperating. The logical move would have
been for the first-named group to use the Colorado Mid
land as a weapon with which to club the other roads into
Hne, but powerful influences dictated another course,
and my pet railway was inaugurated with the handicap
of a formidable boycott ! I alone had conceived the under
taking, served it as accoucher and wet nurse, driven its
first spike, rode in its first passenger and freight engine,
and was "the first person with a boiled shirt" to climb
through its million-dollar Hagerman tunnel. I had se
cured for it right of way into the city without the
expenditure of a dollar, and served it in many and de
vious ways, and yet now was powerless to tender it a
pound of freight! The fact that I am still on earth,
limbs intact and faculties unimpaired, indicates that,
since the "round robin" performed its purposeful mis
sion, none of the original investors in the Colorado Mid
land have ever met me in a dark alley.
An incident or two associated with the procurement
of right of way into LeadviHe may not be without inter
est. Several years prior to the advent of the road the
Denver and Rio Grande Railway Co. had purchased of
the city two blocks of ground, intending ultimately to
utilize it for depot purposes, the initial station of the Hne
being in an undesirable locality. Now it happened that
those two blocks of land laid along the right of way pro
cured by the Midland — were an obstruction, as it were —
[211]

and aside from that fact the Midland officials were suf
ficiently discerning to grasp the idea that if they consti
tuted an ehgible site for depot purposes for the Rio
Grande they would appeal to them with added force. All
attempts to purchase the plot had been fruitless. The
decree came up from the Board of Directors of the Mid
land that the land must be acquired. And it was. Gen
eral George W. Cook, in charge of the company's inter
ests at Leadville, invited me to meet him on the ground
at one minute after 12 o'clock, midnight, of a certain
Saturday night. It was Sunday. All courts, of course,
were closed. To procure an injunction against us was
impossible. Cook was Mayor of the city, and arranged
to have the night patrolmen stationed at points as remote
as possible from Fourth street and Maple avenue. At
12 :05 a truck with rails and another with ties drove up
to the site. A score or more of track-layers came up out
of the darkness and ranged themselves along the line
staked out. At 12:10 a Director of the Midland ap
peared on the scene and notified Cook that he had come
to drive the first spike. Cook told him there was nothing
doing — Davis was to have the honor. At 12 : 1 5 I swung
the mighty hammer in air and drove home the first spike
driven on the Colorado Midland Railway. The site was
guarded for a few days, but the Rio Grande people made
no effort to recover their lost property. The matter got
into the courts, and I presume a fair price ultimately was
paid for the land. At all events the city station of the
Colorado Midland was erected upon the stolen ground,
and remains there to this day and hour.
About the date of this incident the Colorado Midland
people had bought twenty-one lots in another part of the
city from the county for repair shops and yards. The
Board of County Commissioners had made the sale and
directed the Chairman to sign the deed. This he de-
[212]

HON. H. A. W. TABOR
Ex-Lieut. Governor and
Ex-e'. S. Senator

HON. EDV.'IN HARRISON
President St. Louis Smelt
ing and Refining Co.

HON. DAVID H. MOFFATT
Prominent Banker and
Mine Ownsr
DR. D. H. DOUGAN GEN. W. H. JAMES
Ex-Mayor, Banker and Ex-Mayor. Omaha and
Smelter Manager Grant Smelting Co.

clined to do, doubtless holding out for a consideration.
The Midland officials exhausted their resources in en
deavors to get the Chairman to execute the deed, and
finally in their desperation appealed to me. I took the
deed from the hands of the chief counsel of the road, Mr.
Rogers, promising to return it within fifteen minutes,
properly executed. I sought out Mr. DeMaineville, the
recalcitrant Chairman, reminded him of the universal
demand for the building of the road on the surveyed
line, and rather broadly intimated to him that it wouldn't
be necessary for him to remain longer in Leadville, since,
in the event of refusal, it was not my purpose to permit
him to live there. I returned with the executed deed
within the specified time. It was the exercise of such
arbitrary and lawless power, in a number of vital in
stances, that warranted a local merchant in facetiously
dubbing me "the King of Leadville."

[213]

CHAPTER XLVII.
Corruption in City Affairs — A Model Mayor
Schemes of Graft Circumvented
The political history of Leadville would fill a large
volume, and there would be few dull pages between its
covers. The first Mayor, after incorporation, was Gen
eral William H. James, qf the Eddy & James Smelter.
The first City Council was composed of twelve Alder
men, every one of them a native of Ireland.
Mr. James was followed by Dr. D. H. Dougan,
whose administration was so forceful, effective, clean
and wholesome, that the dominant factors in the Repub
lican party, the managers of the Herald, felt obliged to
oppose his renomination. It was at this juncture that
my mental resolution to steer clear of personal partici
pation in poHtics was thrown to the winds. The attitude
of these men struck me as preposterous. My very soul
revolted against the theory that faithfulness to a public
trust must be punished rather than rewarded.
I refused to stand for it. Rolling up my sleeves and
plunging into the arena, I compelled the would-be dicta
tors to sit up to take notice of things. After a spirited
campaign, at primary and the polls, I landed Dougan a
second time in the Mayor's chair, with 800 votes to
spare, a gain of 752 over his first election.
I have noted the greed of Captain Dill, manager of
the Herald, in manipulating the city printing and City
Clerkship in the former administration. He now boasted
of his purpose to repeat the trick. But the Dougan Coun
cil demurred, and, although I had claimed no reward, I
[214]

was promptly chosen City Clerk, and the printing was
awarded to the Chronicle! The twin plums were easily
worth $10,000 per annum to me.
Dr. Dougan's administration was distinguished by
numerous interesting episodes, a few of which will be
recounted. The Council had inherited a claim of Hall
& SuHivan, contractors, for grading streets that never
were graded, in the sum of $48,000. It was a bold at
tempt to fleece the city in that amount. The bill was
presented, approved by the finance committee, and put
to a vote. On roll call seven members voted aye, five
nay, but the Mayor promptly declared the motion lost!
"Your Honor," fairly shouted Alderman Pritchard,
spokesman of the clique, "isn't seven a majority of
twelve?" "Yes," coolly replied the Mayor, "but it doesn't get
this steal through ! Mr. Clerk, you will record the vote
seven in the affirmative, five in the negative, and lost!"
And neither the Mayor or the Clerk had occasion to
bring into play the six shooters with which previously
they had armed themselves.
Another inheritance of a previous administration
was a claim of a street railway company, many thousand
dollars in amount, for maintenance of right of way over
certain streets, work which the company, under its fran
chise, was obHgated to do at its own expense.
Members of the Council favorable to the allowance
of this fraudulent claim, well aware of the Mayor's
unyielding opposition, held it in abeyance until the latter
had left the city on a month's vacation at his old home
at Richmond, Indiana. He had scarcely got well on his
way before the plotters had all arrangements made for
putting the measure through at the next meeting of the
Council, the President pro tem lending himself a willing
tool to the plan. Learning of the scheme in time, I got
[215]

Dr. Dougan on the wire and brought him back in time
to walk into the chamber on his arm as the Council was
being called to order.
The claim of the railway company was never heard
of after that pretty bit of check-mating.
Leadville was not just the place in which to seek civic
righteousness, and Dr. Dougan's administration stands
out quite alone and unique in the slimy history of munici
pal government in the United States.

[216]

MRS. H. A. W. TABOR MRS. HALL
First White Woman in Second White Woman in
Calilornia Gulch California Gulch
MRS. R. E. GOODELL
Distinguished as a Philan
thropist and Society leader
MRS. A. V. HUNTER ELLIS MEREDITH
Distinguished Leader ol Denver Famous Journalist. Politician
and Leadville Society and Suffragist

CHAPTER XLVIII.
The Brighter Side of Life — Characteristics of
Society in the Early Day
Society in the early days of Leadville — that is, good
society — in keeping with everything else, came with a
rush, and it might be said, started with the town. Its
high standard was not effected by other conditions noted
in these pages.
Notwithstanding those who were attracted to the
camp in its boom days were largely gold-seekers, adven
turers, gamblers, gunmen, crooks, and miners, there was
quite a sprinkling of business and professional men from
the four corners of the earth, and it was these men — law
yers, doctors, merchants, ministers, metallurgists, engin
eers, bankers, journalists, and the like, who early got
together and formed themselves into a club, the parties
they periodically gave being known as the "Assembly
Balls." And surprising as it may seem, this society ranked
with the best in the world — a broad statement, but, reas
oning from facts understated, the claim can easily be
substantiated. Let it be assumed that the professional
and business men who formed Leadville's early-day so
cial set were the equal in education, intelligence, culture,
refinement and morals of any similar set elsewhere.
Why not? The demands of a mining camp upon the
talented are heavy; particularly in mining and metal
lurgy is this true. So in this society were the usual num
ber of talented professional and business men, and to
[217]

these were added the shining lights of all the world in
things mining and metallurgical. Then to all of them
must be added the one noble trait of character which
cannot be generally attributed to the rank and file of
society, that of courage.
They were a brave lot of men who blazed the trails
in Leadville, for it takes bravery and courage to break
home ties and leave pleasant surroundings to rough it on
the frontier. These were the men who went to the front,
and the women who accompanied them were equally
brave, courageous and true.
The Scriptures say : "By their works ye shall know
them." From the Assembly Club of Leadville have been
chosen Senators, Congressman, Governors, Supreme
Judges, and its men and women are fifling high and re
sponsible positions in all honorable Walks of life. They
are prosperous, happy and charitable. Indeed, all of
them have made good. Hence my claim — a society un
excelled in all the world !
Denver is now the home of many of the members of
the Leadville Assembly club, and one of its members,
Mr. Calvin H. Morse, rounded them up and gave them
an Assembly Ball and banquet at the Brown Palace Ho
tel, February 3rd, 1913. There were three hundred
present, and, nothwithstanding the lapse of time, aU
looked as young as of yore. The Leadville Assembly Club
it was voted, should never be permitted to die, but should
be incorporated and perpetuated.
Mary Hallock Foote has almost immortalized the
Assembly Club in her account of "The Last Assembly
BaH," in a novel entitled "The Led-Horse Claim," (Led-
Horse being a corruption of "Strayhorse," a well-known
gulch leading eastward from Leadville. ) Nearly, if not
all of the characters were readily identified as members
of the Assembly Club, and the hero, if my memory
[218]

serves me correctly, was none other than Professor S. F.
Emmons, of the United States Geological Survey, who
spent a number of years in investigating and charting
the Leadville Mining District.
The social history of Leadville owes rnuch, also, to
other clubs, some organized in 1878 and surviving to
this day, and others of more recent origin. The oldest
of these was the Elk Club, followed by the Mining Club,
the Leadville Club, and that of the Benevolent Patriotic
Order of Elks.
The first named club consisted mainly of mining men,
engineers, surveyors, brokers and mine-owners. During
all these years the club has been suppHed with liquors,
wine and cigars through the operation of a system of
rules and fines. Thus if a member sold a mine for
$50,000 he was assessed a certain figure, and so on up to
any value, and a commission attached to every wager
made, the proceeds always applied to supplying the needs
of the club in the line of smoking and drinking. It is
quite remarkable that a club such as this, organized
primarily for dining purposes, should have survived
nearly half a century.
Nearly every secret society with a national organi
zation had a lodge in Leadville, all contributing their
share to the social gaiety.
So much had been said and printed regarding the
character of the population of the camp, the impression
being that it was largely composed of blackleg men and
women of the underworld, that I sought to correct the
popular idea with a single convincing proof. I secured
photographs of one hundred of the most beautiful and
cultured ladies of the city, grouped them upon a broad
page of highly calendered paper, and printed the im
pression from Hthographed stones, in the highest style
of the art of that day. At that time no newspaper had
thought of printing the face of a respectable woman,
and I was put to my wits' ends to secure the needed
photographs. Of course at that time no respectable
lady would furnish a photograph for such a purpose,
[219]

nor would any photographer provide me with one with
out an order. I simply had to steal them. I justified
myself, as did Bassanio: "And I beseech you
Rest once the law to your authority;
To do a great right, do a little wrong."
I assumed that the publication of that symposium of
beautiful, obviously pure and cultured women, would
forever remove the blot from Leadville's fair fame. But
the secret got out before the day of publication; and the
town was astir with indignation. The protest came from
all quarters, and threats of every nature were indulged
should I persist in my determination. I pleaded with
some, who came to protest in person, that no names,
place of residence, or other sign of identification, were
to be used; but it was all to no purpose. Even the in
sistence of my worthy purpose, and the need of such a
demonstration, fell upon deaf ears. Subscribers
threatened to cancel their subscriptions, merchants, in
some instances, were induced to intimate a boycot, and
finally a coterie of wealthy and influential big wigs sued
out an injunction in the District Court, restraining the
publication. And thus sixty thousand sheets of as
beautiful female faces as ever graced the pages of a
newspaper were necessarily confined to the flames before
the day of publication.
A very limited number of the sheets had in some
manner escaped from the press room, and thereafter the
office was besieged for duplicates, a dollar a copy being
freely offered.
In these days the Managing Editor scarcely thinks of
going to press without the picture of some lady for the
moment in the public eye. But I was the pioneer in the
enterprise, and suffered accordingly.
I had counted largely upon this feature to seU that
particular special number of the paper, and had printed
vastly more sheets than otherwise I should have done.
I feared the ehmination of it would be fatal to the issue;
[220]

but so much had been said about the matter that an arti
ficial demand was created, and the entire edition was
disposed of long before nightfall.
Often since I have reflected that the most outraged
women of the community, in case the publication had not
been judicially interfered with, would have been those
whose faces did not appear in the symposium of Lead
ville beauty and culture.

[221]

CHAPTER XLIX.
Appointed Master of the Mails — Most Remarkable
Postoffice in the World
Postmaster Tabor was succeeded by Dr. Smith while
I yet was City Clerk. He was short $30,000 .in his ac
counts, and the Postoffice department was insisting that
the Colorado delegation in Congress must decide upon a
successor. This was not easy, since there were four
hungry applicants for the position, none of whom could
command united endorsement of the Colorado delegation
in Congress. Dr. Smith not only made no effort to con
ceal his shortage, but boldly carried over the amount in
red ink from day to day in his cash book, the figure al
ways increasing, never a dollar less! Senator Chaffee,
father-in-law of General Fred Grant, Senator Tabor,
and others of the millionaire class, were Smith's bonds
men, a circumstance that in a measure reconciled the
Postmaster General to the delay.
Finally the Senators and Representatives harmo
nized upon an agreement to reject all of the clamorous
applicants and recommend me to President Arthur for
appointment. Senator Hill wired for my decision.
I had not so much as given the subject passing
thought. I was publishing two daily papers, with a
working force of fifty men. My work as City Clerk and
ex-officio Clerk of the Council, together with my duties
at the City National Bank, required much of my time.
I had numerous irons in the fire ; but I promptly repHed
by wire : "Will accept if I shaH not have to ask a man
or spend a postage stamp."
[222]

A DISTINGUISHED LEADVILLE FAMILY
Mrs. Gov. Grant (nee Miss Goodell) Mrs. Hill (nee Miss Goodell)
Mrs. A. A. Blow (nee Miss Goodell) Mrs. Mitchell (nee Miss Goodell)
"Wives of Gov. Grant, Engineer Blow, U. S. Marshal Hill, Pi-esident Mitchell of
the Denver National Bank

My appointment was promptly confirmed. I qual
ified in bonds of $150,000 on money order account and
$50,000 general revenue account.
A few episodes connected with my administration of
the office will not lack interest.
Notwithstanding the excessive bonds required, the
salary was limited to $4,000 per annum, and during my
term I expended $1,500 of my own money for fuel, lights
and clerk hire in excess of allowances. Some fire was
as essential in July as in January, but the department
couldn't be made to understand it.
The theory of the law is that the Postmaster person
ally shall "write up" all the money orders. I never wrote
one, but often had to call twenty clerks in to prepare the
day's money order business for the mails.
Suitably framed in the Postmaster's room is a tel
egram from the Postmaster General, fehcitating the of
fice on having sold more money orders in a single day
than any other office in the United States !
In addition to money orders paid, I remitted to the
Sub-Treasury at St. Louis, during my entire term, an
average of $1,000 a day on that account. The money
order business was half that of St. Louis, three times
that of St. Paul, four times that of Kansas City. For
eign orders aggregated $100,000. And this when the
city's population had fallen to 40,000.
The postoffice was the miner's bank. No one ever
doubted Uncle Sam's solvency. Miners would purchase
orders to the limit, payable to themselves, and renew
them at the expiration of the time limit.
The Denver and Rio Grande and the Union Pacific
railways had paraflel Hnes extending from Leadville
into the "Blue River country," over the Continental di
vide. The principal towns of that district, Kokomo and
Robinson, twenty miles distant, were served with mail
[223]

from my office, the Union Pacific, because of its enor
mous indebtedness to the government, having the con
tract for carrying it. Every winter these branch lines
were blockaded by snow for varying periods. In the
winter of 1883 the blockade on the Rio Grande lasted six
weeks, on the Union Pacific five months. There were
localities where the snow banked up fifty feet in height,
defying rotary snow plows.
When trains ceased running, I wired the department,
suggesting a snow shoe service for dispatch of first-class
mail only.
This was adopted, and three times a week my lusty
fellows, selected with reference to their experience in
mountain climbing, floundered through the drifts with
their precious burdens, often supplemented with medi
cine or other necessaries for the people along the route
who had no other means of communication with the out
side world.
When the Rio Grande resumed operations, I wired
the department for authority to pouch mails over that
line, but this was refused, and until the Union Pacific
line was re-opened, two months later, the snow-shoe ser
vice was continued; nor would the department permit
the carriers to ride with their burdens on the trains of
the road in operation.
Early one frosty morning a messenger hastily sum
moned me to the office, to witness a strange spectacle and
to solve a perplexing problem. I found a number of
clothes lines stretched across the mailing room, a boiler
full of water on the big stove, and a wash tub and wash
board arranged on two chairs. The night mailing clerk.
Jack Duggan, up to that time a most dependable fellow,
had made all arrangements for washing the letters, and
when I arrived was about to dump the contents of a reg
istered pouch into the steaming water.
[224]

CHARLES BOETTCHER
Prominent Banker and
Sugar Manufacturer

WOLFE LONDONER
Pioneer Merchant and
Mining Man

THOS. F. DAILY
Prominent Life Insurance
Man

JOEL W. SMITH
Pioneer Dry Goods Merchant

BENJ. F. STICKLEY
Pioneer Insurance and
Real Estate Broker

I distracted the fellow's attention, pending the ar
rival of an officer, and directed that the mail he had
thrown during the night be held for inspection. Eighteen
well-filled pouches were gone over, but not an error was
disclosed. And yet that same day Clerk Duggan was shown to
be hopelessly insane, and promptly dispatched to the asy
lum. As Col. Joyce once truthfully said:
"The body, the tangible pai t of man, can be easily
nursed back from a dying skeleton form to robust health,
but the intangible, wild, spectral mind, has no chains to
bind its rushing pinions, and no cure to quiet the crumb
ling fabric of imagination. The mind or soul of man is
unfathomable, and no plumet has ever yet been found to
touch the bottom of this universal ocean."
The federal postoffice building, the appropriation for
which I labored so energetically for years to procure,
came after my withdrawal from Leadville. A handsome
structure was erected by Uncle Sam, and is the domi
nating architectural feature of Harrison Avenue. So
far as I know it is the most elevated postoffice on the
American continent, a trifle more than ten thousand feet
above the level of the sea.
Just as the finishing touches were being given to the
manuscript for this volume the fact is wafted to me from
across the snowy ranges that Leadville stands at the
head of the Hst of all second-class postoffices in the
United States in amount of postal deposits in Uncle
Sam's bank. It is second only to Denver, a city of the
first class, and ranks thirtieth from the top of the Hst of
all classes, a most convincing evidence of the prosperity
and frugality of the hardy people of the mountain
metropoHs. [226]

CHAPTER L.
The Terrible Fate of a Postal Clerk and Three
Associates in a Snowslide
In December, 1883, one of my most faithful em
ployees, Albert Morrison, of Lentonvifle, New York,
resigned, to engage in a mining venture, associating with
himself three experienced prospectors, Carroll, Temple
and Summers. They had obtained a favorable lease in
the old workings of the famous Homestake mine, said
to have been operated by Spaniards long before Ameri
can occupation. The mine was on Homestake mountain,
ten miles west of LeadviHe, the tunnel mouth 12,000 feet
elevation. There was a comfortable log cabin on the claim, an
abundance of fuel at hand ; and, provided with an entire
winter's supply of provisions, the boys were supposed to
be amply safe-guarded from harm.
About the first of the year I learned, by inquiry, that
one of them had but recently been in for their mafl, and
gave little thought to the matter for a couple of months.
Receiving stamp marks on their accumulated mail then
showed that it had not been called for since the first
week in January.
The disclosure gave me something of a shock, nor
was I able to dispel the fear that some calamity had be
fallen the boys. The snow was very deep in the valley,
and the mine could only be reached on snow-shoes. Se
lecting my most dependable snow-shoe carrier, I dis
patched him to Homestake mountain. Encountering
unlooked-for obstacles, the messenger was late in return-
[226]

ing, and, as he re-entered the office, I read the result of
his mission in every lineament of his countenance. He
had met with no difficulty in precisely locating the claim,
since it was in a well-defined clearing, amidst a thick
growth of pines, albeit a rudely painted sign, nailed high
on a neighboring tree, indicated the exact locahty. But
there was not visible a chip, leaf or other object to show
the presence either of tunnel opening, cabin or stable !
The terrible truth was instantly flashed to the prac
ticed eye of the messenger, but how deep the hapless
men were buried under that mountain of snow and ice
could scarcely be conjectured. Unaided and without
appHances of any description, he was helpless in the
emergency, and had no alternative but to return to the
city for aid.
As in all such crises, Gen'l George W. Cook, joint
agent of the railways, was appealed to by me, and early
the following morning a relief corps of fifty sturdy men,
supplied with sledges and tools, set out for Homestake
mountain. Arriving before noon, the men set to work in relays,
and before nightfall had reached the roof of the cabin,
fifty feet below the surface. Another hour's work, and
sufficient snow had been removed from a window to ad
mit the rescuers to the interior.
The stillness of death pervaded the single room, al
though three human forms sat there as in life, while the
outlines of another were silhouetted in a corner bunk,
wrapped in a wakeless sleep ! This was Jack CarroH.
Opposite each other at a table, with cards before
them and in their hands, sat Temple and Summers.
The clock in the apartment had stopped at one min
ute past twelve, presumably midnight.
On the opposite side of the room, at another little
table, sat Albert Morrison, as lifelike as when last I had
[227]

seen him. He had been engaged in writing to his mother
when the shock came, and the date of the letter showed
that the visitation had occurred six weeks previously.
The sudden precipitation of thousands of tons of
snow had created a vacuum within the cabin, and the
death of the victims must have been instantaneous.
The bodies were tenderly raised to the surface, la
boriously dragged to the city, and given sepulture be
neath the soughing pines in Evergreen, where so many
courageous souls have found peace and rest.
Subsequently a beautiful monument was erected over
their graves, dedicated to the victims of the fearful ca
lamity. Later I recovered Albert's belongings and for
warded them to his sorrowing mother, not forgetting
the pen with which he was writing his last letter to her.

[228]

CHAPTER LI.
Lot and Mine Jumping — Tragic Occurrences — Two
Men Jibbeted — Mines Fortified
Between January and June, 1879, the population of
Leadville was augmented by fully 60,000 people. The
housing of such a multitude was a tremendous under
taking, when is considered the fact that every item enter
ing into construction had to be hauled in wagons three
hundred miles over rough roads, crossing mountain
ranges from one to two miles above the sea. Houses
could not be built fast enough to accommodate the in
rush, and hundreds were forced to live in brush shacks
and dug-outs. Many had no fixed habitation, and what
sleep they got was on the floors of saloons and dance
halls. A monster "Wigwam," that had been hastily thrown
up in the fall of '78, to accommodate political meetings,
was provided with bunks, and in these a full thousand
men were accommodated. The thousand narrow beds,
provided with straw mattresses and pillows and a few
army blankets, yielded a thousand dollars a night. Its
thrifty owner, Thomas Agnew, once Mayor of New
York City, took a fortune out of the Wigwam the first
season and returned to the metropolis.
Harrison avenue was extended to Capital hill, a mile
north of California gulch, and several parallel streets
were carried a like distance, while a dozen other streets
crossed them at right angles. The work of construction
never for a moment ceased, and the sound of hammer
and saw was heard all the night through, great bonfires
[229]

illuminating the sky in all directions and adding to the
weirdness of the scene.
Realty values advanced in correspondence with the
demand, and fortunes were made in the buying and sell
ing of town lots. When, in the early part of '79, Col. W.
H. Bush purchased avenue frontage one block beyond
the Chronicle office, on the basis of one dollar a foot,
many thought him crazy, but those same lots, three
months later, were worth one thousand dollars a front
foot! Only squatter titles were secured. It is not strange
that such an active market should have encouraged lot-
jumping. As a matter of fact one Frodsham, a "gun
man" from the Black Hills, organized a band of lot-
jumpers, which went into the nefarious business in a
wholesale way. It was ,not an unusual thing for this
gang to hitch horses to a cabin at night, pull it into the
street, and substitute one of their own, or take and hold
possession at point of rifle or revolver. Courageous
owners of property, thus deprived, rarely submitted
without a struggle, and numerous fatal encounters re
sulted. Finally, the operations of this gang of profess
ional lot-jumpers became unbearable, and one frosty
morning in November the bodies of Frodsham and one
Stewart were found dangling in the air on the frame
work of the County Court House, in course of erection.
This summary proceeding gave a check to the business
of night conveyancing of realty.
I recall a humorous incident of this era, in which the
pioneer Methodist minister. Rev. Tom UzzeH, figured
as the hero. Visiting the site of the First Methodist
church, a lot donated for the purpose, the parson found
men unloading lumber upon it. Seeing that they were
not disposed to listen to his wordy protest, Tom stripped
off coat and vest, and made such a determined assault
[230]

upon the invaders of the sacred lot as to induce them to
desist. Later, Tom said to me: "I made up my mind
if the Lord wanted me to recover that lot. He would give
me strength to lick those fellows. And the result
showed that He was on my side!"
A personal experience may be worth the relation. It
had occurred to me as the part of wisdom to secure a site
for a home before values got beyond my purse; and,
buying a lot on West Ninth street, I caused it to be
enclosed with a fence and a shack erected upon it, a pro
ceeding recognized as essential to hold title. Some
weeks later I went out to view my possession, and was
surprised to see smoke issuing from a stove pipe project
ing through the roof. I was met at the door by a burly
six-foot ruffian, with a huge revolver in his belt, and back
of him were a number of other vicious-looking charac
ters. If I had approached with any idea of making a
blustering demand, I quickly abandoned the purpose, and
meekly inquired of the party barring the door how he
became possessed of the property.
Politely enough he assured me he had leased it, and
paid two months' rent in advance, giving name and loca
tion of lessor.
I repaired to the locality indicated, a tent on what
now is State Street, and there, stretched on a cot within
was another formidable character, who, without rising,
and in answer to my interrogations, said he had bought
the lot in question of a party who since had "gone over
into the Gunnison country."
I reaHzed instinctively that he was lying, and that
only by running a big bluff on him could I hope to force
a surrender. On a table in front of him I laid the squatter's deed
to the lot and carpenter's receipt for the improvements,
and alongside these documents I placed the most con-
[231]

vincing evidence of title one can possess in a mining
camp, a murderous-looking six shooter.
"Now, see here, my man, that lot is mine, and I pro
pose to have it. I am doing business at 221 Harrison
avenue, and I will give you just twenty-four hours in
which to get those men out of the cabin and bring the key
to my office."
With that, I replaced the papers and gun in my pock
ets and backed out into the street.
Brave? Not on your life! Had twenty- four years
elapsed, I should never have gone in search of that fel
low again!
But the Chronicle, at that time, was making a most
determined fight on the lot-jumpers, and urging the peo
ple to organize for their protection; "221 Harrison ave
nue" was as well known to the rascals as "26 Broadway"
has since come to be recognized as the home of the
Standard Oil Company, and within two hours the key
to my Capital hill lot was thrown on to the counter of
the Chronicle office.
Later unassailable titles to city property were made
by the Smelting company, and this, coupled with the
Frodsham- Stewart episode, brought an end to lot jump
ing. •> The unlawful seizure of property, however, was not
confined to city lots. Mine-jumping was quite as com
mon, and infinitely more profitable. The slightest error
in primary surveys or setting of stakes, the least varia
tion from the procedure defined by the mining laws of
the district and government statutes, invited the institu
tion of adverse claims, and so frequently were these filed
in the local office that it came to be an axiom that a mine
couldn't be very valuable unless adversed.
Had rival claimants been disposed to await the lum
bering processes of the civil courts, there would have
[232]

IBEX MINE
Working Force Posed for this Volume

IBEX MINE
Loading Ore (Samples of Gold in Show Cases Superimposed)

been less friction, and tragedies would not have been of
such frequent occurrence. The inducement to gain
possession of mines, by whatever questionable means,
and secure the enormous treasure they contained, were
great, and respect for law and order lapsed into a remi
niscence. A well-stocked arsenal came to be considered
as essential an adjunct to a producing mine as engine or
lioist. 
The most noted incident of record was the attempt
of adverse claimants to secure possession of the Iron-
Silver mine, a vast property, with fifty miles of under
ground workings, and millions in dividends to stock
holders. For years Col. Stocking, a noted "gun man,"
with an effective fighting force of fifty men, guarded the
portals of the mine night and day, while within the in
clines and tunnels several brass cannon were mounted.
Litigation over title to this property ran through a whole
decade, and in this behalf hundreds of thousands of dol
lars were paid in costs and legal fees.
Soon after title was quieted in the federal supreme
court, "Uncle Billy Stevens," principal owner, died at
his home in Detroit. He had become so familiar a figure
in the courts, it was jocularly said he had no desire to
live after all cause for litigation had been removed !
Another fruitful source of litigation, more legiti
mate, yet scarcely less costly and irritating, related to
the right of the discoverer to follow the vein beyond the
side Hnes of his claim. This was known as the "apex
question," and ran its course through all of the courts.
The law is plain, but so palpably unjust that no local
jury could ever be induced to find in accordance with the
statutes. The result was that whereas litigants invari
ably won their contention in the lower courts, the su
preme tribunal at Washington would as invariably re
verse the decisions of the nisi prius courts. The law on
[233]

/

this subject is clearly against public policy, since it en
ables the discoverer of the apex of a vein to follow its
sinuous course indefinitely, and thus practically monopo
lize the mineralized section of an entire mountain, if
not a whole district. Some valuable claims were lost to
their owners through financial inability to carry on the
contest. To illustrate what advantage was taken of technical
ities to obtain possession of mines the case of sundry
persons versus the Morning and Evening Star Combi
nation is in point. The properties were worth milHons ;
the shares had appreciated from $5 to $35 before steps
were taken to obtain a patent. The application was
brought to my office for insertion in the evening edition.
It appeared in the issue of that day, with the foot note
appended to all such advertisements, for the convenience
of lawyers and applicants, "First publication, 
1879, last pubhcation  , 1879." The cost
of the advertisement in a daily paper was deemed exces
sive, and the parties in interest decided, after the first
pubhcation, to switch it to the weekly publication. This
was done, the advertisement appearing in the weekly
issue three days later. But, through inadvertance, the
dates of first and last publication, as they appeared in
the daily, were not changed. The fact was discovered,
the true dates appended, and the application was pub
lished the full ninety days required by the statutes. An
adverse claim, based upon nothing more substantial than
this slight "bobble," which, as shown, was promptly cor
rected and the law in all respects rigidly complied with,
was filed, and the case went up to the Supreme Court of
the United States. My deposition was taken, in which
everything connected with the publication was clearly
elucidated. The brief of counsel for the adverse claim
ant, with voluminous citation of authorities, made a
tome of twelve hundred pages ! In the stubbornly fought
contest, occupying the attention of nisi pruis and su
preme courts of State and Nation for months, and
[234]

extending over years of time, not another point was
raised, not another contention made, except the one here
noted, and upon that flimsy pretext it was sought to
wrest from original discoverers and rightful owners one
of the most valuable mines ever located. The Supreme
Court brushed it aside, as unworthy of consideration,
and handed down a decision in favor of the Star owners.
The Court held that, in any event, the foot note was no
part of the advertisement, not having been authorized,
and a matter wholly beyond control of the applicants for
patent. But the litigation ensuing cost the parties to it
hundreds of thousands of dollars in counsel fees and
court costs.

[236]

CHAPTER LII.
Riot Of Corruption in Public Office — Frightful
Crimes and Accidents
On the civic side remarkable things were happening,
while public attention was centered upon the intense and
exciting quest for mineral wealth, with the side issues of
lot and mine-jumping, the housing of people, and the
daily recurring clashes between the quasi outlaws and
the law-and-order element. An avenue was thus opened
for designing men of another class to seize the public
offices, and inaugurate a systematic campaign of plunder
by taxation. The fee system was in vog^e, and, however just un
der normal conditions, it served a vicious purpose at that
period in increasing the pay of county officials to an ab
surd limit. The income of the county clerk reached
$60,000 per annum; sheriff, $50,000, assessor, $30,000,
and proportionately down the line.
Unscrupulous men could, and did, spend fabulous
sums in the open corruption of voters. So bold did they
become that workers at the polls thought nothing of
handing tickets to voters with a five dollar note attached
to each ; while others would herd gangs of men in neigh
boring saloons, march them to the polls, and exchange
currency for their tickets of identification, just outside
the voting booth!
Public morality, thus contaminated, naturally became
very low, and the better element suffered long and griev-
iously before adopting relief measures. When once
[236]

aroused to their peril, albeit this did not occur until city
and county were hopelessly in debt, the measures adopted
lacked not in vigor or strenuosity.
Upon one occasion, General W. H. James rallied to
his side a hundred determined citizens and marched to
the court house, at noon one day, when the Board of
County Commissioners was in session.
Addressing the Chairman, the General pointed out
a number of particularly illegal and rascally transactions
of which the Board had been guilty, and warned the
members that if the robbery of the public did not at once
cease the last one of them would be taken out and
hanged !
One fact shown was that it was costing $14 a day for
maintaining each public charge in the poor house.
Another fact pointed out was that a small brick out
building in the court house yard, which any honest con
tractor would have erected for $100, had cost the people
$5,000. One member of the Board had urgent business call
ing him to Denver that evening, and he never returned !
None of his companions in crime dared present them
selves for re-election. ,
Murders were so frequent as no longer to command
particular attention, unless the principals chanced to
be men of great prominence, as sometimes happened. I
well remember an occasion when my city reporters were
called upon to cover five fatal encounters in a single
night. Accidents in mines and smelters were of almost daily
occurrence, many of the most appalling character.
One distressing incident is worth traversing. George
B. Robinson, a pioneer grocer, had "grub-staked" a
couple of men, and they had uncovered the fabulous
riches of the Robinson mine, on Sheep mountain, a prop-
[237]

erty capitalized at $20,000,000, and that had paid hand
some interest in dividends on that sum.
Robinson was a man of education, culture and broad
experience. He had failed in the banking business in
Michigan, came to LeadviHe in the early day, with the
remnant of a fortune, and was struggling to get on his
feet again at the time of the lucky strike. His character
and attainments had been recognized by his nomination
and election as Lieutenant Governor, a position he was
destined never to fill. Before the date set for inaugur
ation he received intelligence that an adverse claimant to
his mining property had gathered a posse of one hundred
men, with the purpose of capturing the mine by force
of arms. Mr. Robinson had the tunnel entrance barricaded,
and instructed the guard within to fire at the approach
of any one during the night without waiting to challenge.
Before retiring at a near-by lodging, he bethought
himself of an additional instruction, and upon his ap
proach to the portal of the tunnel the faithful guard,
acting upon his employer's own instructions, shot
through the door, killing him instantly.
A week prior to this lamentable tragedy Mr. Robin
son had taken an option on the Denver Tribune with the
purpose of placing me in charge, ostensibly to give the
property to me, as a recognition of my efforts in securing
his nomination and election as Lieutenant-Governor. He
was to take up the option upon his return from that fatal
visit to the mine. The incident forcibly illustrates the
slenderness of the thread upon which often hang mo
mentous events. Mr. Robinson's untimely death was a
distinct loss to the State. What it meant to me may only
be conjectured.

[238]

CHAPTER LIII.
Visited by Gen'l Grant, President Harrison,
Vanderbilt and the Goulds
The advent of the two pioneer railways into Lead
ville effected great changes in the economic life of the
community, and in the development of the mining and
smelting industries. The immediate effect was depress
ing since a hundred railway employees could perform
what had given employment to many thousand team
sters, and the withdrawal of that element was at once
felt by all engaged in any way in supplying their require
ments. The theatres, saloons and dance halls were the
heaviest sufferers, since it was this class, rather than
the sturdy miners, who constituted their chief patrons,
and who contributed vastly more to the early reputation
of the place for immorality and crime.
But this loss was more than offset by the advantages
of rail connection with the outside world. It was now
possible to ship low grade ore, a relief to mine owners,
if detrimental to local smelters; but perhaps the major
benefit was comprehended in the bringing in of a better,
if not quite so courageous, an element, representative of
the more influential capitaHstic class, that awaited the
Pullman car.
Leadville was approaching an era of deeper mining,
where larger sums were needed to carry on greater min
ing ventures, and this class usually has to be shown.
The registers of the Tabor, Windsor, Grand, Clarendon
and Vendome Hotels contain many illustrious names,
and the visit of some of them was attended by events
[239]

of more than ordinary interest and significance. Among
these I recall the names of General U. S. Grant, Col.
Fred Grant, President Harrison, General W. T. Sher
man, Justice Gray, the Duke of Portland, Governor
Oglesby, the Duke of Cumberland, Commodore Vander
bilt, Jay Gould, and many other statesmen, soldiers, cap
tains of finance, scholars and savants.
The visit of General Grant was particularly notable,
since he and his retinue were passengers on the first train
entering the city, in August, 1880. Accompanying him
were Mrs. Grant, Col. Fred Grant, and wife, and afl
who had followed him in his historic tour of the world.
The party came to stay a day; it remained three days.
Being a member of a committee sent to Canon City
to receiveVand accompany the General to Leadville, I had
rare opportunity, in the three hours run, to enjoy his
companionship. Assuming that the General might de
sire to learn something of the history and development
of State and section, the committee had chosen me to act
as his mentor, a distinction of which I at the time felt
exceedingly proud, but all of my well nurtured conceit
had vanished before the journey had fairly been entered
upon. I found that he knew more about the State than
I did. Soon I became an interested listener to historical
facts with which I was not at afl familiar. His fund of
information regardi^ig Colorado seemed inexhaustible.
Just as a blood-red sun was dropping out of sight
behind the battlements of Mount Massive, our train came
within sight of the Magic City, the entire population of
which lined the right of way for a distance of miles,
awaiting arrival of the first train with its distinguished
guests. It was before the days of electricity, but great
bonfires illuminated the way, and gave added glamour
to the wonderfully inspiring scene. General Geo. W.
Cook's famous Drum Corps led the procession through
[240]

¦SI*

Mount of the Holy Cross, Near Leadville
Glimpse of Twin Lakes. Near Leadville, 12,000 Feet Elevation
Siesta of Two Weary Willies in the Upper Altitudes
Evergreen Lake, a Scenic Feature of Leadville's Environs

the principal streets, followed by thousands of ex-Fed
eral and Confederate veterans, lending to the function
a distinctively martial coloring.
General Grant's first day in Leadville was spent in
visiting the mines and smelters, the second day he gave
audience to his old comrades of the Grand Army, and
his visit terminated in a banquet at the Clarendon Hotel,
participated in by hundreds of distinguished visitors and
men of local renown.
Just before the close of the banquet. Col. A. V. Bohn
addressed the guest of the evening as follows :
"Because of the extreme modesty of Mr. Davis, I
have been selected as the bearer to you of this beautiful
souvenir of your visit to Leadville, a copy of the Evening
Chronicle of the 23d instant, entirely printed on white
satin, and containing a report of your reception. It is
the pioneer paper of this city — a paper, sir, that brought
your name prominently before us at an early day as the
candidate of the Republican party for President of the
United States in 1880, a sentiment that met the appro
bation and expressed the wishes of the masses of the
American people, if not that of the politicians, and that
now places your name at its mast head for the campaign
of 1884." General Grant made suitable response, saying he
should remember it among the most cherished trophies
gathered in his world tour. The copy of the Chronicle,
with other souvenirs, is preserved in a show case in the
Smithsonian Institution at Washington, all having been
bequeathed to the government upon the death of the
illustrious general and statesman.
Another ex-President visited Leadville at a later
period, accompanied by a retinue of distinguished peo
ple, each of whom was presented with a silver brick as
a souvenir. That for Mr. Harrison weighed eight
[241]

pounds, 999 fine, suitably engraved, and was presented
by Judge Luther M. Goddard.
The party reached the city at sunrise, and were
driven to the Vendome hotel, around which, notwith
standing the early hour, thousands of curious people had
assembled to emphasize the genuineness of their patri
otic welcome. At 7 a. m. Mr. Harrison, from the bal
cony of the hotel, addressed the multitude, saying, among
other things :
"This scene this morning is one that should inspire
the dullest heart. This rare, pure atmosphere; this
bright sunshine; these; colors; this multitude, lifting
smiling faces to greet u-s, is a scene that should lift the
dullest heart to emotions of thankfulness and pride,
pride wholly separated from personal considerations,
and pride that is swelled up by the contemplation that afl
this is the outcome, the manifestation, the culmination,
of free American institutions. We stand here today on
the mountain top, and see what I think is the highest evi
dence of American pluck to be found in the United
States. I have addressed my fellow-citizens on many
thousand occasions, but I have never stood before so
near the dome. It is a wonderful testimony to the energy
and adaptation of the American that he should have
pushed his way to this high altitude, above the snow line,
and created these magnificent and extensive industries,
and these beautiful and happy homes. I rejoice with
you in all that has been accomplished here. I bring
thanks to you for the great contribution you have made
to the wealth of the country we all love. You have not
got above the high reach of our affections and of our
consideration. I do most sincerely thank you for this
token of the product of your mines. It is a precious
metal, but much more precious to me is the kindly
thought of the generous welcome which you have given
us here in Leadville today. I give you a most cordial
salutation and regretful good-bye."
[242]

Upon the occasion of a visit to the city by Commo
dore Vanderbilt, and a party of distinguished railroad
officials, my reporters were tipped off with the outHne of
a well-devised plot to take the Commodore from the train
at a lonely spot near Hill Top, conceal him in a deserted
tunnel, and hold him for a heavy ransom.
Local sleuths, aided by my reporters, disclosed suf
ficient evidence to warrant the institution of prompt
measures to circumvent the plotters. It at first was
deemed sufficient to send an ample guard with the train,
but at the last moment a safer plan was devised. The
Commodore's special train, with a heavily armed guard,
was dispatched in accordance with the published sched
ule, but the outlaws obviously got information that their
wealthy quarry was not aboard, and it passed Hill Top
at slow speed unmolested, while the Commodore, in an
other car on the other road, departed in an entirely dif
ferent direction.
Mr. Vanderbilt did not leave the State without suit
able acknowledgment of the valued service rendered him
by the argus-eyed reporters of the Herald Democrat and
the Chronicle, But he thereafter eliminated Leadville
from his calling list.
Interest in his Colorado railway investments later
brought Jay Gould to the city on a tour of inspection,
and upon this occasion he was accompanied by his
daughters, Anna, who became the Countess de Castel-
lane, and later Princess de Sagan; and Helen, who de
nied herself the bliss of matrimony until near the half
century mark. The prominence of these women in the
public eye for over thirty years warrants this brief retro
spective glance at them, as they appeared to me in the
summer of 1883, when both were in their early teens.
Although traveling in a special train de luxe, with
all of the comforts and luxuries that the name implies,
[243]

the two girls, in their outward appearance, gave no token
of their wealth and station. They were most modestly
attired in inexpensive dresses, without any jeweled
adornment whatsoever, while their attitude and bearing
corresponded with their toilets. Under acceptable cicer-
onage, a poHce detail, and myself, the girls took in Lead
ville by gas light, viewing what usually most interests
the average tourist in the wild and woolly West — the
gambling palaces, dance halls, opium joints, and other
dens of iniquity.
I remember to this day the expression of pity and
commiseration worn by Helen Gould as she passed from
place to place, and witnessed, with her own eyes, and
for the first time in her young life, the degradation to
which sin brings mankind, and especially the represen
tatives of her own sex. There was absent that manifes
tation of morbid curiosity so conspicuous in the counte
nances of other members of the party, and of the mem
bers of numberless other parties whom I had escorted
through the same abodes of crime and iniquity, and in
its place was a singular expression of regret, of pity, and
commiseration. These girls were distinguished from others that had
visited "the wickedest city on earth," under similar cir
cumstances, only by reason of their prospective great
wealth, and whereas the attitude and conduct of Helen
Gould impressed me as quite out of the ordinary, it of
course did not occur to me that in the years following her
name would become hallowed in every American home,
because of a life unselfishly devoted to the amelioration
of suffering humanity, or that the first resolution to be
introduced in the Congress of a great nation, following
the termination of a sanguinary war with a foreign
power, would breathe the gratitude of seventy-five
million people to the little girl I saw in a modest caHco
[244]

dress, for her ministrations to sick and dying soldiers in
hospital and field, or that, consistent with her uniform
bearing throughout a long and glorious career, she would
crown her life's work by surrender of her future happi
ness to a plain American citizen, without other distinc
tion than relatively humble duty faithfully performed.
I desire to draw no invidious comparisons of the two
sisters. Rather am I inclined to the belief that Anna,
too, in a different atmosphere, and in a widely contrast
ing way, has done and is doing much good in the gay
city in which she lives. But Mrs. Finley Johnson Shep
herd, nee Helen Gould, impressed with the fact that
"charity begins at home," has certainly given greater
warrant for the unstinted praise showered upon her by
the people of two continents.

[246]

CHAPTER LIV.
Era of Legitimate Acting — Theatre in a Tent
Strong Stock Combinations
Vaudeville theatres and concert halls, allow me to say
again, were features of the earliest settlement of Lead
ville, and, because of the extraordinary patronage
showered upon them, reaped golden harvests from all
classes. But it was not until the spring of '79 that a
legitimate theatre opened its flap to the public — I say
"flap" instead of door, because the initial theatre was a
monster tent, the stage built of unsurfaced boards, the
drop curtain and other accessories of the most primitive
character. A well-balanced stock company from the Forrester
Opera House, Denver, filled a protracted engagement
with standard comedies and dramas, with Nick Forres
ter, a popular pioneer comedian, in the title roles.
Before the close of the first year H. A. W. Tabor
gave to the city a handsome two-story brick theater,
pronounced the finest west of Chicago, and which bore
the name of Tabor Opera House for twenty-five years.
It then was purchased by Charley Vivian's lodge and
re-christened "Elk's Opera House." The house was
dedicated, as was its canvas predecessor, by a strong
company, of which Phosa McAllister, long a popular
Western comedienne, was the leading lady.
The Chestnut Street Theater and Wood's Opera
House followed, and in these several places, as time
passed, the best known actors and actresses of the coun
try furnished wholesome amusement to the populace.
Among the troubadors, who early favored the city
[246]

with their elevating and mirth-producing melody, was
the "Hutchinson Family of B ell-Ringers," a troupe that
half a century ago was known to the inhabitants of
nearly every hamlet in the land. Here the splendid ca
reer of this popular band of ballad-singers was brought
to a close. Father Hutchinson, obsessed with an ambi
tion to accumulate a fortune quickly, disbanded his
troupe to engage in mining, from the proceeds of which
he built the "Hutchinson House," a hostelry especially
popular to this day with members of the theatrical pro
fession. It was the era of stock companies, and exceedingly
strong combinations of talent were maintained ''at the
Tabor, Wood's and other play houses of the Cloud City.
But few road companies visited Colorado in that early
day, mainly because of the sparse population and the
excessive railway rates, but such as did invariably
booked for a Leadville engagement, although the fare
from Denver, an eight hour's run, was eight dollars.
Had the city been dependent upon traveling companies
for amusement, it would have fared badly indeed. The
patrons of the theater were numerous, quite out of pro
portion to the population, and never demurred at the
payment of a dollar and a half or two dollars for seats
in the parquette. Leadville was never favored with
grand opera, although there was always a sufficiently
numerous clientele to have supported a season of music,
whatever the cost. The legitimate was ever well sup
ported, and I do not recall an instance when tragedy
failed to call out a full house.
Concert halls were numerous, and whereas some
pretty vile attractions were tolerated from time to time,
really meritorius programs were the vogue.
But farces, comedies and lurid dramas were most in
demand, and commanded the largest box office receipts.
[247]

CHAPTER LV.
A Gigantic Conspiracy to Depress Stocks — Eight
Thousand Miners Strike
By midsummer of 1880 the rich surface deposits of
carbonates of silver began to give evidences of exhausT
tion. The great bonanza mines of Fryer Hill, that al
ready had added nearly a hundred millions to the world's
stock of silver, reduced their daily output. The seem
ingly inexhaustible reserves of the Morning and Even
ing Star properties, on Carbonate Hill, were being heav
ily drawn upon. The great Iron-Silver mine on Iron
Hill was tied up with litigation. Nothing was at that
time known of a "second contact" or deposits of chloride
bearing sulphide ores, far more enduring, if less rich,
than the overlying blanket lode of carbonates. Scientific
operators believed in the existence of these hidden treas
ures, but the general public partook not of their extreme
optimism. A coterie of designing operators, men who took
their profits from the rise and fall of stocks on the New
York Mining Board, rather than from practical oper
ation of the mining properties, entered into a conspiracy
to depress the stocks of the bonanza mines, that they
might gather in the public's holdings at their own figures.
Fire was destroying the lower workings of the Chrys
olite, believed to have been in furtherance of the design
to break down the stock, although, singular as it may
seem, the shares continued to rise in value with the
progress of the flames. Gloom began to settle down
upon the city, and the end was freely predicted.
[248]

Leadville Under Martial Law. First Arrival of Stat.e Troops
Interior of a Spacious Leadville Log Cabin of the Early Day

Chief among the stock manipulators was George
Daly, a daring and intrepid operator from the Comstock,
and W. S. Keys, as well known on the San Francisco Ex
change. These men, it was afterward alleged and gen
erally believed, sent their emissaries into the ranks of
the Miner's Union to sow seeds of discord and discon
tent, inducing the leader, Mike Mooney, to inaugurate
a labor strike.
All the ills that could beset a mining camp seemed to
accumulate suddenly and without previous warning.
The calamity came like a bolt from the blue. Mooney
and his associates went from mine to mine, calling out
the men, and within a few days eight thousand oper
atives dropped their picks and shovels and joined the
idle throngs in the salOons and the streets.
The strike extended to the smelters, and other thou
sands were added to the tumultuous, menacing multi
tude. Complete paralysis of every industry followed.
Miners and smelter hands had been receiving the full
Union scale, frofti $5 to $8 a day, and up to that time
there had not been a ripple on the surface in organized
labor circles. Had the new demands been made six
months prior, they doubtless would have been acceded
to without demur, but in the face of grave uncertainty
as to the permanence of the mineral deposits that con
fronted the mine managers, they could not with safety
and prudence be considered.
Weeks of doubt, uncertainty and fearful apprehen
sion followed without untoward event. Many of the
mines, as soon as the engines stopped beating, began to
fill with water, the pumps were drawn, and the hum of
activity throughout the district finally ceased.
Mine owners refused to yield, and the miners threat
ened to resist any attempt to import operators from
[249]

other mining camps. Threats to burn the city and de
stroy the workings of the principal mines were freely
made. Even human life was menaced.
Singularly enough, a considerable element of the
population, that portion depending primarily upon the
miners for patronage, openly sympathized with their
contention, calculating that they themselves might profit
from a horizontal increase in wages. Values took a
tumble. Many sold their valuable holdings for a song.
Banks ceased renewing loans, mercantile agencies
warned their subscribers to discriminate in extension of
credits. Merchants renewed stocks with the greatest
caution. Striking miners, as their accumulated funds
were exhausted, became desperate. A species of dry
rot, more depressing than actual calamity, seemed to
have taken possession of the city.
Finally the leading mine managers held a meeting,
and issued an appeal to the authorities and to the people.
"Unless adequate protection is afforded us," they de
clared, "we will close down our mines and seek safety
elsewhere." Such was the situation when one of my employees,
Mr. W. L. Cooper, advertising solicitor, came excitedly
into the office and fairly shouted : "Davis, yau can stop
this strike and save Leadville!"
Such thought had not occurred to me. Like every
one else, I felt powerless. But within an hour I had
pledged, in writing, the names of one hundred prominent
citizens who agreed to meet me at Hallock's Hall, to con
sider the situation.
News of the movement had spread, and so many
joined it that the hall would not accommodate the crowd.
I called the meeting to order, using a six-shooter for
gavel and the subtle hint, quite unintended by me,
brought forth a shout of approval. An adjournment
[260]

was taken to the Opera House, the auditorium of which
was filled to the doors with a quiet, though obviously
determined, throng.
After discussion, in which vastly more was implied
than said, a motion was carried that an executive com
mittee of one hundred be named to take charge of the
movement. The men selected instantly responded with
alacrity to the call for a meeting to organize. This was
held in Governor Tabor's private rooms in the Opera
House. It was resolved it should be called the "Com
mittee of Safety."
Then followed one of the most extraordinary events
that ever characterized a public movement.
Col. A. V. Bohn briefly addressed the members, re
minding them of the extreme hazard involved in accept
ing the direction of such a movement, declaring that suc
cess could only be hoped for by giving to whoever might
be chosen chairman of the committee the broadest lati
tude, and the most loyal, unyielding, unquestioning sup
port. At the psychological period in his remarks he
asked that every man raise his right hand and swear to
do that man's bidding, whatever of sacrifice, hardship
or peril might be involved.
The suggestion was instantly acted upon, and the
faces of those hundred determined men gave evidence
of the sincerity of the obligation taken.
To my great, almost overwhelming astonishment,
I then was unanimously chosen chairman, an honor
which I should have appreciated, since there were pres
ent many a grizzled veteran, many who had felt the
shock of battle — many who, "amidst the war of ele
ments, the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds,"
could be relied upon to "stand fast, stand firm, stand
true." The pledge taken was then reduced to writing and
[2-61]

signed by all present. I append the rules and regula
tions adopted, together with the roll of members — from
the only draft in existence :
"Whereas, It is believed that there is an organization
existing in our midst whose objects are detrimental to
the best interests of Leadville and the surrounding indus
tries ; and
"Whereas, This lawless organization has assumed
such vast proportions that the civil and military author
ities cannot adequately control it or sufficiently punish
the offenders ; and
"Whereas, It is the duty of every citizen who has in
view the prosperity of Leadville, Lake County and the
entire State of Colorado to band together for the pro
tection of these interests ; therefore, be it
"Resolved, That we, the undersigned citizens of
Leadville and Lake County organize ourselves into a
Committee of Safety, whose objects shall be maintenance
of order, the punishment of crime, and to take cogni
zance of all lawless acts that may transpire within our
midst and come within the objects of this organization.
"OFFICERS.
"The offices of this organization shall consist of a
President, Secretary, and a Council, consisting of five
members. The President and Secretary shall be ex-
officio members of the Council. And in addition to the
above officers, there shall be appointed by the Council
such number of Executive Committeemen as may be
deemed necessary. "DUTIES OF OFFICERS.
"The President shall be Commander-in-Chief, and
have command of all meetings of the organization,
whether public or private, and shall be taken into the
counsel of any Executive Committeeman and his posse,
before executing any order, and shall preside at afl meet
ings of the Council. The Secretary shall record and
safely keep all records ordered by the council. The du-
[262]

ties of the Council shall be to hear all cases and render
final judgment thereon, and fill any and all vacancies
that may occur. It shall be the duty of the Executive
Committee, separately or collectively, TO OBEY
WITHOUT QUESTION ALL ORDERS THAT
MAY BE ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENT. It shafl
be the duty of the members of this organization to at all
times and WITHOUT QUESTION obey the orders of
the Executive Committee and the President. And we,
the members of this organization, hereby solemnly
pledge ourselves, our property and our sacred honor to
carry out the spirit and intent of the above rules :"

>.^^<L

a^/^i^ J-^

?^^

/V. y^.0^jd&/K.

[263]
J/^/o..^^. C ^.^^ ^^ ^2^

€-€</

fe

[264]

Thirty-six years have passed since the tragic inci
dents noted in this chapter occurred. Doubtless the ma
jority of those who signed the extraordinary pact set
out above have "gone over the range." Who were these
men? Doubtless a brief summary will not be without
interest even at this day. I shall indicate with an asterisk
(*) such as are known to me to be dead: Tabor* was
Lieutenant Governor; Wright was Attorney-General;
John Bonner* (first editor of Harper's Weekly) was
Mining Editor of the Evening Chronicle; A. A. Smith*
was Postmaster; Henry Howland* was an artist; Mc-
Dowefl, attorney; S. J. Hanna, Register U. S. Land
Office; W. S. Keys, prominent mining operator; J. H.
Playter, County Treasurer, C. C. Howefl,* President
City Bank; Geo. B. Robinson,* Lieutenant-Governor-
elect ; A. G. Hood, Manager Telephone Exchange ; Chas.
Mater,* owner seven stores; Geo. R. Fisher, Cashier
Bank of Leadville; Peter Becker,* Sheriff; E. C. Kav
anaugh,* Alderman; Geo. Daly,* mining operator; A. S.
Weston,* Judge ; Lou C. Leonard,* private secretary to
Senator Tabor; Geo. W. Trimble, Vice-President Car
bonate National Bank; Geo. T. Clark,* mining operator;
R. Gauss,* A. J. White,* and M. H. Slater* were editors
of the Chronicle. Of those who, at this writing, are be
lieved to be living, Charles Boettcher is a multi-million
aire banker and sugar manufacturer; I. W. Chatfield is
a rancher in Idaho ; J. D. McCarthy is a mining operator
at Los Angeles; S. J. Hanna is National Lecturer for
Christian Scientists, Boston ; W. S. Keyes is a prominent
San Francisco mining operator.
Little wonder is it that this Association should have
been dubbed "the Stranglers" by the turbulent element,
since, among other objects declared was "the punish
ment of crime," a literal interpretation of which would
[266]

leave little for the courts to do. The "Rules and Regu
lations" were not published at the time, for obvious
reasons, but it was well understood that the Association
was patterned after the famous San Francisco "Vigi
lance Committee," that so effectually crushed out crime
and disorder in the Bay City in the late 50's. It wifl be
noted that it was the duty of the Secretary to "keep a
record" of doings, a duty that of course never was per
formed, the only written record being that from which
I have here quoted. The powers conferred upon the
"Commander-in-Chief," as has been seen, were very
broad, and were tantamount to making him a Dictator.
But at this late day, as my earthly career draws to a
close, I have substantial comfort in the reflection that
the "Committee of Safety," in the pursuit of its chief
aim, the extension of protection to life and property, and
the ridding of the community of its turbulent element,
was never called upon to do more than conduct the lead
ers to the borders of the city and bid them never to re
turn. The "spirit" of the organization, which the mem
bers pledged themselves to keep in mind, was well under
stood by the lawless element, and resort to violence did
not become necessary.
My first act was to employ a number of Pinkerton de
tectives, to watch the movements of the strikers, and I
was thus daily kept advised of every development.
I then wrote a lengthy communication to Governor
Frederick W. Pitkin, reciting in detail every event lead
ing up to the organization of the Committee of Safety,
advising him that the civil authorities — the Sheriff,
Mayor and Chief of Police — were believed to be in sym
pathy with the strikers; at all events they were not
trusted, and could not be depended upon to protect Hfe
and property. I anticipated that it might become neces
sary to declare martial law and call upon the State for
[266]

JOHN EWING
Prominent Member Denver
and Leadville Bar
HON. JASPER D. WARD
Early Day District Judge
of Leadville

HON. CHARLES CAVENDER
Judge of Fifth Colorado
District
HON. L. M. GODDARD.
Ex-Judge of the Fifth
Colorado District

military aid, and I desired that the Governor should be
fully advised before the contingency should arise.
Replying, he implored me to exhaust every resource
before calling upon him.
The Committee thereupon got busy, and, within a
very short time, seven companies of one hundred men
each were organized, and a secret agent sent to the cap
ital for arms. These were brought in over Mosquito
Pass during the night, but not until their receipt did I
feel that the city was safe.
The members of the local fire department, one hun
dred and fifty strong, volunteered to do guard duty at
night. One of the local militia companies was mounted, and
kept deployed in the hills, on the alert for any hostile
demonstration against mining or smelting property.
Before these preparations were fairly complete, in
formation reached me that the Union had decided to pa
rade the streets, in order to show the superior strength
of the strikers, and perhaps thus overawe the law-and-
order element.
The determination of the Committee of Safety to
make a counter demonstration the same day was perhaps
not the wisest course to pursue, since avoidance of a
clash might become impossible, but the plan was carried
out, and a day of most menacing portent was ushered in.
By noon Harrison avenue, for a distance of eight
blocks, was filled with a dense mass of humanity — eight
thousand striking miners, and an equal number of citi
zens, arrayed on the side of law and order, marched
back and forth, counter-marched, swayed and surged
from curb to curb, each side presenting a bold, deter
mined front, each ready to respond to a signal to fly at
one another's throats. Only in the set features of the
adherents of either cause was their dogged determina-
[2«7]

tion shown. It was not a noisy or demonstrative crowd,
albeit the awful silence that prevailed showed the fearful
tension that existed.
I waited a favorable opportunity, and when the psy
chological moment seemed to have arrived, when there
was an apparent halt in the maching columns, I stepped
out on the balcony of the Tabor Opera House, accom
panied by Governor Tabor and a number of others, and,
shouting for attention, I began the reading of a "procla
mation" to the strikers. It was short, but expHcit, and
the dullest mind could not have failed to grasp its fufl
import. It recited in brief the events leading up to the
calling out of the men, told of the fixed determination of
the mine owners not to yield, and of their threat to close
the mines permanently unless the men would go back
to work, or the citizens would protect them in bringing
in others to take their places. And it closed with the
announcement that, unless the strike should be called off
at once, the protection asked for would be extended, to
the extent of the ability and the resource of every mem
ber of the law-and-order party.
I did not expect to leave that balcony alive. I had a
feeling akin to disappointment that the reading of the
proclamation was not interrupted with a rifle ball, and
perhaps it might have been but for an unlooked-for di
version, half a block distant. Col. A. V. Bohn, a coura
geous veteran, but perhaps deficient in judgment, was
attempting to urge the horse upon which he was mounted
through the crowd, and with his drawn sword to force
the mob to open a passage way.
At this juncture some one fired a shot, and a police
man pulled Col. Bohn from his mount and rushed him
off to jail. ! i ^
The firing was supposed to be a signal, and might
have been, although not followed by hostile act.
[268]

Within a short time the opposing forces withdrew
from the street, each apparently satisfied with the exhi
bition of strength that had been made.
The tension, which had been terrible for three hours,
was relaxed, and all felt that a frightful encounter, at
tended by great loss of life, had been averted by a mir
acle. It was obvious that the miners had not been awed
by the show of resistance, and that they were more
firmly resolved than before to stand their ground.
The first few attempts to bring in strike-breakers
were unsuccessful. Representatives of the Union seemed
to be advised of every movement of the mine managers.
They would board trains a few miles out of the city,
ascertain if any miners were among the passengers,
plead with or threaten them when found, and add them
to their own ranks on arrival.
This unsatisfactory condition was tolerated for some
time, and until the patience of the citizens became ex
hausted. Then, no relief to be looked for elsewhere, our
Committee made a formal appeal to the Governor, sup
ported with the name of every influential man in the city
sympathizing with it.
Governor Pitkin, finally, was persuaded that it was
necessary to declare martial law, and issued his procla
mation declaring Leadville in a state of siege.
Five companies of State Militia, and a battery of ar
tillery, were sent up from the valley and went into winter
quarters in a near-by park.
This vigorous action on the part of the Chief Execu
tive broke the spirit of the strikers, and gradually they
returned to work. Mine after mine resumed operations,
those that had been flooded were unwatered, and the hum
of machinery was again heard all over the district.
Mutterings of discontent still were heard, however;
and my detectives reported that the walking delegates
[269]

were considering a renewal of the strike, once the militia
was withdrawn, and this information, communicated to
the Governor about the time he was prepared to with
draw the troops, induced him to delay action for another
month, and until all were satisfied that normal conditions
had been fully restored.
I was a target for the strikers all through the trying
period, and it is little less than miraculous that I was
not assassinated. Threats against me were so commonly
indulged in that the Provost Marshal, during the reign
of martial law, Gen'l William H. James, kept a detail of
soldiers constantly guarding my home and office.
The strikers issued a little paper periodically during
the trouble, and this, in editorial and cartoon, was de
voted largely to excoriating and charicaturing me.
On the day of the parade Mike Mooney, leader of
the strikers, mounted a wagon, left in the street in front
of my office, and harangued the multitude gathered
about him, and it was for a time feared he might incite
his fellows to make an attack upon the printing plant,
but the danger was by some means averted, possibly the
knowledge that back of the partition, separating count
ing room from mechanical department, were eighteen
loaded rifles, and eighteen persons near-by handy in the
use of them.
More than thirty years after the stirring events re
lated in this chapter, Mike Mooney paid me a friendly
call! He was accompanied by the late Col. Henry M.
Sale, an ex-Confederate hero, who ever delighted in tell
ing how he "chased me," down in Mississippi, in '64, al
ways claiming that he was the identical rebel who shot
that ugly hole through my brother's face at the battle of
Tupelo. Time, healer of all our ills, had blotted out the mem
ory of wearisome marches, of perilous raids, and fear-
[260]

some nights on menacing picket duty in Tennessee and
Mississippi marshes, alert to crackling twig or chirp of
bird, waking hours full charged with dread of dashing
foe, and dreams disturbed by fancy's visions of wretched
existence in dank rebel prisons. I gave cordial greeting
to Col. Sale.
Recollections of the bitterness engendered during
the reign of terror in Leadville had wholly disappeared,
and I also grasped the hand of Mike Mooney with uncon
cealed pleasure.
"The hand and heart will show the noble mind
A fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind."
I was glad to be able to give Colonel Sale a retainer
in a pending suit, and to endorse Mooney for a vacant
janitorship of a public school building!
After the strike had ended George Daly changed his
base to New Mexico, and shortly thereafter met a tragic
death at the hands of the Apaches. His mining partner,
W. S. Keyes, returned to the Comstock, operating in the
shares of bonanza mines. Public feeling against these
two men had become so wrought up that continued resi
dence in Leadville could not be considered with pleasur
able anticipation.

[261]

CHAPTER LVI.
Numerous Incidents of Thrilling and Tragic
Interest in Banking History
The banking history of Leadville was not lacking in
tragic incident, in humorous aspect or ludicrous phase.
The first chartered institution was the Bank of Lead
ville, H. A. W. Tabor, President, George R. Fisher,
Cashier. I have mentioned how this pioneer bank was
opened as an adjunct to Tabor's grocery, with a single
small iron safe and scales for weighing miners' dust. A
few months later it was suitably housed in Leadville's
first brick building, a two-story structure well adapted
to the enormous business it soon was called upon to
handle. It was quickly followed by the First National Bank,
occupying an imposing stone building across the street
from Tabor's Bank.
Then succeeded the Merchants and Mechanics Bank,
the City National, the Carbonate National and Breene's
Bank — three National and three operating under State
laws. In the spring of 1883 the Bank of Leadville closed
its doors, in the face of an angry crowd of depositors,
dragging down with it, a short time thereafter, the First
National and the Merchants and Mechanics. The com
bined shortage of the three exceeded a million doflars.
Although Mr. Tabor was at the time reported to be
worth six to seven miflion dollars, my recollection is that
depositors never received a cent, while stockholders lost
their entire investment. The failure was due to the
good nature, large heart and lax methods of Geo. R.
[262]

Fisher, its Cashier, who loaned the bank's funds to all
sorts of questionable enterprises. Although he refused
me a small line of credit when I was doing an obviously
prosperous business, he advanced large sums upon mine
reserves that had no existence, upon theatrical incomes
not yet earned, and stocks not worth the paper upon
which they were printed.
The President of the First National, Frank W. De-
Walt, brought ruin upon an institution earning 40 per
cent, upon its capitalization, by living a dual domestic
life, by indulgence in expensive luxuries, and in spas
modic attempts to break the banks of the leading gamb-
Hng houses.
The collapse of the Merchants and Mechanics Bank
was directly due to the withdrawal of a large portion of
its assets by its President, L. M. Smith, with which to
purchase "gold bricks!"
The banking history of the country presents no more
interesting or thrilling episodes.
I had a telegraphic tip from my Chicago correspond
ent that the First National was in some sort of trouble.
I went directly to the President for denial or confirma
tion of the rumor. At first he denied the existence of
any trouble, but later admitted the mysterious disappear
ance of twenty thousand dollars in gold, and the subse
quent discovery of the funds between the leaves of a
book ! His story lacked consistency, since gold had been
lost and currency found.
The discrepancy was all sufficient to convince me
that the true facts were being concealed. Among the
heaviest stockholders was Charles Mater, a close friend,
who lately had become one of my bondsmen as Post
master. To him I related what I had discovered. I
urged him, without awaiting further developments, to
withdraw his deposit, and dispose of his stock holdings.
[263]

I was so well assured that the bank was tottering, and
so eager to rescue my friend, that I told him if he would
act upon my advice, and come to me within thirty days
with a statement of loss, by reason of it, I would make it
good! Instead, however, he rushed frantically over to the
bank and confronted the officers with what I had dis
closed. Poor, deluded, ignorant, confiding Dutchman
that he was, he advanced the bank an additional ten
thousand doHars, to tide it over what was adroitly
shown him to be a temporary embarrassment, leaving his
large balance undisturbed, and making no effort to dis
pose of his stock. His subsequent loss by the bank's
failure, occurring a week later, completely ruined him,
the owner of seven prosperous grocery stores.
I had left instructions at the office that at the first
whisper of trouble at the First National I was to be sum
moned, regardless of the hour. The summons came at
midnight, while enjoying a dance in the City HaU.
Without delaying to change my full dress suit, I jumped
into a cab and was quickly whirled to the banking house.
It was ablaze with light, and the Board of Directors was
holding an excited session. Gaining admission, after
some parleying, I found the counters and desks loaded
with books and papers in the greatest confusion, and the
officials engaged in a heated discussion.
Taking advantage of their absorption, I selected the
daily balance book and began copying from it a state
ment from the totals, which I assumed would truthfully
disclose the exact assets at the close of the day's business,
but before finishing the task the President whipped out a
revolver, approached me with the weapon in his hand,
grasped the book and threw it into the vault.
Mater, a startled spectator of the exciting scene, him
self wrought up to the frenzied point, was seen to rush
[264]

TYPES OF LEADVILLE YOUXG MEN IN 1S7!I
Lower Row (left to right) — Clinton Bennett, John Niblock. Wm. R. Da^¦. Chas. Hfiidrie, AVchie Martin. Fred Knolle.
Second Row Cleft to right) — George Skinner, Robert Shipley. M. McNary. P. T. McClorky. Wm. Niblock.
Upper Row (left to right) — Lew Rucker, Sam Warfleld, John W. Ten Eyck and Mack Rucker.

hatless from the room, an ominous look of determination
on his stern features.
Quickly divining his purpose, I followed him to his
store, half a block distant, and found him emerging with
two murderous pistols in his hands. He was bent upon
returning to the bank and avenging himself upon its
President, the cause of his ruin. I succeeded, after much
effort, in quieting him, in saving the life of his intended
victim, and rescuing an honored name from tragic fame.
Twenty-five years after the stirring incidents here
related I learned, with sorrow, that Charles Mater,
frame bent with age, and hair silvered by grief, was
working out his salvation in an Arizona mine at $3 a day,
and later still that his mind had completely given way,
all of his woes dating from the bank incident.
Frank W. DeWalt was convicted of violation of the
national banking act, and sentenced to a long term in a
federal prison at Cheyenne. Every subsequent move
ment on the part of his friends to secure a pardon for
the graceless rascal was vigorously opposed by my news
papers, and he served out his full term.
The assets of the Merchants and Mechanics Bank,
like those of its defunct predecessors, were largely com
posed of worthless paper — in banking parlance "cats and
dogs" — ^but its collapse was precipitated by an act of its
President, almost too absurd to be recorded. He had
received by mail an anonymous communication, stating
that the writer had come into possession of a number of
bars of gold bullion, upon which was stamped the name
of the smelter producing it. The bank, it was suggested,
could in some way make use of it without arousing sus
picion, and it was offered at fifty cents on the dollar.
Its value, by weight, was $150,000, and Smith calculated
he could not earn $75,000 more easily than by remelting
the stuff and working it off gradually in small lots.
[266]

The bars were buried in a lonely spot on the mountain
side, and it was arranged that Smith was to drive the
vendor to the locality on a given night, recover the booty,
bring it to the bank to be weighed, and close the trans
action by payment of the purchase price. Smith fefl an
easy victim of the crude plot, and handed $75,000 of
depositors' money over to the clever operator. Several
of the bars, adroitly manipulated, were tested by Smith,
and found to be of correct weight and fineness, but sub
sequently the fact was disclosed that the whole lot did
not contain a hundred dollars in auriferous value.
The circumstance was known only to the operator
and his fool victim, and might never have been made
public had not the latter, in a vain hope of recovering
some of his money, had the fellow arrested. All of the
facts came out at the hearing, the outcome of which was
quite as damaging to accuser as accused. Smith was
shown to be willing to become a fence for stolen goods,
and to unlawfully appropriate the money of his trusting
depositors for use in the villainous deal.
Never after the developments of that trial was L. M.
Smith able to hold up his head in the community, and the
well-earned disgrace and humiliation doubtless short
ened his life and sent him to an untimely and dishonored
grave. The depositors in the Merchants and Mechanics
Bank never received a dollar, its assets barely covering
the expense of liquidation.
A conspicuous figure in the early days of LeadviHe
was C. C. Howefl, a person of most marvelous capacity,
energy and effectiveness, supplemented with a most in
gratiating address. He was a rustler by instinct and a
plunger by profession. There was scarcely a pubhc
enterprise in which he did not figure, a community un
dertaking in which he was not a prominent factor. His
[266]

purse string was always loose, and no appeal for his
personal service was ever made in vain.
Throughout the reign of terror following the labor
strike, when property was not considered worth ten
cents on the dollar, Howell pushed the work of construc
tion upon two large business blocks, the "Howefl" and
the "Boston," and by his exhibition of optimism inspir
ing confidence among the more timid. He was an excep
tionally active and forceful member of the Committee of
Safety, and when funds were needed to provide the vol
unteer firemen with a midnight lunch — the only con
dition of their employment as guards — Howell told me
not to bother about taking up a collection — "just send the
bill to me."
This, and numberless other evidences of pubhc spirit
and generosity, commended him to me as a factor to be
reckoned with, a citizen to be encouraged and supported.
A single incident will serve to illustrate the really
phenomenal energy and dogged determination of this
man. Directed aright, these qualities would have made
the Governorship or a seat in the United States Senate
easily obtainable. The strike episode had shown the
weakness of the State Militia establishment-. It needed
uniforms and bettei' armament. It was thought if How
ell were placed at its head, he would speedily perfect the
organization at his own expense, if funds were not
otherwise forthcoming. I appealed to Gov. Pitkin to
appoint him General, giving him wide latitude, and I
enlisted every influence in the State in that behalf.
Howell knew so little of military matters that he in
nocently inquired, after receipt of cornmission, which
were the higher rank, a Brigadier or a Major General !
The Grovernor considered, faltered and finally de
cided he could not go over the heads of hundreds of old
[267]

soldiers, fully equipped for the position, and appoint
a civilian like Howell.
Because of my supposed influence with the Execu
tive, I was Howell's main reliance, and it was thought if
I failed, further efforts would be fruitless. .
Gov. Pitkin finally told me I might as well return to
Leadville — that I was wasting my time and energy, since
his determination not to appoint Howell was "official,
final and irrevocable."
When this information was communicated to How
ell, he declared : "Now is the time for work!" and, meet
ing me at the railway station, a few hours later, he
proudly displayed his commission as a Major General of
Militia! After order had been restored and the troops with
drawn, Howell came to me with a proposal to take an
interest in his City Bank. It was working under a State
charter, and doing a handsome business in a small way.
Howell desired to nationalize it, increase its capital, and
take the place made for it by the failure of the three
banks previously mentioned. He represented that he
had so many irons in the fire he could not give it the
attention required; he desired to interest four or five
local persons in it, enough to constitute a Board of Di
rectors and give to the institution a strong home stand
ing. It was immaterial how much or how little stock
they subscribed for, since it was^ his purpose to place
most of it with former friends in Chicago, and with
friends at Circleville, Ohio, his former home. He had
engaged the services as Cashier of Thomas B. Hill, a
person who, by reason of having for many years repre
sented Dun's Commercial Agency in the Rocky Moun
tain States, enjoyed the confidence of business men, and
would be able to control the bulk of Denver collections,
a highly profitable line of business.
[268]

Howell drew a very alluring picture of the Bank's
future, and although I protested that I knew little of
banking, and could give but slight attention to its busi
ness, he refused to take no for an answer, and I fell —
victim to the machinations of as graceless a scoundrel
as ever wore the mask of guileless candor, truth and
integrity. For the benefit of the younger reader, upon the
threshold of a business career, I propose to extend this
branch of my story beyond ordinary limits, that the
moral may not be lost sight of.
Soon after the interview above noted Howell asked
me, incidentally, in the course of a desultory conversa
tion, how I was rated by the commercial agencies. I re
plied that I had never been curious enough to examine
their reports ; that it was a matter of indifference to me,
since I discounted afl my bifls and required no credit or
credit rating. A few days later he advised me that he
had looked up the matter; that he had found my rating
was ridiculously low, and suggested that, knowing well
the representatives of the two agencies, he would see
that I got what I was entitled to in the next annual
reports. True to promise, my worth was doubled, my credit
correspondingly elevated.
Strange, isn't it, dear reader, that I should not until
years afterwards, have divined Howell's extreme solici
tude for my credit — that I should not have connected it
with a later request, and not so much later either — that
I endorse two notes for him, each for ten thousand dol
lars. Those notes were paid. I never heard of them
afterwards. Howell was not quite ready to betray my
confidence. But, months in advance of his requirements,
he had built up a substantial reputation, ostensibly for
me, but in fact for his own future use !
[269]

Four other egregious asses fell victims to Howell's
blandishments. Five local Directors were found; the
bank was nationalized; Hill was installed as Cashier;
Howell, with stock book in suit case, was off for the
East ; business picked up at once ; Denver collections paid
all overhead expenses; deposits increased. The City
National was on the ocean highway, all sails set. But it
was a painted acean, and a painted ship.
A fortnight after Howell's departure, our Bank re
ceived from him Chicago exchange for $30,000.
Assuming that the sum was the proceeds of sales of
shares to Chicago parties, and that their names would
follow later, it was carried to stock a;ccount, and the Di
rectors marked time!
Thirty days later notice was received from the Sec
ond National Bank of Chicago that the note of the City
National Bank of Leadville, in the sum of $30,000,
signed by President Howell, was about to mature, and
should be honored !
The Cashier of the Chicago concern was a brother-
in-law of HoweH. Our President had sold no stock in
Chicago, but as President of our bank, had borrowed
$30,000 and forwarded the funds, with copies of notes
held by our bank as collateral. And the note for $30,000
bore the pawnbroker's rate of 2 per cent, a month!
HoweH had double-crossed us, and worked off fic
titious notes upon a confiding relative.
His motive was disclosed by a hasty experting of the
books of the Leadville bank, disclosing the fact that
when turned over to us it was insolvent, and liable
to be closed before he could play out his hand.
From Chicago Howell had jumped to Circleville, his
native town, where he sold the remainder of the capital
stock of the City National Bank of Leadville to a little
coterie of whilom friends owning the First National
[270]

Bank of that place, and with the entire proceeds had
sailed for England! We were obliged to pay the Chi
cago claim, but the Bank's cash, after paying it, was
$83,000 short of the legitimate claims of local depositors,
other than those of the Directors.
It was a terrible blow, and following so closely upon
the heels of the other three disgraceful bank failures,
imposed a double obligation upon us to meet the crisis
like men.
The Vice-President of our bank met it by promptly
resigning and withdrawing his deposits !
Then we were three, a local lawyer, who had impov
erished himself in purchasing his little block of stock,
and could not be looked to for further contributions ; B.
R. Cowell, an honest man with ample funds, but unfor
tunately the proprietor of a large dance hall, and myself.
Our lawyers counseled us to keep the bank open at
all hazards, for the credit of the city no less than to facil
itate collections of our loans.
This involved reinforcement of the bank's cash in the
sum of $83,000, since there was no assurance a run
would not follow disclosures of the flight of Howell.
Cowell and I supplied the deficiency from our own
private purses, and the bank continued to do business
as if nothing had happened.
Howell had, long before the reorganization of the
bank, thrown out a hint that he contemplated a trip to
Europe, for the purpose of promoting there a sale of a
large body of land in New Mexico and a cattle ranch in
Western Colorado.
We comforted ourselves with the reflection that he
may have gone upon that dual mission, and indulged a
hope that he might be successful, in which event he
would return and make good his robbery of the City
Bank ! Vain hope !
[271]

We got in communication with him, and he con
firmed our frail conviction, reported progress, and
named a date for his arrival in New York.
The Board of Directors, of course, had deposed him
as President and elected me to fill the vacancy, and we
were acting strictly in accordance with the advice of
counsel, Messrs. Parsons and Walling.
Howell's letters, however, had become less frequent
and more ambiguous, vascillating and misleading in tone.
He had fixed a number of dates for "sailing," but always
failed to sail, until finally it became obvious that no re
liance could be placed upon his promises.
Then we were advised to take drastic action for our
protection, in so far as was possible. Attachments were
levied upon the Howell Block, the Chicago Block, and
such other property as could be found standing in his
name, the whole aggregating in value a hundred thou
sand dollars. Then we quietly awaited his coming.
No member of the Board of Directors was familiar
with the intricacies of banking, and in the transfer of
the assets of the old to the new bank, as well as in its
subsequent conduct, the fullest confidence had been re
posed in Cashier Hill.
It will doubtless have occurred to the reader that in
the majority of instances the fellow who runs away with
a bank's funds is the "long trusted and loyal" employee.
In this case the complicity of Hill in the wrong-doing of
Howell was fully realized by the Board. However, he
was not only the most important, but the sole witness,
and we neither could dispense with his services nor ap
pear to distrust him. A bank cashier must needs be
trusted fully or not at all. And, from my experience and
observation, I am fully persuaded that no safeguards
ever provided by the ingenuity of law-makers will suf-
[272]

fice to prevent a clever manipulator from plundering a
bank. We had tied up Howell's property, lest he should, on
arrival in New York, make a conveyance of all of it and
leave us to "hold the bag." We entertained no other
thought or belief than that he would, upon returning to
Leadville, confess to what was so palpably true and en
deavor to make terms with us. But we had counted
without our host. His first step was to employ able
counsel ; his next was to take to the street, and proclaim
to all who would listen that he was the victim of a damn
able conspiracy; that the Directors of the Bank, taking
advantage of his enforced absence, had deposed him as
President, and were attempting to strip him of his prop
erty! The public had not been advised of his rascally
conduct, and it was not unnatural, in view of his pre
vious high standing in the community, that his plausible
story should have carried convicetion to some of his
listeners. I was too busy to follow on his trail and con
tradict his lies ; and our lawyers would not, at that time,
permit me to expose him in my newspapers, so the silence
of myself and associates, under the most persistent pres
sure for explanations, encouraged by the opposition
press, was taken as a confession that Howell's accusa
tions were true.
Battling as I was to protect what remained of the
bank's assets, and save the depositors from loss, I was
entitled to the support of the community; but, when it
began to appear I was not to have it, my courage almost
deserted me. I was not unmindful that communities as
well as republics are ungrateful, but when old friends
began to eye me suspiciously, and glance inquiringly at
me as I passed them on the street, I wondered, as CoL
Joyce had once wondered, "whether loyalty and fidelity
[273]

were but names, and gratitude a mockery atid sham to
lure the brave to destruction."
The friends that I loved in December,
And cherished so fondly in May,
Have long since forgot to remember.
And vanished Hke dew drops away.
In sunshine and power I was toasted.
And feasted by courtiers so kind ;
And oh ! how the parasites boasted
Of the wonderful traits of my mind!
But when the dark hour of my trouble
Arose like a storm in the sky.
The vipers began to play double.
And forgot the bright glance of my eye.
In the attachment suit for $125,000 it became neces
sary for us to furnish a bond in douTile the amount, a
round quarter of a million dollars. In the existing state
of the public mind I felt indisposed to ask fellow towns
men to qualify on that bond. Instead, I visited Circle
ville, Ohio, where lived the owners of 75 per cent, of the
capital stock of the City National, and they made
for me an acceptable indemnifying bond for use in Col
orado. While there I learned a fact which, viewed in
the light of the remarkable developments at Leadville,
was decidedly mirth-provoking. The owners of the
First National Bank of Circleville were divided into two
cliques, and, when Howell appeared with his stock book,
there was bitter rivalry between the factions as to which
should have the larger share of his rich plum ! He was
considerably embarrassed in making the allotment
among his former friends and townspeople.
Howell had conceived a well-devised scheme to de
feat our legal contention. Hill alone stood in his way.
[274]

He had been advised of his removal from the Presidency,
and he calculated if he could control Hill, or induce that
troublesome factor to absent himself, he would be able
to go into court with the claim that the bank was insol
vent, that none of its officers were in the State, and that
a receiver should be appointed to wind up its affairs.
The "court," before whom such a proceeding would
be brought, was Luther M. Goddard, to whom, in a pre
vious campaign, Howell had loaned $5000 of the bank's
funds on his unsecured note of hand, and the Sheriff,
upon whom would devolve the duty of summoning the
jury, was also under similar obligations for the loan of a
still larger amount.
Thus Howell began his campaign with the legal ma
chinery of the district as he supposed, firmly in his grasp.
The Board of Directors realized that they were up
against a brace game, but there was no alternative but
to proceed with all of the equities on our side.
Howell's first move was to attempt the bribery of
Hill, but the latter, fearing that he might become in
volved with Howell, as he would have been, stood firm.
Then Howell resorted to threats, which were quite as
ineffectual. Again approaching Hill, he offered to cancel
a personal note for $2000 which he held, and give him
$1000 in cash, provided Hill would leave the State until
the vile plot could be consummated. Howell, of course,
assumed that Judge Goddard would appoint him the re
ceiver, and thus enable him to gather in what he had not
already stolen from the bank. It was a very pretty plot
— but "there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip,"
and all of his nicely adjusted plans went awry.
At this juncture we were advised by counsel to per
mit Hill to accept Howell's offer of a bribe, to deceive
him into the belief that he had left the State, and then
produce Hill in court at the psychological moment, when
[275]

Howell should set up his claim that no responsible officer
of the bank was within the jurisdiction of the court.
One stormy night Hill gravitated between Howefl's
private office and the Director's room of the bank, where
the Board was in continuous session, directing Hifl's
movements, Howell being without suspicion of our prox
imity. Just at break of day, the negotiations having
been carried on throughout the night. Hill came in with
his personal cancelled note for $2000, and ten crisp notes
of $100 each, every one of which he at once marked for
identification. It had been arranged that Hill should ask for a thirty
days' leave of absence, in order to respond to a hurry
call to his sick wife in Canada; Hill and Howell were
to leave that evening for the East, to breakfast together
in Denver, and then separate.
Hill was provided with a fictitious name, and a cipher
code was agreed upon .
We went through the form of checking Hill out in
the morning, to mislead Howell, and the latter's elab
orate program seemed to be in a fair way of being car
ried out to the letter.
During the day Hill learned that Howell would
travel by the Union Pacific, and inasmuch as Hill had
a pass over the other road, the decision to go to the
valley by different routes met with Howell's approval,
both trains arriving at Denver about the same hour.
As suspected, Howell had a spy at the depot, who
promtply reported to him at the other station that Hill
had bought a Pullman ticket and taken the train. We
also had a spy at the other train to see that it was
boarded by Howell. But at the same time we had a
closed carriage at Malta, five miles below Leadville, to
bring Hill back to the city.
We calculated that Howell, advised by his agent that
[276]

Hill had actually departed from Leadville, would assume
that Hill had decided to go East from Pueblo, or, at
least, would not be suspicious that he had been double-
crossed by Hill. He had bought and paid for him, and
was entitled to the goods. But in all these surmises we
had too heavily discounted Howell's sagacity. Hill not
meeting him at the Denver Union Depot, the truth
flashed upon Howell that he had been victimized, and
he returned to Leadville on the next train. It was ob
vious to him, although he failed to locate Hill, that his
scheme had miscarried. It was quite as certain that we
should not have opportunity to consummate ours.
At this juncture our lawyers advised that the public
be made acquainted with the whole story, from the re
organization of the bank, and, with their assistance, a
f ourteen-column article was prepared for the next day's
issue of the Chronicle.
Not a fact was concealed, nor a detail omitted. There
wasn't a dull paragraph in the statement, and it was em
bellished with cuts of Howell and Hill, a fac simile re
production of the cancelled $2000 note, and of the fic
titious name by which Hill was to be known in the cor
respondence, in Howell's well-known hand-writing, to
gether with an elucidation of the secret code for the use
of the conspirators.
The publication of this article produced a decided
sensation in Leadville and throughout the State. It was
calculated to crush any ordinary man, but Howell was
not that sort of a personage, and as long as he had funds
with which to do battle we knew he would maintain the
struggle. Howell, after the first shock produced by the publi
cation, returned to Denver and filed suit against me for
libel, claiming damages in the sum of $150,000.
I at once published the complaint in its entirety, re-
[277]

peating the allegations of the original article, whereupon
he brought another suit, and it was treated in the same
manner, until finally his suits, filed in three divisions of
the Denver courts, numbered thirteen, the damages
claimed aggregating $1,800,000.
Not satisfied with his efforts in thus speculating upon
his bankrupt reputation, he took advantage of every sub
sequent visit to Denver to have me arrested on a charge
of criminal libel, a penal offense in Colorado, thus sub
jecting me to the annoyance of giving bond in each case.
By means of liberal tips to process-servers, he managed
to have these warrants served upon me just as I was
entering the train for home, thus compelling me to re
main over night.
To avoid such delays, after the first, I provided my
self with a bond in blank, otherwise duly executed, and
this I kept on my person awaiting the approach of the
Sheriff's minions.
Our cases dragged in the courts, as such proceedings
too often do, and there came a time when Cashier HiH
did in fact have a call to hasten to the bedside of his
sick wife in Toronto. He had been loyal up to that
period ; was, in fact, worn out with the work and excite
ment attending the details of preparation for the trial,
and was entitled to a vacation. Since he would have
taken it any way, we granted his request with all the
grace possible.
We carefully checked up the books, found his ac
counts correct, and parted with him — forever!
Within a fortnight after Hill's departure, the bank
began to receive inquiries from its correspondents at dif
ferent points regarding collections of which we had no
record. Of the collections received on the morning of
his last day, abnormally large, Hifl had entered a few in
the collection book, made the collections and duly ac-
[278]

counted for the proceeds. The collections thus entered
averaged very well with other days, and corresponding
dates for weeks and months past, and there was nothing
on the collection side to cause special wonder or provoke
suspicion. But he had collected $8000 in excess of the
items accounted for, and pocketed the proceeds !
This was the straw that finally broke our backs. Then
it was that our counsel advised going into voluntary
liquidation. I still was determined that the depositors should not
suffer to the extent of one penny, but cash in bank again
was insufficient, in the sum of $8000, with which to meet
legitimate demands. Then, for a second time, Cowell
and myself supplied the shortage from our own private
purses, advertised our purpose to liquidate, and called
upon depositors to cafl for their balances.
All responded except two. One of these, as soon
developed, was a school teacher, the other a miner. That
these two should not be deprived of their funds, even
for a brief period, I bought certificates of the Carbonate
National Bank and laid them aside, subject to call.
Singularly enough, although delighted to learn that they
were not to suffer loss by reason of the suspension of the
bank, neither seemed to have confidence in the Carbon
ate ; hence both cashed the certificates and deposited the
proceeds in other banks, the one in the First National,
the other in the Merchants and Mechanics. Within a
fortnight the doors of both closed, and the two luckless
depositors lost all they had!
Dr. D. H., Dougan, President of the Carbonate
National Bank, was named as assignee of the City
National, and set about the work of winding up the
affairs of the bank.
While this progressed, Howell for a time disappeared
from view. Funds exhausted, his lawyers refused longer
[279]

to fight his battles, and it became necessary to reinforce
his depleted treasury in other fields. Information
reached us that he had been forced to leave Oklahoma
City between two days, on account of some crooked deal,
and later had a narrow escape from lynching, at the
hands of infuriated miners in the Cour d' Alene country,
whose property he had jumped.
A year later he was found occupying wretched quar
ters in West Denver, living under an assumed name,
crippled with rheumatism, and without sufficient funds
to purchase a meal ticket !
Dr. Dougan, assignee of the bank, had once declared :
"I will drive that embossed rascal out of the State in his
stocking feet." The opportunity for doing so was now
at hand, but the Doctor's sympathy and consideration
prevailed in the end, and Howell was sent to his former
Ohio home in a Pullman car, after having relinquished
afl claims to Leadville property, and dismissed his mul
tiple libel suits against me.
The only victims of his plundering were the owners
of the bank. They lost not only their original invest
ment— $100,000, but the $83,000 advanced to make it
solvent and save its honor. It at least enjoys the proud
distinction of being the only bank in the whole history
of Colorado that, failing, paid dollar for dollar to its
depositors. That is all we inherited from the wreck.
But it was enough. Such a record is worth while ; it will
endure. The Carbonate National Bank was the first in Lead
ville to be conducted under the strictest rules of banking.
It was organized more to afford facilities for the great
mining and smelting industries of the district than to
make money, but it accomplished both, and soon came
to be regarded as among the stable banking institutions
of the State. Indeed, during the trying period following
[2S0]

the financial panic of '93, when contemporaries resorted
to the certificate device, it continued to pay out good
hard money on demand, and during the whole period,
embracing over six months, it carried in its vaults $1.15,
on an average, for every dollar of deposits. It also dis
played, in a show case, more than the average capital of
national banks — ^$150,000 — of wire and leaf gold, merely
as an advertisement.
Notwithstanding this visible evidence of solvency,
there was a run upon the bank, during which a very
amusing incident took place. A woman was in the line
of depositors, and, as is well known, one woman may
make more commotion than a dozen men. This particu
lar female was one who frequently had been accommo
dated by the bank. She was fearful lest all the funds
should disappear before she could reach the paying
teller's window, and when she got there, having failed
to endorse her paper, had to leave the line and repeat the
operation. Learning by the newspapers on the follow
ing morning, that the Bank had received more than it
had paid out, she determined to redeposit her funds. She
also thought it necessary to say something by way of
explanation, and was most unfortunate in her choice of
language. "I drew my money out yesterday, Mr. Trimble, think
ing I was going to leave the city."
"Like hell you did," snapped Mr. Trimble, "you
thought we were going to leave the city !"
The truth so palpable, the banker's brusqueness may
wefl have been overlooked, and his refusal to receive her
funds excused.
The bank survived the run, of course, deposits ex
ceeding withdrawals, as it also had survived the threat
of the Elkins' crowd to break it, set out in another chap
ter. They checked out a quarter of a million dollars the
[281]

day after the convention, but its resources were not ma
terially affected by the flurry. The stability of the Car
bonate National did much to restore public confidence,
so severely wrenched by the failure of the other banks.
The banking history of Leadville might be written
down as a huge joke, were there not connected with it
so many sad, pathetic incidents. Such things could not
happen today; they belong to an era long passed, never
to return. The last venture was made by a person named Peter
W. Breene, whom I first knew as a miner in 1879, turn
ing a windlass at $4 a day, a man whom I last saw as a
prisoner in the county jail, accused of peculiar banking
methods. He had had the hardihood to open a private
bank and solicit deposits, when its total resources were
not equal to the value of furniture and fixtures. Fortu
nately it was closed by its creditors before victims had
accumulated. It is only common justice to Mr. Breene to state that
he since has emerged from all of his financial troubles
with great credit; he has accumulated another fortune,
paid off afl of his obligations, and I rejoice to learn that
once again he is on the high road to prosperity, enjoying
the restored confidence of the community.

[282]

WILLIAM ("UNCLE BILLY") STEVENS
Principal Owner Iron-Silver
Mine, Leadville

WILLARD S. MORSE
American Mining and
Smelting Co.

SAMUEL D. NICHOLSON
One of Leadville's Best
Known Mine Managers

EDWARD EDDY
Omaha and Grant' Smelting
and Refining Co.

CHAPTER LVII.
A Stormy Political Battle as an Aftermath of
THE City National Bank Row
Dr. Dougan and others appreciated my behavior in
the bank scrape, and declared that the community should,
when suitable opportunity offered, give substantial
recognition of it. This happened ere long. Managers
of the Republican party, in the spring of '84, conceded
to Leadville representation on the delegation to the
national convention to be held in June. To represent a
great State in a convention called to nominate a Presi
dent of the United States is a position of trust and honor
to which any man might aspire. Dr. Dougan realized
that I would greatly prize the distinction, especially were
it to come as a spontaneous offering, but I surely would
not have considered the matter for a moment had I
known the seat was to be contested. That fact only
developed when surrender with honor was not possible.
I early had championed the aspirations of Mr. Blaine
for the Presidency, and I had much pleasure in anticipa
tion of modest service in his cause at Chicago. But a
conflicting interest arose, lending an unpleasant phase
to the campaign in my interest. Senator Stephen B.
Elkins, of West Virginia, and Hon. Richard Kerens,
of St. Louis, with their associates, owned one of the
largest mines in Leadville, managed by John Elkins,
brother of the Senator.
The Eastern members of the syndicate, personal as
well as political friends of Mr. Blaine, naturally desired,
and confidently expected, to be able to dictate the selec-
[283]

tion of the Leadville delegate, and John Elkins was the
gentleman chosen to make the contest. He reasonably
expected the mining interest would solidly back his
claims, and with the thousand men in his own mine as a
nucleus, a walk-over for the gentleman was freely pre
dicted. But Dr. Dougan was not a member of the "quitter"
class, and the fight was on. I had not a dollar for cam
paign purposes, while Mr. Elkins' purse was of illimit
able length. It was said that $60,(X)0 was spent by him
and his backers in the campaign, but the Dougan ticket
carried twenty-three of the twenty-seven precincts in
the county, giving to my friends overwhelming control.
The Elkins crowd, however, in contempt of political
ethics and precedent, carried the fight to the floor of the
convention, and, among other desperate things, they
sent a note to Dr. Dougan, warning him that, unless he
should immediately abandon the Davis cause, they would
start a run on his bank of sufficient magnitude to close
its doors. This so incensed Dr. Dougan that, immediately upon
the close of the convention, he called a special session of
the Board of Directors of the bank and tendered his
resignation. He at that time also was Mayor of the City
and Manager of the Arkansas Valley Smelter. Both of
these lucrative positions he also resigned, sold his home
and removed to Denver, declaring that he would "be
d  d if he would longer live in such a community!"
The incident here related is to accentuate one of the
grandest Damon-and-Pythias acts in modern history.
Certainly such evidence of loyalty to a friend is not fre
quently encountered in the political annals of any State.
Aside from casting my vote five times for James G.
Blaine, I am not conscious of having accomplished much
at Chicago. . I, however, have to record, with a degree
[284]

of humiliation, my failure to accomplish one praise
worthy thing, traceable to the working of one of those
acts of usurpation by the managers of the party, the
frequent resort to which, subsequently, contributed to
the defeat and disruption of the national organization.
What I failed in doing was to defeat the ambition of
ex-Senator Jerome B. Chaffee to represent Colorado on
the Republican National Committee. He, at the time,
was a resident of New York City, and had not been in
Colorado for years. I regarded it as little less than a
disgrace to have the State represented by a non-resident,
however able, and that constituted the basis of my oppo
sition. It always had been the custom for the national con
vention to ratify the selection of national committeemen
by the several State delegations, a mere matter of form.
The Colorado delegation had outvoted me in caucus, and
my only hope was to carry the matter to the floor of the
convention. I intended, when Colorado should be called
and the name of Chaffee announced, to move the substi
tution for it of the name of some other distinguished
citizen, who at least had a domicile in the State. I felt
that a mere statement of the facts would carry convic
tion to the convention that my contention was not only
just, but good politics as well. I had been promised the
support of General PoweH Clayton, of Arkansas, Mr.
Massey, of, Delaware, and other influential factors from
other States, and all details were completed for a pretty
little fight, should Chaffee's friends make a stand.
But, when the roll call for nomination of national
committeemen had reached Colorado, the chairman of
our delegation was conveniently absent from his seat,
and the State was passed.
At the meeting of the new national committee, held
after adjournment, a vacancy in Colorado's representa-
[286]

tion was announced, in accordance with the program,
and Senator Jerome B. Chaffee was chosen to fiH it.
The friends of that distinguished gentleman dared
not face the issue in the convention, and achieved their
object by resort to a measly trick, unworthy the repre
sentatives of a great national party, with a record for
nobler ideals and grander achievements.
I later filed a protest with the national committee,
but the probabilities are that it found permanent lodg
ment in the pigeon-hole of Chairman Jones' desk.
The Elkins crowd, sore over their overwhelming de
feat in the primaries, were not disposed to regard it as
a closed incident, and after the June convention began
a crusade against me. Reasoning that, because I held a
commission from President Arthur, I should have voted
for him for the Presidential nomination, they endeav
ored to have me removed from the Postmastership, re
lying upon the chief executive to find some other pretext
for it.
The matter could scarcely have been regarded as a
national issue ; yet it was considered at a meeting of the
cabinet. Mr. Rose, one of the President's private secre
taries, later advised me that Mr. Arthur, after the mat
ter was broached and opinions expressed, dismissed the
subject with the remark: "I would like to meet that
Leadville Postmaster. I would like to see a man un
willing to exchange his convictions for a petty federal
position." Thus, without so much as the wink of an eye-lash,
did I score another knock-out for the Elkins-Kerens
gang of pohtical plotters and traffickers.
The roll call of States for the fifth ballot for President
had not progressed very far before it became apparent
that, by reason of numerous changes from the previous
ballot, the vote was likely to be exceedingly close, if in-
[286]

deed the convention was not stampeded to Blaine. I
took a gambler's chance, and stepping into the telegraph
booth near by I filed a message to my paper to the effect
that Blaine had been nominated on the fifth ballot. How
I might get out of the scrape, should my belief not be
confirmed, I did not stop to consider. Immediately after
the announcement of the ballot the convention adjourned.
At my hotel I found a telegram awaiting me, which read
as follows: "Leadvifle, Colo., June 6, 1884.
"Hon. C. C. Davis, Colorado Delegation, Grand Pacific
Hotel.
"The Republicans of Lake County send greetings.
You did her proud! Shake! Paint it red!
"D. H. Dougan,
"S. J. Hanna,
"Geo. S. Phelps,
"James Shire,
"W. H. Rupert,
"W. R. Phelps,
"R. H. Stanley,
"Noah Gregg,
"H. B. Johnson,
"John M. Maxwell,
"W. W. Olds,
"C. C. Joy,
"P. W. Reardon,
"And three hundred others."
The people of Leadville were thus advised of the
nomination of Blaine a full hour before the result of
the fifth ballot had been announced to the convention.
Inan access of patriotic enthusiasm hundreds had quickly
formed in line, and, headed by the Geo. W. Cook Drum
Corps, paraded the streets in honor of the event, halting
at the telegraph office to file the above dispatch. In a
brief speech from the balcony of the hotel, in the evening,
[287]

I told the crowd of the incident, and suggested that the
popular movement for the election of Blaine having been
thus early started at an elevation of two miles above the
sea, would move quickly by gravity to the uttermost
parts of the nation and land the peerless statesman in
the chair of Lincoln and of Grant. The idea made an
instant hit and created much enthusiasm.

[288]

CHAPTER LVIII.
The State Treasury Ring Beaten to a Frazzle and
Driven from Power
Peter W. Breene was ah unlettered Irishman, lately
arrived from Erin, but one whose native shrewdness
served the dual function of wealth and education. Tak
ing advantage of the favorable conditions existing — the
absorption of the better element in business pursuits and
their indifference to politics — Breene soon graduated
from the windlass to the caucus room, and became a
political factor in Leadville and the State to be reckoned
with. Modest enough at the beginning of his career, a
seat in the United States Senate finally was not beyond
his ambition. From Road Overseer he succeeded to the
State Legislature, Lieutenant Governorship and State
Treasurership. The position of State Treasurer, strange as it may
seem, gave to him complete political mastery of his party
and the State. Control of the finances of the common
wealth enabled him to build up a machine that was all
powerful. At each recurring biennial election, it was
not a question as to who should be Governor or Justice
of the Supreme Court, but who should be State Treas
urer. The State owed two or three millions of dollars,
evidenced by bonds and warrants, upon which it was
paying 8 to 10 per cent, interest. At the same time it
possessed as much, credited to various funds, but which
it could not employ in paying its creditors. The State
Treasurer was unhampered in his practice of loaning
this money to the banks of the State, at various rates of
interest, and they in turn loaned it to their patrons at a
[289]

much higher rate. The practice resulted in the building
up of a money trust that was simply irresistible. The
loss of interest to the State was considerable, but the
iniquity of the practice did not consist alone in that.
Every little bank in every little community was under
obligations to the State Treasurer. In addition to the
interest paid, every bank official felt in duty bound to
vote and work for the State Treasurer's delegates and
candidates at each recurring primary and election. It
was a secret force, working under cover, but working
day and night, working insidiously and effectively. It
was more than a force, it was a power, and it could
not be combatted with the usual weapons.
I pointed out the evil, and endeavored unavailingly
to arouse public sentiment to the importance of opposing
it. The same old gang put up the same old ticket in the
same old way, and the public continued to vote it with
out heed of the consequences.
At last, realizing the futility of newspaper arraign
ment, I decided upon a different course. In the cam
paign of '88 I had made the "downing" of the State
Treasury ring the issue, and was beaten to a frazzle.
The gang carried nearly every precinct in the county,
carried them by overwhelming majorities. Notwith
standing this fact, I was named as one of the delegates
to the State convention. It was good politics to so
"honor" me, for I owned two daily newspapers whose
support was desired. The gang even went further, and
chose me as chairman of the delegation. Thus distin
guished, I dared not bolt. So they figured. I attended
the convention, and did their bidding to the end, casting
|:he solid vote of the delegation for every man proposed
— and the names, of course, had all been chosen in secret
conclave before the convention met. That was the way
things were done in those days. Individual delegates
[290]

had no voice. The county might as well have sent one
man to the State convention as forty-two.
But the ticket named, my time had come. I had not
dared take any one into my confidence. All that re
mained for the convention to do was to adopt a platform,
which a picked committee had drafted, and adjourn.
At this juncture, I turned to Breene and said : "Now,
Pete, you've got everything you want ? All of your peo
ple have been nominated ?"
"Yes, Colonel," said the big Irishman, delighted over
the smooth working of his program, "I've got all I
want." "WeH, then, Pete, if any question of party policy
should arise, I propose to poll the delegation upon it."
"All right. Colonel. To hell with party policy. I
don't care what the convention does now, I've got my
men in."
To have offered a resolution in open convention
would have been worse than folly, and I knew it. But
after the chairman had read the resolutions, and a mo
tion had been made to adopt them as read, I left my seat
in the convention, and, advancing down the aisle a dozen
paces, I offered an amendment to the platform. It re
cited the facts, condemned in the strongest language at
my command the practice, committed the party to a cor
rection of the abuse, and pledged the candidates nomi
nated for the Legislature to pass a law, at the next
session, making it a penal offense for the State Treasurer
to absorb the interest upon public funds, and providing
that all interest on public money should thereafter be
covered into the State Treasury.
In support of my amendment I reminded the conven
tion that the Democrats would hold their State conven
tion in the same hall the following Monday, and that,
in the event of the defeat of my measure, it would be
[291]

taken up by them, and made an issue in the campaign,
and that they would sweep the State on the issue. More
extended remarks were unnecessary.
Never before was there such a scene enacted in a
State Convention. Gangsters were on their feet all over
the hall, shouting: "Out of order!" "Put him out!"
"CaH the roll," yefls and cat-calls.
A delegate moved the previous question, cutting off
debate. I returned to my delegation and began polling it on
my motion.
Pete Breene raised a heavy cane over my head, and in
threatening voice, yelled : "You son of a b  , you shall
never attend another State Convention !"
At this point Donald Fletcher, an ex-Presbyterian
preacher, and chairman of the Denver delegation, stood
on a chair and declared, "Davis, there are sixty-five men
in my delegation who are going to vote for your amend
ment, and they are going to see that you poll your dele
gation if you want to."
That settled it. Fletcher represented the largest
delegation in the convention. The gangsters saw 't
would be fatal to vote down my resolution, and, being
put to a vote, it carried unanimously, not one delegate
daring to go on record against it.
The party was true to its pledge thus made. The
next Legislature passed the law demanded. Hundreds
of thousands of dollars in interest have since been saved
to the State. But, better still, the "State Treasury
Ring" immediately went out of business. However, its
members fired a few parting shots at me before doing so.
Assuming that I was indebted to the Carbonate
National Bank, they threatened to withdraw from it
the State deposit of $250,000, unless the screws were at
once put to me.
[292]

The President of the Bank told the gang that he
thought Davis was right, and invited them to withdraw
the entire State deposit at once.
To several railway managers they went with threats
of adverse legislation unless patronage was at once
withdrawn from my presses.
The managers replied that their lines were the heav
iest taxpayers in the State, hence would be the largest
beneficiaries of the proposed reform ; that it was correct
in principle, and they proposed to stand by it.
In every way that their devilish ingenuity could sug
gest, the gang continued to harass and attempt to cripple
my business; but I survived their campaign of hatred,
lived to see all retired from public position, and some
I pursued to the doors of the penitentiary.
I can truthfully say, however, that in my long and
relentless crusade against the State Treasury ring and
State Land Board ring — the membership of both being
practically identical — I never was influenced by personal
malice or desire for individual reprisal. I have always
considered it the highest duty of a journalist boldly to
pursue official dishonesty, and to give the broadest pub
licity to official wrong-doing, regardless of consequences.
Approval of his own conscience is about all a conscien
tious newsman should expect for sacrifices made in the
interest of the public weal.

[293]

CHAPTER LIX.
Excessive Wickedness Redeemed by Unexampled
Charity — The Fighting Parson
Although Leadville long enjoyed the reputation of
being the "wickedest city on earth," I am sure that
sweet charity long since redeemed its name. No city
ever contributed more lavishly to the sick and afflicted
at home and abroad. Nor were the contributions to suf
fering humanity by any means confined to the wealthy
class. When a demand came for succor, the first ap
peals were made to the habitues of State Street, ninety-
five per cent, of whom were gamblers, bunco-steerers,
thieves, thugs, dance-hall keepers, prostitutes, or those
who gained their livelihood by catering directly to the
vicious and semi-criminal classes. No appeal to that
element ever went unanswered. Nor was elaborate ar
gument ever required to call forth generous response. It
only was necessary to say that some person suffered, or
that some worthy cause needed assistance, to secure im
mediate help. When there was a great national calam
ity, such as the Johnstown flood, or the Charleston earth
quake, these people responded with a lavishness out of all
proportion to their financial condition or ability to give,
and it was noticeable that when Death entered their
ranks, and produced temporary cessation of mad revelry
in their midst, there was never shown a disposition to
escape the duty of paying proper respect to the memory
of the departed.
In a different way, and characteristic alone of Lead
viHe, was the manner of making collections for charit-
[294]

able purposes from bonanza kings, banks, mines and
smelters. The customary methods in vogue in other
places, of circulating subscription lists among this class,
was never thought of. Ordinarily the raising of large
sums for this or that worthy purpose was left to a com
mittee, which would meet and assess each person or insti
tution, according to the views entertained by the mem
bers as to the amount each should contribute; then a
sub-committee would go from place to place and make
the collections accordingly; and I do not recall a single
instance where any person or institution objected to the
assessment or demurred to handing over the sum de
manded. Thus would $5,000 to $10,000, or $20,000, be
collected in a few hours, no questions asked, no hard
feelings entertained.
A composite picture of the extraordinary charity that
characterized Leadville would be Thomas Uzzell —
"Rev." Thomas Uzzell in Methodist Conference — but
Tom Uzzell, the "fighting parson," by every one who
lived there in the two decades from '78 to '98. "The
Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man," was the
broad plank in Tom's platform, strong enough to sustain
the fabric built upon it, and he cared little for the details
that troubled some poor sticklers for rites and rituals.
His haversack contained more creature comforts than
tracts, more food for hungry stomachs than precepts,
more warm blankets for benumbed bodies than reHgious
texts, more good cheer than fateful warning. His gos
pel was the gospel of Love, and he preached it to hungry
mankind wherever found, in humble cabin of miner, in
engine house of smelter, in saloon, in dance hall or in
gambling den.
The verse that told of Tom Uzzefl's character, paro
chial work and mission may shock the finer sensibilities
of some of my more pious readers, but it tells the truth
[296]

about a unique personaHty in an environment never be
fore or since developed, and is calculated to teach a les
son of value, as wefl as interest, to all who will seek for
it between the lines :
He hasn't got no high-toned church with Pullman Palace pews,
And carpets that was only built for patent leather shoes.
An' pulpit ornamented till its fit to throne a king.
And royal robes and gold and gilt, and all that sort of thing ;
He doesn't wear his Sunday face an' manners every day,
With lips that seem all cocked an' primed to utter "Let us
pray;"
Don't look at sinners like he thought them headed straight for
hell,
That sort o' style 'd hardly fit our Parson Tom Uzzell.
He's just an unassumin' man that knows he loves the Lord,
And doesn't take on lofty frills interpretin' his word ;
He doesn't bank on flowery speech of oratoric tint.
Nor meant to succor souls so much as make a show in print ;
The posts an' pillars of his talk are solid common sense.
Entwined with flowers here and there of modest eloquence.
Instead o' tryin' to please the ear as with a talkin' bell,
He aims his language at the heart, does Parson Tom Uzzell.
He doesn't hold, and doesn't preach, that Heaven is a place
Where only them in purple robes '11 see the Master's face ;
But thinks the dame in calico or man in overalls
'11 be as good as Moneybags inside the Jasper walls;
There ain't no organ in his church that bellars like a bull.
Nor choir of high-priced singers of the operatic school.
The simple songs of human love that somehow seem to tell
Of future hope, is good enough for Parson Tom Uzzell.
I've alius held, an' alius will, that preachin' don't consist
Of snappy words an' poundin' at the Bible with the fist,
Or singin' orthographic talk so gosh almighty grand
That none but college graduates can rise to understand ;
It's just the simple gospel truth put in a kindly way
That camps right in the sinner's heart an' says it's come to
stay;
The livin' water bubblin' up from human nature's well.
And that's the sort of talk you get from Parson Tom Uzzell.
[296]

JOHN LAW
Pioneer Physician and Philan
thropist, Noted for his
good deeds REV. THOMAS UZZELL
The "Fighting Parson"
Famous for Practical
Work Among the Lowly PETER BECKER
Early Day Sheriff, Noted for
Fearless Discharge of Duty

His bill of fare ain't all made up o' spiritual bread,
He knows that well as sin-sick souls there's stomachs to be fed;
And with them hands that never tire in battlin' for the poor ;
He's beat the gaunt ol' world o' want from many a humble
door;
He clothes the naked, soothes the sick, and when distress is
found
You're pretty sure to see his tracks a' markin' up the ground.
I reckon nothin' else but death itself can ever quell
The charitable spirit of our Parson Tom Uzzell.
It ain't no sacriligeous mood that's promptin' me to say
That when we all are rounded up on that great final day.
When all the quick an' all the dead are called upon to show
What nature o' defense thy've got for actions here below,
Jf you should look 'way up in front an' see a quiet face,
That doesn't show a sign o' fear or worry 'bout his case,
An' you should wonder who could be so sure o' heaven —
WELL,
Just edge up closer, an' you'll see it's Parson Tom Uzzell.
When Tom desired to make a gospel talk in the lead
ing dance hall or gambling den, the floor was cheerfully
cleared for the purpose, although the exchequer of the
establishment was to suffer heavily by the interruption,
and so high was the respect for him that the games were
never resumed, after the meeting was over, until the par
son had departed.
A zealous religionist, the parson yet was distinctly
human in his disposition and tendencies,with a leaning
toward a few diversions not classified as strictly clerical.
He loved to fish and hunt, and was passionately fond of
horses and dogs. Upon one occasion a wealthy parish
ioner left the city for a rather protracted absence in the
East, and turned over to the parson a span of fine horses
for use in his absence. It was a luxury highly appreciated,
and joyfully shared with others. While riding with him
one day, some one attempted to pass us on the boulevard.
Somewhat to my surprise, the parson put whip to his
team and contended for the lead for perhaps a mile or
[297]

more, and until the other party dropped back out of
sight. The road was exceedingly dusty, and during the
rather exciting race the parson had not uttered a word.
But as soon as he discovered that the other team was
distanced, he reined up the foaming steeds, and handing
the lines to me while he brushed some of the dirt from his
clothing, he characteristically remarked : "Say, Colonel,
I like a horse too darn well to be a preacher!"
In reminiscent mood, some years after his removal
to Denver, Parson Uzzell gave a reporter some exceed
ingly interesting experiences while in Leadville.
"It was strange that I didn't get hurt in that town.
I used to go at all hours of the day and night, answering
death-bed calls and visiting the sick, but never a word
was ever said against me or my work. One funny ex
perience was at a funeral. Cole and Alexander ran the
worst dance hall there — a perfect den of vice. From five
hundred to fifteen hundred men would gather in the big
building every night, drink, carouse, shoot lights out and
dance with the tough women. Jim Cole is now a respect
able ranchman, not far from Denver, and always a big-
hearted fellow. He often told me he would come to my
Sunday school, only every fellow in town would make
fun of him. Alexander died there — was shot by some
one, of course — and Jim wanted me to preach a funeral
sermon over him. Well, I did, and those fellows got the
truth right from the shoulder. Every gambler, saloon
man and bad woman in town turned out, as they always
did upon such occasions, and I told them about the sepa
ration of sheep from the goats on that last day of all.
Many of them winced, but there was no trouble. The
cemetery was four or five miles out, and there was snow
on the ground. You never saw such a cortege as that.
Wagons, buckboards, sleighs, burros, bronchos, every
thing went. I rode out with a man, and after the service
at the grave the people passed by to take a last look at the
[298]

face of their dead friend. When Jim came by, he said :
'Well, Parson, you gave us hell, but I guess we all de
served it. Here's a fifty dollar note.'
"The man who brought me out forgot me and went
back alone, and before I realized it, every vehicle there
other than an express wagon had gone. Three boards
had been placed across the wagon-body for seats, and
six notorious women occupied them. Discovering my
predicament, they called to me, and said it was a shame
to bring a parson out there and leave him to walk home
in the snow, and invited me to ride with them. I wasn't
married then, and the thought flashed through my mind,
'what will the good Leadville people say when they see
their parson riding with such women ?' But it was either
that or walk, and I didn't walk. The women made me
sit between two of them on the middle seat, and so I was
surrounded by them. When we reached the edge of the
town I told them I had some business to attend to, and
would get out and walk the rest of the way. I think they
must have suspected my scheme, for they insisted upon
carrying me to the very door of the parsonage, right
through the two busiest streets of the town. Well, that
ride made a big sensation ; the people never ceased twit
ting me about it, and the newspapers made the most of it.
"Some of the marriages I performed were odd, too.
There lived there a Madame Lapue, who got rich telling
fortunes. She was the most horribly deformed creature
I ever saw. Her mouth, back, chin, teeth, arms — in fact
her whole hump-backed body — was twisted out of shape ;
but her big roll of money finally induced a gambler by
the name of Smith to marry her. They came to me to tie
the knot. I have married scores of those people four or
five times. No license was required then, and we preach
ers couldn't remember the faces of all that motley crowd.
A man would live with a woman a year or so, see some
one he liked better, and come to me to be married
again. Of course, he would change his name and I
wouldn't remember having married him before. Well,
Smith and the fortune-teller stood up, and I commenced
the form of the Methodist marriage service. I had got
through with the man, and he had answered all of the
[299]

questions satisfactorily, so I went on with the service to
the woman.
" 'Wilt thou have this man to be thy lawful, wedded
husband, to live with together, under God's ordinance,
in the holy state of matrimony, and wilt thou love, honor
and keep — '
"Here I was obhged to pause, owing to a bad fit of
coughing, and the woman said : 'I'll just be d  d if I'fl
keep any man !' and started to leave. I tried to explain
to her that I had not finished, and that the rest of the
sentence would show what was required, and that she
would not be compelled to support her husband. So, we
began again, but when I got to the word 'keep,' again I
got nervous, and again coughed. This time the would-
be-bride became furious.
" 'You think you are smart. Parson, don't you?' she
shrieked. 'Wefl, I'll tefl you that you lost a fifty dollar
note I had in my stocking by your smartness ;' and she
grabbed Smith and left.
"Paddock, of the Congregational Church, finally
married them, and I always thought he should have di
vided that fee with me, for I'd half married them in the
first place.
"When Bishop Warren and Bishop McCabe were on
a visit to me, I got a call, about dark one night, to go to
a tough place and marry a couple. I asked my visitors
if they would not like to accompany me. Both accepted
the invitation, and as we were leaving the house, mother
called to me,
" 'Tom, you've forgotten your pistol!'
"Bishop Warren threw up his hands in holy terror.
He didn't want to remain longer in a place where a
preacher had to carry a gun.
"Yes, it was a hard Hfe, but I enjoyed it, and beHeve
I did some good there. Many of the bad women, and
worse men, were converted in my meetings, and are re
spectable folks now.
"Here was a break in the narrative, with an 'Hello,
Tom ! Just the man I wanted to see !' "

[300]

And the man who wanted to see the Parson, a re
spected citizen of Denver, had been converted by him
at the latter's River Mission.
Such was the life, such the simplicity, such the love
and faith of Tom Uzzell. Rich men gave freely to help
his good work, and poor men sought his counsel. He
long since passed over the range, leaving a wife and five
children and a mother to grieve over his untimely call
from a world so much better for his having lived in it.
Other good preachers there were in Leadville, each
working with the talents given him for the betterment
of his fellow man and the community's uplift, but there
was only one Tom Uzzell — Rest his soul!
How reluctantly I now am impelled to record a series
of incidents connected with the life, and possible death,
of another Leadville minister, whose name, for obvious
reasons must be withheld, may not easily be inferred.
That he was the unfortunate victim of a horrible plot
to remove him from life's activities, and send him into
the great unknown before his time, I have always firmly
believed; but because of my inability to sustain my con
viction of foul play, my lips must forever remain sealed.
The news value of the facts that came to me inci
dentally, unsought in the first instance, and subsequently
traversed in the hope that they would be disproved, will
be recognized by the reader. The slightest hint in my
newspapers of what was transpiring before my eyes
would have produced a profound sensation, and yet I
dared not breathe a word of it until the conclusive proofs
were in my possession.
And when, at the end of a long vigil, and the employ
ment of the keenest detective talent of which I was en
dowed, I was rewarded with sufficient evidence to war
rant a full expose, the whole scene was shifted, the char
acters removed, and my activities brought to an end.
[301]

A drop of rain, on the night' preceding the battle of
Waterloo, is believed to have changed the map of Eu
rope. To an incident quite as insignificant is traceable
my connection with this mysterious affair. A gust of
wind had blown a bit of paper along the street and before
my eyes — a receipt of an insurance company, for the
semi-annual premium on a $30,000 policy written upon
the life of the minister in question. The amount struck
me as rather excessive for a poor minister to carry, the
premium, on account of his age, representing a sum out
of all proportion to the known salary of the insured. The
minister's wife was found to be named in the policy as
the beneficiary. But the receipt was in the name of a
third person, in no way related to the dominie or his wife,
and, stranger still, a person even less able to maintain
payments so large — a struggling young briefless lawyer,
eking out an existence upon a limited practice.
The facts disclosed by the bit of paper at once ap
pealed to my news instinct; they gave to me a distinct
shock. It was too delicate a matter to be intrusted to
the average reporter for investigation, and I resolved
to handle it myself. The very first development en
hanced the mystery and increased my suspicions. The
minister, adroitly approached by an emissary in my em
ploy, frankly admitted having been examined for an in
surance risk, at the instance of his wife, who, from pri
vate means, had undertaken to keep up the payments
upon a three thousand dollar policy. But the policy
actually written and being carried by the insurance com
pany was for ten times that sum.
A hasty conference with the local agent of the com
pany disclosed the fact that the original application was
for a three thousand dollar policy, raised to thirty thou
sand before being written, accepted by the company,
and three semi-annual premium payments promtly made.
[302]

My next move was to discover a motive. The habits
of the minister's wife were easily discovered. For a
year or more she had not been attending the Sunday
evening service. The parsonage was near the church.
Not far distant was a saloon, open as well on Sunday as
other evenings of the week.
Posting myself in the neighborhood, on the first Sun
day evening after deciding upon a Sherlock Holmes act,
I saw a party enter the bar, supply himself with two bot
tles of beer, emerge from a side door, walk leisurely
away and enter the parsonage, just as the organ began
to peal out the offeratory. His withdrawal was nicely
timed to clear the locality before the congregation was
dismissed. I easily identified him as the young lawyer
whose name appeared upon the premium receipt. Each
succeeding Sunday evening the performance was dupli
cated. Needing no additional circumstance to convince my
self that a motive had been discovered, I communicated
all of the facts to the head office of the insurance com
pany. A special detective was at once sent out to work
with me. This party did not shrink from the task of
forcing an entrance to the sleeping quarters of the sus
pected lawyer to secure additional incriminating testi
mony from his private letter files. At the same time
close watch was kept upon the conspirators.
The minister's health began to fail. Although able
to perform his customary duties in the parish, the grad
ual weakening of his physical and mental faculties was
noticeable, and became subject matter for regretful dis
cussion among the members of his congregation. The
progress of his disease, whatever it might be, was slow,
nor was his physician quite able satisfactorily to diag
nose his case, although I had no difficulty in defining it.
I was placed in a very difficult and delicate position, since
[303]

it was expected I would continue to work in harmony
with the insurance company, and its representative could
do nothing but patiently await developments. Finally,
the minister was compelled to close his labors, resign his
pastorate, and remove to California, it having been con
cluded that a change of climate was essential. At this
juncture the matter was turned over to the Pacific Coast
manager of the company, my labors necessarily ending
there. The unfortunate preacher went to a Southern
CaHfornia town, accompanied by his wife, and soon were
foflo\ved by the young attorney, but neither preacher or
lawyer long survived their change of residence. The
wife, as far as I am advised, survives to this day. Let us
hope her conscience is not troubled with any of those
visions that terrorized Lady Macbeth.

[304]

MAX BOEHMER EDWARD E. HOLDEN
Eml^enf L?a°dvme toing Builder ot the Holden Smelter,
Engineer ^, Denver
COL, A. V. BOHN
Distinguished Leadville Mining
Engineer „,,
nuATtTTTB r HIT.T. FRANK BULKLEY
Pionee? MinPnl Au^ho^-Uy ot American Association of Mlnmg
Leadville Engineers

CHAPTER LX.
Summit to the Sea — Efforts Far Afield — How a
Deep Water Port Was Secured
I sometimes blush with pure pleasure over an
achievement in which I had no direct or personal selfish
interest, where the benefiiary is alone and obviously the
public, for it is in those things I always have found my
chief pleasure in life; and then I blush, with something
akin to shame, when I find myself telling of it — boasting,
if you please — when it is palpably the part of modesty to
wait for some one else to tell it, or for the triumph to
become so conspicuous as to be a vindication in itself.
What I have determined to set down here happened a
long time ago — way back in the '80s. It was a little
thing in itself, and yet a seed from which mighty things
have grown. It was a thing any other person might have
done, only no one did it.
The producers of all that vast empire lying between
the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains had,
from time immemorial, paid freight on their products
to the Atlantic seaboard, when there was an outlet to
tidewater on the gulf coast, scarce half the distance.
Only there was not a single natural harbor on the whole
of that coast. The building of an artificial harbor was
too big an undertaking for private capital, although some
thoughtful persons felt that if the government were to
build one such harbor, private capital could be depended
upon to duplicate the achievement elsewhere. The im
portance of the proposed undertaking was plain enough
to everybody who gave it a moment's thought, but to
[30B]

induce Congress to make the necessary appropriation
was quite another thing, only understood by those ex
perienced in lobbying. It was widely discussed by the
press, and the movement finally assumed concrete shape
in the form of a "deep water convention" at Denver,
composed of delegates from all of the States west of the
Mississippi, named by governors, legislatures, chambers
of commerce and other commercial bodies. It proved to
be a monster affair, so numerously attended as to be un
wieldy, and likely to be ineffective for that very reason.
There were at least twenty-five hundred delegates pres
ent, and it taxed the resources of Denver to house it — in
fact, it was held in a tent. It was an initial movement,
and, as such, little was expected of it beyond the educa
ting of the people by speeches and the usual perfunctory
resolutions. I was ambitious that it should achieve more than
this, for otherwise years might pass before anything
practical were done. Hence, I conceived the idea of
raising a permanent committee from the membership
of this convention, a representative body, yet not so large
as to be unwieldy, to work out the problem, and I deter
mined to submit my plan as soon as a permanent organ
ization of the convention should be effected.
Profiting from my observation of and experience in
the difficulties of focusing the attention of large national
conventions upon concrete propositions, likely to be an
tagonized by conflicting interests, real or fancied, I called
upon the chairman. Gov. Thayer of Nebraska, the night
before, outlined my scheme, enlisted his interest, and
secured a promise of co-operation, to the extent at least
of recognizing me on the following day, when I should
be ready to launch my scheme and endeavor to force it
through. But for my foresight in making this arrangement in
[306]

advance, I might easily have met with failure, for there
were present in the body representatives from a number
of rival points, each jealous of the other, some so selfish
as to prefer general disaster to a failure of their pet
schemes for the advancement of particular localities.
My resolution provided for the appointment, by the
president of the convention, of three delegates from each
State west of the Mississippi, the committee thus con
stituted to permanently organize, select a central head
quarters, and immediately begin a campaign of educa
tion to inform the people as to the vast importance of
the undertaking, and thro' their influence with Senators
and Congressmen to secure an appropriation sufficient
to build a deep harbor on the gulf coast.
I was careful not to name a place, or even to hint
where the money should be spent. I worded my resolu
tion to read "where a deep harbor can be built for the
least money and in the shortest time," the selection of
place to be left to the engineers of the war department.
Had I named Sabine Pass, Aransas Pass, Galveston, or
the mouth of the Brazos, the whole blooming thing might
have ended there. I avoided a conflict by referring that
subject to people out of sight and hearing, and leaving
the conflicting interests to fight it out among themselves
in the distant future. The main thing was to get the
money quick, and to get the dredgers in operation.
And the plan worked out beautifully, my resolution
going through with enthusiastic unanimity, and without
amendment. Ex-Governor Wm. Evans of Colorado was
named as Chairman of the permanent committee; Alva
Adams, Governor of Colorado, and myself, were named
to represent the Centennial State.
The committee got to work immediately, and the
next Congress but one gave us $6,300,000 with which to
start the work. What followed is history.
[307]

Galveston was selected, not perhaps because of its
superior merits, but rather because the vested interests
there were too great to be overcome by rival ports. But,
as had been pointed out, the speedy procurement of
eighteen feet of water over the bar at low tide at Gal
veston, at government expense, spurred private capital
to duplicate the improvement at Aransas Pass and the
mouth of the Brazos.
And all of the results predicted have been more than
realized since the completion of the great work. A com
parison of imports and exports at the gulf ports, before
and after deep water was procured, will tell the story.
And it is interesting to note that the increase in shipping
at the latter, during two decades following the comple
tion of the jetties at Galveston, just about equalled the
decrease, during the same period, at the North Atlantic
ports. Although my resolution providing a permanent com
mittee clearly defined how the port selected for govern
ment favor should be chosen, the people of Texas were
obsessed with the idea that the committee was to dictate
it, and as a consequence there was great rivalry for the
favor of the committee on the part of the people whose
interests were with San Antonio, Galveston, Sabine, or
Aransas Pass. When there, as we occasionally had to
be in furtherance of the work, we always were enter
tained, as Southern people so well know how to enter
tain. Upon the occasion of the first meeting of our com-
mitee, at Dallas, the President of the San Antonio and
Aransas Pass Railroad, who happened to be in New
York at the time, sent the following telegram to the
head of the legal department of his line :

[308]

To General Sam Houston, San Antonio.
Understand deep water men in Texas. Corral 'em.
Buy wine. Give 'em my car. Buy wine. Take 'em to
Rockport and give 'em fish dinner. Buy wine. Take
'em to Aransas Pass. Buy wine. Take 'em to San An
tonio and give 'em carriage drive. Buy wine. Give
'em a banquet. Buy wine. Take 'em to military post.
Buy wine. (Signed) Uriah Lott,
President.
P. S. — Buy wine.
The directions were executed with due fidelity, and
for about a fortnight our committee of sixty members
drank champagne from tin cups. Although ostensibly
a deep water movement, only limited quantities of the
fluid were drunk.

[309]

CHAPTER LXI.
Strange Facts, at Once Thrilling, Pathetic,
Grotesque and Humorous
Neither Monte Carlo nor Carlsbad, Saratoga or Hot
Springs, ever developed millionaires and paupers with
the pace set by Leadville in the first few years of its
existence. Sign posts that beckoned some men to af
fluence and lives of ease and luxury betrayed others into
quagmires of poverty, misery and death. Some men dug
fortunes from the earth in a week or a day, others lost
the savings of a life time in an hour. The man who
swept the wealth of Croesus from the faro table on a
Monday found resting place in the Potter's Field on a
Tuesday. * * *
I have seen thirty thousand dollars' worth of ore
hauled past my office in an ordinary wagon bed.

August Richie and Theo. Hook, two itinerant shoe
makers, walked into Leadville from Canon City, took a
"grubstake" from Grocer Tabor, and within a few weeks
uncovered a vein of mineral that subsequently yielded
seventy-five millions in precious metal values, giving
to Tabor his first start toward the ten million mark, and
a seat in the United States Senate!

Charley Boettcher took as security for a $20 cook
stove mining shares that later sold for $150,000.
[310]

The Dillon Brothers, in the Little Chief mine, dis
closed the largest contact ever discovered, 80 feet in
vertical height, the one later filling a drunkard's grave,
the other eking out a miserable existence in a cheap
lodging house in Los Angeles.

Jack Morrissey's Highland Mary enabled its onwer
to "do" the continent in regal style, to squander thou
sands in the Rue de la Paix and the Palais Royal, and
then die a pauper in the Denver poor house.

The boundless fortune of the Guggenheim family
had its beginning in a supposedly played-out mine in Cal
ifornia Gulch. * * *
A few sacks of flour and slabs of bacon, a poor pros
pector's grubstake, gave to George B. Robinson a mine
capitalized at twenty millions, and which sold for twice
that amount. * * *
A single lucky strike saved Sam Newhouse from
bankruptcy, enrolled him in the "Prince of Wales set"
in London, enabled him to become the largest copper
operator in the world, to erect the Flat Iron Building
in New York, to buy a mile of Salt Lake City's most val
uable frontage, and to build theater, hotel and sky scra
per office buildings there.

Alva Adams, three times Governor of Colorado, took
a king's ransom from the Blind Tom mine in a year, but
left him the same modest man he was when earning $4.00
a day with his team.
[311]

The man who gave me my first meal in Leadville,
and only charged me a dollar for it, became the mining
partner of King Leopold of Belgium, entertained official
Washington as a monarch might have done, and died
the same big-hearted Tom Walsh he was in LeadviHe in
'78. * * *
Stratton, the job carpenter, was able richly to endow
a home for the fagged out remnants of humanity.
* * *
Nat Creede, poor prospector, lucky discoverer, left
his name and a princely estate to a Los Angeles waif,
and died by his own hand when life should have seemed
most desirable. * * *
The cost of San Diego's grand caravansary, the
Grant Hotel, pride of the Pacific slope, was dug from
the ribs of Carbonate Hill.
* * *
Tom Bowen may have bought a seat in the United
States Senate from the proceeds of a single mine.
* * *
St. Louis took in dividends from Leadville mines,
year after year, more than the earnings of afl of its
banks, insurance and trust companies.
* * *
Uncle Billy Stevens took sufficient wealth from Iron
Hill to rank him the richest man in Michigan's princely
metropoHs. * * *
The Little Johnny mine, bought for a few thousand
dollars, made of John Campion a multi-milHonaire, and
raised to affluence a dozen other lucky co-owners — A. V.
Hunter, Geo. W. Trimble, Charles Cavender, and Wm.
Byrd Page.
[312]

TINGLEY S. WOOD
Owner of the Lillian and
100 other mines

JAMES J. BROWN
Famous as a Gold Mine
Discoverer

A. A. BLOW
Famous Mining Engineer
of Two Continents

JOHN CAMPION
Principal Owner of the

EBEN SMITH
Mining Partner of the Late
^i"id H. Moffatt

Leiter avenue and Harrison avenue, Leadville, will
long commemorate the rich strikes made there, in the
early days, by Wm. Leiter, the Chicago dry goods prince,
and Edwin Harrison, the smelter king of St. Louis.
* * *
Jack McCombe had no street named for him, but
back in Killarney his memory will ever be kept green,
for from his first income from the Maid of Erin he re
turned to his old home, bought everything in sight and
gave something to every body.
* * *
I attended a banquet, given at the opening of the
Texas House, a princely-appointed gambling hell, at
which eighty millions of capital were represented, and
the guests at which embraced Senators, Governors, Gen
erals, Colonels, and even a member of British royalty.
* * *
I have seen a man wheeling slag in the Globe smelter,
at $3 a day, who once was worth ten millions, and sat as
a member of the greatest deliberative body in the world.
* * *
I have walked on a saloon floor tiled with double
golden eagles. * * *
I have partaken of a $7,500 breakfast at a hotel in
LeadviHe. * * *
I possess annual passes over railroads, the material
of solid silver, and costing ten dollars each to make.
* * *
For hauling goods from Denver to Leadville I have
paid more than the freight rate from Liverpool to Port
land, around the horn.
[313]

I have seen water pipes soldered with silver bulHon.
I have known a man to earn the cost of a monster
hotel, and its complete furnishings, while in course of
erection, speculating in lots adjoining.
* * *
I know men owning a hundred mines who never took
a dollar out of any of them.
Although there are forty thousand located mines in
Leadville, there were never exceeding a hundred in pay
at the same time. * * *
Dr. M. W. Illes owes a large fortune to a silk hand
kerchief — put smelter smoke through it, and thus acci
dentally discovered a method for saving precious metal
values, that before went into the atmosphere. He sold
his discoverey to the trust, and now listens to what the
wild waves say at Ocean Park, California.
* * *
I helped Senator Stewart ascertain that every dol
lar's worth of silver mined in this country has cost one
dollar and twenty-five cents.
* * *
I have known thousands of men who "went broke"
in mining, while those of my acquaintance who have
profited largely I could name in two minutes.
* * *
"Silver is found in veins, gold is where you find it"
is an old adage. Search for the two metals will doubtless
ever constitute the most alluring quest of man. Of the
few who win the fickle goddess, you will ever hear —
their success is shouted from the house-tops. Of the
many who fail, you may read the sorrowful story in
wayside graves on the bleak wind-swept slopes.
[314]

Life at Leadville was not altogether a constant stren
uous struggle for wealth. It was liberally interlarded
at all times by incidents tragic, ludicrous and pathetic, as
well as humorous. Conspicuous among the latter was
the presentation at the Tabor Opera House of a drama,
written by Mrs.  , wife of a local practitioner
at the bar, entitled, "The Mormon Wife," the leading
role in which she herself essayed. The woman really
possessed some histrionic talent, scarcely approaching
genius, but was not accredited with even mediocre abil
ity, as playwright or actress. The announcement of her
ambition was, indeed, received with a broad guffaw, but
this did not prevent the house from being filled from pit
to dome with a miscellaneous assembly, bent upon an
evening's enjoyment, regardless of the attractions of
fered by the program. Had the price of admission been
doubled, it would not have kept the multitude away.
Nor was the purpose or spirit animating the audience
at all creditable, being palpably to cajole and ridicule.
And, what added immeasurably to the gaiety of the
occasion, was the circumstance that Mrs.  took
the whole affair seriously, not for one moment discern
ing the satire, cloaked with the thinnest gauze of interest
and enthusiasm. Not even the presence in the prosce
nium boxes of cruel jokers, leveling beer bottles, mounted
as opera glasses, at her antics on the stage, or the hoots
and yells and cat-calls of the gallery, had the effect of
distracting her from the serious lines of her role. When
she sang, the boistrous encore was responded to time and
again and until, from sheer sympathy, the audience was
persuaded to desist. Perhaps the most inexcusable af
front offered the lady was the mock criticism that ap
peared in my newspaper the following morning. In this
the writer compared her, or rather contrasted her, for
he declared she could not be compared, with all of the
[31B]

great playwrights of history, asserting that not one of
them was capable of producing such a play — a very pal
pable fact — and with all of the great actresses, Hving
and dead, with equal candor declaring that their com
bined genius would not be equal to the exactions of the
title role, so faultlessly portrayed by Mrs.  .
Finally, and for this offense, the critic should have been
murdered and his body concealed, he said that "the en
thusiasm of the star was only equalled by the satire of
the audience." It would be difficult to describe my emo
tions upon reading that brutal criticism in the morn
ing. I had long entertained the highest respect for Mrs.
 She was a Southern lady of culture and re
finement. Her husband was a lawyer of distinction, and
although I disagreed with him at every angle of politics,
I had asked Gov. Adams to appoint him to a vacant
Judgeship, solely because of his proved fitness and recog
nized honesty. Notwithstanding this, he was a "fire-
eating Southerner," still adhering to the code duello as
the only proper resort to settle differences between gen
tlemen, and I thought perhaps there might be some war
rant for the expressed fear of my office friends that he
would deem the publication sufficient cause for calling
me out. Indeed, I prepared for just such a contingency,
and about 10 o'clock an outlook reported the Judge ap
proaching the office. I arose to greet him, careful that
the route to my hip pocket was unobstructed, when he
grasped my hand with both his own and gave it as cordial
and hearty a shake as it ever experienced, at the same
time overwhelming me with thanks for the criticism,
pronouncing it about the last word in histrionic diction.
He bought every extra copy of the paper on the counter
to send to friends elsewhere, and left me with the im
pression that he ever should regard me as his greatest
benefactor ! [316]

One of the most productive mines in the Ten Mile
District was "the Scotty," named for a prospector, quite
widely known for his shiftless habits and ne'er-do-well
record. He had succumbed to a sudden attack of pneu
monia, in the one-room cabin of a friend, away up on
the slopes of Sheep Mountain, on a wild December night.
The miner and his family were worn out with their
sleepless vigil, nor could they hope for rest until Scotty's
body should be removed. A couples of prospectors,
friends of the dead man, had happened in at nightfall,
and volunteered to dig a grave in the clearing at once,
it having been decided that all ceremony would have to
be dispensed with.
The night wore wearily on; the snow was deep, the
frost penetrated many feet below the surface, and the
little band of watchers within scarcely expected the
grave would be ready before midnight. But when the
clock on the rude mantel ticked off 3 A. M., and the dig
gers had not reported their gruesome task complete,
the master of the cabin set out in quest of them. The
flickering light of a lantern on a durhp of fresh earth
half a mile distant guided him to the spot, but his amaze
ment may be inferred when, instead of finding the men
at work, he discovered an envelope nailed to a nearby
tree, bearing this strange legend :
Struck it rich four feet below grass roots. Gone to
town to record location. Will name claim "The Scotty"
and put you in on it. Will be up to plant our old pard
in the morning. p^^^^ Bill.
* * *
The estimation in which human life was held by some
is wefl illustrated in the epigramatic remark of August
Richie, the German shoemaker who was one of the dis-
[317]

coverers of the Little Pittsburg mine, after shooting a
man in a saloon brawl. Turning to the bar keeper, he
said : "Well, I suppose I kill de feflow, but I bays for the
body." * * *
Jack Morrisey discovered immense wealth before ac
quiring the abihty to tell the time of day; yet his first
great outlay was a diamond-studded time-piece. And
that he might not disclose his ignorance, when asked for
the time, he would whip out the elaborately oranmented
chronometer, and hand it to the inquirer with the re
mark: "See for yourself! Then ye'll know I'm not
lyin' to yez." * * *
It is related of Jack that he once shouted down a
shaft: "How many be yez down there?" The answer
being three. Jack shouted : "Half of yez come up."
* * *
Those who credit that yarn will have no difficulty in
believing that Jack made a sight draft on the Treasurer
of the United States for the price of a plot of ground'
sold to the government for a fish hatchery, not being
satisfied with the slow method of auditing claims by
the representatives of Uncle Sam.
* * *
But Jack's experience in handhng large sums of
money soon sharpened his wits, and enabled him per
fectly to safe-guard his wealth. It was quite natural
that frequent appeals should be made to him for loans by
former boon companions of the pick-and-shovel world.
Upon one such occasion the applicant simply wanted
Jack's endorsement upon a note. "I don't want you to
give me the money, Mr. Morrisey. I just want your
name on this bit of paper. Mr. Trimble, the banker,
says if you will sign the note, he'll let me have the
[318]

money." Jack only hesitated a moment for his ready
Irish wit to come to his relief — then : "That's all right,
Mike. But you tell Mr. Trimble to put his name on the
note, and I'll let ye have the money."
* * *
Mike Costello was another character famed for his
quick native wit and cleverness at repartee. Delegate
to a Democratic county convention, the proceedings of
which had not been at all to his liking — all of his friends
having been defeated in their ambition for representa
tion on the ticket nominated — Mike startled the body
with: "Mr. Chairman! I rise to a pint of order."
The Chair — "The gentleman will state his point of
order." Mr. Costello — "I'll bet yez tin dollars the ticket is
downed." And it was. * * *
Notwithstanding there was a Democratic newspaper
being published in Leadville at the time, deserving and
entitled to the party's patronage, Mike always saw to it
that the committee's needs in the printing line were sup
plied by my presses. His extraordinary party disloyalty
being called in question by the committee, of which he
was chairman, Mike made an elaborate speech in his own
defense, closing with this eloquent peroration, character
istic of Irish loyalty to personal friends : "And, gintle-
men, I want to tell yez, that whin it's Dimocracy to go
back on Davis, I'm no longer a Dimocrat."
Mike Costello, soon after his entry into politics,
landed in the Legislature. Irishmen, in Leadville as else
where, have a constitutional proneness for law making
— they have been able to make and administer laws for
[319]

every country but their own — and there distinguished
himself, not alone for the number and variety of bills
introduced, but as well for his enthusiastic and eloquent
advocacy of their passage. Mike's pet measure, in the
assembly of '87, had for its object the regulation of the
railways, of the science in management of which he knew
about as much as of the planets, and he was desirous
that as many as possible of his constituents should hear
his speech in advocacy of its final passage. He had ex
hausted the patience of railway managers in his frequent
demand for passes, and upon this occasion had pre
sented to Gen'l Dodge, General Manager of the Denver
and Rio Grande, a list of thirty people whom he desired
to bring down to the capital. Gen'l Dodge told Mike he
had exceeded the limit, but finally consented to issue ten
passes, on condition that he would not file another re
quest during the session. Mike took his medicine philo
sophically, and with his pencil began the work of elimi
nation. When he had reduced the list to ten, he handed
it to Gen'l Dodge, with the laconic suggestion: "I've
scratched off twinty of the spalpeens, Gineral — they've
got no infloo-ence annyway."

An early-day character of the camp, known far and
wide for his geniality and good heartedness, albeit a
ne'er-do-well with never so much as the price of a meal
ticket in his pocket, was Bill DeVere, "Tramp Poet of
the West," who ground out verse, of a crude yet ever
cheerful description, with the utmost facility. Thus,
over a State Street bar, did he immortalize a mining
camp tributary to Leadville, named "Ten Mile," for no
better reason, that I ever was able to discover than that
it was that distance from nowhere.

[320]

The shades of eve were fafling fast.
As up through Leadville village passed,
A "Mick," who bore through mud and ice
A hickory shirt, with this device:
"Ten Mile or bust."
His hat was slouched, he'd one cock eye,
That piped off every passer-by;
The boot-black shouted, "Have a shine ?"
The Mick replied, "I'll hunt a mine !
Ten Mile or bust!"
"Beware the pine tree's withered branch.
Beware a 'dead fall' called Chalk Ranch,"
Was Hoodoo Brown's last good night;
The Mick replied far up the height,
"Ten Mile or bust."
The dance hall girl said, "Stay and try
A little glass of dance-hall rye;
I'll be your darling, dear gazelle,"
The Mick replied, "Oh, go to  well.
Ten Mile or bust."
Next morning, as the Ten Mile stage
Was going up the narrow gauge,
A hickory shirt hung on a rail.
With these words printed on the tail,
"Ten Mile or bust."

Whatever the game, if it be governed by well-defined
rules, the professional gambler plays it without demur,
knowing that the percentage is always in favor of the
house. It is related that a stranger in the camp stood
in on a game of poker at the Texas House until, his re
sources almost exhausted, he drew a "royal flush," bet
what he had remaining, called his partner, and was in
the act of raking in the generous jack-pot before him,
when he was stopped.
[321]

"But, I've got. a royal flush," he said, throwing his
cards face up on the table.
"Yes," repHed his partner, "but you don't seem to be
familiar with the rules of the house," and with this he
pointed to a placard on the wall back of him, bearing
the legend: "A 'lulu' beats a royal flush."
With the explanation of what constituted a "lulu" at
the Texas House, the game proceeded, until finally the
stranger drew a "lulu," and again was in the act of
raking in the coin, when, for a second time, he was
stopped. "But I've got a lulu," he protested, honestly disclos
ing his hand.
"Yes, you've got a lulu all right," responded his part
ner, "but do you see that rule?"
With this he again pointed to the same sign at his
back, reversed in the meantime, and made to read : "A
'lulu' can be played but once the same evening at this
house." * * *
For ten years, perhaps. General Geo. W. Cook was
joint agent of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Rail
road, and the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, as well
as Division Superintendent of the latter. He also at one
time was Mayor of the city and commander of the Grand
Army of the Republic. In the latter capacity, in 1888,
he was leading the post in its parade to the cemetery, on
Decoration Day, when a special train — having for pas
senger the late Walter Cheeseman, Vice President of
the Rio Grande, and one of the wealthiest men in the
State — approached the station and was flagged by Gen'l
Cook and held until the procession had passed on its way
to the burying ground.
On his return to the station, Gen'l Cook was up-
[322]

braided for his high-handed act in flagging the Vice
President's car.
He responded by dealing Mr. Cheeseman an upper
cut, which sent him sprawling on the floor, a very un
dignified position for a man of his character and stand
ing. Instantly realizing what this meant to him, Gen'l
Cook at once wired his resignation to the President of
the road and began cleaning up his desk, preparatory to
terminating his long connection with the road.
But his resignation was not accepted. Mr. Cheese
man had the good sense to recognize the correctness of
Gen'l Cook's attitude, albeit he was quite disposed to
close the incident then and there, and retain the services
of a man of Cook's capabilities.
* * *
Theater-goers of the early '80s period will remember
Effie Ellsler, who wept such genuine tears in portraying
the pathetic character of "Hazel Kirke" that her doctor
was compelled to order a cancellation of her contract at
the very height of her triumph. This truly genuine
woman and true artiste was a great favorite in Leadville,
a popularity she generously shared with her husband,
Frank Weston. Her one great trial was Couldock, prob
ably the greatest impersonator of old men characters
this country has ever produced, and who was esteemed
absolutely essential to the proper presentation of Duns-
stan Kirke, the blind miller of the great drama, accord
ing to the Ellsler standard. The old man was so
strangely erratic that Effie was never certain of him un
til he stalked upon the stage. Naturally, she and her
husband humored the old man in a hundred ways, to keep
him in readiness to respond to the prompter's call. At
Leadvifle she ordered a special dinner in his honor at the
hotel, the proprietor fairly outdoing himself as caterer.

[323]

Among other things she especially ordered by express,
from one of the lake cities, a fish of which Couldock was
known to be especially fond.
Instead of being served whole, the piece de resistance
of the repast, it came on the table cut transwise in coarse,
uninviting slabs or chunks.
One sight of the dish was enough for Couldock. His
ire excited to the highest pitch, all consideration for the
fact that his hostess was a lady for the moment forgot
ten, and that the dining room was crowded with guests,
he placed one of his great feet under the table, lifted it
clear off the floor, and threw it over on its side, china
and silver and crystal scattering in every direction. Then,
without a word to host or hostess, he arose and stalked
out of the dining room, the incarnation of outraged dig
nity. * * *
For a year after the railroads entered Leadville the
Western classification failed to discriminate between pa
per in car loads and less than car loads. I submitted to
the injustice until patience ceased to be a virtue, and
then advertised for teams to bring paper up from Den
ver. In the early morning hour a gentleman called to learn
what there might be in it. He didn't look like a teamster,
but I assumed he might be a contractor, and I showed
him how, by bringing my paper up, and taking a load of
passengers down, he might make afl kinds of money.
After I had finished he coolly handed me his card,
disclosing his identity as W. B. Kimball, Traffic Man
ager of the Union Pacific System!
He had only arrived in the city that morning, had
seen my advertisement, and not fancying the idea of hav
ing his railroad paralleled by a bull team, he had cafled
upon me for particulars. Upon his assurance that I
[324]

should have a satisfactory rate for paper in car loads,
I discontinued the advertisement, although it proved the
most profitable announcement I ever had made.
* * *
In the formative period of Leadvifle hundreds of
companies were organized daily and incorporated.
Hence it was not to be wondered at that a struggling
young lawyer should organize a toll road company and
order a stock book printed. The wonder came when the
proposed enterprise dropped out of sight, along with its
projector — George Crittenden, a scion of the famous
Kentucky family of that name. With the stock book
in his suit case, Crittenden paid a visit to his old home
in the Blue Grass State, and while there told his friends
of the great promise of his enterprise. To a number of
personal friends he gave a few shares of stock — only a
few, for the reason that nearly the entire capital stock
had already been subscribed. In imposing the strictest
confidence in the matter, Crittenden displayed his
knowledge of human nature. He confidently counted
upon a violation of the confidence in every instance, in
furtherance of his ultimate design. Returning to Lead
viHe he mailed dividend checks to the few holders of the
stock in Kentucky, 30% upon the capital stock. A few
months later he returned to his old home, and was not
surprised to learn that everybody in town had heard
about the marvelous success of his toll road enterprise.
Naturally all wanted an opportunity to invest. And Crit
tenden had the means of satisfying them. But he did it
in the most adroit manner conceivable, telling each that
he was the only one favored, and again imposing the
strictest confidence. Before returning to Leadville he
had disposed of every share of stock, provoked that he
had not provided himself with another stock book.
Months passed without receipt of any more dividends.
Townspeople began to compare notes, and it was dis
covered that very few people were without representa
tion in the toll road. Letters to Crittenden were un
answered, and finally a representative was sent to Col
orado to look into the matter. This party soon discov-
[325]

ered that the toll road was a myth. Crittenden was run
down and asked why he hadn't built the road. "Bufld
the road ? Why should I build it ? I've got no interest
in it. Your people have got all the stock. Let them
build it!" * * *
Individual mention of all the rugged, sterling char
acters who conspicuously contributed to the development
of the mining and smelting industries of Leadville — the
men who blazed the way, giving of their intefligence,
their experience, their learning and their wealth, to the
creation of the greatest mining camp the world has ever
known — would more than fill a volume of this size. I
find I must content myself with the briefest mention of
a comparatively few such, without purposeful dispar
agement of thousands of others whose contributions
were as necessary in the material and human uplift.
* * *
During the first few years of the history of Leadville,
when fortunes were acquired in a night, when unmeas
ured wealth was actually within reach of the poorest and
the humblest, when the masses were engaged in almost
sleepless quest for the golden fleece. Col. Roswefl E.
Goodell, ignoring all of the allurements of the hour and
all of the temptations that beckoned, devoted the whole
of his time to the inauguration of purely unselfish enter
prises contributing to the pubhc welfare at the time and
promising community benefits in the future. Conspic
uous among his works of this nature, none of which
promised adequate returns for the labor and capital em
ployed, was the development and improvement of Soda
Springs, the building of a broad boulevard to that beau
tiful and restful resort, and the organization of a racing
association and providing all the accessories for health
ful, uplifting outdoor sports and athletic events. Col.
Goodell enjoyed many distinctions during a long and
eventful life. He was the Secretary of the Democratic
National Convention that met in Charleston in 1860, the
historical importance of which is well remembered. He
was the first City Marshal of Chicago, built the Chicago
[326]

and Alton Railway, and became its first General Man
ager. In that capacity he issued a "General Order," to
the effect that on and after that date no one would be
permitted to travel on the road unless possessing a ticket
or a pass, it having previously been the custom for a man
to board a train at any point, stating to the conductor
that he "worked for the company," and be allowed to
ride without other credentials. I fancy that order sig
nalled the introduction of the railway pass system in the
United States. When other railway managers were in
disposed to give the slightest encouragement to George
M. Pullman's wonderful invention, Col. GoodeH ordered
built the first sleeping car for the Alton Line, other
roads speedily imitating his wise act. In consideration
of this fact Mr. Pullman issued a pass to Col. Goodell —
doubtless the only one of its kind ever issued — for him
self and family, during life, over the Pullman system
throughout the world, and making provision for the
protection of the unique document when the Pullman
Company was incorporated. * * *
Major Jerome B. Wheeler not only made the first
contribution to the capital stock of the Colorado Midland
Railway, but, through his financial connections in the
East, induced the investment of $18,000,000 in that en
terprise ; he was among the first to recognize the impor
tance of the vast wealth of Western Colorado in coal
deposits and was a pioneer in their development ; he built
hotels, established banks, and in a hundred directions
contributed to the upbuilding of the great Western Em
pire. * * +
Leadville possessed no more loyal citizen than Col.
George W. Cook, who perhaps did more than any other
single person to spread abroad the fame of the mineral
wonder of the nineteenth century, his connection with
the railways and railroad managers of the country af
fording him exceptional advantages in the work of pub
Hcity. He organized the famous Cook Drum Corps, a
most powerful musical organization that has survived
[327]

to this day. The corps has attended every national en
campment of the Grand Army of the Renuhlic for the
past thirty years, numerous political national conven
tions, spreading the fame of Leadville from the lakes
to the gulf and from ocean to ocean. General Cook was
twice elected Mayor of Leadvifle, acquitting himself
handsomely as a civic ruler, and would have hazarded
his well-earned reputation as such by standing for elec
tion to a third term but for my personal objection. I
seemed to know when he had had enough, and threat
ened to oppose his candidacy if he persisted, a hint suf
ficiently potent to induce him gracefully to decline a
renomination. He was a picturesque character and won
great fame, eventually reaching the lower house of Con
gress. He Hved to thank me for reminding him when
it was time to quit.

Few men did more than Tingley S. Wood to encour
age prospecting; and in the development of mines he
spent a goodly fortune, without being adequately re
warded. Aside from his connection with the Lillian and
other well known properties, he is said to have located
and done more or less work upon at least a hundred prop
erties. His example was a great stimulus to the efforts
of others in the mining field.

Prominent factors in the early discovery and devel
opment of mineral riches in the Leadville Mining Dis
trict, and in that school of metallurgy that quickly
brought fame to the camp, were Philip Argyll, E. C.
Gilman, Maurice Starne, Willard S. Morse, T. F. Van
Wagenen, John Bolton Parish, Wm. Byrd Page, Ben
Stanley Revett, Joseph Lindsay, Franklin Guiterman,
A. A. Blow, James Aaron Shinn, Franklin Ballou, Henry
E. Wood, J. R. Champion, J. H. Stotesbury, Seeley W.
Mudd, Edward R. Holden, Dr. M. W. Iles, James J.
Brown, Karl Filers, Sam Adams, Edward Eddy, James
B. Grant, A. V. Bohn, Frank Parrish, Robert J. Cary,
Thomas J. Smith, and S. D. Nicholson.
[328]

Distinguished among the pioneer investors and pro
moters were Edwin Harrison and H. Z. Leiter. Po
tent friends of Leadville interests, men who per
haps did more for the mining, smelting and mercantile
advancement than the community at the time realized
may be mentioned J. J. Hagerman, President of the Col
orado Midland Railway; D. B. Robinson and H. Coil-
bran, General Managers of that line, and S. M. Brown,
for thirty-five years representative of the Denver and
Rio Grande ; Daniel Eels and Charles Otis, of Cleveland,
and Henry I. Higgins, of Washington, D. C.
* * *
Mike Eagan was another Leadville character who
rose to fame, finally becoming County Treasurer. A
fellow countryman, at the Midland depot one day, ob
served a car attached to a train bearing the title : "Michi
gan Central." Laboriously spefling out the words,
"Mich — Mike — igan — Eagan — Mike Eagan ! Holy
Smoke ! Mike has been Treasurer but a year, and now he
owns a railroad!"
James Barton James, a Colorado scribe, is to blame
for this : Music trembhn' in the air.
Out in Colorado;
People smilin' everywhere
Out in Colorado ;
Laughter in the merry skies,
Cupids in the wimmens' eyes
Brooks a singin' lullaby s.
Out in Colorado.
Breezes sing the song of health.
Out in Colorado ;
Hills a bustin' with their wealth,
Out in Colorado ;
Cheeks aglow with a healthy flush.
Teach the roses how to blush,
And the purty girls ! O, hush !
Out in Colorado.
[329]

Politicians never lie.
Out in Colorado;
Lawyers diffident and shy.
Out in Colorado.
Preachers aim their hardest licks
At ol' Satan an' his tricks.
Never touch on politics.
Out in Colorado.
Bloomer girls all ride at night,
Out in Colorado;
Shamed to face the open light.
Out in Colorado.
All so modest and so meek,
'Bout a showin' their physique —
Jes' as if the men'd peek.
Out in Colorado.
'F I should hear the cafl to die,
Don't you think I'd ever fly
'Way from Colorado.
Heaven's awful far away,
An' although it's nice, they say,
I'd just cuddle down and stay
Out in Colorado.

A history of the work and record of churches, hos
pitals and schools would easily fill a large volume. Lead
ville school boys — boys born at that excessive altitude
and educated in its grade and high schools — ^have won
distinction in the courts, in the halls of legislation, in
medicine, in all branches of the mining science, as well
as in literature, and have carried the fame of Leadvifle
to the nethermost limits of the earth. A composite pict
ure of the youth of that period, illustrating and giving
expression to the influence of the altitude, climate and
environment upon character, would be Robert Dull El
der, author, at 23, of "The Sojourner," a breezy West
ern romance, lately from the press of the Harpers. Born
[330]

in 1889, attended Leadville schools until 1904; Law
rencevifle, 1907; Princeton, 1911 ; Columbia Law School,,
1914. During vacations he managed two European
trips. His summers were spent in the mountains of
Colorado, familiarizing himself with every detail of min
ing from actual contact and labor. His fond mother is
justly proud of the fact that he "lived in overafls and
gloried in dirt," and believes that "to his rough-and-
tumble boyhood he owes the deep sympathy and large
humanity peculiar to the West." He already ranks as a
most promising member of the New York and Colorado
bar. Another Leadville youth, Fred Freauff, installed the
largest electric plant in the world at the Union Depot,
St. Louis ; while still another, Claude Boettcher, has dis
tinguished himself and honored his birthplace in the
building up of the great beet sugar industry in Colorado.
And there are others.

A few miles below Leadville is Lord's ranch, ten
anted by a German family. On the roof of their house
was a sign bearing the legend:
"Hay, Feed, Keep Folks."
It was an ordinary road house, patronized by persons
going to and from the city. There was a dry season in
the early '80s, and Httle feed for man or beast. Hence
the German made it known, in a way quite original, that
he no longer could entertain the traveling public. This
he did by painting the word "no" on his sign, making it
read: "No Hay, Feed, Keep Folks."

[331]

CHAPTER LXII.
With the Collapse of Silver Leadville Again
Turns to its Gold Deposits
Since compiHng this volume friends have suggested
that I should supplement all of it with at least a few par
agraphs concerning a critical, if not a vital, era in the
history of Leadville — that period immediately following
the closing of the India mints to the coinage of silver,
the repeal by the Congress of the United States of the
silver-purchasing clause of the Sherman Act, the rob
bing of silver of its debt-paying function, and the rapid
depreciation of the metal in the markets of the world
from $1.29.29 per ounce, its coinage value, to 50 cents
an ounce, its value as a base metal.
The fact that Leadville could produce $30,000,000 to
$40,000,000 in silver a year had alarmed the bankers of
the world. That enormous production had come from
an area scarcely ten square miles in extent, and it would
have been extremely hazardous for any mining engineer
of repute to predict that the boundaries of the silver-
producing zone was confined within that narrow limit.
Financiers and political economists the world over be
gan to fear that there might be many more places just
like it; and agitation of the subject, in Congress and the
newspapers, had the inevitable result. A movement soon
was set on foot which resulted, in 1893, in the mints of
India closing their doors to silver.
I have shown that LeadviHe, in 1877-78, was trans
ferred from a gold to a silver camp, mainly because rich
silver deposits in those years were accidentally found
[332]

WM. R. OWEN HON. CHAS. E. DICKINSON
Founder of Leadville's First Ex-Mayor of Leadville. Pioneer
Dry Goods Store Lumber Merchant
JOHN HARVEY
Prominent Leadville Mine Owner
and Coal Merchant
HUGH KELLY SAM LEONARD
Leader in Early Leadville Leather Merchant, Pro nai nent in
Mercantile Circles Leadville Business Life

practically on the surface of the earth. When silver fell
in price to fifty cents an ounce all of the low-grade mines
were of necessity closed, and the future of Leadvifle
hung solely upon the successful solution of the problem
as to whether gold could be found in quantities and rich
ness sufficient to compensate for the losses in silver.
Theretofore for a decade gold had been simply
a by-product, the annual yield never exceeding $250,000,
against from $15,000,000 to $18,000,000 in silver values.
The situation was desperate, depending wholly upon
the ability and wiHingness of Leadville people themselves
to put their hands in their pockets and contribute the
funds necessary to demonstrate the claim frequently
made, but never proven, that the source of the gold in
the sands of California Gulch was in the hills surround
ing it. To produce that willingness a community
awakening was necessary.
I called to my aid some of the leading mining engi
neers of the camp — men of national and even inter
national fame as such — Messrs. A. A. Blow, John F.
Campion, Max Boehmer, Tingley S. Wood, Louis S.
Noble, A. V. Bohn, R. E. Taft, and others — all of whom
contributed to my newspapers illuminating monographs
on the subject. It was treated editorially also, and be
came the all-absorbing topic of discussion among the
people. It was the concensus of opinion that a single
experiment, the sinking of a single shaft or the driving
of a single tunnel, would not meet the situation. There
must be a broad, concerted movement to "prove up" what
had been previously designated as "the Leadville Gold
Belt," to show the existence of gold in appreciable quan
tities over a wide area. This called for the expenditure
of a vast sum of money, since the enormous expense of
"unwatering" the territory would first have to be met.
The practical question that confronted the people was
[333]

the raising of the funds necessary to purchase heavy
and costly pumping plants, to begin the work upon a
large and comprehensive scale, to demonstrate the claims
of the mining engineers named, singularly harmonious
in their views.
It is questionable if anything would have resulted
from the agitation but for the efforts of a single person
— Mr. Calvin Henry Morse, then proprietor of the Ven
dome Hotel, and now manager of the Brown Palace
Hotel at Denver. This man — ^young and overflowing
with zeal, albeit surcharged with public spirit — under
took to give practical shape and direction to the move
ment. He compiled and published in pamphlet form the
monograms of the mining engineers that had appeared
in my papers, embellished their theories with comprehen
sive maps, and gave wide publicity to their views and
their convictions. He then inspired the incorporation
of the "Home Mining Company," the shares placed at
$1.00 each, that all classes of the community might con
tribute to the movement so palpably in the interest of all.
He was not long in securing sufficient funds to warrant
the purchase of machinery and the inauguration of ac
tive operations. A shaft upon what was known as the
"Rex" mine, in the center of the "Gold Belt," was chosen
for the initial effort.
In an article under the caption of "Exploitation of a
Theory," Mr. John F. Campion had made these pre
dictions :
"That the Leadville district is the most productive
and extensive mining region yet discovered in the United
States, and probably in the world.
"That the Carbonate Camp's production of gold for
the year 1894 wifl be the second largest — if not the first
— of any mining district in the State.
"That during the year 1895 we may confidently ex-
[334]

pect to exceed the gold production of any other mining
locality in Colorado.
"And finally that in 1896 we are very likely to pro
duce more gold in this locality than all the balance of the
State combined, unless some new districts of more ex
tent and value shall be discovered in the interval."
Mr. Campion's predictions — at the time considered
visionary in the extreme — were more than verified, and
Leadville's gold production steadily rose from $250,000
to $4,000,000 per annum, and has been jmaintained
throughout all the years that since have intervened. Mr.
Morse was indefatigable in his efforts to arouse and sus
tain public confidence in the movement, and doubtless ex
perienced many anxious hours of uncertainty and doubt
while the shaft was being driven down to mineral in the
Rex mine.
In a letter to the author, written in 1913, he says :
"I want to recall one incident to you which, to my
mind, was both amusing and characteristic of a mining
boom. It occurred when the Rex excitement was at its
height, and it seemed but a question of a few days when
Bob O'Neill and Jim Brown would get the Rex shaft
down to the ore indicated by the core from the drill hole.
You will recall probably that we talked over the possi
bility of the shaft being a failure. You had obtained
from McGowan and Max Boehmer articles, illustrated
by drawings, showing how the ore might have been
dragged into a fault, and the diamond drill might have
cut into this fault when it went through the thirty feet
of ore. You wifl recall that it was preparing the public
mind for a possible failure, and to let us all out of having
intentionally created a false boom, in which event we
might have been hanged or run out of town as fakirs."
Neither Mr. Morse nor myself were hanged or run
out of town, although both quitted it forever in 1896,
when the excitement attending the gold discoveries in
[335]

the Ibex and other mines was at its height. A physical
collapse compelled my withdrawal. Greater inducements
in the hotel line caused Mr. Morse to remove to Denver.
I question, however, if his efforts in behalf of Leadvifle,
in inaugurating and sustaining what was known as the
"Gold Belt Era" was appreciated at its full worth. Com
munities are proverbially ungrateful, and it is likely that
the Rex shaft house will be the only monument ever
erected to the memory of Calvin Henry Morse. His
labors in the promotion of the material concerns of
Leadville, however, were not confined to the Gold Belt
Era. During the entire period of his residence there he
worked untiringly for the community uplift, quietly and
modestly yet always effectively, for his rnethods were
ever subtle, analytical, and buttressed with reason, logic
and common sense. His long connection with the hotel
business in Colorado gave him a very extended acquaint
ance with financiers, captains of industry and moving
factors generally throughout the country, and through
his direct influence with that element milHons of capital
were brought there for investment. I had the good for
tune to be closely associated with him for a term of
years, through periods of evil times as well as good, and,
without desiring to make any invidious comparisons, I
am strongly of the conviction that he achieved more for
Leadville than any other person of my acquaintance.
Senator Tabor enjoyed the distinction of being the
"Father of Leadville." Calvin H. Morse, under greater
difficulties and more numerous obstructions, and with
far larger sacrifices of time and money, may with reason
claim the title of "Savior of Leadville." And his most
effective work was done when the people needed a
man of his unyielding determination and sterling worth
to lead them out of the slough of despond into which the
evolution of events had consigned them.
[336]

.rl.i ..

tAilf

W':^>

.1

CASTLE BUILDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS
A NORMAN TEMPLE ABOVE TIMBER LINE
MIDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE IN THE ALTITUDES
FROZEN PALACE IN THE SUNLIGHT
How Massive Walls Were Erected in the Bright Glare ol Day

CHAPTER LXIII.
Crystal Carnival and Ice Palace — A Most Gor
geous Architectural Spectacle
It was not until the eventful winter of 1895 that the
"Cloud City," shaking herself loose from the shackles
of business, and, for a time at least, ignoring the stern
demands which the acquisition of wealth imposed on our
natures, resolved that she would hold high feast and car
nival, and invite the world to the festal board. But the
Royal City of the Hills, the fountain head of the gold
and silver stream, must prepare a feast worthy of her
proud past; Nothing stereotyped, nothing that was con
ventional, naught that savored of the commonplace, was
to be tolerated. In whatever manner Leadville would
receive her guests, the idea underlying their entertain
ment must be unique, original and impressive.
From the inner consciousness of the "Cloud City's"
life budded and blossomed the idea of the "Crystal Car
nival" and the "Ice Palace."
The "Ice Palace" idea gradually grew and took shape
and form. In mass meeting assembled the citizens re
solved that the "Carnival" must be on such a scale of
magnificence as would attract international attention.
With the energy which characterized her people, all
financial needs were quickly provided, and the commu
nity cast about for a man who would best embody in his
own personality her true spirit. The man on whom the
choice instinctively rested was Hon. Tingley S. Wood,
a pioneer mining operator, who combined in himself the
rugged and hardy virtues of the West with the culture,
the refinement and the artistic feeling of the East.
[337]

Chosen with unanimous approval to the financially
unremunerative position of Director-General of the
"Carnival," he at once began the arduous task imposed.
In bold and striking, but majestic outlines, he sketched
the ground plan for the "Ice Palace" that was to be
Leadville's crowning triumph and achievement. His
magnificent ideas met ready response from the people,
and soon the great undertaking was begun. An army
of workmen was given employment, and in a few weeks
from the period of its inception the graceful walls of the
"Ice Palace" rose toward the sky. The site selected is
on "Capital Hill," a gentle eminence on the western edge
of the city, commanding a magnificent view of the treas
ure-stored hills to the east, and the giant peaks of the
Continental Divide to the west, rising to an altitude of
14,000 feet, while spread below is the busy city, pulsing
with the heart beats of social and commercial activity.
The poet alone can paint the glories of this marvelous
creation of frozen beauty. It was planned on a scale of
magnificence never before attempted. Moscow, Mont
real and St. Paul have had their palaces of ice, but these
were mere dwarfs to the Crystal Castle that so grandly
arose from the summit of "Capital Hill." It was
not merely a noble picture to the eye, all cold, cheerless
and desolate inside. Within the ice walls were interior
frame walls, affording comfortable heated halls. The
"Palace" was the nucleus of the "Carnival." The "Car
nival" was the embodiment of the spirit of the people.
For the first time in eighteen years had they resolved to
bid the world to a snowy festival. Within the giant
castellated walls, covering an area of 300 by 450 feet,
were ball rooms, in which were to be seen the most
beautiful effects that artistic skill and cunning could
produce. Between these beautiful apartments extended
the great expanse of the ice rink, covering 16,000 square
[338]

feet of skating surface, illuminated with the bewildering
splendor of electric lights, where merry skaters glided
over polished surfaces to entrancing strains of inspiring
music. On entering the grand portal of the edifice the
eye rested in pleased wonder at the marvels unfolded.
AH the State contributed of its wealth to the store of
rare curios, as well as of the products of its brain and in
dustry. On every hand were seen unique and imposing
statues of ice and snow, illustrating the typical life of
the western hills, pictured with winter's pigments — the
chief est triumph of our mountain art.
The "Carnival" season comprised a varied and de
lightful round of pleasure. The ball rooms were open
nightly to the people; daily and nightly the great rink
was filled with the merry skaters; elaborate toboggan
slides were the resort of the thousands who desired this
exhilarating sport. There were snow shoe clubs, curling,
hockey, skating, sleighing and coasting clubs, which
made it their constant effort to provide entertainment
for the guests. The "Goddess of Light" was invoked,
and to the latest electric effects, gleaming search-lights,
and the exquisitely wonderful prismatic colors of the
brilliant illumination of the walls of ice, was added the
superb glory of most gorgeous pyrotechnic displays.
And to all this feast, spread by the "City of the
Mountains," Leadville invited the world. To the toiler
of the mines, the man at the throttle, the clerk and the
laborer, the business and professional worker, and to
all who would see the greatest producer of wealth in the
world, in gala attire, Leadville extended her hands of
welcome. It was the "People's Carnival," and the peo
ple were received with the warm and genial cordiality
that characterized Western hospitality. The doors of
the city stood wide open, and Leadville heartily bid all
to come and make merry at her Crystal Carnival.
[339]

On the rock riven ramp of the mountains
With the gleam of a gem of great price.
From the deep frozen heart of the fountains.
Is builded the Palace of Ice.
Of the beams from the Northern Lights, shifting.
Of the diamonds that sparkle on snow,
Of the blue that the cloud films sweep, drifting.
Of the sunset's incarnadine glow;
Of the rubies that bead the wine chalice.
Of the gold-molten rays of the sun.
Of the rainbow — is reared the fair palace.
Damascened with pure silver, frost-spun.
Crystal clear shine its glittering towers.
All effulgent its icicled halls —
Frowning over, the icy keep lowers.
Steel-bright ramparts engirdle the walls.
Brave King Carnival marshals his legions —
With high courage and cunning device.
They march onward through storm-smitten regions.
And beleaguer the Palace of Ice.
Through the hail of barbed frost-arrows stinging.
To the heart of the stronghold they win —
Dancing, shouting, exulting and singing.
Flushed with triumph, the victors throng in,
Down the snow fields toboggans are sweeping
Where the light snow shoes silently go;
Mirth and Music their revels are keeping
As the swift skaters glide to and fro.
Merry, dazzling, the pageant, of pleasure —
And the joy of the hour will suffice.
As the dancers shall trip a gay measure
In the halls of the Palace of Ice.
[340]

For when green-vestured Spring, too long banished.
Shall unfetter the close prisoned streams.
We shall mourn our lost palace then vanished,
To the far, sunset land of our dreams.
When the great "Crystal Carnival" was projected,
there were two views of the scope and extent of the
undertaking which prevailed among the people. One
was that the "Ice Palace" should be in the nature of a
local affair, with no attempt at elaboration or the pro
duction of such grand effects that it would bring the
whole world thither. It was argued that we were an
isolated community, with a rigorous climate, and that
we could not induce the public at large to make the jour
ney to this supposed provincial city, to see an attraction
which might or might not prove successful. But from
the inception of the enterprise the newspapers all over
the country, the Chambers of Commerce, and other pub
lic bodies, approved of the "Leadville Ice Palace" and
"Crystal Carnival." It soon became evident to Lead
ville's most prominent men that the "Crystal Carnival,"
to be successful, should be projected on a scale of grand
eur unequaled in the history of the world. In fact, it
was on the condition that such was to be the extent and
scope of the enterprise that several of the most prom
inent gentlemen of the city, distingnished among whom
was Calvin H. Morse, consented to promote the festival.
"It must be everything or nothing," said they. "Lead
vifle never yet has done anything by halves. The great
est and strongest, the most substantial, mining camp in
the country, cannot advertise to the world a 'Crystal Car
nival' that will be second to other similar entertainments.
This must be unique; this must be majestic and un
rivaled." When the decision to inaugurate the magnificent
[341]

"Carnival" on an elaborate and costly scale was finally
reached. Director General Wood surrounded himself
with a corps of able assistants, who were thoroughly ca
pable of carrying into execution bold and striking plans.
When operations on the great structure were begun
an army of laborers was kept at work; day and night
these genii of the Ice King piled ice-block on ice-block,
and when the date for the opening ceremonies was
reached, the massive structure rested in glittering grand
eur on the summit of "Capital Hill."
No cold figures can give to the general reader any
conception of the magnificent proportions of the vast
"Winter Palace" that Leadville constructed. The "Cloud
City" is contented with nothing but superlatives, and
superlatives must be used in the description of the won
derful frost pile, the superb structure in which were
frozen the rippling brook as it sings through the valleys ;
the roaring torrent as it rushes with mad glee from its
mountain home; or the thunderous cataract that foams
and dashes over crags and cliffs. All the music of Na
ture, frozen from the diapason of silence, stood there on
the western crown of the city, the embodiment of a
mighty force, stilled by the wand in the hand of the
Winter Monarch.
But the structure of frozen architecture was not
builded without a struggle with the ancient enemy of the
Frost King. There were days when Phoebus and his
chariot rode rough shod over the glittering ice walls,
marred its translucent beauty and fretted the outer
edges. But old Jove had decreed that the path of the
chariot through the heavens should be circumscribed;
that but a few hours could he pour his red hot bolts
against the walls that the Frost King's minions had
erected. Phoebus, therefore, struggled in vain. The
shafts did but little harm. The long hours of darkness
[342]

enabled the force of the night to close up the gaps that
the fiery darts had made; so when the inauguration of
the "Palace" was announced it showed not a scar or an
abrasion in the struggle it had waged with the Sun God.
Looking upon this great building from the exterior
impressed the spectator with the fact that it was con
structed with a view to strength and durability, rather
than ornamentation. Its size can be better appreciated
from the statement that it enclosed five acres of ground,
than from the figures of dimensions. It was of the Nor
man castellated style of architecture, usually selected for
buildings constructed of ice, for the heavy shade effects
that are secured and lasting strength of its massive
walls. In the "Ice Palace" the monotony of plain walls
was relieved by beams and projecting buttresses, corbel
ing and paneling. These effects, while in themselves
plain, afforded relief to the eye. Then the buttresses of
hewn ice that extended midway to the panels of the top,
and the indentures and projections produced by towers
and arches, gave added effects. The main towers were
of irregular pattern ; those of the north front were octa
gonal. They were ninety feet high and forty feet in di
ameter, and formed the main feature of ornamentation
of the building. Their imposing height, reaching as they
did above the walls and other towers, made them the
first and most prominent objects to meet the eye as the
"Palace" was approached. They were decorated by tur
rets on the eight corners of the octagon, and with panel-
ings and battlements. The south towers were circular,
sixty feet high and thirty feet in diameter. The corner
towers of the main building were also circular. They
were forty-five feet above the ground, with the measure
ment of the diameter twenty feet.
At the north, south and east sides were entrances
ornamented with huge masonry carved and hewn blocks
[343]

of ice. The portals were colossal and of artistic design.
The great stairways were of a grandeur that would make
them fitting to a structure more enduring than a palace
of ice. At the west side, the center was marked by an
ornamental bay. From the north to the south towers
the distance was 325 feet. To this must be added the
extension to the south, including an archway over Sev
enth street, and the separate building that enclosed a
riding gallery; in all 180 feet, making the total length
of the building 435 feet, or one-twelfth of a mile. The
main building was square, 325 feet from corner tower
to corner tower. The south extension to the main build
ing included an arch over Seventh street, that made a
span of twenty-seven feet, through which the traffic of
this thoroughfare passed. This additional building was
on the same general style as the "Palace" proper. Its
dimensions were sixty by eighty feet, and was used solely
for the accommodation of a "merry-go-round." The
main entrance to the "Palace" was at the north, between
the great octagonal towers. It was of ponderous build,
and decorated in the most ornamental style possible to
the material used in its construction, the translucent ice
giving it wondrous brilliancy in the bright sunlight of
day, or at night when the interior was illuminated by
countless electric lamps. Here "Leadville" stood to
welcome her guests from every quarter. This allegori
cal figure was nineteen feet tall, mounted on a pedestal
twelve feet high, all sculptured and built of ice. The
outstretched right arm and hand pointed to the rich
mineral hills from whence Leadville's wealth is taken,
and over the right arm was carried a scroll represent
ative of the returns of the camp. On it in raised gold
figures was the sum of Leadville's production in the past
of the precious metals.
This description gives the reader a feeble idea of the
[344]

castle of ghttering ice as it stood in all the splendor of
shimmering beauty on the crest of "Capital Hifl," fufl
fronting the matchless hills of the east from which was
drawn the sustenance that gave this structure life.
And when might this wonderful "Palace" be seen
in afl its weird glory ? When indeed ? With each change
of hour some new and dazzling beauty was revealed;
with each shifting of the light of day or night some hid
den charm was brought to view, and evoked fresh emo
tions of joy to the beholder's heart.
He might stand upon the gentle slope of "Capital
Hill," just as the rosy dawn unclasps the curtain of the
night and let the golden rays of the Lord of Day burst on
the sleeping world; and standing there what beauties,
what wonderful effects, were to be seen ! Dim and dull
azure in the early light the frozen ice stood on its lonely
site, chill, frowning and forbidding; cold and bleak as
the eternal poles. The frozen grandeur, while it awed,
yet lent the heart to admiration. But behold the change !
The portals of the east swing slowly ajar. Red beams
of fire shoot from the pearly peaks, and now the frozen
"Palace" on the hill assumes new luster. Colored by the
coming glory of the morn, tower and turret, battlement
and bastion, dim azure hued before, now radiates with
prismatic Hght. With the coming of the dawn the beau
tiful structure seems to rise from the dim sea of the
night. The chill and forbidding walls begin to glow with
the warm tints of the early beams of the morning. The
splendor of the dawn illumines the structure; and as
the blaze of glory bursts from the east, the entire palace
of crystal gleams with the luster of the day. Could
fairer sight be pictured than Leadville's beauteous struc
ture in the early hours of morning!
But when the day was done and the darkness spread
its sable wings, the "Palace" as a structure of sohd ice
[346]

seemed to disappear, and in its place, as though by the
hand of a magician, emerged a weird and spectral struc
ture, that appeared as different from the one which
could be seen by daylight as it is possible for the imagina
tion to conceive. The Lord of Day faded away behind
the western hills. The great "Palace," so dazzhng in
the brightness of the sun, again became chill and cold,
of that glittering steel color which made the structure so
frigid in its general appearance. But the shadows deep
ened, and as dusk elves gathered from here and there,
on battlement and bastion, the forces of science began to
play, and the spectator's eyes were surprised by scintil
lations from diamond points of electricity. From tower
to turret flashed the great white search-lights far and
near across the snowy ranges of the distant hills. The
whole scene soon became radiant with the glow of elec
tricity. On each of the four towers the intense white
light rushed its billows of illumination. The walls them
selves seemed all aglow with radiant orbs. Thousands
of these lights were arranged in the ice walls, and the
effects thus produced were most dazzling and wonderful.
The cold reality of the frozen mass disappeared in the
grand transformation scene that took place when the
sable curtains were drawn and the spirits of electricity
conjured from the darkness the marvelous display.
In addition to the giant statue of Leadvifle, an afle-
gorical figure which points to the hills of silver and gold
as the source of all o'ur wealth, all through the vast area
of the building there were arranged a number of unique
statutes in snow and ice, the wonderful native material
from which, with the skilled hand of the sculptor, were
produced rare and beautiful effects, which excited more
interest than the finest production of colder marble.
The statuary subjects were drawn from the home life
of our people. First given was the "Prospector," that
[346]

gnarled and grizzled pioneer, whose life is spent amid
the hifls in pursuit of the precious mineral. By his side,
life size, and as natural, walked the patient Burro, loaded
down with the old prospector's camping kit. The effect
produced by common snow covered with water and
frozen to give it the proper polish, was striking. Then,
there was to be seen the sturdy Miner, with upraised
hammer, driving the drill into the solid rock. Once more
he was seen, hat in hand, the other upraised, and holding
the precious ore. Silently it told the story, "Struck it
Rich." Again the Miner was seen, this time with ham
mer uplifted, and ready to descend on the drill which his
partner held, kneeling down. An elaborate work of art
was shown in the statue of the miners at work with the
windlass, a most realistic snow picture.
"Sold a Mine" was the title of the last of this series.
With high silk hat on back of head, toothpick in mouth,
hands in pocket, the figure told in the plainest language
that he had unloaded a barrel of stock on a rising market,
or else sold his mine to a syndicate and was preparing
to go abroad. Other statues, illustrating phases of Lead
ville life, were also enshrined in snow and ice. The sub
jects were chosen with artistic skill, and formed most
unique features of the novel carnival.
Proceeding up the grand stairway, and passing
through the foyer, what may be called the nave of the
building was entered. This properly was the skating
rink, and contained an ice surface that was 190 feet in
length from north to south, and 80 feet in width. It was
the center of the building; around it, passing a prom
enade, and on either side, were the dancing halls. It
was covered by a great truss roofing, containing eight
cantilever trusses. The decorations of this immense hall
were as unique as effective. The roof was studded with
stalactites of ice, myriads upon myriads of them hanging
[347]

from the great trusses and the rafters and rods, and
every inch of timbering and iron was covered with an
ice frosting that gave the whole roof the ghstening of a
large bed of diamonds. This room was entirely of ice.
It extended from the north to the south walls of the main
building, and was inclosed on the sides with an arcaded
wafl of pillars and arches, the pillars set fifteen feet
apart. These piflars or columns of ice were one of the
most novel and attractive features of the "Palace." They
were octagonal, five feet in diameter, and so built that
incandescent electric lamps were placed in the center,
the light radiating from them in all directions. This
effect in lighting was also produced from the ends, where
lamps were imbedded in the walls asnd over the arches,
that were made resplendent by the incandescents shining
through the thin slabs of transparent ice with which they
were veneered. The latter lamps were placed fourteen
feet above the floor, and gave the walls an appearance as
though all aglow with light. There were also arc lights
suspended from the trusses of the roof, and at each cor
ner was placed an electric search-light, the rays of all,
vari-colored, being made to meet in the center of the
room. The lights were shif table, and could be made to
shine into any nook or corner. When turned upon the
frosted and icicled roof, an effect grand beyond descrip
tion was produced. This great room, a cave of ice as it
really was, with its myriads of lamps, its illuminated pil
lars and walls, its tinseled roof, statuary sculptured in
ice, colonades and arched recesses, formed a picture that
was a dream of beauty. The most elaborate extrava
ganza was never more brilliant than the "Skating Rink"
of "Leadvifle's Ice Palace."
To the east, or left, as you entered from Eighth
street, was the grand ball room, 50 x 80, and to the right
of the rink, an auxiliary ball room and dining hall of like
[348]

dimensions. These were houses built within the palace.
In this it differed from all others. At St. Paul, Quebec,
Montreal and Moscow, there have never been attempts
at amusements other than skating. Invariably they were
cold and cheerless, built only for the effects of the outer
walls. Here the "Palace" was a place of amusement in
the strictest sense, a place where people might come for
an hour or a day, find entertainment and be comfortable.
Each had parlor and dressing rooms, kept at a comfort
able temperature. There were convenient lounging
rooms. The walls were of glass, exposing the skaters to
view. The walls were finished in terra cotta and blue,
and orange and blue ; the warmer colors at the base gave
a cheerful glow, the frieze decorations being lighter.
There also was a dining room, restaurant and kitchen,
the wares of concessionaires being arranged along the
walls. Maids were on hand to attend the ladies.
The Fort Dodge Cow Boy Band provided the music
for skaters and dancers.
There were three grand pyrotechnic displays during
the season on a scale of magnificence beyond anything
seen before in the West.
The toboggan slide furnished the most exhilarating
and fascinating sport of the winter carnival. While
independent of the association and its management, yet
it was a very important part of the "Carnival" itself. It
had been built on a magnificent scale, being 2,100 feet
long. There were two separate slides or toboggans.
One, starting at Harrison avenue, and twelve hundred
feet long, ran on the right side of Seventh street to
Spruce. This was met by one from the "Palace," and
for a block between Spruce and Pine the slides ran one
on each side of the street. The "Palace" slide was 900
feet long, with a grade pitch of about sixty feet. The
station from which the slide started was nineteen feet
[349]

above the ground, the toboggans continuing down the
Seventh street hill to the east.
The Avenue slide started from a station twenty-six
feet above the ground, and, including the grade of the
hill to the west, had a pitch of sixty-four feet to Spruce
street. Each slide contained two parallel shoots that al
lowed toboggans with from four to eight passengers
to pass down every half minute.
The station houses, as well as being starting places
for the toboggans, were fitted with comfortable waiting
rooms, furnished with seats, and kept at a pleasant tem
perature by stoves. The Avenue station was also fitted
with a lunch counter. Each house was twenty by twen
ty-four feet in size, well built and ornamented. The sta
tions were at the tops of the houses, reached by broad
and easy stairways on the outside.
The Leadville Carnival Snowshoe Club took part in
all the carnival parades, and acted as a committee of en
tertainment for the "Carnival Association." The mem
bers of the Club were at the depot on the arrival of trains
to meet visitors, and put forth their best efforts to fur
nish amusements for all who attended the "Carnival."
The Club made tramps to all the points of interest in
the surrounding country, visiting Twin Lakes two or
three times during the season, but this was the limit, as
there were many novices in the Club, and a longer dis
tance would have been a task, even for experts to make.
Moonlight evenings were the favorite time for snow-
shoeing, and many long tramps took place during the
cold, clear and nipping nights.
Next to the Snowshoe Club the Military Hockey Club
was the best organized. It had a large membership, com
posed of the best skaters of the city.
Within the "Ice Palace" a large area set apart for
[350]

exhibits was occupied by the handsome displays fur
nished by artists, manufacturers and merchants, and by
the railroads and the hotels. The "Midway Plaisance,"
painted on 30,000 square feet of canvas, adorned a por
tion of the interior walls. This and the various other
beautiful exhibits, such as a working model of a loco
motive, rare flowers and choice fruits, encased in solid
blocks of ice, did not fail to attract those who attended
the "Carnival," and cafled forth the highest encomiums
for those who had been so zealous and tireless in build
ing and appropriately fitting the magnificent structure.

[351]

CHAPTER LXIV.
Heart-Rending Cablegrams that Sent the Author
upon a Very Sad Mission
The greatest shock I ever sustained came, like a bolt
from the blue, on September 6, 1891, in the form of a
cablegram from Quimperle, Finistere, France, announc
ing that "Edith has cerebro spinal meningitis," quickly
followed by another, the same day : "Edith in heaven."
Edith was a child of the mountains, born at an alti
tude two miles above the sea — ^hair of a fine spun golden
lustre, eyes of azure blue, sunny disposition — just ap
proaching her fourth birthday. With mother and elder
sister, she was spending the summer season on the rug
ged coast of Brittany, some four hundred miles north
west of Paris, favorite sketching ground for the ambi
tious students of the Parisian art schools.
Bretons, descendants of the Druids of the Middle
Ages, worshippers of and in the woods — are mainly a
fisher folk, a simple, unlettered people of rough and un
couth exterior, yet with lofty ideals, none more cher
ished than reverence for childhood. The Breton man,
however humble and lacking in culture, yet religiously
observes the ancient custom of uncovering upon the ap
proach of a child. And it is a tradition among them that
no contention so earnest, no quarrel so bitter, no combat
so sanguinary, that hate is not dispelled and peace re
stored, by the intercession of a child. Its appearance
upon the scene is the signal for instant cessation of hos
tilities, conciliation usurping its place.
It was not strange, therefore, that Edith should be-
[362]

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come a favorite among the simple Breton peasants. Her
shoes were of leather, a novelty to the universal wearers
of sabots, while dress no less than mannerisms appealed
to them as quite bordering upon the marvelous. Among
the elders she soon came to be known as "the Little
White Americaine," and, since she readily acquired the
native patois and was able to converse with them in their
mother tongue, Edith quickly became a goddess in their
wondering eyes.
Stricken with a fatal disease, the germs of which
doubtless were sown in the excessive altitude of Lead
ville, she lay ill for many weeks in an upper chamber of
a public inn overlooking the sea-swept Breton shore.
Information later came to me that during that anxious
period, far into the night and into every night, guests
of the house could with difficulty ascend the stairs so
crowded were they with kneeling women, crossing them
selves and telling their beads as earnest, soulful invoca
tions went up to all of the Saints in behalf of the little
sufferer. And later, when the spirit had taken its flight,
and the frail little body was prepared for the long jour
ney to Paris, the diminutive coffin was entirely hidden by
the flowers gathered by them from the neighboring hill
sides. Because of the congestion of bodies in Parisian cem
eteries, they are periodically exhumed and removed to
the Catacombs beneath the city, fee simple title to burial
plots not being obtainable. So repulsive to me, as it
would be to any American, was the idea of consigning
the remains of a loved one to a leased lot, I directed that
it be sepultured in the vault of the American Episcopal
Church until other disposition could be provided. Idol
of my heart, the Httle sunbeam had, at the Denver depot,
bid me "Good-bye, Papa — Have a nice time!" and no
more in life had I seen her. Indeed, when the cable-
[363]

grams were sent me the child had been dead for days!
In the early spring days of 1892 I determined to go
to Paris and superintend the interment of the child's re
mains in the Cemetery of LePecq, at St. Germain, a
suburb of Paris, where title to lots in perpetuity are
procurable and where many Americans have found a
last resting place.
The transfer was made with that regard for cer
emony so characteristic of the French. The official
permit for 'the removal was indeed a surprisingly for
midable parchment, decorated with white ribbons and
red seals. The Mayor of the little village, as well as the
Town Recorder, and a uniformed gendarme with rifle
and fixed bayonet, were in attendance, lending much
pomp to what in America would have been a very com
monplace episode.
On a gentle grassy slope of the Seine, overlooking
Paris and the beautiful vafley between, the child rests in
historic ground, under the very windows of the Chateau
of Henry of Navarre and the grim walls of Fort Valer
ian, the spires of Notre Dame and of St. Denis, tomb
of the ancient Kings of France, with the Palace and
Garden of Versailles, with yet fresh memories of Marie
Antoinette and other Empresses of France just below.
Surrounded by a lofty stone wall, and guarded by an
ever watchful Sexton, whose father and father's father
and still other ancestors back into the Dark Ages, kept
the same vigil to watch over it, I came away from the
hallowed spot, the only mourner, with feelings wholly
unmixed with doubt or apprehension, really rejoiced that
the "Little White Americaine" had found a secure rest
ing place, far removed from the din of a great city, far
removed from the perils of a wicked world.
The annexed tribute is by Callie Bonney Marble, of
Philadelphia : [364]

O, beauteous little life! Hke opening bud,
Sweet promise of the perfect flower to be;
We cannot cafl thee "dead" or even "lost,"
Since thro' the pearl-bound gates we follow thee.
Somewhere the baby lives, as truly yours
As when beside you trod the baby feet;
Somewhere, with all the baby charm of earth.
She lives, the bud immortal blossom sweet.
And tho' your heart in anguish questions "Why ?"
And only see the tiny mound of earth ;
She is not there, for when the spirit fled.
In a fairer world beyond a soul had birth.
Edith her name, your own, your loved always;
The two worlds touch, and Heaven is not far.
Since baby feet have crossed the border land.
And baby hands left golden Gates Ajar.

The greatest value of a journey abroad is embraced
in its effect in removing impressions, in changing con
victions, in breaking down prejudices, in broadening the
vision, in giving one a keener perception, and a more
comprehensive appreciation of the law of proportions. A
man who can take a trip to Europe and not return a big
ger and a better American, more fully equipped for the
higher and nobler duties of citizenship, had best not re
turn at afl. Too many wholly miss the great lessons to
be learned. Too many get an entirely erroneous im
pression of what he sees and learns. Too many follow
the beaten paths, seeing only what thousands before him
have seen, coming back with no better knowledge than
he had before, if so good, knowing scarcely more than
he could have gleaned from "Baedecker" without going
at afl, or with previous ideas confused and befuddled and
out of plumb.
[355]

In my brief journey and beshortened sojourn here
and there I endeavored to escape the too common mis
takes of others. I avoided the high-priced hostelries; I
rode on the tops of omnibuses, when forced to ride at
all ; bought third-class tickets on the railways, and gave
tips only when a real service had been rendered. I put
up at "pensions," where one can get the worth of his
money, and bought no "antiques" made in the garrets or
back rooms of the vendors. And the whole expense of
my trip was less than it would have cost me to remain
and live in accustomed style at home.
I obtained at least car-window views of England,
Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France, visiting the capi
tals of each, and seeing about all that was worth while
in London, Edinborough, Glasgow, Dubhn, Belfast, Lon
donderry, Manchester, Leicester, Holyhead, Dover, Ca
lais, Havre, Windsor, and afl the charming environs of
Paris — St. Cloud, Fountainbleau, Versaifles, St. Denis,
San Germain-en-Laye, Meudon and Robinson.
I wandered through the catacombs of Paris, where
the bones of six million persons are stacked up like cord
wood, and traversed the sewers, over the identical route
taken by "Jean Valjean."
I viewed the pictures in the Louvre and the Luxem
bourg, in the great galleries of the palace at Versailles,
in the Chateau of Henry of Navarre, in the old salon and
the new — until every picture I saw looked just like every
other picture. I saw the painters decorating the ceilings
of the Hotel de Ville, the same painters who had been
working upon the same pictures for twenty years.
I saw the races at Longchamps and the Battle of
Flowers that followed, a battle in which seven thousand
vehicles, filled with the wealth and beauty of Paris, threw
bouquets at each other, until the ground was carpeted
inches deep with beautiful blooms.
[356]

I saw, day after day, the endless procession of costly
equipages moving back and forth in the Rue de Rivoli
and on the Champs Elysees, between the "Little" and
the "Big" arc — the Arche de Triomphe, erected to com
memorate the battles of Napoleon, in the Place d'Etoile,
and the smaller monument telling the history of Gari
baldi's triumphs.
I visited the spots in the Place de la Concorde where
seven thousand French men and French women gave
their heads to the guillotine, that Liberty might survive.
I looked through narrow bars in the basement of the
Cathedral at St. Denis, upon the very coffins of once
great rulers, and I for a moment entered the narrow
cell in which the hapless Marie Antoinette was confined,
before her brutal beheading, in the Palais de Justice.
I visited the Hotel de Cluny and other storehouses of
antique relics, wandered about the gloomy cloisters of
the church of Notre Dame, shuddered at the spectacle
daily disclosed in the Morgue, and pondered the grue
some history of the Bastile, at the spot where once it
stood. I was amazed at the storied wonders of the Biblio-
theque Nationale, speculated upon the architectural mar
vels of the Grand Opera House, stood amazed at the
stupendous proportions of the Eifel Tower, the graceful
lines of the Trocadero ; drove dreamily through the Bois
de Boulogne and the great forests of St. Cloud, St. Ger
main and Fountainbleau ; lounged in the beautiful Pare
Monceau, and watched the nimble-fingered lace makers
at work in the park made for them by Napoleon at Mont-
marte. I spent many happy afternoons steaming up and
down the Seine in the fast-flying "cat" boats, or in circ
ling the wondrous city in comfortable cars of the Grand
Centure railway.
[367]

I visited the National printery, and found my fellows
doing the work for the republic on presses that were in
vogue in Ben Franklin's day.
I spent an afternoon at the Musee des Archives,
filled with wonderful documents, telling the history of
the ages — the Edict of Nantes and its Revocation, the
detailed history of the trials of the great and the near
great during the French Revolutionary period, before
and since.
I saw the exquisite plastic productions of the
National Pottery Works at Sevres, the marvelous crea
tions of the tapestry plant of the Goeblins, the scarcely
less wonderful works of God and man at the Jardin
d'Acclimatacion. I got a glimpse of French peasant life, a hint of how
the nobility live, saw how the poor eke out a wretched
existence upon what the American workman would
waste or throw away.
I was allowed, for there were no guards to deny
admittance, to step into ataliers, and see women and
men pose for "The Altogether," without hint of mod
esty or suggestion of shame.
I was everywhere treated with the greatest respect —
everywhere save at the ministry of my own country, the
place of places where I had a right to expect the greatest
consideration. There I was compelled to go on business,
and was told, before fairly seated, it was the Minister's
"busy day" — and I bore a letter from James G. Blaine,
Secretary of State ! The incident made me blush for my
country — more, it made me mad.
I attended a funeral at the Madelaine, and one of
those curious weddings at the Maire's — a wedding of
eight couples, belonging to the working classes, brides
and grooms in clothes they could not afford to own, and
hired for the day.
[368]

I visited several of the Julian schools, where an aver
age of seven thousand American girls and young men
think they are learning to be artists.
I talked with mechanics and working men of all
grades, and learned how happy and contented they can
be on something less than nothing a day.
I saw women hitched to truck wagons, hauling to
markets, in the early morning dawn, loads with which
in America we scarcely would burden a horse.
I dropped in at the Bourse and witnessed scenes of
frenzy that are duplicated every day on the New York
Stock Exchange.
I was permitted to visit the National Assembly and
the Senate, and observe the politeness and gentility with
which French Statesmen call each other thieves and
liars. I vie^yed with admiration the French arrangements
for handling passengers and freight — the devices every
where adopted for preventing accidents, the convenience
and safety with which milHons are welcomed and dis
patched without opportunity for getting maimed or
killed. I noted how easy it was to get about without street
cars, where the omnibus system is so admirable — always
a seat for every fare, never a strap-hanger.
I marveled at the comparative cheapness of food
products at the great markets, although everything is
subject to octroi dues at the barriers.
I observed, with satisfaction, that all children were
conveyed to schools in vehicles or were chaperoned by
teachers or nurses.
I noticed that newsboys were either men or women,
and that they were not permitted to split the air with
their raucous jargon.
I saw the dignity with which a gendarme arrested a
[369]

petty offender, simply tapping him on the shoulder, sa
luting gracefully with his sword, returning it to its scab
bard, and going about his business, the person appre
hended reporting unattended to the nearest station !
It was inspiring to see the lawyers don cap and gown,
at once upon entering the Palais de Justice, thus indicat
ing their respect for law.
Five minutes after my introduction to the Manager
of the Anglo-American Bank he handed me, unsolicited
of course, a cheque for a year's subscription to my news
paper — so polite and affable those French bankers — and
it was the first time any one had ever paid a year's sub
scription in advance. I do not apprehend he ever after
looked at my newspaper.
And the telegraph department of the Postoffice, be
cause it had delayed a few hours the delivery of a
telegram, returned to me the full cost of sending it from
London. I had many pleasant experiences in Paris, saw many
interesting things, learned many valuable things, and
brought away from it a storehouse of memories — mem
ories that will endure.
Then I went up to London. Having gone down by
way of Dover and Calais, I returned by way of Dieppe
and Newhaven, always figuring upon getting the most
of everything for my money. Both crossings of the
Channel are delightful. One can get as "dippy" going
by one as the other, for the English Channel, when it
so desires, can beat the Atlantic to a frazzle, when it
comes to stirring up things.
What one may see in the Metropolis of the World,
within a limited period of time, depends largely upon
how he tries to see it and who shows it to him. It was
my good fortune to have for guide a young man to the
manor born, brought up and educated there. This per-
[3S0]

son, Mr. William Rose, Jr., was the son of a man who,
for forty years, had been Superintendent of Parcels of
the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, a position
corresponding with General Freight Agent of an Amer
ican railway. His parents lived at Brixton Hill, a sub
urb on the Surrey Side, but my young acquaintance was
a commercial traveler, representing a Manchester cotton
house. With genuine English hospitality, he dropped
his work for the time being, and devoted three weeks
to showing me about the city.
Aside from the glimpse I got of English home life,
which this brief association gave me, I doubtless saw
more of London in three weeks than, in other circum
stances, I might have seen in as many months, if not
years. Most of it I saw from the roofs of those great
omnibusses that radiate from "the Bank" and penetrate
every nook and corner of the great metropolis — an un
surpassed and unsurpassable vantage point.
More facile pens than mine have utterly failed to
paint a picture of London that can be understood and
appreciated. Most of the things one sees are not visible.
They consist of memories. With wonderful creations of
art at every turn in the road, one is impressed at once
with the lack of art in the English mind and in the Eng
lish hand. There is everywhere lacking the necessary
perspective. Take, for instance, the entrance gate to
Euston Station. One stumbles onto before seeing it,
and all around and about it are so many common, if not
repulsive, objects, that one utterly fails to grasp the
beauty of its lines, the perfection of its design, the com
pleteness of its finish. It is a beautiful thing, in the
wrong place. Only those see it at afl who have occasion
to travel by the Northwestern railway, and then one is
so concerned about securing a seat in the compartment
sure to contain one more than it will hold, and to get his
[Ml]

"luggage" put into the right van, that he fails to recog
nize it worth while to miss his train altogether than to
lose sight forever of that work of art, surrounded on all
sides, and almost hidden from view, by cheap hotels,
freight warehouses and sights distinctly commercial.
This is but a sample. The Parisians would have torn
away a dozen streets, if necessary, to show that archway.
So it is all over the big town. That greatest of afl
financial institutions, the Bank of England, from with
out, is a distinct disappointment to every visitor. Ap
parently a rambling one-story structure of no apparent
great dimensions, dark and murky and gloomy — yet cov
ering the most valuable plot of ground, probably, in the
world. In New York it long ago would have given place
to a forty-story modern sky-scraper — but there it stands,
just as it stood a hundred years ago, monument to the
traditions of the English.
Then, down there on Fenchurch Street, I was taken
to a former palace, to see where Henry VIII — "Bluff
Hal" — used to warm his shins. What did I see? Over
the mantel, beneath which he sat, a big, bold sign : "Roast
Beef." Now, whatever effect that might have upon the
gastric nerves, wouldn't it be likely to knock every par
ticle of sentiment out of your composition?
My chaperon told me that just below my window,
across the street from my hotel, was Old Bailey Prison,
with its thousand memories, and that right down there
Charles I. had his head chopped off.
Of course, I visited the National Gallery, and saw
Gainsboroughs and Joshua Reynolds — I saw them tifl
two o'clock — looked at them until really I should not
have been able to distinguish a Gainsborough from an
auction sign or a moving-picture show announcement.
Nelson's monument stands out boldly enough in Tra
falgar Square, and extends way up above the fog line,
[362]

but it is about the only great work of art in London that
the British have given room enough to show it in.
There are a number of interesting things to see in
the Crystal Palace, objects that have been there since
1856, and which the English wouldn't move a foot from
where they were originally placed under any combination
of circumstances — "twouldn't do, dontcher know ?"
You are reminded of Prince Albert by a handsome
figure along the roadside down Hyde Park way, but you
are so concerned in seeing royalty and Americans
driving about Rotten Row that you hardly stop to look
at it. There you are again — with a hundred interesting
historical objects being pointed out to you at once. You
scarcely see any of them. Talk about your moving-
picture shows! There is one for you, at the main en
trance to Hyde Park. All the world moving before you
at one and the same time, and the most conspicuous thing
in sight is somebody's valet, or a gorgeously caparisoned
beadle. Had I spent two months, instead of two hours, in the
Tower of London, I might have come away with an
inkling of its contents. Two hours isn't a period of suf
ficient length to grasp the whole history of England and
it is nearly all there.
One can only tarry a moment in the cell where Sir
Walter Raleigh was confined, and view the axe with
which he was beheaded, as well as Queen Anne Boleyn,
Lady Jane Grey, Lord Lovat, Lord Kilmanock, and
heaven only knows how many other troublesome persons,
for one is reminded there are other things to see — the
Armory of Queen Elizabeth, with the dented block upon
which queens, rebels and courtiers, met their fate; the
Bloody Tower wherein two princes were caused to be
smothered by Richard ; the Devereux Tower, where Es-
[363]

sex was confined, and the Duke of Clarence was drowned
in a butt of malmsy wine; the White Tower and the
Beauchamp Tower, each with its bloody history.
Less gruesome, more cheerful and inspiring, the con
tents of the Regalia room, with its diamond-bedecked
crowns, its ancient arms, rods, scepters, spurs, bracelets,
gems worth millions, oh so many millions in pounds ster
ling, which one would think should be put to some prac
tical use — to feeding the poor of London, if nothing
better could be thought of.
It is a great privilege to view the wonders of the
Tower of London. It is a great pleasure to escape from
its darksome precincts, step across the moat, and out into
God's glorious sunshine !
Now the interior of the Bank of England — that is
worth while, especially if you are properly credentialed,
as I was. I had a letter from J. J. Hagerman to Gov
ernor Lidderdale. Mr. Hagerman was the American
business partner of the Governor, and by the time I
reached him he wasn't the Governor at all.
"You probably know," he said, "that the rules pro
hibit the re-election of a Governor. Well, precisely 365
days ago — we were just recovering from the Baring
Bros, failure. The Board said it would like to have me
hold on for a time until my successor should pick up the
threads. Supposing that meant for a few weeks at most,
I consented, and so I have served a second year with
out being elected. That's the way we English get over
traditions. I've just turned the Bank over to my suc
cessor, and in an hour I'm off for the continent. Here
is a list of the heads of departments. The Beadle wifl
hand you from one to another, and thus you will see as
much of the Bank as you wish."
The Governor was as plain a gentleman as one could
wish to see. His clothes were not as good as my own.
[364]

But the Beadle! Wefl, I've never seen anything
quite so magnificent in my life. You would think he
owned the bank, and yet, I don't suppose his salary ex
ceeded two pounds six ! But he treated me with the dis
tinction of an Ambassador.
I saw where four hundred soldiers were housed in
the basement, mounting guard as in actual warfare,
waiting for attacks on the bank's gilded horde, that never
are made.
I saw the great scales, so large they are manipulated
by steam power, and yet so delicate as to have their bal
ance effected by a single hair, or by a ray of sunlight.
How appropriately these balances are called the "Lord
High Chief Justice."
Then there was placed in my hand a single bank note
drawn for a million pounds sterling — five millions of
dollars — and the largest single cheque ever drawn on
the bank.
Next I was shown a fifty pound note that for an en
tire century had lain in a sunken vessel at the bottom of
the ocean.
Lest this might not satisfy my curiosity, I was per
mitted to see a ten pound note that had been used to
patch a broken pane of glass in a hovel in Whitechapel.
Obviously the party using it for so profane a purpose
had never seen a Bank of England note, and didn't know
what it was.
The bank's print shop interested me very much. It
was a larger plant than my own, and yet all of the presses
were always in motion, turning out stationery for the
institution. Most interesting single object to me was the bank's
autograph albums. The custom of preserving the signa
tures of distinguished visitors has been maintained since
the bank was organized, nearly two hundred years ago.
[366]

These books, now numbering hundreds, contain the
names of emperors, kings, queens, princes and potentates
of every tongue and from every clime, and constitute
a most interesting study. The pages are about eighteen
inches square ; in the center of each is pasted a genuine
Bank of England note — genuine in every respect other
than that the name of the Governor is omitted. The Hne
where his signature should appear is left blank for that
of the visitor, so that each signs as "Governor of the
Bank of England." It is a pleasing privilege to many
to so sign, though it looks a trifle odd to see on some of
the pages — "Benjamin FrankHn, Governor of the Bank
of England," or "Sam Newhouse, Governor of the Bank
of England," as the case may be.
Any one may visit Parliament House, Westminster
Abbey, or any one of a hundred places immortalized by
Dickens ; but it is a rare privilege to get inside the Bank
of England, and see all of its interior workings. "I
have lived in London fifty years," said the elder Rose to
me, "but I should hardly know how to get into the Bank
of England." It happened to be quarterly interest day, and thou
sands were there collecting interest upon their consols.
A separate individual account is kept with every holder
of a government bond, a system involving a vast amount
of detailed labor ; but that is the way it always has been
done, and so it must be done to the end of time. It is
British to adhere to ways ancient.
It has only been my purpose to write a few things
seen in other lands, things just sufficiently out of the
ordinary to warrant recounting here.
I had spent a week in "Edinboro town" and a few
days in Glasgow, and I was able to take a glimpse of
"Ould Ireland" on my way home.
London to Hollyhead, by the Northwestern railway,
[366]

is the longest journey one may take in England, about
fourteen hours.
I could not resist the temptation to stay over one day
at Chester, on the borders of Wales, and run down to
Hawarden Castle, Gladstone's country place, but a few
miles distant. I wanted to see for myself if there were
any trees left standing upon it, and was convinced. All
tourists do not honor Chester with a call, more's the
pity, for, besides the ancient Cathedral, there are many
interesting reminders of Caesar's time observable,
among other things a bridge built by the Romans before
the Christian era, as safe and dependable today as when
built. Such things speak well for the honesty of the
early-day contractors. Signs indicating that this or
that establishment was inaugurated five hundred or
eight hundred years ago are not uncommon in the streets
of Chester, and what remains of the ancient wall encom
passing "the city that never surrendered" is in a fair
state of preservation.
The run down the coast to the Isle of Anglessy,
towering mountains on one side, a placid sea on the
other, is an indescribable delight.
And at Hollyhead you may, as did I, have pleasing
contact with a typical Welchman. It was a mile or more
from the Mole to the village; my trunk-strap needed
repair, and a native executed the commission. "What
is the charge?" I said, prepared for a hold-up of two
shiflings at least.
"I paid a tuppence for mending the strap," he said,
"and I would like a penny for my service!"
Think of it! a penny, two cents, for a two-mile
tramp, when I willingly would have given fifty cents,
nor much demurred at twice the sum.
That was in Wales, dear reader, not in the States !
Unless one wishes to see all of the breweries and dis-
[367]

tifleries, a day is sufficient for Dubhn, and yet all the
years that since have passed have not sufficed to extin
guish the memory of the stench that rises from the Liffey
when the tide is out! Dublin, is, or was, inexpressibly
filthy. It is, or was, insufferably nasty. Its streets were
unspeakably dirty.
A visit to Dublin Castle was interesting.
A ride through Phoenix Park was a delight.
I may have thought it a joke to walk over the grave
of Dean Swift.
I am sure I never saw a sweeter colleen than the one
who at the hotel waited till midnight to "turn down your
bed, Sir," an ancient and very beautiful custom.
But I felt an inexpressible relief when I had prop
erly "done Dubhn," and my face was turned to the
northeast coast. There I went for a day, to see a con
vention of ten thousand Irishmen, at Belfast, protesting
against home rule, and declaring their determination to
take up arms against an Irish parliament at Dublin. It
was a revelation to me — a day well spent.
Then I was off for Londonderry, where a tug was
waiting to take passengers down the river and to the
ocean, where lay the "City of Rome," one day out from
Glasgow, steam up, ready for the joyous passage home.
Did not I say the greatest joy of a trip to Europe is
the home coming ? I say it now ! I swear it !
I am loathe to close this chapter without reference to
a spectacle witnessed at sea, the sublimity and grandeur
of which impressed me as nothing in nature had before
or since, not excepting the most expansive view of the
Grand Canon of the Colorado. Our vessel had made an
unprecedented run from the last light at Tory Island,
off the North Irish coast, and the passengers were felici
tating themselves upon the probability of reaching New
York ahead of schedule time. But the erratic nature of
[368]

the sea and air on the Grand Banks had not been ad
equately discounted. When in north latitude 45.12, west
longitude 54.55, we found ourselves involved in a fog
of extraordinary blackness and immeasurable density.
It hung over the noble vessel like a pall, stubbornly
blocked its pathway, pursued it like a Nemesis, and
forced its intangible presence into every open port and
unprotected hatch. For quite twenty-four hours we
were thus imprisoned between four black walls that came
out of the infinite deep, and were lost in infinite space
above. Meanwhile, the ship's log made a most discour
aging exhibit of distance traversed, scarcely more than
half the previous day's record.
All night long the fog horn sounded its weird warn
ing to possible passing vessels. Only for a moment at a
time would the Captain surrender his place on the bridge
to under officer, so heavy did the responsibility for the
ship's safety rest upon him. One man's eyes were as
good as another's in such an atmosphere, it might be sup
posed, and yet the master seemed unwifling to trust any
but his own to detect approaching lights, were any craft
so unfortunate as to be caught in the embrace of the
insinuating and unyielding enemy of navigation.
But a greater danger menaced, nor was it necessary
to name it in terms. The earnest faces of the chief of
ficers, on duty or off, told the story to experienced trav
elers who asked no questions. Those who were making
their first journey across the great deep were all as bliss
fully ignorant of what was transpiring or what possibly
might happen as were the passengers of the Titanic be
fore the fated vessel struck, in about the same locality,
twenty years later. They had not been able to interpret
the language of the little lanterns run up on the mast of
an outgoing steamer, passed the night before, nor could
they analyze the significance of the steadily falling tem-
[369]

perature of the sea through which the vessel was slowly
plowing. In the sea-worthiness of the craft itself, and
in the skill and fidelity of its officers, they had intuitively
come to confide, for the latter were sturdy Scots, whose
magnificent physique and lofty bearing admitted of no
doubt, forcing unwilling confidence from the most timid.
Yet the strongest heart was not wholly without misgiv
ings, and the fact that midnight came without material
lessening of the crowds on deck, measured the anxiety
of all classes.
Nothing save the cabin clock indicated the merging
of day into night. Stygian darkness pervaded every
nook and cranny of the vessel. The breaking waves
could not be seen a ship's length ahead of her prow. The
atmosphere had grown perceptibly colder, the water was
becoming frigid. Official anxiety increased as the mer
cury fell, for the season was almost midsummer, and it
intensified as it reached the freezing point.
Thus, with alternating hopes and fears, upon the
part of all aboard, the day gradually wore away. No
single ray of light had in twenty-four hours pierced the
somber pall that hung over the Rome, and through which
passage was reluctantly yielded.
But, glory to God, deliverance came at six in the
evening, in the grandest transformation mortal eye ever
beheld. Without note or flash of warning, and appar
ently in an instant of time, the City of Rome shot out
of the darkness into the gorgeous, dazzling, effulgent
Hght of a matchless sunset.
The fog bank, from which the vessel had so suddenly
emerged, was cut vertically as smooth as a sharp knife
would cut a fresh dairy cheese.
Wonder at this phenomenon did not at once yield to
the natural explanation of it, although it was there,
mountain high, and fearfully near. Only a few miles
[370]

from the lee side of the vessel was seen, majestically
riding the waves, a monster iceberg, variously estimated
from half to three-quarters of a mile in length, half as
wide and a thousand feet high. It had the appearance
of a gigantic castle upon the summit of a lofty hill, its
myriad spires and pinnacles and domes tipped with
golden fire from the sun that had just fallen below its
loftiest crest, and giving to its more massive body below
a softened, lustrous glow, that shifted and changed as
the sun dropped lower on the horizon, and its rays grad
ually penetrated the interior, all the colors of the rain
bow being reflected from its virgin sides and slopes and
ambitious pinnacles stretching upward to the infiinite.
The spectacle was destined soon to fade away, though
I fancy it will live forever in the memory of those who
beheld it. After many years, I have now but to close my
eyes to see it again, as the devout and longing soul of
the Christian believer fancies he sees, in times of trouble
and darkness, the gold-paved streets of the New Jerusa
lem with curbs of jasper and of pearls.
The sun soon dropped below the horizon, the celes
tial fires faded from spires and pinnacles and domes and
buttresses and turrets, and the crystal palace of the gods
was transformed, almost in a breath, into a grim, for
bidding monster, bereft of beauty, yet grand and mag
nificent and awe-inspiring, quite beyond human imagi
nation to conceive or pen to describe.
Had the officers of the Titanic possessed a modicum
of the caution exhibited by the master of the City of
Rome on this occasion, and thought more of the safety
of its passengers than of a record run, the horror of
1912 would never have darkened the pages of history.

[371]

CHAPTER LXV.
The Influence of the Press — Essay in "Political
Portraits," by Fitz Mac
For the purpose of conveying to the public some sage
thoughts that shape the public life of the State, which
uttered alone in the form of essays would not have com
manded wide attention, the late James MacCarthy
("Fitz Mac") pubhshed a volume of "Political Por
traits," in 1888, using the names of twenty-two more or
less prominent citizens of Colorado to represent his sev
eral themes, taking advantage of that interest always
attaching to one man's opinion of another, when that
opinion is candidly expressed, to hold the popular atten
tion. Thus, an article on Judge Moses Hallett constituted
an essay on "Political Ideals and the Dangerous Tend
ency to Individualism," which effects the upper classes
of society; one, on Senator Thos. M. Patterson, an essay
on "The Political Leader;" one on "Haskell, the Social
ist," as well as one on John Hipp, an essay on "The Po
litical Agitator;" one on the late Rev. Myron Reed, an
essay on "The Relations of the Church to Politics;" one
on Carlyle C. Davis, an essay on "The Influence of the
Press ;" and another on Hon. F. C. Gk)udy, an essay on
"The Influence and Value of Politics as a School." And
so on through the list.
The author's essay on "The Influence of the Press"
would seem to have appropriate place in this volume,
and is here presented without further explanation or
apology :
[372]

Nothing added to nothing makes nothing. Nothing
multiplied by nothing produces nothing. This obvious
bit of mathematical philosophy accounts for the fact
that so few newspapers today have any considerable di
rect influence on public life; also for the fact that so
few newspaper men get to the front in politics. It takes
a purpose and an effort to produce a result. Printer's
ink and prepared wood pulp no more make a newspaper
than flesh and blood and bone make a man. It is the
spirit within which makes either a power. It is intelli
gence, courage, fortitude, devotion to duty, which car
ries either out of the sphere of things merely physical
and transforms it into a moral influence.
No stream can rise above its fountain. The charac
ter of no newspaper can rise above the character of the
man who makes it. There is no intelligence in wood
pulp. There is no courage in printer's ink. There is
no fortitude in type metal. There is no self-devotion
in a printing machine. It is the spirit which makes the
man. It is the man which makes the newspaper. The
influence of each, therefore, depends not upon flesh and
blood and bone, not upon ink and wood pulp and type
metal, but upon character. It is not a question of the
goodness or the badness, but of the attractiveness, the
intensity, the individuality.
This is an age of averages, an age which, without
repressing the individual, promotes the mass. It is the
golden age of mediocrity. I mean what I say ; I do not
mean inferiority. We use mediocrity mostly in a wrong
sense. I mean that it is an age stronger in the middle
than it is at the top. The genius of the country is bent
toward the meridian line. We do not pull down from
the top, but we pull up from the bottom, and we keep
the center of force near the middle. This is what gives
us stability. This is what imparts such a ponderous and
irresistible force to our age of averages.
We have accustomed ourselves to say that the press
is a great power. It were better, clearer, more definite,
to say that it is a great instrumentality. Undoubtedly
it is the greatest moral instrumentality of the age. But
[373]

this can only be said of the press as a whole, as an aver
age. Nothing but feebleness can come of feebleness,
nothing but inanity of inanity. It is undoubtedly true
that there never was a time when the average of the
press was higher than today ; but it is also true that there
never was a time when the earth was encumbered with
a greater number of feeble and inane newspapers. The
production of a newspaper has degenerated from a pro
fession into a business. Its motive is no longer ambition,
but greed. Greed is a universal passion ; ambition is not.
So that while the press has broadened the base of its
operations, it has lost the tone and keenness of a personal
influence. The tendency is to do away with individu
ality. This is in the interest of gain, in the interest of
stability, but against concrete and recognizable personal
influence. The piquancy, the variableness of mood, the
strength, the weakness, the tides of attraction and re
pulsion — all the charm of personality — has departed
from the press. This is in the interest of stability. Edi
tors perish, the paper survives. But in losing the inde
finable charm and influence of a personality, the press
has acquired the stability of an institution. It is no
longer the newspaper, but the newspapers, in which the
power abides. As in mechanics, when we gain power, we
lose speed. So in the newspaper, when we abate a Httle
of individuality and conviction, we gain a good deal in
stability. This is all toward the average and against
personal influence. Yet there never was, and there
never can be, a greatly influential paper in the world
without some strong individuality behind it — some in
itial and seminal mind impressing a personal character
and identity upon it. The character of the newspapers
today is a business character, because the strongest per
sonality behind the paper is the business manager. Nat
urally, he subordinates everything else to the success of
his own department. The paper thereby gains stability,
but loses power. It may reach more readers, for that is
the business man's strong point ; but it does not stir the
souls of those who read it, because it is written without
conviction and without enthusiasm. The circulation is
[374]

increased, not by the talent of the editor, but by the
genius of the canvasser. The motive of the whole enter
prise, if I may reiterate, is business and not ambition.
It should not be surprising, therefore, that nothing is
achieved in a direction where nothing is attempted.
Nothing in the purpose of the management, multiplied
by nothing in the individuality of the writing staff, gives
a product of nothing in the influence of the newspaper on
public life. The papers of today follow their main mo
tive intelligently and successfully, but that motive is
profit ; consequently the best talent employed goes to the
business department. This is why the press has become
a more stable, if less admirable, institution, than in for
mer times. If weak at the top, it is strong in the middle,
so that the force, if less immediately effective, is more
constant. It is all in the line of the average — the Hne of
intelligent and substantial mediocrity.
There are not above a dozen newspapers in the whole
country — among the dailies I mean — that ever originate
any thought which affect public action. The rest merely
produce it, as the journeyman potter reproduces the
matchless forms of Greek art in western clay. But in the
attractive production of news the ingenuity of the press
today is boundless. And let a thought, however small
and modest, be dropped into the columns of a paper to
day, and the watchful genius of the press catches it up
and reiterates it with a thousand voices. If you have
the run of an exchange list, you find it reflected in a
thousand sheets. It reverberates through the country
Hke the echoes of a shot fired among the mountains.
No individual newspaper today is much of a power
in Colorado politics, but the cumulative influence of all
is enormous. There are something like two hundred
papers published in the State. Only a few of them orig
inate anything. Only a few of them even have any con
siderable local influence, yet all taken together and ani
mated by an earnest conviction, they constitute a power,
which is simply irresistible.
A composite picture, expression or illustration of the
[376]

qualities which animate and inform the press of Colo
rado would more nearly represent Carlyle C. Davis than
any other member of what we term "the press gang."
He is the owner and responsible editor of the Leadville
Evening Chronicle and the Morning Herald Democrat.
For a brief period, three years ago, I was the hired
editor of both of his papers. I ought, therefore, to know
him pretty well. I consider him the ablest all-round
newspaper man in the State. There is hardly a quality
in which he has not some superiors, but I know of none
who combines so many of the qualities that contribute
to the efficiency of a journalist. How he has missed be
coming a great public influence is a matter not easy to
explain. It is certain that he is not, and it is equally
certain that he possesses those qualities of mind which
contribute to render men personally influential. But he
has been running his papers for profit, and not for am
bition. He is as bright as a new dollar. He has a dauntless
courage, unequalled capacity for application, exhaustless
physical endurance, a most ingratiating address, a loyal
and lovable nature, an alert intelligence, and unblem
ished business honor.
No one can see how really smart he is in business,
and not wonder that he is not a millionaire and the man
ager of a great railroad.
No one can see his very exceptional cleverness in
political matters, and not wonder why he is not one of
the greatest political influences of the State. I could
not name six men in Colorado so capable as Davis in the
mere manipulation of politics. His natural skill in this
regard is really great. He is a ready and capable writer,
but somehow he fails to make the impression of an able
writer. When moved by a strong conviction, I know of no
journalist in the State who can turn off a more forcible
article, and he never lacks the courage to print it.
He is personally a most likable fellow, and he is
wonderfully devoted in his friendships, yet he has al-
[376]

ways missed being generally popular. He has a quick
instinct for finances, and with the most remarkable op
portunities of the decade surrounding him, he has missed
making a fortune. With every endowment of nature
that goes to the making of a remarkably smart man, he
has missed achieving distinction as such.
We see men, sometimes successful and exalted in
public favor, with a reputation for ability, about whom
we can discover no substantial basis for success. Ex
actly the opposite is true of Davis. In business he is
honorable, shrewd, industrious, watchful and eminently
liberal, yet all his efforts have only enabled him to ac
quire a very modest little fortune.
In politics he is capable and faithful, yet he has never
secured the recognition in public favor to which one
would say his fine abilities entitled him.
In journalism his reputation has never been com
mensurate with his edacity. His cleverness is so dis
tinct, his information so full, and his mind so remark
ably ready, that I always felt myself to be slow and dull
in his presence. His manners are so kind, so elegant
and so intelhgent, that I always feel a little clumsy and
boorish when he is near me. It has always seemed to
me that if I were as smart as Davis I could be the first
journalist in America, yet he is not even the first jour
nalist in Colorado, though he is probably the most
capable all-round newspaper man in the State. He
knows every detail of the business, from writing a good,
forcible editorial to setting it up at the case, making it
up in the form, and working it off on any kind of print
ing machine made.
Luck is a large element in every life. Successful
men take the credit to themselves of having created the
circumstances that made them. Those who fail are will
ing to leave the credit to fate.
Financially, Davis had the luck to be wrecked in the
shallows just after he had caught the tide of fortune at
its flood and started off with all sails to the wind. But
the man is not a failure. Reckoned from where he
[377]

started financially, he is more than a moderate success.
Reckoned, however, from the base line of his abilities,
his life is a disappointment.
I cannot quite account for it, for he is one of the most
capable men I have ever known.
It has often seemed to me, in looking over men, that
completeness of the faculties is not what counts in the
production of character. Men seem to grow strongest
when they grow a little one-sided. Not that Davis is
unique in his completeness. I can see many reasons why
he is not the first writer on the State press. One is that
he has not tried to be. It will hardly be necessary to
mention the rest. He is a thoroughly bright and capable
editorial commentator. But an editor of the first-class
he never could be, because his mind, with all its com
pleteness, lacks that seminal quality which gives life to
thought and makes it grow as it is scattered. In politics
he lacks toleration and patience. Though always ready
to sacrifice himself for his friends, he is self-willed and
jealous of any divided friendship. There is no trouble
he would not take for a man so long as the man gives
him an undivided heart ; but the fellow that wants Davis
to help him should keep away from the other paper.
There is no end to his generosity. He is an appreciative
man himself, and he likes to be appreciated. He does
not at all lack the courage to be unpopular, but he is too
anxious for approval to endure the least reproach with
patience. In a word, he lacks the composure of spirit
without which any man must be miserable in a public
station. The only approval an editor or a poHtician
should allow himself to require is the approval of his
own reason. Otherwise, there is nothing but torture
before him. The mind, serenely conscious of its own
strength, finds itself able to yield without discomposure
or less self-confidence. Too much of Davis' strength
is dissipated in fretful resistance to inconsiderable
things. He is a man who can be knocked down with a
feather when he cannot be driven with a club. Any ap
peal to his generosity will succeed ; any appeal to his fear
will always fail. With the courage of a lion, the tenacity
[378]

of a bull-dog, and the stubbornness of a mule, he has a
sensitive spirit that quivers under reproach. Without
having exactly the reach and composure of the truly
executive mind, Davis has the executive perception and
the executive tenacity of purpose. He seems to lack that
enlightened, far-seeing instinct which we call sagacity.
That is, we call it sagacity when it succeeds. We may
call it imbecility when it fails. After all, it is a matter
of looking wise and taking your chances.
With Davis' unusual cleverness in politics, it is rather
a wonder he has not gotten to Congress. But, again,
nothing can come of nothing. He has not tried to get
there. His mind is as swift as a dart. He is a courageous
and forcible speaker, and a capital parliamentarian. He
is exactly the quality of man that would make a valuable
Congressman from such a State as ours, and it is be
cause I think he may be a candidate before many years
that I hang this portrait up for public view. He is be
coming pretty well known to the politicians of the State,
and has given us two or three examples of his ability to
handle himself in a political effort. His courage and par
liamentary skill in getting the resolution on the manage
ment of the State Treasury before the last State Con
vention, against the united efforts of the machine, was
a master piece in instance, which entitles him to the con
fidence of politicians who are looking for a man to tie to,
as it also entitles him to the earnest admiration and grat
itude of the RepubHcan party.
That the party wanted the resolution was unequiv
ocally demonstrated by the wild enthusiasm, and almost
perfect unanimity, with which the convention adopted it,
when he skillfully introduced it in the shape of an amend
ment, to prevent the machine from referring it to the
committee on resolutions, where it was sure to be
smothered. It was a brave act, and the people should keep it in
mind. Nine-tenths of the members of that convention
knew the moral necessity and the political expediency
of adopting such a resolution as well as Davis did, but
[379]

he was the only man who had the courage to offer it,
under the frowns and threats of the gang who constitute
the machine. He demonstrated how little a machine
amounts to when intelligently and defiantly encountered.
That act showed that Davis has a genuine capacity for
political leadership, and I confidently look to see him be
come a pohtical leader. He is now only forty years of
age. At the age of eleven he was apprenticed to the
printer's trade. He enlisted while still hardly more
than a child, and served in the campaigns of Tennessee
and Mississippi. After the close of the war he traveled
over the country, working at his trade in various cities,
and gaining that intimate knowledge of the newspaper
business, as it is conducted in town and country, which
makes him today such an unusually ready and capable
journalist. While most boys are still at school, he settled
at Cincinnati, where he remained six years on the En
quirer, Chronicle and Times, and in 1872 bought the
Cosmos at St. Charles, Mo., the oldest paper in the State,
which he edited until 1876, when, broken in health, he
came to Colorado to recuperate. After living out among
the sheep and cattle ranches for a season, he assumed
the editorial management of the Rocky Mountain News,
and it was his fortune to edit the last issue of that paper
as a Republican journal. He remained with it as news
editor, after it passed into the hands of the Democrats,
until the fall of 1878, when he went to Leadville and
established the Evening Chronicle,
The camp was at that time at the flood tide of its
fabulous career, and he made money with incredible
rapidity. In three years he had made over fifty thousand
dollars, and was on the high road to wealth, when the
failure of the City National Bank brought him to his
knees. He was one of the original locators of the town sites
of Aspen and Glenwood Springs. His interest in these
enterprises alone would have made him a rich man, if
he could have held on, but he was obliged to let go before
they came to anything.
Nothing but the most indomitable pluck enabled him
[380]

to keep his legs after the staggering blow of the bank
failure, but his fine conduct in that unhappy scrape com
manded the admiration of all classes in the camp and
enabled him to tide over his difficulties.
In 1883 he bought the Democrat, and since that time
has run two daily papers and a large weekly. For a
man in his position, and of his ability, he has not inter
ested himself much in politics, though whenever he has
gone in earnestly he has invariably been successful. He
was elected City Clerk in 1882, and in 1883 was ap
pointed Postmaster. In 1884 he was chosen delegate-at-
large to the National Republican convention at Chicago.
In 1885 he acquired the Morning Herald, and consol
idating it with the Democrat, obtained a monopoly of the
newspaper and printing business of the camp. He is
now in a more prosperous condition than for five or six
years past, and I think we may expect to hear of him in
public life before he is much older. He would be a most
useful and available man. He can point to his record
without a blush. When the financial collapse which
wrecked three of the Leadville banks in quick succession
came in 1883, he was made President of the City
National. He had the honor to set himself like a rock
in defense of the creditors, and the institution has paid
every man in full except its own officers. That is a
record that no man need fear to go into politics with.

Subjected to the test crucible of analytical examina
tion, Fitz Mac's "Portrait" would seem to lack consist
ency. So "bright" a person as he describes, surrounded
by the opportunities of a century, surely ought not to
have missed all of them, failed to amass a fortune, kept
out of the Senate, never reached the executive chair of
a great railroad, or become a great pubhc influence. But
whereas the author concedes his inabihty to understand
it, to me the reasons are very simple, and that the young
er reader may profit from the lesson, I shall enumerate
a few of them.
[381]

I erred in not using other people's money in fortify
ing my position before it was seriously menaced.
I was over jealous of the independence of my papers
and shrank from compromising that independence by be
coming a debtor.
I was too strongly obsessed with the belief that I had
a "mission," and that it was to attack wrong, and wrong
doers, wherever and whenever encountered, wholly re
gardless of consequences to myself.
I was too apprehensive that my motives would be
misconstrued. I was too zealous in the public interest. I was not
content to commit the public safety to its paid guardians
and natural protectors. My policy was too aggressively
bold and too often impolitic. I ever found myself doing
those things that militated against the interests of my
newspapers. I fought the placer trust, the duty of the courts,
when it would gladly have purchased my silence.
I jeopardized my life and property by maintaining
a running fight against gamblers, thugs and bunko-
steerers, clearly the duty of the peace officers and the
militant moralists of the pulpit.
I unnecessarily antagonized an influential body of
mining men, by publishing news of mineral discoveries
in their properties before they were ready to have the
announcements made — before they had bought off, run
away or frozen out the poor owners of surrounding ter
ritory. I bitterly opposed the payment of a million dollar
municipal debt, fraudulently created, when my silent ap
proval would have cemented the friendship of the war
rant and bond sharks.
I antagonized some of the railways, liberal news
paper patrons, by insisting upon lower freight rates.
[382]

I fought the State treasury ring and the State land
board grafters, when to wink at their plundering
schemes would have made me partner in the division of
the swag.
I opposed the wholesale robbery of the people by
grafting boards of supervisors, who cheerfully would
have "whacked up" with me.
I made myself too conspicuous in my championship
of law and order when organized strikers were terroriz
ing the community.
I displeased a clique of crooked bankers, by exposing
their villainous methods.
I fought to a finish and whipped to a frazzle a coterie
of schemers who sought to drain Twin Lakes, one of the
most charming resorts on earth, in the interest of a gi
gantic irrigation scheme.
I scorned to accept, as free gifts, blocks of stock in
mining companies, for the use of my name on their,
boards of directors.
In one morning and three afternoon editions of my
papers I roasted grafters of high and low degree, ex
posing schemes to fleece the tax-payers at home and in
vestors in mining shares elsewhere.
I forced the adoption of laws to protect legitimate
practitioners of medicine and ran the quacks out of
town. It was truthfully said that my papers were the only
ones in the State "owned by their owner" — all the rest
were either owned or controlled by corporations or by
some one desiring a seat in the United States Senate.
It is easy to see why I was not "generally popular,"
easy to see why I did not make a barrel of money, easy
to see why my life was a "disappointment" — for such it
was if the acquirement of power — political or financial —
be the proper and chief aim of existence.
[383]

No man can persistently, day after day, week in and
week out, throughout a long term of years, run con
trary to the human tides, and expect to escape getting his
feet wet.
As far as relates to the deliberate pursuit of policy,
I probably should not do differently were the opportunity
for a repetition afforded me. But as to mistakes, due to
lack of education, of experience and of judgment, that
is another matter. I have related how I missed becoming
a millionaire by my failure to take up an option on a
slice of the Robert E. Lee mine.
Only a short time after that I missed becoming a
multi-millionaire by letting go, at the wrong time, my
fourth interest in the wonderful mineral springs and
townsite of Glenwood, in Garfield County. I had as
sociated myself with the Blake Brothers and W. S.
Shannon, a lawyer, in locating these marvelous proper
ties, upon which hundreds of thousands of dollars have
since been spent in improvements in the way of hotels,
bath houses and swimming pool, and a town-site upon
which a fair city of ten thousand subsequently sprang
up and sprang out, not to mention mining claims almost
without number, and then let the princely holding pass
from my possession for a song, an act due to sheer stu
pidity, for want of a more appropriate name.
Then, only thirty miles distant, I joined Governor
Tabor and a number of others, in locating a town site at
the mouth of the Roaring Fork, to which we gave the
high sounding title of "Roaring Fork City." We se
cured a postoffice, and the place at once became the out
fitting point for a wide mineralized section. But men
with greater sagacity started another town, a mile nearer
the mines, and there fifteen thousand people gathered
and joined in making "Aspen" one of the most beautiful
and prosperous mining cities in the land. Within a year
[384]

H. G. BRAINERD. M. D.
Chief Nerve Specialist of
the Paciflc Coast
EUGENE FIELD
Author, Poet, Humorist,
Dramatist

CHARLES VIVIAN
Founder of the Benevolent Pa
triotic Ord«r of Elks
SEELEY W. MUDD
American Association of
Mining Engineers, Represen
tative Guggenheim Syndicate

there was not a single inhabitant left in our "Roaring
Fork City."
Missed milHons again — and by a mile! Really
"smart" men are not in the habit of making such egre
gious blunders as are here mentioned.

[386]

CHAPTER LXVI.
My Relations With the Press Gang — 'Gene Field
AND His Eccentricities
My acquaintance with what in shop parlance is
known as the "press gang" included every prominent
person engaged in newspaper work in Colorado from
1876 to 1896. My relations with them were uniformly
agreeable, in numerous instances decidedly congenial,
and in a few cases distinctly friendly. With a
single exception, briefly noted elsewhere in this volume,
I never engaged in a newspaper controversy with a con
temporary or permitted my papers to be used as vehicles
for personal abuse of those engaged in the trade. I am
rather proud of the record, because I have had abundant
provocation for bitter newspaper warfare.
My most intimate associates among the journalists of
Colorado were Kemp G. Cooper, for many years mana
ger of the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Re
publican; Ben Steele, the talented editor of the Colorado
Springs Gazette; Captain J. L. Lambert, founder of the
Pueblo Chieftain; Col. John Arkins and James M. Bur
nell, my associates in establishing the Leadville Chron
icle; Ellis Meredith, of the Rocky Mountain News; Mr.
O. H. Rothacker, the brilliant editor of the Denver Trib
une; Fred Skiff, business manager, Eugene Field, the
gifted literary contributor to the same journal during
the eighties; and Sam D. Goza. Will Irwin, famed cor
respondent and author, was only then preparing for his
subsequent brilliant career.
While writing this paragraph I am filled with wonder
[386]

that I should class Eugene Field as an intimate friend,
since I fail to recall any single act of kindness ever done
me by that irritating and erratic genius, whereas I easily
might fifl a volume with scurrilous stuff he has printed
about me, without hint at provocation. He belonged,
however, to a small and privileged class, who could, with
perfect impunity and wholly without fear of reprisal, do
the most atrocious things, for which another might have
been shot or hanged.
Field's fame rests upon the delightful verse, with
childhood as the theme, with which he graced American
literature. "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod," "Little Boy
Blue," and poems in the same vein scarcely without num
ber, doubtless will long cause his name to be remembered
appreciatively in every American household. "The Lit
tle Peach" will continue to' "grew;" "Casey's Table
d'Hote," Modjesky as Cameel," and "The Clink of the
Ice," will endure. His posthumous fame will rest largely
upon his contributions to contemporaneous literature
while living in Chicago and contributing a column daily
to The News of that city.
His career in Colorado was a joke, and a huge joke
at that. And always he was the joker. Those whose
acquaintance with him is confined to his published
poems, mainly written in the later years of his life, and
after he had surrendered his ambition to become the
champion wine bibber of the century, will scarcely be
prepared to believe the stories I feel impelled to relate
here about him, but all of them are so true that the ac
curacy of no single item will be questioned by those who
knew him in the Rocky Mountain region.
While leisurely sauntering down Larimer street in
Denver, about ten o'clock one evening, I was approached
by two burly policemen, rudely hustled into a patrol
wagon and hurriedly driven to the City Jail. Not a word
[387]

was spoken en route. The journey occupied but a few
moments. Arrived at the jail, I was received by the
turnkey, a man I long had known. He greeted me cor
dially, helped me to a cigar, and while we sat smoking
together in the Desk Sergeant's office. Field and a few
friends came hastily in. 'Gene had "put up the job on
me," but fearing some indignity might be offered, he had
run down to the jail in great haste, entering with some
perturbation. The joke, in this instance, really was upon
him, although it might have been otherwise had I not,
fortunately, been acquainted with the turnkey.
That was but a mild sample of his practical joking.
Upon another occasion I had dropped down to Mani
tou for a protracted and much-needed rest. As was the
custom in those days of six-day papers. Field and his
chums had gone down to spend the Sabbath, intending to
return on Monday in time to get out Tuesday morning's
paper. On Wednesday following I had occasion to go to
Denver for a single day. Meeting Field on the street, I
remarked to him that he had left the Springs a day too
soon. Inquiring the reason, I told him that on Monday
a car-load of people from St. Joe, his old home, had ar
rived, and, queried as to who were in the party, I named
all whom I could remember, adding that there was a girl
included who already had cut quite a wide swath at Man
itou, a girl of pronounced beauty and spirit, locally
known as "the belle of St. Joe."
Field happened to be acquainted with the lady, and
said as much but no more to me, and with that we parted.
I arose early next morning, with the purpose of tak
ing the only train for Manitou, and, supplying myself
with a copy of The Tribune, I repaired to the dining
room of the Windsor Hotel. Turning at once to the
editorial page of the paper, always the most entertaining
section of it in those days, I was horrified and mortified
[388]

— if not petrified — by sight of a poem, "top of col
umn, next to reading matter" — signed with my name,
reading thus : Cupid at Manitou
I've been at the Springs for a merrisome while.
And oh, need I tell you the rest?
Why, my soul lights my eyes with an eloquent smile,
As a little bird sings at my breast!
Her face, like the lilies, is modest and fair.
And her orbs with an ecstacy glow.
And cute Httle bangs straggle out of her hair —
She's a darling young belle from St. Joe!
We met on the foothills, the usual way,
I was footsore, and hungry and weak.
But my pangs disappeared like the night before day.
And the hot blush mantled my cheek.
Ah, it's many a maiden with radiance rare,
I've met in my walks to and fro.
But with never a maid that presumed to compare
With the beauteous young belle of St. Joe !
I'm going to Leadville to print and to write,
With a little bird's song in my breast.
But I'll hie to the Springs every Saturday night.
And woo that sweet bird in her nest.
'Neath the glorious stars and the sad-visaged moon.
While the vespers are whispering low,
I'll sit in the soughing and gloaming and spoon —
Oh, I'm mashed on the Belle of St. Joe!
— C. C. Davis.
The "Befle of St. Joe," as she had come to be known
almost before her luggage was unpacked, had been as
signed to a seat at my table; I had been formally pre
sented to her; she had been discussed about the hotel by
the guests, nearly all of whom I personally knew ; in the
journey to Denver I had gossiped about the lady, her
[J89]

beauty and accomplishments, with the wife of the Gov
ernor of the State, a guest at the Manitou House.
The train for Manitou was due to leave in an hour.
Take it ? I could not.
Much as I needed the rest for which I had gone
there, I no more dared to return at that time than if I
had been guilty of purloining the hotel silver.
There was but one thing for me to do, but one re
course. I telegraphed the clerk of the house at Manitou
to forward my belongings to Leadville, and I returned
home by another route, my vacation ended before it
fairly had begun.
This was a pretty serious practical joke, cafling for
reprisals. Upon my return to my office I directed that
the exchange editor, hence until further notice, clip every
verse, regardless of merit, that should come within the
purview of his vision, and this was kept up until I had
hundreds of poems gathered, poems of low and high de
gree, mainly of the former, which I began to print, one
a day, or part of one a day, in every instance crediting
the verse to Field !
It was the very beginning of 'Gene's fame as a poet,
and some of the vilest verse that I gave space to soon
found its way into Eastern journals, threatening forever
to ruin his reputation as a versifier.
As soon as he began to realize the effect of my das
tardly scheme, he plead for mercy, promising never to
repeat the offense, if only I would call a halt upon the
poetical quotations.
For once, and I never heard of a similar case, Field
was outgeneraled. He freely admitted that I had put
one over on him from which recovery was doubtful.
Faithfully he kept his pledge to me. But his other
victims were numbered by the hundreds. His column
of "Sharps and Flats" constituted the most entertaining
[390]

feature of the Tribune, His wit was of the most rasp
ing sort ; it always was directed toward individuals, nor
was age, dignity or position any protection from his
daily assaults. For every paragraph there was a victim,
with a decided and fearless preference for the man in
the public eye at the time. And the rector of the leading
high church was no more immune than the ward heeler.
He used the names of individuals with an abandon that
recognized no barriers. How he, for so long a period,
escaped retribution at the hands of the bruised and bat
tered of the populace has ever been a mystery to me.
Friends believed him possessed of a charmed life. He
certainly enjoys a charmed posthumous fame.
Often have I heard him remark : "Well, boys, you'll
have to excuse me for a while. I've got to grind out
some more 'mother rot.' "
"Mother rot" is what he denominated the delicious
verse dedicated to childhood, and on which, as remarked,
his fame doubtless will mainly rest. That he cared much
for children is a mistaken idea. He was kind to his own ;
yet I've known him to go to his home on a pay-day with
out a penny in his purse, having "blown in" his entire
week's pay in the purchase of a "curio." His collection
became exceedingly valuable, and his wife refused an
offer of thirty thousand doflars for it after his death.
That the reader may gain an idea of Field's "style"
I will here give what he was pleased to denominate his
"boss personal." Fancy a prominent and dignified citi
zen, a man of family, and possibly a pillar of a church,
welcomed to Denver in a paragraph Hke this :
"Colonel Thompson, of Crested Butte, arrived in the
city last evening, accompanied by his beautiful and fasci
nating niece. Miss Maudie DeVere. They have apart
ments at the Windsor."
[391]

Another favorite diversion was to dignify, with
prominence on the editorial page, some light and frivo
lous if not amorous verse, the product of his own pen of
course, and to it he would append the name as author of
some grave and reverend citizen, mayhap distinguished
for many virtues, but never known to have indulged in
poetic fancies.
In like manner, in verse and prose, in alleged com
munications and spurious interviews, this merciless Mis-
sourian, before the close of his Denver career, had given
three-fourths of the population ample warrant for wish
ing that some one would murder him and conceal the
body. No one ever did, and he finally escaped to Chicago,
where he continued to follow the bent of his pecuHar
genius, modified somewhat to suit the different atmos
phere and police regulations, but characteristic to the
last. With what else he did at Chicago the reader doubt
less is more or less familiar, for it is upon that his fame
is builded. My purpose is not to deal with it, but rather,
by a conscientious relation of facts, of sayings and do
ings, that ordinarily furnish an unerring index to char
acter, to emphasize the frailty of the superstructure upon
v/hich posthumous fame sometimes is erected. This
credits Field with a nature "like unto that of a chfld."
With this purpose steadily in view, let me recount some
of his playful, childish pranks:
An old friend had come out to Denver to introduce
a new device of his own invention for extinguishing
fires, a sort of hand grenade. He had appealed to Field,
his only acquaintance there, to aid him in promoting his
enterprise. Through 'Gene's influence permission was
obtained from the authorities to place an empty cabin
upon a vacant lot, ignite the structure in the presence of
[392]

a multitude, including the fire department and city of
ficials, and then demonstrate the efficacy of the new de
vice in extinguishing the fire. That the intensity of the
flames was increased by every grenade that was thrown
into them, and that an entire wagon-load was sacrified
in a futile effort to check their progress, astonished all
except one of the spectators. The practical joker of the
Tribune had tampered with the bottles, substituting coal
oil for the chemicals they were supposed to contain !
His friend was ruined, of course, by this brutal joke,
for few of the spectators were made aware of the cause
of the failure of the grenade device, and a repetition of
the demonstration was unthinkable.
Upon another occasion, at Manitou, Field had been
given a cot in one of the corridors, there being no vacant
rooms. After the other guests had retired. Field, sup
plied with a pitcher and bowl of water, went through
all of the contortions of a much drugged individual, mak
ing such a commotion as to get all out of their beds,
including proprietor and clerks. It was an immense
joke, much appreciated — by Field. The house once more
quieted, he went through the various corridors of the
three-story hotel, changing every occupant's boots or
shoes, carrying those from the first to the third story
and vice versa, and then, at daylight of a quiet Sunday
morning, when every guest was supposed to be enjoying
his or her beauty sleep, Field got out the hotel gong and
pranced through the halls with it, making such a din that
sleep was forever abandoned.
On the foflowing Monday morning he preceded the
usually large throng of passengers to the station, his arm
in a sHng, his head bandaged with bloody rags, and threw
himself upon two opposing seats, while sympathetic lady
passengers stood up in the aisles.
After changing cars at Colorado Springs he pain-
[393]

fully hobbled through the crowded coaches, hat in hand,
soliciting contributions, receiving many a quarter or
half, and retaining every penny !
When Rev. Geo. W. Miln abandoned the pulpit for
the stage, and was announced to appear at the Tabor
Opera House in the title role of Hamlet, Field was ap
pealed to by friends of the preacher-player for fair treat
ment at the hands of the dramatic critic of the paper,
who happened to be himself. At that time the Tribune
was saying unpleasant things about every attraction at
the Opera House, there having been a misunderstanding
of some sort between the management of the paper and
that of the theater. Field made satisfactory promises,
and contented himself with a three-line paragraph about
the event, after this highly irritating fashion:
"Rev. Geo. W. Miln played Hamlet at the Opera
House last night. He played it until eleven o'clock."
Invited to a rather swell dinner by a lady friend of
Colorado Springs, Field distinguished himself, and
nearly extinguished the function, by the perpetration of
an almost unspeakable practical joke. Slipping into the
dining room, just in advance of the guests, he inserted
in the body of a huge stuffed turkey that adorned the
center of the table a giant fire-cracker, lighted the fuse,
and made his escape to another part of the house. At
the psychological moment there was a terrific explosion
in the dining room. The effect in detail perhaps may be
imagined. The beautiful frescoed walls were decorated
with the rich dressing of the monster fowl, and no two
parts of the bird were found in any one place.
Shortly before his death Field paid a visit to Los
Angeles. During a call upon Dr. Norman Bridge, an old
Chicago friend, he observed hanging upon the Doctor's
[394]

office wafl a fairly good portrait of Melville E. Stone,
General Manager of the Associated Press. Taking ad
vantage of a temporary absence of his medical friend,
our practical joker took down the picture, wrote beneath
it "Yours truly, 'Gene Field," and replaced it on the
wall. Months elapsed before the pleasantry was dis
covered. A visiting friend of Dr. Bridge suggested that
he had known Field in his lifetime, and thought the por
trait a very poor representation!
I am loathe, even now, to deny that Field possessed
some of the attributes that have endeared his name to so
many hearthstones, although they were never made
strikingly manifest to me during a rather intimate ac
quaintance and what passed for a very close friendship.
I loved him I know not why. I was the victim of many
pranks more cruel even than those I have related, and
any one of which might have estranged me from another.
I must have been under some strange hypnotic influencCi
for the wickedness of the things he did seemed not so
to me at the time.
I am quite well aware that nothing I may write will
detract from the merit of his child verse, nor would I
have it do so. He indeed wrote of something that exists,
whether he felt what he wrote or not, and much of his
verse wifl endure, nothwithstanding his proneness to
jocularly refer to it as "mother rot."
In her autobiography, issued in 1910, the Countess
Bozenta (Helena Modjeska) relates an amusing ex
perience with Eugene Field, quite confirmatory of my
insistence that the dignity or standing of individuals
never in the sHghtest degree restrained his penchant for
practical joking. She says:
In St. Louis I saw Mr. Eugene Field, another of the
dear friends I gained in America. I admired him for his
[395]

genuine poetic talent, his originality and almost child
like simplicity, as much as for his great heart. He had
indeed a many-sided and rich nature — most domestic in
his family relations, a delightful host by his own fire
side, and yet a perfect Bohemian in artistic circles. The
author of exquisitely dainty poems, and withal a brilliant
and witty humorist, he was equally lovable in all these
various characters. He was full of original ideas,
which often gave a quaint touch to his receptions. In
later years, when he lived in Chicago, I remember a din
ner, e nf 0 r m e, which he called a 'reversed one,' be
ginning with black coffee and ice cream and ending with
soup and oysters. After the first course he deHvered a
most amusing toast. We were laughing so much that
tears stood in our eyes. He looked compassionately
around the table, and saying, 'I see that you are sad and
depressed ; let us have some fun,' he went to a mechanical
piano and gave us a few bars of a funeral march. After
each dish he returned to the instrument and treated us
to some doleful tune. On a later occasion he sent us a
formal invitation to a party at his house, "to meet a
friend from abroad." But when we came there was no
such friend, and as the evening went on the foreigner
did not make his appearance. When we were on the
point of leaving we heard a strange sound at the window.
"At last!" exclaimed our host, and opening the window
called out some name which I cannot remember. After
a few seconds we saw the head of a donkey, and a most
frightful braying filled the room. Eugene Field stroked
caressingly the long, soft ears, until the soothing effect
of his hands stopped the musical entertainment, and the
introduction took place. "This is my belated friend!
He is, indeed, a great donkey !" remarked our host, quite
seriously. After taking leave I overheard some of the
guests saying, "That was indeed a bitter satire, but I
should like to know who was really that friend from
abroad personified by the donkey!" Thus are commen
taries written, looking for some deep, hidden meaning in
a simple joke."

[356]

Notwithstanding the death sentence pronounced in
1895, I have at least survived nearly all of my journal
istic confreres of that and an earlier period. Mr. Cooper,
Mr. Steele, Mr. Difl, Mr. Field, Major Ward and Mr.
Rothacker long since passed over the range.
Mr. Skiff, a ten-dollar-a-week reporter when I first
met him, has since earned international fame as an ex
position manager. He was one of the directors of the
mining exhibit at the World's Fair in Chicago, and then
became managing director of the Field Columbian Mu
seum; he was in charge of the United States exhibit at
the International Exposition in Paris, chief of exhibits
at the St. Louis Exposition, and at this writing is one
of the leading spirits in the management of the Panama-
Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Notwithstanding
his loyalty and devotion to the proprietor of the Denver
Tribune at ten dollars a week, he was succeeded by an
other reporter who offered to do the work for eight dol
lars. But his former boss, reflecting that his treatment
of Skiff had not been just, determined to restore him
to his old position, and invited him to call and discuss the
subject. Upon Skiff's appearance the former employer,
Mr. Herman Beckurts, greeted him with : "Hello, Skiff !
How are you fixed?" With a mixture of irony and good
humor. Skiff replied: "Well, Mr. Beckurts, I haven't
got much, but I'll loan you what I have !"
ElHs Meredith is a name to conjure with. Physically
but a midget, tipping the balance below a hundred
pounds, she yet is one of the most influential and forceful
characters ever connected with the press of the Centen
nial State. She is a brilliant essayist, a profound polit
ical commentator and a most pleasing versifier. In 1893
she was summoned to Chicago to plan the furniture and
select the furnishings for the Woman's Building at the
World's Fair. Later she was chosen by the National
[397]

Woman's Suffrage Association to present an appeal for
the ballot for women to the Committee on Privileges and
Elections of the United States Senate. To her efforts,
perhaps, more than to any other single human instru
mentality, is to be ascribed the granting to women of the
ballot in Colorado. For a number of years past she has
been at the head of the Electoral Commission of that
State, having control of the entire voting machinery of
the commonwealth. Intellectually she is a prodigy. In
her grasp of the fundamentals she is a wonder. Spirited,
vivacious and charmingly entertaining, she yet is modest
and retiring, and wholly lacking in self-assertiveness. In
1904 she spent a few hours at my home in the San Ga
briel Valley, and thus referred to it in a communication
to the Denver Times,
* * * A week or so later I spent the day with
him and Mrs. Davis on their beautiful walnut ranch, a
mile from San Gabriel. The second Mrs. Davis was no
flighty or designing girl when she met Cad Davis, but
a woman of sound judgment and mature years. If ever
two people were happy together they are, and if ever a
woman saved a man's life when he was on the verge,
and helped him back to something like old-time vigor,
the present Mrs. Davis is that woman. For Cad Davis
— which sounds so much more natural than Carlyle
Channing — is doing extremely well for himself. He
has accumulated a good deal more than a competence,
and is regarded as a shrewd and careful business man.
He has offices in the Mason Opera House in Los An
geles. He has grown younger himself, if anything, dur
ing the past ten years; and if his investments turn out
anything like as well as they promise, he will soon possess
more wordly wealth than he ever owned in this State
after the panic. * * * Hasn't the time al
most come when a man and woman may elect to go
their separate ways without having to blacken the char
acter of the other by way of self-justification ? Remem-
[398]

bering the pain and loneliness of her life, and the great
est sorrow that she had always to bear — a sorrow in no
way brought upon her by Mr. Davis — ^her release is a
mercy. But in times like this, when one speaks tenderly
of the dead, we should be careful to be just to the living.

[399]

CHAPTER LXVII.
Surrender to Nature's Exactions — Life in the
Palaces of the Afflicted
How meager the knowledge of learned doctors and
eminent speciaHsts! In 1895, after a most thorough
examination, I was by them sentenced to death ! I might
live three months, possibly a year, but beyond that they
held out little hope. A presumably incurable ailment had
for twelve years been making insidious inroads upon my
nervous system, culminating, in midsummer of that year,
in a complete collapse. My office force was so well or
ganized, it was believed it would hold together, for a
time at least, and until disposition could be made of the
institution I had been nearly two decades in building up.
I was removed to Denver, and in St. Luke's Hospital
and the Williams-Marquette Sanitarium I spent seven
teen weeks, in the care and under the heavenly ministra
tions of as devoted a band of nurses as ever wore insig
nia of their order.
I no more heard the clank of presses or the exhaust
of engines, but awoke each morning to the soothing
strains of vocal music and the mellowing peals of organ
in the chapel, enjoyed a dainty tray breakfast, and
waited with eagerness the morning call of the doctor —
the kindly, gentle, sympathetic doctor, who looked so
profoundly wise, and, relatively, knew so little! A few
instructions to the attendants, a bit of encouragement to
the patient, and off to the next room, leaving me to my
own devices until the evening round of visits.
At first no callers were to be admitted, but the nurses,
[400]

Cook Drum Corps in Sycamore Grove, Los Angeles
Parade ot the Corps in Spring Street, Los Angeles
Guests of the Author on Excursion to Catalina Island

God bless them, early smuggled in a few, and the favor
able effect was so marked as to warrant them in recom
mending that the doors be thrown open to all comers.
The visits of the eight hundred friends of whom a record
was preserved by the nurses did more to restore me to
normal status, I do verily beHeve, than all the morphia,
cannibus Indica, strychnine, and other drugs with un
pronounceable Latin names, with which I was plied.
Never before had it been so much as whispered that
my backbone needed strengthening, yet the course of
treatment called for half an hour of enforced stretching
daily, until it was found that I had grown in stature
three-quarters of an inch!
Barring the essential odors of iodoform and sundry
other disinfectants, I rather enjoyed the invalided ex
perience. One has such expansive opportunities for in
trospection, for reflection, for mental resolution, for re
view of all that has gone before. All the influences of
earth and air, the surroundings and environment and
association of a modern hospital and sanitarium are dis
tinctly soothing and comforting, encouraging and help
ful — all make for mental and physical rehabilitation.
My sole grievance was the ban against smoking, but even
that restraining rule was minimized by my sympathetic
and ingenious nurses, who daily, in mid-afternoon,
stuffed the door and window jambs with cotton, to pre
vent the escape of smoke, and with one standing guard
outside, to warn caflers that I was sleeping and must not
be disturbed, the other entertained me with pleasing
stories, while I enjoyed my fragrant Havana !
How artfully I bribed those sweet nurses to break
house rules, with theater tickets and carriage drives, the
doctor, nor yet the director or head nurse, never' knew,
and here wifl learn, if ever, for the first time — for I
didn't die in accordance with the program — nor yet die
[401]

at all, and have lived so many years since that most of
the young nurses have grown to maturity, and mayhap
maternity, if not grandmotherdom, while even the doc
tor himself long ago passed over the range, and into the
realm to which he had decreed I must precede him. I
forgive him his false predictions and am willing there
should be placed on his tomb a duplicate of the spirit of
that notice which it was once facetiously said adorned
a Leadville church: "Don't shoot the organist: He
does the best he can."
While convalescing my Leadville holdings were dis
posed of, and preparations made for my removal to sea
level, where it was thought my declining days might be
spent in comparative comfort.
Col. D. B. Robinson, President of the Atchison, To
peka and Santa Fe Railroad, had proffered his private
car in which to convey me to California, declaring that
if I would not take it at the Union Station in Denver, he
would "back it up to the hospital," and, to circumvent
his machinations, I finally sHpped away between two
days, giving him no hint of date of departure. I felt
that I would prefer walking to riding alone in a private
car. A consultation of doctors had culminated in the de
cree that I could no longer hope to live, even at the alti
tude of Denver, and I had been given but a day in which
to return to Leadvifle, arrange my tangled affairs, and
say a lasting farewell to the scenes and the people I loved
so much. This, I did, as the lawyers say, "in words and
figures following, to-wit:"
I have this day — indeed only this hour, so to say —
concluded the sale of all my Leadville newspaper prop
erties to a company of which the well-known, the bril
liant, the distinguished, young newspaper editor and
manager, Mr. Wm. H. Griffith, is the head. It remains
[402]

to me only to say farewell to the people among whom I
have lived so long, and among whom I have found so
many ties of friendship which it cannot be otherwise
than sad and painful to me, in my condition, to sever,
with so little hope that they can ever in this world be
renewed. I have lived among you 17 years. We have
struggled together for our prosperity. We have wept
together for our dead.
The position of an editor, in a community like this,
where he becomes personally known to all, is much like
that of school master. He cannot hope that his motives
wifl always be understood and appreciated.
I have worked among you and with you and for you,
not always indeed to your satisfaction, but always earn
estly according to my poor best, and on the whole you
have always sustained me with a patience, and mostly
with a cordial faith in my poor labors, which it fills my
heart with gratitude to remember. Now that I am leav
ing you forever, I think it cannot seem to any one foolish
or unmanful that I should say, now that the labor of life
is ended, now that I am going away to await, with such
fortitude as I may, the coming of the angel of peace and
rest, the silent angel of death — now that I am, like an
old and worn out teacher, closing the old school house,
casting one last, sad, tearful look about upon the old
desks, the old play-grounds — one regretful, self-re
proachful look upon the old ferule — to say, in such
a sad moment, that the people of this now strong and
substantial community, among whom, and with whom,
I have labored, and who have so patiently and apprecia
tively sustained me since we began together the building
up from a rough log cabin camp, that you were at this
moment, yourselves, your interests, your children, your
dead, for whom we have wept together — that you, and
afl that you cherish, seem inexpressibly dear to me, now
that I am parting from you.
And I hope it cannot be thought unmanful weakness
to cherish the hope that you may have a tender and for
giving memory for my shortcomings, and remember only
that I have wrought according to my poor best.
[403]

My successor takes possession of an establishment
already solidly built up, and which with his brilliant and
charming capabilities as a writer and manager, he is cer
tain to expand and extend the influence of the Leadville
press far beyond anything I have permitted myself to
hope for or attempt. I beg to commend him to the pa
tient and appreciative good will with which you have so
long sustained my own poor endeavors.
And, now, dear friends, school is out — for me at
least — and so farewell — farewefl, and God be with you
all.

[404]

CHAPTER LXVIII.
Boarding the Oregon — On to Zion — A Nemesis
Sheltered in Home for Veterans
With that semi-hysterical screed, I finally quitted
Leadville, my sadness at parting but meagerly expressed.
I yet hoped eventually to be able to live at the altitude
of Denver, and consented to go to California for a
season, more as a concession to the advice of doctors
and friends than conviction of necessity. I set my face
to the westward with something like Spartan courage,
spurning the suggestion of a nurse, but suffering for
the need of one before reaching the coast.
A year under the friendly skies of Southern Califor
nia performed wonders for me, but my love for and loy
alty to Colorado had increased rather than diminished,
and I determined to return.
During a few days' sojourn in San Francisco, en
route thither, I joined an excursion party of newspaper
and railway men to the Golden Gate, to meet the "Ore
gon" on its way north from the Santa Barbara channel,
where it had made a most successful trial trip in the
government proving grounds there. The now famous
vessel had not been painted, its armament had yet to be
provided, and water several inches deep was washing its
decks, when we boarded her in mid-channel.
No member of our party for a moment realized what
an acquisition the "Oregon" was to be to the country's
navy, what a record journey it was so soon to make down
the lengthened Pacific coast, around Cape Horn, and up
the Atlantic side, in time to strike such telling blows in
[406]

the historic sea fight at Santiago, in which the flower of
the Spanish navy was rammed and battered to pieces and
left stranded on the Southern shores of Cuba. But she
was the product of California ingenuity, skifl and su
perior handicraft, and afl were justly proud of the mag
nificent record for speed just made in the harbor of
Santa Barbara.
Her reception at San Francisco was in keeping with
the high character of the craft, and the important place
her maiden trip was destined to have in the fast- forming
history of Uncle Sam's navy. Every vessel in the bay,
from Sausalito to the Union Iron Works, was dressed
in the colors, from deck to tip of main mast, flags and
pennants floated in the balmy breeze everywhere on land
and water, jack tars without number lined the yard-arms
of all the craft, cannons boomed, whistles shrieked and
bells clanged, while the air fairly trembled with the
cheers of the multitude that from every vantage point
joined in the acclaim to the great sea fighter that was to
be. After a hasty tour of the Sound cities, I went east
ward over the Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
pany's line to Utah's capital, on my way to Denver. At
Salt Lake City I was met with two calamities, either of
which was sufficient to compel a complete change in my
plans. The old malady attacked me with renewed vigor,
and the best advice I could procure from medicos was
to hasten back to sea level.
At the same time there appeared on the scene a Nem
esis, in the shape of a representative of dependents,
claiming one hundred per cent, more property than I
owned, and rather than contend for a fair division, I
made over to him, for their benefit, everything I pos
sessed, save the necessary expense of the return journey
to the coast. I then made application to the Pacific
[406]

Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer
Soldiers, near Santa Monica. There, under the shelter
of the roof provided by an appreciative government for
its saviors and dependents, I had determined to spend
the remainder of my days, be they short or long.
But conditions at the Home were not as I had antici
pated, and my sojourn there, for the greater part of a
year, was a decidedly mixed pleasure. I was assigned
to a cot on the third floor of a barracks building, into
which, under the rules, the admission of food was not
permitted. Often, because of my crippled condition, I
could not reach the main dining room, and at such times
I suffered for want of nourishment. There was not a
vacant bed in the hospital where I could have been prop
erly cared for. I was the victim of conditions for which
the management was in no wise responsible.
Another feature of life in such a place, one beyond
correction of course, is the enforced association with a
class of men without character or companionable quality,
the only qualification for admission being an honorable
discharge from army or navy, and inability to earn a
Hvelihood by manual labor.
This environment, to a man of my nervous condition
and sensitive temperament, was well nigh unbearable.
But I sustained the burden with such fortitude as I could
command until relief came — from an unexpected quar
ter. I had previously, during my stay in Los Angeles,
been a patient at the Southern California Sanitarium,
on Grand Avenue, owned and managed by Miss Mary
Alice Summers, herself a trained nurse of many years'
experience, only a year my junior. Advised that I had
returned to the coast, and found refuge at the Home,
she visited me there, and, learning the conditions under
which I suffered, assumed the task of correcting them.
[407]

Enlisting the interest of Dr. H. G. Brainerd and a
number of the Los Angeles physicians in my case, their
influence with the Chief Surgeon was sufficient to secure
my admission to the Some Hospital. Thereafter, dur
ing the remaining period of my stay. Miss Summers
brought or sent to me, almost daily, such food as I was
accustomed to and which was adapted to my require
ments, her heaven-sent ministrations removing all cause
for complaint on the score of physical needs. I was fre
quently permitted to visit her home in the city, eighteen
miles distant, brief furloughs always being obtainable.
This was a privilege I enjoyed beyond expression.
I had parted with all of my savings, petitioned the
government for a pension, and had almost come to feel
that an impassable gulf separated me from the world
in which I had been such a restless atom. But another
great grief burdened my heart, and was an ever-present
menace to my peace of mind. The wife of twenty-five
years, who never entertained an unsatisfied wish, had
not only accepted the last dollar I possessed on earth,
and permitted me to become a public charge, but had, as
I was informed and believed, justified her act with a
claim that I was mentally unbalanced and unable longer
to manage large property interests !
Able to overlook other shortcomings, this to my mind
was the limit. It seemed to me that an attack upon the
integrity of my mental faculties, under all the circum
stances, was wholly unforgivable, and was the moving
cause for two subsequent acts. The first was a divorce,
the decree for which I permitted the wife to take upon
a cross-complaint to my petition, and the second, a return
to Colorado — should my health permit — for occular
demonstration of my sanity.
"Marriage," says Jeremy Taylor, "is the nursery of
heaven." [408]

"¦¦¦•7^TW"S^&': ¦

Typical Foot-Hill Kome Along the Santa Ynez Range
Vine-Clad Chapel at Montecito, Suburb ot Santa Barbara

The right mating of man and woman is the divinest
of gifts to humanity. But I had been unfortunate in the
extreme in my selection, and had for twenty years led
a most wretched domestic existence. However, it had
not, until this last blow fell, been my purpose to seek
relief in a divorce court; and my consent to her taking
the decree, by my non-appearance, was in keeping with
a conviction, always strong with me, that regardless of
reasons or circumstances, the man should take upon
himself whatever odium may attach to a legal separa
tion, and make it as easy and unembarrassing as possible
for the weaker member of the union.

[409]

CHAPTER LXIX.
Again in Harness — Second Collapse — Proposal by
Wire — Shirt- Waist Wedding
Under the improved conditions at the Home, for
which I was solely indebted to the disinterested solicitude
and attentions of Miss Summers, I steadily gained
strength, and by the 1st of May, 1897, against the coun
sel of herself and the Home surgeon, I made prepara
tions for a return to Colorado. I fairly burned with
eagerness to prove to my thousands of friends in that
State that I had been woefully and cruelly libefled, and
entertained a yet lingering hope that, with care, I might
continue to live under its bright skies and effulgent sun
shine. Fortune favored me, for I hardly had landed in Den
ver before I was tendered the position of Managing Ed
itor of the Times, Former associates of the press gang
extended a welcome that fairly warmed the cockles of
my heart. With no worries or business entanglements,
no domestic heart burns or earthly ties to distract, I en
tered upon my duties with a light heart and a fixed deter
mination to make good all along the line. Without
egotism, I believe the editorial page of the Times, during
the summer of 1897, reflected intelligent and well-
directed effort. Certain I am that it displayed the best
work of my life, and I felicitated myself that few if any
readers of the paper believed it was being conducted by
a lunatic. But, Alack! and Alas! With the first breath of fafl,
the first visitation of wintry zephrys from Long's and
Gray's Peak, came a return of my old malady, intensi-
[410]

fied, no doubt, by my arduous labors on the paper, and
again the best professional advice I could obtain was to
hasten away.
I was some time in reaching California, however, .and
sundry unlooked-for events occurred before I was per
mitted again to view the placid waters of the Pacific.
An unusually severe attack of pain en route forced me
to stop at Las Vegas Hot Springs, New Mexico. While
there, after two days' effort, I succeeded in locating Miss
Summers at Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, where she
was visiting a sister. To her I sent what perhaps was
the most unique message ever filed with the Western
Union. After filing it I was in somewhat of a quandry
as to whether it would be taken as a joke or the hysterical
act of a lunatic, but what follows shows the outcome
rather clearly :
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, Amen.
This is to certify that
On the 13th Day of September, in the year of our Lord,
One Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety-seven, at Las
Vegas, in'the Territory of New Mexico, I joined to
gether in Holy Matrimony
Mr. Carlyle C. Davis and Miss Mary AHce Summers,
according to the rights of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, in the United States of America, and in con
formity with the laws of the Territory of New Mexico.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my name,
this thirteenth day of September, One Thousand
Eight Hundred and Ninety-seven. George Selby,
Rector Missionary Parish of Las Vegas.
Witnesses :
Mrs. Geo. Selby,
Beatrice Atkins.
[411]

I had everything to gain and nothing to lose by a
union with Miss Summers. I was penniless, with an
incurable disease, promising candidate for a wheel chair
at an early day at best, and a future dependent solely
upon her professional ability to keep me on my feet, or
at least in condition to perform literary labor.
She took the awful chance, and never since has
whispered a regret for having done so.
My condition called for a quick decision, nor was
there time for the building of a trosseau. She wanted
to have the privilege of caring for me, and hastened to
Las Vegas.
The minister was ready. The minister's wife was
ready. Two others' hearts were ready. It was a "shirt
waist" wedding. But it was divinely good, and has
proved divinely lasting.
After a few weeks' treatment at the Hot Springs,
under the skilled nursing of my wife, we were ready to
resume our journey to Los Angeles.
With the promise of financial support from confiding
friends, I determined to purchase an interest in one of
the established journals of that city, and, with a view of
first obtaining dependable data as to standing and pros
pects, I accepted the position of chief editorial writer on
the Herald, the oldest morning paper there, performing
the duties for the better part of a year, but convinced,
at the end of that period that I could not afford to accept
the property as a gift. So completely intermixed with
corporations was its ownership that success seemed quite
beyond realization. I think my determination in this
matter was one of the most sagacious acts of my news
paper career, inasmuch as far more capable journalists
subsequently failed to keep it afloat, and permitted it tp
suspend as a morning journal in 1912.

[412]

Holy Santa Barbara ! Stern in thy beauty.
Fair in thy majesty, lovely in duty;
Steadfast and honest! With honors due thee,
Hail ! We salute thee !
Firm in the truth as thy thought had revealed it!
True unto death ; thy conviction ne'er yielded
Till with the seal of thy heart's blood thou sealed it !
Hail ! We salute thee !
Faithful and steadfast — nor wavering nor faltering
Not for the ease of life turning or altering;
Not with thy soul for the world's acclaim paltering!
Hail ! We salute thee !
Legend or truth, thy story embue us.
With love of thy courage that with love of thee drew us,
With courage unfaltering thy spirit embue us !
Hail ! We salute thee !
In the autumn of 1898 we went to Santa Barbara,
and were so captivated by the scenic beauties and equable
climate of that matchless seaside resort that we deter
mined to locate there, for a few years at least. Although
more than abundantly supplied with newspapers, I was
conceited enough to believe I could make a place for an
other, and early in 1899 I launched what I believe to have
been the handsomest daily paper ever printed in the
United States. Indeed, it was so faultless in its typo
graphical appearance as to draw out from the Mergen-
thaler Linotype Company a lengthy commendatory let
ter. I secured a franchise from the Associated Press, pub
lished the full western afternoon report, imported tal
ented literary and reportorial writers, and started on a
voyage as brilliant as it was brief.
I soon discovered my error, and suspended publica
tion of The Santa Barbara four months after its birth.
[413]

This was my first business failure; but the enterprise
was full fifty years in advance of the requirements of
the community. The inception was a grievous error, due
to mistaken judgment as to the temperament of the com
munity; but the blunder was at least partially redeemed
by my sagacity in abandoning it before more of my
backers' money was wasted in a fruitless endeavor to
compel people to accept something they obviously did not
want. But I continued to reside in Santa Barbara for two
years, giving much of my time, without compensation,
to civic betterment. A brief recital of my volunteer ef
forts and success in this behalf may not be wholly lack
ing in interest.
The primary requirement of the city was a bath
house. A seaside resort, not without fame on two con
tinents, was nevertheless destitute of accommodations
for bathing. For twenty-five years the people had been
waiting for some one to supply the need. But bathing
establishments are proverbially unprofitable, and private
capital could not be persuaded to make the venture.
When I located there the community was discussing the
practicabiHty of bonding the city for the purpose. But
legal obstacles intervened, and that method had to be
abandoned. Finally, and by private subscription, the
only available site for a bath house was purchased, and
held for some sort of future disposition.
It was a wise step, but only a step, and I was not con
tent with it. Waiting for private capital to volunteer
to engage in an obviously unprofitable enterprise did not
strike me as just the thing, and being named as Chair
man of the Bath House Committee of the Chamber of
Commerce, I began to put my own ideas to the test.
The Chamber named as my associates on the commit
tee Mr. Jno. F. Diehl, the leading merchant, and Mr.
[414]

Walter Hawley, large capitalist and principal owner of
the ArHngton Hotel. These gentlemen heartily ap
proved of my plan of campaign, and lent valuable assist
ance in carrying it to a successful issue. I advertised in
the leading journals of San Francisco and Los Angeles,
offering a long lease of the site at $1.00 per annum,
exemption from taxation for a number of years, and a
free fresh water supply.
Among the responses to the advertisement was one
from Mr. Roy Jones, son of the late Senator J. P. Jones,
of Nevada, a man of resources and practical experience.
He was President of the North Beach Bath House at
Santa Monica, an institution upon which $60,000 had
been expended, but which had never earned a dividend,
although the chief bathing reliance for half a million
people. The reason given was the high cost of heating
water for the swimming pool.
Just prior to my first meeting with Mr. Jones, the
extensive plant of the United Electric, Gas and Power
Company had been located alongside the bath house, and
the exhaust steam from its boilers, utilized without cost,
in heating the water of the pool. That excessive ex
pense item removed, large dividends were in sight.
Mr. Jones suggested a duplication of that scheme for
Santa Barbara, but it was impracticable, because of the
remoteness of the existing power plants there from the
bath house site. However, the suggestion gave me a
hint of a plan by which it could be worked out.
The United Electric, Gas and Power Company owned
gas and electric plants at a number of beach points, and
was known to be desirous of extending its territory. The
President of this corporation agreed with me that if I
could secure an option upon the electric light plant at
Santa Barbara upon his terms he would take over its
property, "scrap" its machinery, erect a new power house
[415]

adjacent to the bath house site, and thus be able to heat
the water for a large swimming pool without expense.
The scheme, nevertheless, was beset with many diffi
culties. The Electric Company was earning comfortable
dividends, but at the same time it owned an unprofitable
gas plant, and it was unwilling to part with the one with
out unloading the other.
A counter proposition comprehended a dual deal of
this nature, supplemented with an agreement to erect a
bath house to cost not less than $10,000.
After long and vexatious negotiations and delays, I
succeeded in closing a deal along these lines, although it
subsequently was found that $10,000 would scarcely
more than start the structure. Fifty thousand dollars
was finally expended, and Santa Barbara, without cost
to its people, at last could boast of the finest bathing
establishment on the Pacific Coast, adjacent to the plaza
and the leading hotel. The Mission style of architecture
was adopted, and it became the pride of the city.
The United Electric, Gas and Power Company
erected and equipped on property adjoining the most
modern power plant on the coast, rehabilitated the gas
plant and opened a large sales room for the display of
gas and electric fixtures.
Later it acquired the Santa Barbara Consolidated
Electric Railway Company's holdings, extended its lines,
laid heavier rails and largely added to its rolling stock.
The building of the bath house and the making of the
improvements here noted were the moving incentives to
the erection by Mr. Milo M. Potter of a million dollar
hotel on the ocean front, and before this acquisition was
fully realized a decided impetus was given to building of
homes and mercantile establishments all over the city,
and there was in the years following a considerable aug
mentation of the population.
[416]

I have dwelt at some length upon this achievement
of the Bath House Committee, less with the purpose of
self-glorification than to illustrate the value of adver
tising to a community as well as to individuals and corp
orations. All of the benefits enjoyed by Santa Barbara
are directly traceable to a five line announcement in the
Los Angeles Times,
Upon taking over the gas and electric plants, the
United Electric, Gas and Power Company tendered to
me the position of General Manager, and placed me in
charge of all its property in Santa Barbara. This was
put in a high state of efficiency, and later sold to the
Southern California Edison Company.
I continued my activities in the Chamber of Com
merce as Chairman of the Committee on Publicity and
Promotion, on Finance and on Federal Building. In
the last named capacity I caused to be introduced into
Congress, by Hon. R. J. Waters, of Los Angeles, a bill
appropriating an adequate sum of money for the erection
of a Federal Postoffice, influenced the indorsement of the
bill by both the San Francisco and Los Angeles Cham
bers of Commerce, and induced the owners of two eligi
ble sites to tender title to them free of cost to the govern
ment. Undertakings of this nature move slowly, and
Santa Barbara did not realize its ambition for federal
recognition for some years.
The Chamber of Commerce membership included a
number of very active, intelligent, sagacious, far-seeing
men, conspicuous among whom was Mr. John F. Diehl,
and with him and others on the several committees I
worked constantly and devotedly along the lines of civic
betterment, rewarded by witnessing great improvement
on the ocean front, in the repair of old and the building
of new roads and trails, and the appropriation of State
funds for sundry public institutions.
[417]

How much the people of Santa Barbara owe to a
score of devoted, self-sacrificing workers of the period
in the Chamber of Commerce directory is recorded in
many visible works of improvement. The only compen
sation they received was the conviction of each that he
had contributed his time, efforts and money, without
expectation of reward, in rehabilitating one of the most
beautiful cities on the continent, a. city with priceless
natural advantages, but which up to that period had not
nearly been appreciated, and only partially taken advan
tage of.

[4181

CHAPTER LXX.
Again with Angels — Creating Fiction and Deal
ing in Junk — Farmer Once More
The wonderful building boom enjoyed by Los An
geles in the first two decades of the century began in
1900, and in the spring following we decided to return
and make yet another effort to rehabilitate a depleted
fortune. That of course was not possible in the pursuit
of my profession. But at Santa Barbara I had about
dissipated my wife's meagre savings, and I could not
afford to remain idle for any extended period. I, there
fore, accepted the first position proffered me, that of
managing editor of the Daily Journal, There is not
supposed to be any place in a modern daily newspaper
office for a "lame duck," but I made good in this place,
the requirements not being very exacting. Indeed I was
able to supplement my editorial work on the Journal
with a book on "Lead Smelting By Blast Furnace," the
technical features of which were furnished by the emi
nent chemist and metallurgist. Dr. M. W. lies, who for
twenty years was head chemist for the Globe and the
Omaha and Grant Smelters at Denver, and inventor of
the "Bag House," a device for extracting precious metal
values from the fumes of the furnace, theretofore escap
ing into the atmosphere. This work has since become
something of a text book for assayers, chemists and met
allurgists. Included in a number of contributions to the periodi
cal press, the East as well as the West, was : "Ramona,
the Real and the Ideal," illustrated and published in the
[419]

December, 1903, edition of "Out West" Magazine. By
reason of my previous long acquaintance with the author
of "Ramona," Mrs. Helen Hunt Jackson ("H.H.") at
Colorado Springs, and my wife's intimacy with the Del
Valles and Coronels in California, we were enabled to
collaborate with success in dissipating the many fictions
regarding the romantic novel of Ramona, the sale of
which has been exceeded by but one other purpose novel,
the immortal work, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Our contri
bution to Out West magazine ran through several edi
tions, and elicited letters of inquiry from all parts of the
world. In this we told the whole story, from inception
to close, and embelHshed it with portraits of all the prin
cipal characters and a number of scenes, including,
amongst the former, Ramona as a child. Senator R. L.
Del Vaile, the "Senor Felipe" of the romance; Senora
Dona Ysabel del Vaile, the "Senora Moreno;" Don An
tonio F. Coronel and Dona Mariana de Coronel, who
inspired the romance and aided the author in its prepara
tion, as well as of the author herself, from a painting by
Harmon. The scenes depicted included a view of Ca-
mulos ranch ; the patio at Camulos ; "El Recreo," the old
Coronel home in Los Angeles ; Don Antonio, Dona Mar
iana and her sister in a Spanish dance on the veranda,
as well as a number of Indian groups at Camulos, Pala
Mission and elsewhere.
This work was so well received, and the demand for
it so much in advance of the supply, that I later decided
to reproduce it in book form, largely extending the text
and multiplying the illustrations. The title was changed
to "The True Story of Ramona," and a handsome vol
ume issued from the art press of the Dodge Publishing
Co., New York, in October, 1914. The work was well
received by book reviewers throughout the country, the
New York Times including it in a list of "the most im-
[420]

portant and useful books of the year." It is on the
market in cloth, $2.00 and full leather, $5.00.
I spent the summer of 1902 in an exceedingly stren-
uous struggle with the grim" spectre of Death, triumph
ing over him in August of that year, under the intelligent
and scientific direction of Dr. H. G. Brainerd, the emi
nent nerve specialist, and the devoted attention of my
wife, who scarcely left my bedside during that long and
trying battle with the great Reaper. Convalescence was
slow, and nearly two years passed before I was able to do
much save with my pen in bed.
Once again on my feet, I got busy with a scheme to
put money in my purse, and would have made quite a
little fortune had I possessed the capital necessary to fi
nance a promising undertaking. Associated with a num
ber of gentlemen I secured a franchise from Mr. Henry
E. Huntington for advertising in the cars of his Los
Angeles electric system, and assigned it to the "West
Coast Advertising Company," a corporation of which I
became president. Unable to equip the cars, a very con
siderable sum being required, I was forced to part with
control, and soon after, minority ownership being irk
some, I took a much lesser profit than I should have re
ceived, and retired from the company.
Given a natural grove of oranges, lemons or walnuts,
plus a comfortable modern bungalow, and ranch life in
Southern California is ideal, especially if one has a bank
or other profitable business in a near by city to compen
sate for the usual hiatus between income and outgo.
O, yes, I have heard of the man who, upon a five acre
plot of ground, supported a large, family above interest
upon investment, only I never happened to encounter
him in the flesh. Nor did I ever harbor the faflacy that,
after failing in all other undertakings, a man can al
ways make a success of farming. It did not require
[421]

experience to convince me that it calls for a higher de
gree of intelligence than almost any other pursuit —
greater watchfulness and devotion, a keener perception,
sounder judgment. I went on to a ranch in the San
Gabriel Valley in 1904, anticipating just about what
subsequently happened. It was set solid to EngHsh wal
nuts, presumably in full bearing, and the net returns
from which would about pay the "keep" of a man and a
team. The profit and "living" must come from what
could be produced between the rows of trees and in the
product of henery and rabbitry. There was naught else
on the place but a mortgage. Rare indeed is the Califor
nia ranch without a mortgage ! I managed to acquire a
team and the necessary implements and tools. Then I
built a barn which sheltered self and wife till I could
erect a suitable dwelling, the live stock meanwhile con
signed to a shed. I realize that these details are not of
thrilling interest, but they seem to me to serve a purpose.
White men cannot compete with Orientals in truck
gardening, hence I gave my attention to special crops.
Sweet potatoes were most promising. Formerly the
market had opened at 7 to 10 cents per pound, declining
to 3 cents. But it was my luck to strike a 3-cent opening
market, declining to 1 cent. Otherwise I should have
netted sufficient from my first crop to build a home.
The next year I went in for Casaba melons, supposed
to mature in mid-winter and yield fabulous holiday re
turns. No soil was ever better prepared, no young
shoots ever more devotedly nurtured. But the crop fully
matured in September, and it would have puzzled a Bur-
bank to classify the yield. It was neither a melon nor a
cucumber, but a cross between the two, which neither
chickens nor hogs would eat. The seedsman had sold
me a gold brick, and lawyers advised me I could not
recover.
[422]

But the flowers and plants and vines, early started,
now began to glorify the place with their blossoms and
verdure. I had sold a part of the land, and with the
proceeds erected a unique bungalow, a rustic bridge and
a pergola. We named the place "La Unica," and it soon
was regarded as a show place.
Finally, I hit upon one thing that could be raised with
certainty. That was the price. One can always raise
the price on a Southern CaHfornia ranch. Then I sold
at an advance of $1600 an acre, and later took over a
grain ranch in Orange County, swapping that for
orange groves in Duarte, and, almost before I was aware
of it, I was engaged in the real estate business, swapping
city for country, and country for city, to the great de
light and profit of regular agents, who absorbed in com
missions about all the real money that developed in the
various deals. I did not carry this to its ultimate con
clusion, else I should eventually have landed in the poor
house. Just how long it can profitably be engaged in is
a problem that perhaps might be referred to the man
who broke the bank at Monte Carlo.
A dealer, desiring to illustrate the dullnes of the
realty market, once said to me: "The truth is, we're
afl in a hole down here, and everybody is engaged in
trading holes." While in the business a number of inci
dents developed emphasizing the proneness of a class to
dishonesty. Thus, for an equity in a vacant lot, upon
which I was paying interest upon an $1800 mortgage, I
was offered a clear property in Kern County, consisting
of two acres of ground, improved with a two-story ce
ment house, occupied by the leading mercantile estab
lishment of the place, the postoffice and sleeping rooms.
Thus the owner pictured it, adding that he had realized
$50 a month rent for a long period, and had never been
assessed for taxation. [423]

It was a very alluring proposition, and my first im
pulse was to close the deal at once, lest it get away from
me. But prudence dictated a little probing.
Replies to letters of inquiry developed these facts :
That three years previously the postoffice had been dis
continued and every house in town except this one taken
down and removed to Johannesburg (being of cement it
could not be moved) ; that it had never been occupied by
store, postoffice, or anything else ; and finally that it oc
cupied unsurveyed government land, and hence was not
taxable! A cement house in the desert, with a woeful
past, and a more woeful future ! I looked up that owner,
and forced him to reimburse me for my outlay in dis
closing his rascality.
But this incident discounts the one just related : For
a Los Angeles property I was offered in exchange a 40-
acre ranch in the northern part of the county, twenty
acres in alfalfa, twenty acres raw land. Providing the
two "flowing wells" would furnish sufficient water to
irrigate the entire tract, it would be an acceptable
"swap." I inspected the ranch and was pleased with its
appearance. A mammoth reservoir was well nigh over
flowing. The wells didn't "flow," but there was a fine
pumping plant on the place, and I requested that it be put
in motion. The engine worked handsomely, like a thing
of life, but not a drop of water issued from the pump.
The circumstance amazed the owner even more than it
did me, but after a hurried consultation with his fore
man, he divested himself of boots, waded into the reser
voir and turned a lever, when straightaway a generous
flow came from the pump. Something was said about
a "converting lever," but it didn't impress me at the time,
and everything being shown to my satisfaction the ex
change was made. Several months later, after I had
disposed of the ranch, the true inwardness of that manip-
[424]

Mission Home Built b>- the Author at Santa Barbara
Author's Bungalow^ in South Pasadena
Home of the Author in Oneonta Park

ulation of a "converting lever" was disclosed. The
owner had operated the pump eighteen consecutive
hours before the date of my visit, in order to make a
showing of a vast supply in the reservoir; but he had
overdone the trick, leaving the well dry. However, he
had previously run a four-inch pipe line from reservoir
to well, and at will could turn a lever and empty the
former into the latter. Thus, when I viewed the oper
ation, four inches of water was being emptied into the
well while the pump was lifting but two inches out of it.
Had I been at all suspicious of such trickery, 1 would
soon have witnessed the phenomenon of the water dis
appearing from the reservoir faster than it was being
pumped into it. I should never have known the trick
played upon me had not the rascal returned to the
neighborhood at a later period and boasted of his
achievement. Joyous to me of all the months in later years was
September, 1912, when the Grand Army of the Republic
held its national encampment in Los Angeles. Stellar
feature of the function was the presence in all of the
parades and at all of the receptions of the George W.
Cook Drum Corps and Band, of Denver, which I had
assisted in organizing thirty years previously. The
corps consists of eighty men and three girls, all wearing
an attractive uniform. The piece de resistance of this
band is a patriotic musical number entitled "The Battle
of Gettysburg," its production occupying from half to
three-quarters of an hour. This, I believe, has never
been attempted by any other musical organization in
America. It has been a feature of every national en
campment of the Grand Army for more than a quarter
of a century. In recognition of my early efforts in be
half of the corps, and because I had been the author of
the prelude to the "Battle of Gettysburg," General Cook
[426]

gave me position at the head of the line, and I was per
mitted to carry a handsome banner presented to the corps
by the ladies of Denver.
Proud the day I thus marched with old comrades up
the slopes of Fort Hill, traversed by General Fremont's
command, way back in the dim distant past ! What mem
ories it invoked! What thrills! What glorious climax
to gladsome reunion!
Securing transportation for the corps, I heartily
enjoyed a day with my former Colorado comrades at
Catalina Island, helping them to a side trip in glass-
bottomed boats, where for the first time they viewed the
indescribable wonders of the great deep. That they fully
appreciated the privilege may be judged from what fol
lows: Headquarters of the
Geo. W. Cook Drum Corps and Band, ,
City Hall, Denver, Colo.,
Mr. C. C. Davis, October 19, 1912.
Los Angeles, Cal.
Dear Sir:
At our last meeting the following was adopted:
Resolved, That we tender our most heartfelt thanks
to Mr. C. C. Davis for his great kindness in making it
possible for us to visit the Santa Catalina Island, while
attending the G. A. R. National Encampment at Los
Angeles, September 9 to 14. To show our appreciation
of his great kindness, be it further
Resolved, That he be elected an honorary member of
this organization, and that he be presented with one of
the official badges of the corps, to be mailed to him by
our Leader. We trust that he will receive this token of
our appreciation and friendship, and that he will wear it
with pleasure to himself and honor to our organization.
Hoping that Providence will make his declining years
the most happy ones, we subscribe ourselves,
The Geo. W. Cook Drum Corps and Band,
G. H. B. Heale, Leader,

[426]

An astigmatic friend once pronounced me a "born
promoter." I reflected that I had been quite successful
in promoting public interests, and might achieve for
myself. I therefore organized the Industries Invest
ment Company, and became its active manager. I was
not disposed to despise the day of small things, and am
sure I should have been moderately successful in hand
ling the propositions put up to us; but my associates
scorned these, and voted to list only such schemes as
were beyond our reach. To be sure, we booked a few
hundred million acres of Mexican land, and formed a
quasi partnership with a coterie of distinguished Mexi
can statesmen, one at least a member of Porfirio Diaz
cabinet; but the display of their names on our stationery
had the effect only of raising a doubt as to our integrity.
Real investors naturally judged us by the company we
kept. I came very near realizing $150,000 on one deal,
the Sonora Land Company taking that profit a short
time after our option expired.
The Industries Investment Company finally went out
of business, having lost everything but honor, and we
had a close shave on that. We had undertaken to pro
mote the purchase of a Chinese junk, full armored, its
cabin fifled with all of the instruments of torture used
by the Oriental pirates, the craft manned by a native
crew. This vessel was to be anchored in Southern Cal
ifornia waters and opened to visitors until it should lose
its novelty, when it was to be put in the excursion trade.
Negotiations had been about concluded with the na
tive governor of a province when the imperial govern
ment at Pekin fired a "firman" at us, prohibiting the sail
ing of the vessel. No armed craft had ever been per
mitted to leave Chinese waters, and the traditions and
customs of five thousand years were not to be waived,
even at the behest of the Industries Investment Co. But
[427]

our "go-between," the shrewd chap we had dispatched to
the Orient to make all the preliminary arrangements,
did not propose to be balked by a firman issuing from the
titular head of a paltry four hundred million people ; and
without hint to us of his purpose, he had a Chinese junk
built at a North Pacific ship yard, after plans, specifica
tions and photographs secured by him in China. This,
after exposure to the elements for a few months, to give
it the color of antiquity, he proposed to palm off on us
and the California public as genuine. But we got a tip
in time to save our good name, if not our good dollars
expended, and to cancel a tentative contract entered into
with an electric corporation, thus washing our hands of
the whole blooming junk business.
The Industries Investment Company, during its rel
atively brief career, did harm to no one, and retired with
honor, all claims against it adjusted. I was by no means
discouraged or out of conceit with my equipment as a
promoter. The Industries Investment Co. fiasco was
not properly chargeable to me. It is not easy for any
body to sell what he hasn't got to people who don't want
it. My next venture was more letgitimate, and although
its success depends upon developments in the future, it at
least promises handsome returns. This consisted in the
exchange of Cuban lands for the California rights to
manufacture and sell cement products under the Sawyer
system of plural moulds, my holding in the company
earned by promoting activity. As I write, the Cement
Age is dawning, the cement sky already wears a ruddy
hue. Associating with me a number of prominent Los
Angeles gentlemen, the California Unit Brick and Tile
Co. was organized, and I became a director and Sec
retary, and finally President. It is a holding company,
its profits to come — with emphasis on the "to come" —
[428]

upon the sale of territorial rights and upon royalties.
Paid emissaries are going about the country, telling lurid
stories about our wares, leaving the old and withered
head of the concern in the handsomely appointed offices
at Los Angeles, employing odd moments in putting the
finishing touches to this volume of recollections of a busy
life, punctuated with successes and failures, but always,
I believe, inspired by high ideals and more or less decent
purposes.

[429]

CHAPTER LXXI.
The Case Submitted to a Jury of My Peers — What
Shall the Verdict Be?
I have reached the end of my narrative. It is an odd
story of an unique career. If it shall have failed to con
vey a message and taught a lesson, it will to me be a dis
tinct disappointment, and I shall feel as if my candor had
been wasted; for I have hoped that it would be more
than a book of entertainment, more than a simple rela
tion of incidents in the life of a busy man, more than
an impressionist picture of events occuring along a
more or less picturesque course of wandering. I have
hoped that the younger reader, by reading between the
lines, might glean some profitable deductions from its
perusal. Carefully read and inwardly digested, he
should be able to gather some useful pointers from my
varied experiences.
Endowed with perhaps an abnormal amount of
egotism, I doubtless have enlarged upon my achieve
ments ; as an offset I at the same time have candidly con
fessed to blunders and conceded errors by no means
flattering. It will be remembered that I was living in
a peculiar atmosphere, in a community of heterogenious
elements, the counterpart of which never before had been
witnessed. And, by way of further extenuation, I may
always plead that I had been brought into the world only
half made up, and never should have been born at all.
I stated that conviction in the opening chapter of this
volume. In his definition of Success I think Mr. Belford, in
[430]

"An Appreciation," is correct. It is what a man does,
and not what he swipes and stows away, that spefls
Success. He is good enough to declare that in his opin
ion my career has been monumentally successful, and
he adds that "there is not enough in the manuscript
about the Author." Those who are inclined to agree
with him on that point may have recourse to the "Ap
pendix," where is massed a compendium of flattering
testimonials by contemporaries of the press. I regret
that I was not nearly so careful in clipping and preserv
ing "testimonials" of a different character, for I surely
would have included some few samples of the "roasts"
with which from time to time I was favored by my
"esteemed contemporaries." In the absence of these I
am constrained to allow that the wicked things said
about me would easily fill a large volume. It is one of
the privileges of the editor to be abused by men who do
not relish having the truth told about them. I have been
rather merciless in my condemnation of wrong and in
my castigation of wrong-doers, and in consequence I
have harvested a formidable army of detractors and
more or less belicose enemies. Ijrobably was the mo^t
cordJiUy^ d^lesled^individual in Leadville. Actions for
libel in a multiplicity of cases abundantly attest this
fact. If one really desires to know what kind of a fellow
I was, he should consult the files of the other papers,
teeming with illuminating literature of a nature dis
tinctly personal. Nevertheless I may say, as did Col.
Joyce upon an historical occasion, that while I may
have puffed smoke in the window of some official Essex,
I never trampled upon the royal robes of the virgin
queen." At least I enjoyed the reputation of always
paying my debts. Why, the credit man of a Chicago
paper house once said: "Stop! Don't let him go! I
want to see the man who pays for his goods before he
[431]

gets them — the only Davis on our books who isn't a lame
duck!" Speaking of the Davis family, I should not omit a
story about one of them. It was at a social function, at
the home of a very devout man, who scrupulously ob
served the custom of saying or having said grace before
the breaking of bread. It was a numerous and a lordly
company, and when all were seated the host — and I was
conscious that his eyes were focused upon me — with
great solemnity declared that "Mr. Davis will now ask
the Divine blessing." In the moment that followed, a
moment that seemed a full hour, I am sure I heard my
own heart beat. But in his own good time, provokingly
deliberate man that he was, the Reverend William Davis
arose from his seat at the other end of the table and
began his supplication ! It was an awful moment. Few
know how much of human suffering may be crowded
into the sixtieth part of a second!
I was on the point of registering a boast that I never
did anything actionable under the criminal statutes ; but
I recall the circumstance that once I was apprehended
for publishing a challenge to mortal combat, a penal
offense under Colorado laws. This constituted one of
the most humorous incidents of my career. Arrested
and taken before a Justice of the Peace for preliminary
hearing, I asked that a bailiff be permitted to go out with
me in search of bondsmen. Without responding to my
request, the Justice laboriously filled out the blanks of
an official bond, and, signing it himself as a surety and
handing it over to the bailiff for his signature, two only
being required, he perfunctorily filed it away, and bid
me a very good morning!
That was the last I ever heard of the case. On the
way to the court I had called upon my lawyer, Hon.
Charles Cavender, now a Colorado District Judge, and
[432]

LA UNICA RANCHO
Approach to Author's Home, San Gabriel Valley

taken him with me. Returning to my office with him,
I treated him to a twenty-five cent Perfecto — and that
was all the retainer he ever received.
Technically I was guilty. The advertising columns
that very morning contained the challenge in bold black
type, though I had not seen it. The clerk had received
it in the course of business the day before, and, because
of its nature, had charged an exhorbitant fee for its
insertion. It was a narrow escape. A less friendly
Judge might with perfect propriety have held me to the
Criminal Court on the charge, and he as easily might
have been more exacting with regard to the financial
standing of the sureties offered!
Almost a quarter of a century ago a wise Doctor
looked me over with great minuteness, taking various
measurements of my anatomy, skillfully manipulating
the stethoscope and other mysterious surgical appliances,
and carefully jotting down in note-book the data thus
accumulated, the while looking the personification of
solemnity. The result was entirely too suggestive, too
alarming, for discussion in my presence. The truth must
be unfolded to me gradually and delicately, lest it pro
duce too great a shock. Then to my most intimate friend
outside the family the terrible fact was disclosed that I
was marked for the Reaper. "How long. Doctor?" tim
idly yet fearfully inquired my anxious friend. "Oh,
that is uncertain. A year, possibly — three months, prob
ably." "My heavens! Doctor, what can it be? What
is the nature of the ailment?" "Well, we can't tell ex
actly — a spinal lesion. If I must give it a name I should
pronounce it locomotor attaxia. Your friend should put
his affairs in shape as soon as possible!"
I was given twenty-four hours in which to return to
LeadviHe and dispose of the product of seventeen years
of strenuous effort.
[433]

I fefl for the Science of Medical Jurisprudence. And
for more than twenty years I have been bemoaning my
folly. The Doctor ? Oh, he has been dead these dozen
years past. He was a perfectly healthy, robust specimen
of physical manhood when he pronounced sentence upon
me. I long since forgave him. Twelve other Doctors
subsequently confirmed his diagnosis. My escape from
death Remains no less a myracle
Of Him who turns the proud resolves of Kings
To mockery, or guides them to the end
By the most slender thread.
The twenty years of convalesence have not been in
vain. I have enjoyed a few comfortable hours. I have
been happier than ever before. I have learned much.
With Burns I may affirm that —
It's no in titles nor in rank;
It's no in wealth like Lon'on's bank.
To purchase peace and rest.
It's no in makin' muckle mair.
It's no in books, it's no in lear,
To make us truly blest :
If happiness hae not her seat
An' center in the breast.
We may be wise, or rich, or great.
But never can be blest ;
Nae treasures nor pleasures
Could make us happy lang;
The heart ay's the part aye
That makes us right or wrong.

[434]

APPENDIX.
Summary of More Recent Developments in the Leadville
Mining District, by Henry C. Butler, Editor
Herald-Democrat.
"Chance," that fickle and uncertain goddess, is usually credit.ed with presiding
at the birth of most mining cam.ps. Mere casual and fortuitous circumstances
have frequently com.bined to bring to light hidden treasures, and the most trivial
accidents are responsibl.e for revealing bonanzas whose existence was never
dreamed of before. The story of the early Leadville is no exception to the rule,
for men gave little heed to bald geological discussion, and dry technical details
relating to that bit of the earth's crust under which such fabulous deposits of
carbonate ore had been discovered.
But in the early nineties mining men had in th.eir possession a mass of
geological data on which they could predicate certain very definite conclusions.
Men were willing to "gamble" in miining with the same enthusiasm and th.e same
daring, but they wanted an even break with Nature, and the science of geology
became a handmaiden whose assistance was always actively in demand, and she
was most generous in her rewards.
The development of the Leadville Gold Belt was made possible by a careful
study of surrounding conditions, it had been determined, with a fair degree of
accuracy, that the great ore channels or shoots had a general northeast and
southwest direction, and this important generalization, established after a dozen
years of careful study, furnished the clue to the discovery of the famous Ibex
mine, with its marvelous record of millions in gold. The great mineral belt at
that time comprised Fryer, Carbonate and Iron hills, but beyond these to the east,
Breece hill remained without the sisterhood, a Cinderella still sitting in her rags
awaiting the com,ing of Prince Charming. Surface prospect work had shown no
indications of. extensive mineralization, but beyond, to the northeast, a solitary
mine, known as tbe New Tear, had revealed the presence of surface ores of con
siderable value. The Little Ellen, in the same section, was also productive, but
they were far removed from the active silver-lead producing areas.
If the Leadville ore deposits extended northeast and southw.est, the continua
tion of the outcrop deposits of the New Tear and Little Ellen must certainly
be found in Breece hill, providing sufficient depth could be attained. It was such
reasoning as this which led the pioneers in the Ibex, John F. Campion and James
J. Brown, to undertake the development of the Little Johny claim, and they
secured substantial financial backing from George W. Trimble and A. V. Hunter,
prominent bankers of Leadville. Both Mr. Campion and Mr. Brown had been
carrying on mining operations In other portions of the district, and their enter
prises were unusually successful. Mr. Brown had been superintendent of the
Maid and Henriet Mining company, a Smith-MofCatt enterprise, while Mr. Campion
is credited with having opened up several or,e shoots in the Leadville basin, which
first revealed the wealth of that portion of the district.
The sinking of the first Ibex, or Little Johny shaft, proved to be one of the
most difficult undertakings ever carried to completion in Leadville. It was
necessary to sink through beds of quicksand, and in order to keep the shaft from
caving, heavy timbers were driven in endways. The work proved to be enor
mously expensive, but having put th.eir hands to the plow these men decided to
see it through to the end, and the soundness of their judgment was fully justified,
for in 1893 the shaft reached the ore body, and from that year to the present
time — 1916 — the production of ore has been continuous.
The elfect of the "Little Johny discovery" was magical, although the owners
were not anxious to give out any information. Leadville seemed to take on new
life, particularly as the chief value in the ore was gold. In the years that fol
lowed a number of new mines had been opened, and the district had established
itself on a more permanent basis than ever. Such minxes as the New Monarch.
the Fanny Rawlings, the Garbutt, the Resurrection, the Dolly B, the Little Vinnie,
the Fortune, the Big Four, the Bix Six, the P.enn, the Ballard and the Luema
have been added to the galaxy of producers, and their combined output may be^
safely estimated at one hundred million dollars.
With Leadville's mining industry now assured and established by the opening
of a far wider area than had before been dreamed of, there came new confidence.
The Smith-MofEatt combination had opened large ore bodi,es in the Leadville
basin, on the eastern edge of the city, in the early 90s, but this whole territory
had been practically abandoned, after the labor strike of 1896, and miles of work
ings were flooded.
Another chapter in the history of Leadville was written when, in 1899. the
task of unwatering th© Penrose and oth,er properties was undertaken by Major
A. "V. Bohn, who organized the Home Mining company for that purpose. Many
[435]

m.ining men were somewhat skeptical of the outcome, believing that the Smith-
Moffatt combination had practically taken out all the valu.e. The Home company,
however, proved a most successful venture, and the result was the mining oper
ations in this particular area received a most remarkable impetus, and the basin
underlying the eastern part of the city was the scene of active mining until 1907,
when mining again ceased, owing to the fall in the price of metals, due to the
world-wide panic of that year.
In the prosaic days of the twentieth century, with the mining industry solidly
and substantiaUy based on well understood lin,es, and with the character and
nature of th© ore deposits well understood, it did not seem possible that there
were any more surprises in store for Leadville. And yet at a time when the
situation was at a low ebb, on account of the dullness of the metal markets, the
decreasing grade of the ores, and the tim.idity of capital in the matter of mining
Investments, the fickle goddess of Chance once more waved her wand, and to
the astonishment of the mining and the metallurgical world, of miner and
scientist alike, an entirely unexpected form of mineralization was discovered,
which has since proved to be one of the bulwarks of Leadville's prosperity.
Zinc ores abounded in the Leadville district, but, so far as anyone knew, only
in the form of sulphide. In early days zinc, when found in combination with the
other metals, was a detriment, as it could not be saved in the process of smelting
with gold, silver, lead and copper, but had a tendency to clog the furnaces, and
consequently, its presence being undesirable, resulted in a. penalty being imposed
hy the smelters. By 1900, however, high grade zinc sulphide ores found a market,
and zinc mining became part of the recognized business of the district.
The grade of the ore, however, gradually became lower as the richer sulphides
were worked out, and it looked as if this resource were soon to be a thing of
th© past, when, in the summer of 1910, some casual tests showed the existence of
zinc in a form hitherto unsuspected. Carbonate of zinc, or smithsonite, and cal
amine, or silicate of zinc, are well known minerals, but miners, geologists, metal
lurgists and mineralogists had b.een walking through immense deposits of these
ores in the Leadville mines w^ithout suspecting their existence in commercial quan
tities. Fryer hill, scene of the earliest mining activity, was the c.enter of the first
excitement. The Hayden mine, which had already been abandoned, developed
an immense body of the mineral, and, as the demand for spelter was very good,
there was little difflculty in marketing the ore.
The Western Mining company's properties on Carbonate hill took on a new
lease of life. The Western company had taken over the Maid of Erin, the Henriet,
th© Wolftone, and other famous early-day bonanzas, and the new consolidation,
under the management of Hon. Samuel D. Nicholson, had been vjery successful.
Mr. Nicholson had been identified with mining in the Leadville district since early
days, and his ability as a mining man had been clearly demonstrated in connection
with many important enterprises. The Guggenheim interests controlled the West
ern company, and Mr. Nicholson was placed in charge as general manager, he
himself being on© of th© large stockholders. The presence of the oxidized zinc
in this territory soon enabled the W^estern company to add enormously to its
tonnage, and other large mines were enabled similarly to increase their output.
The story of the Upper Arkansas Valley begins with placer mining in the rich
beds of California gulch. That was in 1860, when only the most primitive methods
of separation were possible. In 1911 placer mining again received a most remark
able impetus by the introduction of th© gold dredge. The installation of a dredge
costing $125,000 on the old Derry ranch, by the Derry Ranch Gold Dredging com
pany, marked an important epoch in Leadville history. Th© plant has been
taking a thousand dollars a day from ground that had never been supposed
to be practically workable, and gives assuranc.e of long continued productivity.
The remarkable advance in the price of all the metals has created a new
prosperity for Leadville. In 1916 three great pumping enterprises were under way.
in as many drainage areas, for the purpose of reopening old mines and penetrating
greater d©pths. The raen of '79 w.ere inspired by hope, courage and enthusiasm,
and the men of 1916 are demonstrating the same indomitable qualities.
A Few Excerpts from the Contemporary Press.
WHILE VISITING THE METBOPOMS
(New Tork Daily Graphic, March 11, 1881)
? • ? In two years Mr. Davis has built up a business worth $50,000.
and owns besides considerable bank stock, mining shar.es and mining property
in Lake, Gunnison and Summit Counties. His Alma Mater was a printing offlce,
the education of so many of our public men. He is a stalwart Republican, and
his paper is a power in the councils of the party in Colorado. His success aem-
onstrates what can be done in the West by young men having the ability, industry
and perseverance of Mr. Davis.
WHILE PASSING THROUGH NEW MEXICO
(Los Vegas Daily Optic, 1886)
"Cad" Davis, as he is familiarly known, founded that phenomenal newspaper,
the Leadville Evening Chronicle, and he has, through good and evil reports, and
all sorts of brilliant encouragements and profound discouragements, remained
with th© great carbonate camp with unflinching faith and courage, until today he
is the owner of all the newcpa-Pers in Leadville, and has accumulated a hand
some fortune. Hundreds of men have been in his employ for the past seven
[436]

years, and not on© of them ever left his service who would not flght for him
afterwards. He always paid the highest salaries and njever missed a pay-roil.
A capital writer, and thorough n©wspap©r man, comprehending ©very detail
of the business, h© is acknowledged to be the b,est journalist in Colorado, and his
merits as a man are quite equal to his excellence In the newspaper fleld. He
has been contemporaneous with every phase of iournalism in the greatest mining
camp of modern times since its foundation, and his "Re minis en ces" would, if
printed, make a lively as well as bulky volume. He is a trim-built, clear cut,
hawk-eyed man, put up on steel springs, and ther© is no limit to his energy. He
is today exercising a large influence both on the politics and material weal of
Colorado, and h© will keep it up for many years to come. H;e Is one of th©
notable characters in his famous State, and the writer, as one of his old em
ployes, who owes him, like all the rest, nothing but good will and kindness, is
glad of the opportunity to give the readers of this journal some Idea of one of the
brightest, best known and most successful of Western journalists, who can count
as his friends ©very man that ever worked for him.

A MAIN STAT IN THE SILVER CITY
(Denver Times, March 17, 1896)
For over sixteen years, and up to his recent unfortunate illness, Col. Davis
has been one of the main stays of the great Sliver City. He has never faltered
in his devotion and loyalty to it, and his papers have always had their columns
open to its advancement. He has long been considered one of the most able
of editorial writers in Colorado, as well as one of the keenest and most just of
men in the management of his affairs. The news of hia illness was received
with wide spread sorrow, and that it should r.esult in compelling him. to relinquish
much that he held dear is to be doubly regretted. That the good wishes of
hundreds of admirers and friends will go with him ia assured, as well as sincere
hopes for his ultimate recovery.

A DISTINCTIVE MARK ON HISTORY
(Leadville Journal, May, 1907)
* * * Leadville people will always have respectful consideration for
the opinions of Col. Davis, and we realize as the years roll on, that in him the
city had an able, forceful mind which made a distinctive mark upon the journal
istic history of the West. ^•ECCENTRICITY IN MANY THINGS"
(Denver Sun, July, 1884)
* * * Col. Davis has been with Leadville in all her trying times,
and his voice has always been heard for what seemed to him the true policy of
the town. It is said of him that he does more work than any three men in his
employ. H© is a clear, cogent and graceful writer, and an equally forcible and
clear-headed business man, as his success in the face of all competition shows.
His mental bent is that of an extremelj' decisive man. When he becomes infected
with an opinion, he drives it at the public with a sledge hammer. To this force-
fulness h© owes several dozen very enthusiastically bitter .enemies. His strong
individuality gives him the popular reputation of eccentricity in many things.
His integrity has never been question,ed any more than has the existence of
Leadville's ore vein. His editorial position and his decided views have thrown
him more or less into politics. After the bitterest fight that ever occurred in
Lake County he was aent to the National Republican Convention that nominated
Blaine. His friends announced his name without consulting his wishes, and being
once in the fight he stayed, despite the frenzy of antagonism displayed by a very
influential faction of the Republican party which he had scourged editorially.
Mr. Davis won, but at the same time declared he would never again be a candi
date for political honors. This attitude he has consistently maintained, despite
the urging of his candidacy for the State Senate and other offices.
FINE COMBINATION WHILE IT LASTED
(Cincinnati Commercial, August 4, 1883)
A Leadville dispatch announces the purchase of the Leadville Democrat by
C. C. Davis, one of the founders of the Leadville Chronicle. * * * The
guiding genius of the latter paper was Davis, whose dauntless energy and inde
fatigable vigilance, nervous activity and far seeing shrewdness, was making itself
felt everywhere. A livlier man never lived. But for a brief period he had an
able, well balanced, sedate and logical mind to act as a ballast for th© editorial
hold of the fuU-rigged little craft — that of John Arkins. While Davis could see
and draw news and revenue from a hundred directions at the same time, Arkins
could hold level the political end of the booming mining camp. Whilje Davis
could, with provoking coolness and a revolver, stand off the belligerent element
that tried to interfer© with the policy of th.e paper, or could lie whole nights in
the cock-loft of th© rickety log^ cabin in which the paper was printed, with a
doubl©-barr©lled shot gun for his sole companion, trying to prevent the offlce
from being burned to the ground, Arkins could throw hot shell and dynamite
into the chaotic condition of society with the view of reducing it to a degree of
order and decency. It was a fine combination while it lasted; but soon Arkms
had to go into the valley for his health. Davis stuck. His acquisition of the
Democrat indicates his purpose of monopolizing the newspaper business of the
lively city on the mountain top. and. judging from his past achie^'ements. he
win not be long in accomplishing his ambitious aim..
[437]

THE PROFESSION FITLY RECOGNIZED
(Denver Republican, May 27, 1884)
We heartily congratulate Mr. Carlyle C. Davis on his election as a delegate-
at-large to the National Republican Convention. It is a compliment to a good
newspaper man which all good newspaper men should appreciate. It is a recog
nition of a generally unrecognized profession which does a good deal of work for
snide politicians and gets v©ry Uttle in return. Barring the head of the delegation,
General Wm. A. Hamlll, no man on the delegation will have more influence at
Chicago than Col. Davis.

"TOO SCARCE TO DISPENSE WITH"
(Pueblo Chieftain, August 9, 1895)
C. C. Davis is reported to be noticeably improvmg sine© his removal to St.
Luke's Hospital in Denver. He takes a cheerful view of life in his new surround
ings. He has many friends in this State who hope for his ultimate recovery.
Men of Mr. Davis' stamp in the editorial harness are too scarce to dispense with
him for many years yet to come.

STRIKE AND BURN OF THE INVECTIVE
(Major Ward, in the Herald Democrat)
* * * The Evening Chronicle from its first issue. The Herald frum
its early years, and the Herald Democrat from, the tinxe it was given its dis
tinctive character, have been chiefiy under the direction and management of
C. C. Davis. Under his control they have ta;een powerful factors In the life of
Leadville, and, through the city, in the life of the State. And they have been
factors for good. They have been true and feari.ess. In the earlier times they
fought effectively to curb lawlessness and violence, and make life in the new and
wondrous camp safe and comfortable. Later they strove to good purpose to
establish th© fair and benign rule of taste and refinement. They have advised
and striven intelligently and successfully for the making of the most of Leadville's
opportunities. Mr. Davis has made his power felt in the strike and the burn of
the invective which he has turned upon that he believed to be wrong. He has,
too, exerted an infiuence to build up, to restore and to cheer, in the strength of
his advocacy, in the wisdom of his counsel, and the kindliness of his encourage
ment. As he bore his part in th© first days in th© confldence of courage and the
severity of justice, so he has taken his way through the latter times in the
cheer of helpfulness and the gentleness of charity. And along his ways, through
all times, there has been the bounteousness of generosity. As at the resistless
demands of failing health, he seeks a well eam.ed rest, all will wish for him quick
restoration to his wonted efflcient and benificent activities.

PASSING THROUGH THE WINDY CITY
(Chicago Daily News, December 15, 1885)
* * * In 1879 he established the Leadville Evening Chronicle. Three
years ago he acquired the Morning Democrat, and now he has gathered in the
only other daily newspaper, the Herald. There has not been a public enterprise
in Leadville with which he has not been identifled, and he has always labored
earnestly in behalf of the permanent industries of Colorado. His career has been
so full of earnestness, sincerity and honest industry, that no one would deny
him the success that hgLS crowned it.

RATHER THAN DESERT A FRIEND
(Chicago Record-Herald, June 6, 1884)
Doc Dougan forever! In a fair fight for delegate-at-large from Colorado
Carlyle C. Davis won out. Dougan helped him. There are som.e people out there
who do not like Davis because he told th.e truth about them, and they started
in for a fight. Dougan was President of the Carbonate National Bank, and they
came to him with a lot of depositors and told him that unless he would desert
Davis, $150,000 of the deposits would be withdrawn. Rather than des.ert his
friend, Dougan resigned. He deserves th© gratitude of every newspaper man in
the country. He Is a MAN,
NEVER FORGOTTEN HIS OBLIGATIONS
(St. Louis Chronicle. October 4, 1885)
C. C. Davis Is one of the men who made Leadville, Colorado. He went to
that town when the boom first struck it with 75 cents. That was six years ago.
In four years he was postmaster at $5000 a year, City Clerk at $4000, President
of the City National Bank, and the owner of three daily papers. Although a
small man, Davis is a "hummer." He has continued to accumulate riches during
the past two years until now he has to call in his neighbors to figure up his
worldly possessions. Through all of his successes, Mr. Davis has never forgotten
his obligations to the public as a journalist, or the true purpose of a newspaper
that is published in the interest of a community. In a late Issue he took occasion
to say: "When a paper fails in its mission in this regard, it forfeits the respect
of its patrons and is fit only for universal contempt." That is the true ring.
That is the principle of a journal that is printed in the interest of the masses
rather than in the Interest of a corrupt clique or to further the schemes of
oppressive monopolists. [438]

A VERY DOUBTFUL COMPLIMENT
(Kansas City Times. Sept©mh©r 2, 1889)
* * * Col. c. C. Davis is proving himself to be the James Gordon
Bennett of the West in newspaper enterprise.

"A QUELL DIPPED IN VITRIOL"
(Durango Democrat)

If Col. Davis succeeds In opening a newspaper emporium in Denver, the
kindergarten institutions there will have to stay up late o' night and arise ©arly
in the mawnin' to keep up with the procession. Davis wields a pen dipped in
vitriol, and otherwise calculated to do damage. There is going to be a monkey-
and-parrot time 'ere the burros nest again.

MOST INFLUENTIAL IN THE STATE
(Hutchinson, Kans., News)
* * * Mr. Davis is the most noted editor in Colorado, and his papers
the most influential in that State, while at the same time the most independent.
He now owns all of the newspapers of Leadville, his phenomenally successful
career having demonstrated that he combines those qualities so rarely found in
one person, namely, fine literary talent and great financial genius.

"WIELDED A POWERFUL INFLUENCE"
(Denver Republican, May, 1897)
• * • The retirement of C. C Davis calls for a word of acknowledg
ment of his long, successful and honorable career as a journalist. Mr. Davis
founded the LeadviHe Chronicle, and subsequ©ntly purchased th© D©mocrat and
the Herald. In this capacity he wielded a powerful influence in the politics of
the State, as well as on ita industrial and commercial progress, and he at all
times maintained a reputation as an abl.e, brilliant and vigorous journalist. * *
He retires with the respect and good will of all the newspaper men of the State.

A WELCOME HOME BY THE PRESS
(Colorado Springs Gazette, May, 1897)
All of the newspapers, and most of the people of Colorado, will welcome the
return of Col. C. C. Davis to the editorial harness. Healtli partially restored, he
has accepted the position of managing editor of the Denver Times, since which
date the fourth page of that most excellent paper has bristled with the bright
writings of his pen.

"OBSERVES A MARKED IMPROVEMENT"
(Fort Collins Courier, May, 1897)
* * * Col. Davis has been a resident of Colorado more than twenty
years. H© la an editorial writer of exceptional ability. A marked improvement
is already noticeable in the editorial columns of the Denver Times.

"UNAWED BY THE MANY EXACTIONS"
(Leadville Herald Democrat, Feb. 4, 1899)
The return of Mr. Carlyle C. Davis to the fleld of active newspaper work
will be hailed with gratification by his many friends in Leadville. Today the
flrst issu© of his new venture. The Santa Barbara, reached Leadville, and its
reception by his old friends would have gladdened the heart of its publisher,
had he been able to see it. Many hearty expressions of praise and congratulation
were to b© h©ard as the neatly printed sheets were unwrapped in stores and offices
throughout the city. Editorially, it is Cad Davis at his best, and the evidence of
its editor's full return to health and vigor gave pleasure to the people among
whom he labored so many years as a journalistic "guide, counsellor and friend."
We can wish him no better than that The Santa Barbara shall increase with the
years and bring to him the same measure of success which attended his labors in
this field. To have reared on© such monument as stands to testify to his energy
and ability in the Herald Democrat and Chronicle should be enough to satisfy
the vanity of the average man, but Mr. Davis is not an average man, as he
proves by setting out boldly in the afternoon of his life to build another in a new
land, undaunted by established contemporaries and unawed by th,e exa<;tions the
task will make upon his strength. Leadville sends a cheer for his daring and
confidence in hia success.

"LIKE A BALMY BREEZE PAL3I LADEN"
(Leadville Miner, Feb. 4, 1899)
* * * It is edited in Mr. Davis' usually happy style, and comes to
the froaty old mountains like a balmy breeze laden with the breath of palms and
of orange blossoms. * * • -^j.^ Davis is certain to create a stir in news
paperdom in Southern California. The entire population of Leadville will wish
him success in his new venture. [439]

"LONG ON GUSH, SHORT ON FORESIGHT"
(Santa Maria Graphic)
* * * Mr. Davis is an all round newspaper man, long on gush and
short on foresight. The make-up and arrangement of the paper are far in the
lead of any daily paper we ever have seen.

A MUCH APPRECIATED QUALITY
(Santa Barbara Herald)
One apparent dominating characteristic of the editor of The Santa Barbara
is his disposition to hold himself above the petty newspaper dissensions and
jealousies that have so long characterized th© profession In this town. The
"flings" of his more or less alarmed competitors that gre©t©d his first arrival were
magnanimously ignored by the new man, who astonished the editors of the older
sheets by giving them the same complimentary mention that he bestowed upon
other local institutions — th© cllmat©, the scenery — in fact, everything Santa
Barbaran. If Mr. Davis persists in this unusual civility toward his contem
poraries, we shall admire him aa much for hia self-denial as for his courtesy.

GLIMPSE OF THE DARING NEW COMER
(Santa Barbara Leader)
* • * All were eager to catch a glimpse of the daring new comer,
who put in an appearance in the face of an over- crowded journalistic field. The
journal Is fashioned after the height of the printer's art, and is well styled in
every respect. It reads well, appears modest in its aspirations and takes a sensi
ble position as to what it will be. W© hop© "The Sajita Barbara" will have a
clear conscience, as clean a record, and as bright an appearance when it ap
proaches Volume 2.

BEST LOOKING DAILY IN CALIFORNIA
(Santa Barbara Herald)
Col. Davis' new afternoon paper mad© its first appearance last Saturday,
and Is by far the best looking daily newspaper ever Issued in California.

A COMPETENT MAN AT THE HELM
(Santa Maria Times)
The initial number of "The Santa Barbara" came to hand Monday night.
There appears a competent man at the helm, and a long string of competent men
and women on its staff, but just why its owner has ventured his wealth in the
undertaking Is hard to conceive.

"A RATHER STIMULATIVE AWAKENER"
(Los Angeles Herald)
Th© first issu© of "The Santa Barbara," a daily journal published in its name
sake city, is a model of clean, modern typography, and proves that its editor,
Carlyle C. Davis, formerly one of Colorado's most successful newspaper men, has
implicit confldence in the future of the city by the sea. Santa Barbara has In
former days been characterized as a delightful but somewhat aleepy place, but
Mr. Davis' paper will surely act as a very stimulative awakener.

"WHAT A NEWSPAPER OUGHT TO BE"
(Los Ang©les Times)
The publication of "The Santa Barbara," a new afternoon newspaper, has
been begun at Santa Barbara. if th© promise given in the character of the
first issue shall be fulfilled, the paper will be deserving of liberal patronage. It
evinces a comprehensive knowledge of what a newspaper ought to be, its matter
is well written, and its make-up and typographical features are especially
attractive. It has the Associated Press service, supplemented by special dis
patches. A CONFIDENCE BORN OF SUCCESS
(Los Angeles Express)
* * ? Mr. Davis has achieved success both as an editor and general
manager of newspapers, and he will give the people of Santa Barbara an excellent
afternoon paper. "TYPOGRAPHICALLY. AT THE HEAD"
(San Luis Obispo Breeze)
? • ? Typographically it stands at the head of the daily publications
of this State, renowned for the excellence of its daily papers. "The Santa Barbara"
appears to be a long way in advance of the requirements of the city where
published; but if merit Is the nxeasure of success there will be no question as to
the result of th© venture. [440]

"LIKES ITS TAKING INDEPENDENCE"
( Lompoc Record )
The long talked of new dally, "Th© Santa Barbara," made ita appearanc©
Saturday as an afternoon messenger of news, good cheer, and cultivated thought.
Mr, Davis, in the initial number, introduced himself well and grandly to the intel
ligence of the city and county. As a competitor the new paper will be a formid
able rival to tb,e other papers, quite as m.uch from its superiority as from its
taking Independence, a feature much needed in these times of poUtical degen
eration. We shall watch th© progr©ss of this new v©nture with a desire to see it
maintain Its high standard, which will leave a wholesome impress and will elevate
journalism. '^BOLDEST MARINER ON CHOPPY SEA"
(V©ntura Democrat)
The "Santa Barbara" is the title of a brand new daily newspaper just launched
by C. C. DavlB, th© boldest mariner on the choppy sea of journalism. W© say
bold, because a man 6ndow©d with sufflcient courage to establish a daily paper,
equipped with Mergenthaler and other expensive up-to-date msLchinery, in a
town like Santa Barbara, already crowded to sufCocation with newspaper offlces.
Is dallying with a great future an4 wasting valuable time in a rickety experiment.
H© ought to emigrate to Spain or Mexico, where h© soon would command fancy
wages as a champion matador at the bull fights. We admire nerve and enterprise,
and would fain extend our congratulations and best wishes, but candor compels
us to say that we shall be agreeably disappointed If "The Santa Barbara" should
live to a venerable age.

HONOR OF HEADING THE PROCESSION
(Leadville Herald Democrat, 1912)
* • • Mr. Davis was instrumental in organizing th© "George W.
Cook Drum Corps and Band," twenty-flv© years ago, when he and General Cook
were in Leadville together. Hence, it was particularly appropriate that Gen'l
Cook, paying a nice little merited compliment to his early day Leadville friend.
should tender to him the honor of heading the procession in th© Grand Army
parade through the cheering crowds that lined the streets of Los Angeles.

THE BANK PAID DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR
(Leadville Herald Democrat)
Some workmen engaged in tearing down a part of th© old City National Bank
building, yesterday, recovered a twenty dollar gold piece which had been in a
rubbish heap for the past twenty years. In 1881, after the bank failed, C. C.
Davis was elected President. He made th© statement, on taking charge, that
the institution should pay its depositors dollar for dollar. It did so. It is the only
bank in the State with such a record. But it cost Davis a fortune and his health
to do It. The gold piece bears the date of 1870. It was found in a deposit box
in the vault which had been cast away in the debris.

PECULIAR INTEREST AND GREAT VALUE
(Los Angeles Herald)
The leading article In Out W©st for December is entitled "Ramona, the Real
and the Ideal," by Carlyle C. Davis, a veteran Colorado editor and publisher.
Mr. Davis was Intimately acquainted with Helen Hunt Jackson, and his knowledge
of the author and her work, combined with his lat© residence in Los Angeles,
has given the article a peculiar interest and great value. Some popular traditions
are ruthlessly exploded, but nothing is taken from the recognition that humanity
owes to Mrs. Jackson for her work, both in the practical and the ideal sense.

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NOVEL
(Leadville Herald Democrat)
Whatever subject is touched by the facile and graceful pen of Col. C. C. Davis
is certain to be illuminated and clarified, it is scarcely necessary to say this to
Leadville people, who have become familiar with his singularly lucid style during
the period of his journalistic activities here as editor of the Herald Democrat and
Chronicle. He was by far the ablest editorial writer in the West. For some
years Mr. Davis has been a resident of Los Angeles, and it would be strange
indeed if the singularly romantic history of that land of sunshine, ita picturesque
rtilns, its semi-tropic climate, and its quaint old peoples, did not appeal to his
imagination. We have before us, in Out West magazine, a most delightful article
of his. "Ramona, the Ideal and the Real." It is, in brief, the stoiTr of Helen
Hunt Jackson, th© author of Ramona, "a romance," Col. Davis says, the influence
of which has been second to the production of but one other American novel. Uncle
Tom's Cabin." In thia article, which is moat profusely lUuatrated. Col. Davis
seeks to find the inspiration for the novel. * ^ * * -.. Jf^^.in*' tVn" .^ p^^
the .romance is bas©d are quite as interesting as the story itself and told in (^o L
Davis" inimitable style, his article furnishes a permanent addition to the history
of that portion of the country. [441]

HE DID A GOOD LITERARY SERVICE
(Los Angeles Express)
Of especial interest is the article, "Ranaona, the Ideal and the Real," which
is the initial contribution to Out West. So much of nonsense has been written
about "H. H." and her Indians, that an authoritative and sensible article such
as Is this is a pleasure to peruse. It is fin,ely illustrated, and its writer, Carlyle
C. Davis, has done a good literary service.

PRONOUNCED VALUABLE HISTORICALLY
(Los Angeles Tinges)
The leading article in the current number of Out West, "Ramona, the Real
and the Ideal," will be welcomed by all classes of readers, but will have peculiar
interest for the readers of Helen Hunt Jackson's purpose novels, of which Ramona
was the moat conspicuoualy entertaining and successful. The author, Col. C. C.
Davis, enjoyed a life acquaintance with Mrs. Jackson, and since coming to Cal
ifornia has enjoyed exceptional advantages for procuring unpublished facts regard
ing the inspiration for the novel from the idealized characters yet living here.
In a singularly pleasing way Mr. Davis tells the plain, unvarnished story, and
clears away much of the fiction that has attached to the theme with the lapse
of time. The article is valuable from an historical standpoint as well, and will
take the place of many unreliable and unauthentic tales that have been printed
and generally believed. The article is suitably illustrated with scenes and por
traits that giv.e added relish to its perusal.

"CLARIFYING THE ATMOSPHERE"
(Colorado Springs Gazette)
The friends of Col. C. C. Davis in Colorado, and their name is legion, will
welcome an illuminating article from his pen that appears in the current number
of Out West, the leading magazine of the Pacific slope, entitled "Ramona, the
Real and the Ideal." Col. Davis was a welcome visitor to the home of Mrs.
Jackson in this city, enjoyed her confidence to an unusual degree, and deeply
sympathized with her life work. Thus equipped, he has been able, better perhaps
than any other person, to pick up the threads on the Paciflc coast, and weave
them into an interesting story, valuable historically as well a,s entertaining. His
contribution also serves a well defined purpose of clarifying Ramona atmosphere
and clearing up many of the absurd stories that have gained credence, but which
had no foundation in fact. The story of Col. Davis is appropriately illustrated
with scenes and portraits, very helpful to the reader.

RAMONA WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
(San Francisco Chronicle)
The author of "The True Story of Ramona," Carlyle Channing Davis, has
done a good service in sifting the chaff from the wheat in the large body of
reminisence that has gathered about Ramona and its author. Most of the facts
were gathered at first hand, and this gives a remarkable freshness and vivacity
to the narrative. * * * Ramona is a classic which will never be for
gotten while love and romance, self-sacrifice and pity for the unfortunate stir
the human heart.

A VALUABLE ADDITION TO HISTORY
(Los Angeles Express)
It is seldom that a story creates interest enough for other books to
be written about It; but the author of "The True Story of Ramona," Carlyle
Channing Davis, was impelled by patriotic and sectional interests, so to speak,
as well as literary. It is a valuable addition to the libraries of Southwestern
history, as it deals with possibly the second book which in a literary way has to
do with Southern California.

HAS A UNITY AND COMPLETENESS
(Los Angeles Times)
"The True Story of Ramona," by Carlyle Channing Davis, has a unity and
completeness independent of the novel, and recites many incidents and phases of
romance that are new and interesting. The book is designed as both a tribute
to and interpretation of the work done by Mrs. Jackson, and a sketch of her life,
with emphasis upon her sincerity and the far-reaching eftect of her influence, not
only lends value to the book, but will do much toward widening and deepening
appreciation for Ramona and its author.
"IT IS REALLY A ROMANCE ITSELF"
(Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer)
"The True Story of Ramona," by Carlyle Channing Davis, is an account of
the eminent author of Ramona, and how she came to write the novel, together
with the facts and fictions, the source and inspiration, that went to make it the
second largest seller in the flction market. It Is really a romance Itself, Involving
thrilling events and tragic episodes, together with many hitherto unpublished
facts. [442]

IT WILl HAVE A WIDE BEADING
(San Jose Mercury)
No historian, no other writer of romance, has portrayed as has Helen Hunt
Jackson in Ramona the patriarchial life on an old California rancho, with ita
lavish hospitality to all wayfarers, its bands of Indian retainers, and its deeP'
religious life, that mellowed all the flne old Biblical spirit and set it apart from
the modern life that has crowded it out of all existence. How the great novel
came to be written, its inspiration and purpose, is told with remarlcable fidelity
in a volume just from the art press of the Dodge Publishing Co., New Tork,
"The True Story of Ramona," by Carlyle Channing Davis. It Is a splendid
addition to the history of early California, and will have a wide reading in all
English-speaking countries. IT IS A SUCCESS WELL DESERVED
(San Francisco Argonaut)
A book about Ramona deserves some attention from a public interested in the
story of the West, and attracted by a vigorous narrative style that proceeds only
from enthusiasm. ... rphe information about Helen Hunt Jackson
herself, in "The True Story of Ramona," hy Carlyle Channing Davis, Is so liberal
as to amount to a biography. "We may confess that Ramona herself, as a human
cliaracter, leaves us somewhat irresponsive, but no one can remain irresponsive to
this impressive background of early days, with their simplicity, their devotion and
their courage. It is in the presentation of a panorama that the author flnds his
success, and it is a success well deserved by competent workmanship and con
scientious accuracy.

"DID A GREAT LITERARY SERVICE"
(Leadville Herald Democrat)
In the New York Times annual book review is a list of flfty of "the best
and most useful and Important books of the year," included in which is "The
True Story of Ramona," by Carlyle Channing Davis. It is evident that Ramona
has grown into a classic, and in gathering together all of the facts relating to the
production of this remarkable hook, in presenting in true perspective the real
scenes and incidents which make up the groundwork for Mrs. Jackson's novel,
Mr. Davis has performed a great literary service. Subordinate in interest only
to the publication of the book is the presentation by Mr. Davis, to the Los
Angeles County Museum of History, Science and Art, of the robe, sandals and
girdle of Father Sanchez, whose character is Idealized in Father Salvidierra.
These sacred and historical articles were procured by Mr. Davis from Miss Gwen-
dolin Sandham, of London, daughter of the late Henry Sandham, the artist of
Ramona, to whom they were presented by the reverand father.
THE WORK OF TWO COLORADO PEOPLE
(Rocky Mountain News)
Those who read "The True Story of Ramona." if they already have read
Helen Hunt Jackson's novel, turn eagerly back among its pages to identify its
heroes, heroines and villains and their haunts, with tbe not less picturesque
originals so vividly portrayed in this book by 1;he author, Carlyle Channing Davis,
so widely known throughout the West as a writer. If they have not read the
novel, this delineation of wonderful men and women and their influence on the
production of a wonderful roraance, hasten them to make its acquaintance. It is
a unique and interesting work, giving facts stranger than fiction among the
adventures of Helen Hunt Jackson, by an author singularly equipped for the task.
NO ONE COULD DENT HIM SUCCESS
(Chicago News)
¦• * * Colonel Davis has had a remarkable career. He is now the
owner of three daily papers. There has not been a public enterprise in Leadville
with which he has not been Identified, and he has always labored earnestly in
behalf of the permanent Industries of Colorado. His career has been so full of
earnestness, sincerity and honest industry that no one would deny him the success
that has crowned it. "AS SAGACIOUS AS ENTERPRISING"
(Chicago Tribune)
There is talk of another Republican daily newspaper in Denver, and It is
said that Col. C. C. Davis is going to be at the head of it. He has three papers
already in Leadville, and he has mad.e a remarkable success In life the past
dozen years. He is an exceptionally enterprising man, but he is as sagacious as
enterprising, and we do not believe he can have any serious thought of engaging
in Denver journalism. HE HAS PERFORMED A GREAT SERVICE
(Los Angeles Times Editorial)
Carlyle Channing Davis has written a flne book calltd "The True Story of
Ramona." In doing this he has performed a great service. Ramona has been
one of the books which helped the world to realize that California was on the map.
[443]

RECOLLECTIONS OF COL. SAM D. GOZA
(Butte Miner)
"When I was a kid along in the fall of '79 or the spring of '80, while working
in the circulation department of The Leadville Evening Chronicle, I was sent one
evening over to The Herald oflice to get some paste. I got the past© and cam©
back, and then the brilliant idea occurred to m^e that I go Into the press room,
get a Uttle news ink out of the fountain, mix It with the paste, and with the
mixture decorate the front door knob. The suggestion was promptly acted upon,
and a little later who should com.e flying thro' the door but the boss himself!
And the line of profanity that followed his entrance was some exhibition. The
next day Mr. Davis posted a notice in the offlce, offering a reward of $10 for
information aa to the person who decorated the door knob. That ten dollars
looked big to me at the time, and after debating the matter in my mind for a
short while I decided I would earn It, So, after getting on the safe side of the
counter from my irate chief, I told him. He promptly handed me a ten dollar
gold piece, and to my amazement sent me back to work, refusing to flre me,
for both of which generous acts I was duly thankful. The incident illustrates
the character of the man. His fury was ever short-lived."

HOW THE LttPOSSIBLB WAS ACHIEVED Denver, January 11, 1892.
C. C. Davis, Leadville.
Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your favoi- of January 8. According to the
rules of the Colorado Passenger Agents Association, and our advertisements with
other lines, we could not Issue annual passes to Messrs. Cavender, Wood and
Dougan, on account of The Herald Democrat. It gives me pleasm*e, however, to
enclose with this complimentary annual passes as follows: C-652, T. S. Wood;
iC-653, D. H. Dougan; C-662, Chas Cavender. Yours truly S. K. HOOPER.
General Passenger Agent Denver and Rio Grande Railway Co.

COURTESY OF A RAILWAY OFFICIAL Denver, March 19, 1896.
Mr. C- C. Davis, Leadville.
Dear Sir: To relieve you of any possible embarrassment in the matter,
I write to ask that you retain the annual passes over our lines issued to yourself
and members of your family, r©gardl©ss of the rules and custom of returning such
transportation upon the transfer of ownership of a newspaper. I hope you will
retain the three annual passes, and that you will make good use of them during
the year. With kind regards, Very truly yours,
S. K. HOOPER,
General Passenger Agent Denver and Rio Grande Railway Co.

HOW GOVERNORS SOMETIMES ARE MADE
Colorado Springs, February 19, 1889.
Hon. C. C. Davis, Leadville.
Dear Sir: Col. Elijah Sells, father of our Secretary and Auditor, is an appli
cant for the Governorship of Utah. I am informed that Mr. Sells has always
been very active in the interests of the Republican party, was once Secretary of
State of Iowa, later Auditor of the Postoffice Departnaent during Lincoln's adniln-
istration, and that he is endorsed by such men as Senator Sanders of Nebraska,
Judge Dillon of New Tork, Judge Usher of Kansas (member of Lincoln's Cabinet),
Governor Ramsey of Minnesota (member of Hayes' Cabinet), Senators Wilson and
Allison of Iowa, Justice Miller of the U. S. Supreme Court, and others. * • •
Our Mr. Sells is very anxious to s.ecure the endorsement of Senators and Represen
tatives, as well as the State officials, of Colorado. I shall feel deeply indebted to
you if you can secure these endorsements for Col. Sells. I know of no one so well
versed in politics as you are in this State, and that is my reason for soliciting
your influence in his behalf. Tours very truly,
JOHN SCOTT,
President Colorado Midland Railway Company.

HOLIDAY GREETING FROM THE GREAT
Chicago, January 2, 1896.
Dear Old Cad: Your kind letter 27th ultimo reached me early yesterday
morning, just in time to hear you aay, "Happy N.ew Tear!" Tou certainly write
as if you were feeling better — that is if you ever were sick — because you write
just as you used to talk, and I am flrm in thjc belief that you will come out all
right If you stay In California long enough. I hope to be able to see you some
time this month, as I am going out there with my successor. ? • • i
enclose some transportation, which I hope you will be able to use over our
Southern California lines at least. Very truly your friend,
D. B. ROBINSON,
President Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company.
[444]

SOLICITUDE OF A COLORADO ERIEND
o» V »» ^,T>..» , Denver, November 10, 1897.
Hon. Stephen M. White, Los Angeles,
Dear Senator: Mr C. C. Davis, who for 18 years was proprietor and editor
of the Leadville Herald Democrat and Chronicle, has been an intimate friend of
mine during all that penod. He has been at the very head of his profession in
Colorado, and has exerted a powerful influence for good in Leadville and through
out the entire West. He Is a very able writer, as well as a good business man and
newspaper manager. While conducting partisan Republican newspapers he has
never hesitated to attack his own party or oppose its candidates when In his own
judgment the interests of the people demanded it. • • • Upon with
drawing from Leadville, on account of ill-health, he was offered the management
of Denver papers at high salaries, because of his ability as a writer and experience
as a manager. • « . Desiring to establish himself in business in Cal
ifornia, I am sending him to you for counsel and advice. Should he permanently
establish himself in your State, he will soon become a potent factor in public
affairs. I can say without hesitation that he is a gentleman of high honor in
business and professional work, absolutely loyal to friends, and an able advocate
of any cause he espouses. He has probably wielded a greater Influence in tho
interest of bimetalism than any other person In Colorado or the West. ¦• •
• He Is a very quiet, modest man, but the more you know him the higher
he will stand in your estimation. Sincerely yours,
C. C. PARSONS.

THE RESULT OF INDIVIDUAL EFFORT
(Hall's History of Colorado)
Carlyle C. Davis needs no elaborate Introduction to the public, no synopsis
ff°J"^\ °1? ^°? illustrious ancestry, to prove his worth, for this has been estab
lished by the standing he has attained through the force of well directed effort
„.»,, „ • .1, 'WTien we consider the use he has made of the opportunities met
with during the past two decades, and the rank he occupies in the profession of
journalism, the conviction is plain that he must have been a diligent reader and
student, for we know that whatever of knowledge and mental culture he has
acqmred beyond the rudiments has been the result of Individual effort, unassisted
by schools or teachers, for at the age of ten he was apprenticed to a printer.
We know that Mr. Davis' mental training, under the unfavorable
conditions of his boyhood, was irregular and Imperfect, for there was neither
time nor advantages at his disposal; yet he had no sooner mastered his trade than
he began to teach. At the age of 16 he was the editor and manager of a weekly
newspaper. While his primitive efforts may not have been either brilliant or pro
found, It was a bold beginning, which testified to his ambition and his resolve
to pursue an independent course until something worthy should be achieved. *
* • * We haye accepted, without consulting him on the subject, the self-
evident proposition that while a printer's boy of all work he idled away no time
but assiduously applied himself to the practical duties of life, in preparation (or
the stage he mounted with strong self-reliance immediately after the expiration
of his indenture. ... jjjg phenomenal success at Leadville became
so soon accentuated that two powerful contemporaries sprang up to contest the
fleld, the Herald and the Democrat; but, lacking the business qualities which in
large degree have contributed to the success of Mr. Davis, both in due course
succumbed to fate and were merged in The Chronicle. Since then he has been
the sole master of the journalistic field in Western Colorado. More newspapers
have gone down in disaster from the want of business skill and sagacity than
from the lack of editorial prescience and power; Indeed the foundation of every
successful newspaper lies in its counting room. Happily, Mr. Davis was not
only a capable writer, but a superior financial director, which accounts for his
fame and fortune. That he is a potential force In county and 'State is widely
conceded. Nothwithstanding the town and county In which he lives is about
evenly divided between the two great political organizations, his journals exercise
large Influence in both, and have thus far been able to control most of the elec
tions when fairly conducted. • * ? jje was elected City Clerk and
Delegate-at-Large to the National Republican Convention, was chosen President
of the City National Bank and appointed Postmaster; but he has neither aspired
to nor held any other public positions, but has devoted his energies and talents
to the advancement of the public welfare, with what success the record shows.

UNSOLICITED TRIBUTE OF A FRIEND
(Dr. D. H. Dougan's Contribution to Current History)
The biography of Carlyle C. Davis Is not very different from that of thousands
of self-mad.e men who, by industry, intelligence and force of character, have
emerged from the masses and become leaders of men. • * • All of
the yeare preceding his advent in the embryo mining metropolis were but a
preparation for the work now before him. The years of toil, of care, of self-
denial, of diligent study, were now to flnd their reward. His two associates were
early lured to other flelds, their interests in a journal grown to proportions not
dreamed of at the time of its foundation absorbed by Davis. His contemporaries,
after flerce contests for supremacy, fell one by one In the conflict, were purchased
by him and added to his now great establishment, the largest in the State. ••
* * Mr. Davis has been successful, not alone because he made himself
master of all the details of his profession, nor yet because of his correct business
[446]

knowledge. These accomplishments have had their value, but, added to them and
above them, he has the tru,e instincts of a journalist. In the matt©r of news he
knows what the people want, and gives it to them. But it is in the editorial
columns that we flnd the reflex of Mr. Davis' mind. No matter whether in accord
with public opinion, or diametrically opposed th,ereto, his convictions upon all
important topics are set forth fearlessly. Always intensely in earnest, his opposi
tion to men and measures is something more than opposition — with him It is flerce
conflict; his opponents are enemies to be attacked, conquered, destroyed, annihi
lated, and many a budding statesman has gone down to untimely obscurity before
his lightning-like strokes, his withering invective, his scorching satire. Shams,
frauds, falsehoods, political or social, excite his indignation; no party ties or
political affiliations will condone with him a disregard of truth, honor or manliness
— as has been attested in th© political history of the State during his editorial
career. * * * jjjg greatest weakness — if such it be — is his devotion
to friends. His own inter©sts are always subservient to the welfare of those privi
leged to be classed with those he loves. For them no sacrifice is too great, no
labor too tiresome. • * * While h© aspires to leadership and is a
leader in politics, he is not a politician. Office has no attractions for him. His
demand is that parties and officials shall be honest, that they shall well and
faithfully serve the people. With no personal ambition to gratify and no privat©
ends to serve, his papers are among the most powerful of any in thje State In the
influence they exert in moulding public opinion. His newspapers axe an Institu
tion, and with it all must take notice who want or hold office. There is no such
word as Compromise in Mr. Davis' lexicon. Aspirants for Place must show their
credentials. Holders of Place muat make good. Davis and his papers constitute
a bulwark in defense of popular rights.

REFLECTIONS OF A GOLD BELT BOOMER
Denver, Colo., January 13, 1916.
My dear Mr, Davis:
Tou and I lived during the years of 1893, 1894 and 1895 in Leadville. We
shared the fortunes of that great mining camp together during those very dark
days of the panic of 1893, and together probably did as much as many others to
bring this great mining camp again Into public notice and throw upon it the
spotlight of the Gold-Belt Boom of '94 and '95.
It was thirt©©n years after my flrst visit in 1880 to Leadville that I again
cast my lot with the fortimes of this camp which, in January of 1893 and the
next few months, was at almost its high tide of prosperity as a silver-lead mining
camp, and in th© few weeks preceding the end of June the camp presented prob
ably the busiest scene In real mining and in real production during its entire
history. The stream of ore teams that came down from Iron HIU, Carbonate
HIU and from Fryer Hill, was almost continuous night and day. Everyone was
hopeful for the future, not only in mining but in every line of business, was
looking forward to a period of unprecedented prosperity for Leadville. Suddenly,
and without warning to most of us, on the morning of the 2Sth of June came
the news of the closing of the India Mints, and many a mining millionaire and
many a business man awoke on that morning to flnd himself ruined financially,
and you and I were counted among the unfortunates. From a feeling of pros
perity, of wealth and of hope, we all awoke to flnd the camp apparently ruined.
How despondent th© people of Leadville were and how deep was the gloom that
pervaded the camp can be understood probably by the following lines that were
written for and sung at a Consolation dinner at the Elk Club on July 1, 1893, by
Mr. A. A. Blow, whom the entire mining world knows well:
Listen to My Tale of Woe
Up in these mountains high and blue 
Listen to my tal© of woe —
Dwells a shining metal, of silver hue.
Which was freely coined in '72
Into dollars on which the eagle flew.
Listen to my tale of woe.
Some prospectors one day tramping through,
Listen to my tale of woe;
Sat down on the rocks their grub to chew^
And there on the ground, 'midst the grass and dew
Saw outcrops of silver, which they knew.
Listen to my tale of woe.
CHORUS
Hard trials — tlm,es look blue,
A silver dollar is not worth a sou;
All on account of tha*^ Gold-Bug crew —
Oh! listen to my tale of woe.
Then thousands of miners to these mountains flew,
Listen to my tale of woe.
And thousands of mines they began to hew
Out of these rocks where the silver grew.
And wealth to all began to accrue —
Listen to my tale of woe.
[446]

They foimded railroada and cities, too.
Listen to my tale of woe;
And millions of dollars Into smelters blew,
And built an empire vast and new
Which the Gold-Bugs of eaTth can never subdue.
But listen to my tale of woe.
CHORUS
Hard trials — times are blue.
Silver is down to 62;
The act of the villainous Gold-Bug crew.
Listen to my tale of woe.
But with damnable purpose and selflsh view;
Listen to my tale of woe.
Came the English lord and the Wall str.eet crev/
And to ruin of many, the benefit of the few,
Our free coinage laws they did undo —
Listen to my tale of woe.
And our silver they knocked to 62,
Listen to my tale of woe;
But the Gold-Bug shall learn that day to rue.
For from New Orl,eans to Kalamazoo
Shall th©y hear free silver's hullabaloo,
And listen to our tale of woe.
CHORUS
Hard trials; times look blue;
Silver and lead not worth a sou;
All on account of the Gold-Bug crew —
Listen to my tale of woe.
Under free coinage now we'll set a jack screw.
Listen to my tale of woe;
Turned by our backbone, brain and sinew.
And will fight like a desperate starved Zulu,
To beat Grover Cleveland, th© big Tahoo —
Listen to my tale of woe.
Then we'll buUd a high wall 'long th© big Mazoo,
Listen to my tale of woe ;
And we'll fill to sinking a big canoe.
With the monometallic Gold-Bug crew.
And sink them forever out of view —
Listen to my tale of woe.
CHORUS
Hard trials; for the story ia true.
But better times will sure ensue.
And we'll drink to the death of the
Gold-Bug crew —
Listen to my tale of woe.
Tou will recall as many another tb© exodus of people from Leadville during
those summer months, and the effort of thoae who remained to gather their wits
together in an efEort to see what could be don© to sav© what little they had and
to retrieve their broken fortune. With the advent of the gold standard the
thoughts of the world were turned towards the production of gold. I, myself,,
sent several prospectors out from Leadville, some to Lackawanna and Half Moon
gulches across th© Arkansas and others again to the Dillon and Breckenridge
districts, and right here I want to recall to you an afternoon visit that I paid
to you some time in August or September of that year, and your remark while
freezing the pain that racked your body, "that everything had gone to the dogs
and all that you had worked for was lost," and the auggestion which I made to
you, that inasmuch as the world wanted gold, Leadville could furnish that also,
and that the best evidence of it was the millions in placer gold taken from
California gulch. The secret of the source had not then and even now has not
been fully determined or discovered. I called to your mind also, th,e production
of those early times on Printer Boy Hill, notably the Printer Boy and Lillian mines,
since very early days, and the Antioch mine and its mill built to tr,eat low grade
ores, and my suggestion that if we would but try that possibly we might induce
prospecting within the limits of the camp for gold. I recall that you doubted
whether the leading mining men of th.e camp would support the effort to develop
Leadville as a gold mining camp, and even after you had secured the consent of
seven of the leading mining men of Leadvill.e to write articles on Leadville as a
gold camp, and after Mr. Blow had promised to furnish us the topographical and
geographical maps necessary to exploit the scheme, you questioned whether we
could raise the little funds necessary to carry on the campaign, and I recall your
remark to me, that everything was gone any way and that you might as well send
the rest that vou had after it; that you would print these various gold-belt articles
and maps in" the paper and we would run the chance of getting the money.
Really it was just like spending your own credit after w.c thought that everything
else was gone. [447]

Fev,' mining men will forget the series of articles furnished by Mr. Campion.
Mr. Blow, Mr. Noble, Mr. Wood, Mr. Moore, and others which appeared in succeed
ing Sunday editions of th© Herald Democrat. Nor of that map of claims; the
topographical maps, th.e geographical section that Mr. Blow furnished us, and
excellent plates of which you obtained and published in connection with
these articles. And while it was the wonderful faith and marvellous
discoveries of Mr. Campion "and Mr. Brown in the Little Johny mines, that
really rehabilitated Leadville in the mining world, the publicity and advertising
which you gave this movem.ent in the Herald Democrat during all those months
induced a tremendous amount of development and prospecting, resulting in the
sinking of hundreds of shafts and the resumption of work in abandoned workings,
and really was the basis of much of the prosperity of the camp ever since. This
was notably the case witli the work that was carried on in the old Silver Cord
tunnel, the Tak Mining company, and particularly the development of the Monarch
and the Resurrection mines. The real good that was accomplished in Leadville
by that advertising and by the so-called Gold-Belt boom was proven of tremendous
value, not only to the camp but to the State of Colorado. It was all done by the
leading men of the camp and through their faith of the possibility of the Leadville
district. I want to recall to your mind one of the many amusing incidents that
occurred during this mining boom. Tou will remember the Rex drill hole which
was sunk by Bob O'Neill and L. D. Roedebush, and on which for a time It seemed
that the whole future of the Gold-Belt excitement rested. Tou recall the time
when the excitement seemed to halt and wait almost breathlessly for the result
of the sinking of that shaft, and chat as they came closer and closer to the point
where the ore was shown in the drill hole, that the excitement and the anxiety
of many was apparent in more ways than one. If they failed to find the ore as
indicated, what explanation could be given? There were many theories as to its
occurrence, and I recall that a few days before it was expected that they would
reach the ore body you felt that it would be the proper thing to prepare the Public
mind in case of a possible fai!ure of this shaft; that the late Mr. Boehmer wrote
an article for your paper that explained the occurrence of this ore in one way,
and another mining expert wrote an article explaining it a different way. At any
Tate these articles served to let the public mind down to th,e point where dis
appointment came easy. For the ore was never found, even after repeated at
tempts to this day. However, the excitement had accomplished its purpose, and
many mines that have produced millions since were opened up as the result of this
excitement. The winter of '94 '95, saw in the State many repetitions of the scenes of
earlier days and the return of many a miner and many a promoter who had
sought and found fortunes in Leadville in th.e days of '78 and '79, and with all the
disappointments attending it I doubt if there is any real Leadvilleite who regrets
the experiences of the Gold-Belt boom, or the results of the excitement and adver
tising that it gave to Leadville. While it all turned out unfortunately for me,
personally, as I was compelled to leave the camp in the early winter of '96 and '96,
and you had been carried out on a stretcher many months before on that last
trip over the old South Park, which you have no doubt described in your book, I
doubt not both of us still feel the same interest and share in the hopes for the
future of this greatest of all mining camps, and doubtless both of us, were we
to live our Uves over again, would yield to the same temptation and try our luck
in Leadville again.
There are many things about a mining camp and about its booms, about its
excitement, that do not just meet the approval of polite society, but, beUeve me,
the hardships one undergoes, the high stakes on,© plays for, the splendid successes
or rank failures, all bring together in a close friendship the friends and acquaint
ances who shared together those early days in Leadville. To be a true Lead-
viUeitfe is to belong to a clan with bonds that are stronger than those of any
secret organizations, and no body of Cousin Jack's were more clannish than those
who made Leadville their home in the early days. I am sure that you have
found it so wherever you have been, and I know it has been a source of unceasing
pleasure to me. Sincer©ly, CALVIN HENRT MORSE.

"SPLENUID, FASCINATING, ENTRANCING"
(Judg© B. L. Scarritt, Missouri Supreme Court)
I have just finished reading "The True Story of Ramona." It is splendid,
fascinating, entrancing. The reading of Ramona is not complete without it. The
compreh©n8ive and vivid portrayal of the real characters and scenes clothe the
fictitious characters in the novel with such realism as to make them historic
as well as romantic. The work will bring additional fame and lustre to the great
work and noble life of Helen Hunt Jackson, as well as carve the name of the
author of "The True Story of Ramona" among the first writers of the country.
The style and illustrations of the book are simply incomparable. I hope it will
have as large a sal© as the beautiful story of the fictitious Ramona, I assure you I
moat highly appreciate your gift of the book to me, and I will keep it and the
affectionate sentiment inscribed on its first page in my Ubrary, and In my heart
of hearts, as long as I live. E. L SCARRITT.

[448]

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