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&HISTOR
ARKANSAS VALLEY
1887 COLORADO
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE
Cornell University Librery
F 782A7 H67
+ History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado
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PREFACE.
HE work that has engaged our efforts during the past summer is now closed. It was undertaken in the belief that there is a proper demand for a permanent record of the events which relate to the early times. With what fidelity to facts and patience of research this has been accomplished, we shall leave to the judgment of our readers. We desire to thank the citizens of the Arkansas Valley who have so cordially aided our writers in gathering material for this volume. Without such assistance many import- ant facts would necessarily have been omitted. The histories of the several counties have been written by the following well known gentlemen : Lake County and the Ten Mile Region, by Capt. R. G. Dill, of Leadville ; El Paso County, by A. Z. Sheldon, of Colorado City ; Chaffee County, by E. R. Emerson, of Buena Vista ; Fremont County, by Capt. B. F. Rockafellow, of Canon City ; Custer County, by Hon. Richard Irwin, of Rosita ; Pueblo County, by Gen. R. M. Stevenson, of Denver, formerly of Pueblo; and Bent County by Charles W. Bowman, of West Las Animas.
The reputation of these gentlemen is a sufficient guaranty of the accuracy and re- liability of the work, and while we realize that perfection has neither been attained nor is attainable, yet we send forth this volume with confidence that, as a whole, it will meet the approval of our patrons.
O. L. BASKIN & CO., Publishers.
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CONTENTS.
PART I.
HISTORY OF COLORADO.
PAGE.
POEM
11
CHAPTER I .- Ringing up the Curtaio. 17
CHAPTER II .- Early Discoveries of Gold. 22
CHAPTER III .- Journalism in Colorado
25
CHAPTER IV .- Early Politics and Organization of the Terri-
tory.
31
CHAPTER V .- Lo! the Poor Indian
34
CHAPTER VI .- The Mountains of Colorado. 38
CHAPTER VII .- Colorado During the Rebellion-Territorial
Officiale ..
41
-
CHAPTER VIII .- Progress of the Country
. 47
CHAPTER IX .- Climate of Colorado. 48
CHAPTER X .- Agricultural Resources of the State. 53
CHAPTER XI .- Stock-raising in Colorado. 59
CHAPTER XII .- Leadville and California Gulch
67
CHAPTER XIII .- History of the First Colorado Regiment. 73
CHAPTER XIV .- History of the Second Colorado Regiment ...... 77
CHAPTER XV. Sketch of the Third Colorado Regiment. 89
CHAPTER XVI .- The Geology of Colorado. 90
CHAPTER XVII .- Peak Climbing in the Rocky Mountaine ..... 108
CHAPTER XVIII .- Sketch of the San Juan Country and Do-
lores District.
112
CHAPTER XIX .- The University of Colorado
.119
POSTSCRIPT.
CHAPTER I .- The Ute Rebellion
122
CHAPTER II .- Affairs at White River Agency .. 125
CHAPTER III .- The News in Denver 137
CHAPTER IV .- Advance upon the Agency. 140
CHAPTER V .- Arrival at Agency-The Massacre .. 145
CHAPTER VI .- Cessation of Hostilities-Rescue of the Pris-
onere. 148
CHAPTER VII .- Sad Story of the Captives.
.15I
CHAPTER VIII .- The Atrocities in Colorado. .161
CHAPTER IX .- The Peace Commission Farce. 165
CHAPTER X .- The Ute Question in Congress ..
169
CHAPTER XI .- The Present Condition of the Ute Question.
.176
PART II.
RAILROADS.
CHAPTER I .- UNION PACIFIC SYSTEM :- Cheyenne Division-
Boulder Branch-Julesburg Branch-Kansas Division -- Colorado Division-Denver & South Park Division. 179
CHAPTER II .- The Denver & Rio Grande ..
196
CHAPTER III .- The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.
200
PART III.
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
PAGE.
INTRODUCTORY.
207
CHAPTER L .- Leadville-Its Discovery and Early History
209
CHAPTER II .- The Second Start-Discovery of the Printer
Boy Mine
216
CHAPTER III .- The Secret Solved-Commencement of the
Carbonate Era.
217
CHAPTER IV .- The Beginning of Leadville-1877.
219
CHAPTER V .- The Story of 1878-The First Boom.
223
CHAPTER VI .- The Record of 1879-The Year of the Boom ... 227
CHAPTER VIL .- Leadville in 1880-Settling down.
233
CHAPTER VIII .- Its Location and ite Future ..
236
CHAPTER IX .- The Political History of Leadville.
237
CHAPTER X .- The Great Strike.
239
CHAPTER XI .- Administering Law and Order.
246
CHAPTER XII .- The Newspapers of Leadville
253
CHAPTER XIII .- Public Conveniences and Institutions.
256
CHAPTER XIV .- The Railroads.
263
CHAPTER XV .- The Churches.
266
CHAPTER XVI .- The Public Schools
270
CHAPTER XVII .- Civic Societies.
274
CHAPTER XVIII .- The Mines.
278
CHAPTER XIX .- Miscellaneous.
306
BIOGRAPHICAL
309
TEN MILE REGION.
Sheep Mountain-Robinson-The Robinson Mines-The Wheel of Fortune-The Snow Bank-The Forest Con- solidated-The Washington-The Pat Corbett-The Little Chicago-The Trophy Mining Company-The Black Dragon-The Black Diamond-The Crown Point- The Gray Eagle-The Michigan-The Champion Tun- nel-Chalk Mountain-Carbonate Hill-Clinton Gulch- Kokomo-Smelters-Elk Mountain-The White Quail- The Aftermath-The Milo Group-The Badger-The Gil- pio-Jack Mountain-Tucker Mountain-Copper Moun- tain-Mayflower Hill-Gold Hill-Fletcher Mountain-
The Grand View Consolidated-The Silver Blossom ..... .. 389
BIOGRAPHICAL.
399
HISTORY OF EL PASO COUNTY.
CHAPTER I .- Physical Features-Hydrographic-Scenery- Geology 415
CHAPTER II .- Historical.
418
CHAPTER III .- Colorado Springs-Colorado College ..
430
CHAPTER IV .- The Ute Pass Road.
437
CHAPTER V .- Manitou-The Press-Conclusion
438
BIOGRAPHICAL ..
444
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CONTENTS.
HISTORY OF CHAFFEE COUNTY. PAGE.
General History-Red Mountain District-Cache Creek- Loat Canoo-Granite-La Plata Mining District-The Cottonwood Diatrict-Buena Vista-The Chaffee County Times-The Buena Viata Herald-Banking-The Cotton- wood Hot Springa-Trout Creek Miniog District- Nathrop-Hortenae-Alpine-St. Elmo -The St. Elmo Mountaineer -- Cleora -- Salida -- The Mountain Mail -- Poacha Springa-Mayaville-The Mayaville Chronicle-The South Arkansas Miner-Arbourville-Garfield-Chaffee City ...... 477 BIOGRAPHICAL 503
HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
Climate-Altitude-Springe-Jumping Town Site, 1860- Judge Fowler'a Court-Trial of Wolfe Loadouer-Mining Hoax-Indian Scare at Church-Canon Booming-First Newspaper-People's Court Established-Organization of County -- County and State Officera -Public Schoola-First District Court-Signal Mountain-Fire Telegrapha-The Bloody E-panoaiae-Pursuit and Capture of Guerrillas- Desperadoes-Jonathan Leaper-Canons and Caves- Grand Canon of the Arkansas -- Grape Creek Canoo-Tem- ple Cañon-Oak Creek Canon-Talbott Hill, Etc .- Marble Cave-Bones of the Moastera-Canon City Coal Field- Silver and Copper Mines-Magnetic Iron-Irrigation- Railroada-Canon City-Churches-Civic Societies- School-Water-worka-Fire Department-Penitentiary- Post Offices-Pioneer Association-Indien Question-Oil Springa-Bear Stories-Raochea, Etc., Etc. 543
BIOGRAPHICAL .. 647
HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY.
Early Settlement-Topography-Political-Live Stock- Cattle-men, Horse-owoera and Round-ups-History of the Minea-The Mines Deacribed-Scenery-Tow oa- Resorts-Fishing -- Perils of Huating Large Game -- Reduc- tion Works-New Processea-Banka-Tuonela-Diamond Drill-Fire Department-Roaita Brewing Company- Beach and Bar-Medicine Men-Secret Socictiea-Public Schoola-Post Offices-The Prese-Churches-Crimea, Etc
689
BIOGRAPHICAL 742
. HISTORY OF PUEBLO COUNTY. PACE CHAPTER I .- The Ox-team Period-Early Settlement-The Ute Massacre-Zin Hicklio-Fontaine City-War witlı Miasouri-A Lively Election -Qualificationa of a Prohate Judge-Pueblo Laid Out-Jack Allen -- A Transaction In Bacon-" Hevn't yer got the Beana?" -- An Eggnog Party, 765
CHAPTER II .- The Stage Couch Period-Organization of the County-County Officers-Court House-Jail-Gen. Bow- en-Hotel-Free and Easy Waiter-Financial Crisis- Stage Line Established-Postal Facilities-The First Schoolhouac-Religione Services-Indian Scare-Pueblo in the Late War-Vigilantea-The Chieftain-Church Buildings-Brick-Sale of Town Lota-Dancing-Mas- querede-Situ tion in 1868-Pueblo Iocorporated .......... 771
CHAPTER III -The Railroad Period-Denver & Rio Grande Railway-United States Land Office-The People-South Pueblo Laid Out-County Court House-Railroad Bar- quet- Boom-White Lynched-Pueblo Becomea a City -- Water-worka Built-Fire Department-Advent of the Pueblo & Arkanaaa Valley Railroad-A Three Days' Jubi- Jee-Sanı McBride Departa with the School Fund-The Pueblo Democrat-Centennial Celebration-Smelting Works-Insane Asylum-Steel Worka-Street Railroad -Gas Works-General Prosperity. 777
BIOGRAPHICAL .. 782
HISTORY OF BENT COUNTY.
CHAPTER I .- Geography 825
CHAPTER II .- The Beginaere. 827
CHAPTER III .- Other Pioneers-The lodiaoa and the Mili- tary 833
CHAPTER IV .- Kit Caraoo ..... 1 835
CHAPTER V .- Lae Animas Graat. 837
CHAPTER VI .- The Sand Creek Massacre. 838
CHAPTER VII .- Events of 1865-1868 843
CHAPTER VIII .- New Towna and Railroada.
845
CHAPTER IX .- Fragmente ..
847
BIOGRAPHICAL.
850
ILLUSTRATIONS. PORTRAITS.
PAGE.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Abbott, C. F.
37
Buckwalter, H. H
117
Denay, J. C.
871
Aldrich, C. H
41
Burdick, W. N
123
Dill, R. G.
207
Baxter, O. H. P
45
Burchiaell, W. K .127
Dueber, M. 201
Banning, G. C.
55
Burnett, John .135
Eddy, Edward.
211
Beck with, E. T.
59
Cbapio, H. C .. 141
Ellie, C. W. 221
Emerson, E. R 227
Blake, H. T
73
Clelland, Jamea.
153
Emmett, De R. 231
Bowman, C. W.
77
Corder, A
.159
Ewing, Thomas 241
Boettcher, Charlea.
87
Cramer, J. C.
163
Feltoo, W. B. 247
Boyd, S. H ..
91
Cravea, T. H ..
.171
Finnerty, Peter
251
Bradford, A. A
99
Criaaey, Gilea .177
Fishbeck, W. H
261
Breed, G. T
105
Curry, A. P .187
Fowler, W. R 267
Briaboia, A ..
109
Dale, S. P .191
Frazer, Jesse. .277
O
Becker, Peter
63
Chilcott, G. M. .145
7
ILLUSTRATIONS-CONTINUED.
PORTRAITS,
PAGE.
PAGE.
Russell, G. H. .697
Sayer, Daniel. 701
Sande, J.
707
Safley, Ben 711
Schlageter, J. A. 717
Sbeldoo, A. Z
721
Sicher, C. R 727
Sigafue, J. M.
731
McCarthy, J. D. 557 Slater, M. H .737
McMillen, Semuel 567
McCombe, John
571
Miller, J. D.
.581
Montgomery, B. F. 587
Moore, William
.591
Orman, J. B
597
Ordean, A. L. 607
Owen, W. R.
611
Painter, J. S
621
Terry, J. H
779
Thomha, P. R
785
Thomeon, C. [.
791
Thornton, Alexander .797
Towneend, W. F. 809
Trimble, G. W. 815
437
Prowere, J. W.
.651
Tucker, L. R.
821
Ward, W. S.
.. 827
Walte, James
.837
Wetmore, W. H. 841
Leonard, L. C.
.471
Leary, J. H
481
Rockafellow, George ....
677
Wells, J. H
851
Leonhardy, George.
487
Rockafellow, B. F.
681
White, G. G ..
857
Leitzmann, Charles.
.491
Rolker, C. M
687
Woodbury, J. C.
861
867
VIEWS.
PAGE.
Greer Smelting Worke. .401
Harrison Reduction Worke. .. 149
Holly, H. S., residence of. 877
Humboldt Mine.
803
Jones, J. C. (Cattle Round-up).
851
James, W. H, residence of
411 |
La Plata Smelting Works.
51
Little Chief Mine
69
Leitzmiana, Charles, Wagon Shops of. .287
Little Pittsburg Mine.
.. 167
Leadville Public School .271
Little Prince Mine ..
.347
Matchlece Mine ..
23
White Quail Smelter
.371
Ward, W. S., residence of.
.. 411
Williams Ceñon
.427
Whipple, L. and Eaton, E. J., residence of .. 457
Grant Smelting Company's Works.
.301
McComhe, Joha, residence of.
.577
Gaw'e Brewery ..
.. 391
Ormanı, J. B., residence of
601
PAOE.
Phantom Curve ..
.197
Public School-West Las Animas, .848
Robinson Mine. 33
Risley, H. A., residence of ... .457
Robert E. Lee Mine ..
.521
Royal Gorge.
541
Ricche, Auguet, residence of .. 671
Toltec Gorge.
112
Toltec Tunnel.
112
Colorado State Penitentiary
.561
Denver City Mine
95
Distant View of Toltec Gorge.
197
Elwell, Charles, residence of.
477
Evening Star Mine.
831
Mount of the Holy Cross.
81
Fremont County Court House.
.617
Meyer, A. R. & Co.'e Worke.
217
Manitou and Pike'e Peak
.257
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PAGE.
Gay, Frank.
281
Goddard, L. M
.. 291
Grant, J. B.
297
Havene, G. L. 307
Havene, H. W
.311
Harker, O. H.
317
Hartenstein, G. K.
327
Hall, C. L ..
331
Hawkins, Addison
.337
Hinsdale, G. A
7
Hickman, T. J.
351
Hill, C. L.
.. 357
Howell, C. C
.. 361
Homan, Louie.
.367
Holly, H. S.
.377
Hunter, A. V
.381
Irwin, Richard
387
Isenberg, J. L
.397
James, W. H. .407
Johnston, J. H. 417
Johnson, H. B ...
421
Jones, J. C ..
.431
Kramer, Ludwig
Lake, H. W
441
Law, John
.451
Raymond, William.
661
Larsen, Niels
.. 461
Rische, August.
667
Palmer, T. D.
627
Pendery, J. L.
631
Playter, J. H
637
Prentice, J. L. 641
Pritchard, J. L €47
Raynolde, F. A ..
657
Rudd, Ancon.
.691
Wulsten, Carl.
PAGE.
Grand Canon of the Arkansse .... Frontispiece.
Amie Mine.
237
Bell, W. A., residence of .447
Big Chief Mine
467
Chryeolite Mine
131
Chicago Lakes
181
Carbonate Mine ..
321
Carlile, J. N., residence of. 601
Cañon City School.
617
6
Lowe, Ed
507
Manville, J. S. D. .511
Marshall, J. Y. 317
Macready, B
.527
McNeely, J. T. 531
McEl Hinney, A. M
537
McCandlese, J. A 547
McClure, W. H.
557
Smi h, A. A.
.741
Starr, Thomas.
.747
Strickler, W. M. 751
Staley, L. A .. 757
Stanton, I. W. 761
Stevenson, R. M. 767
Stanley, O. G ..
773
Tabor, H. A. W. 17
Twin Lakes
257
Toltec Gorge Above the Tunnel ..
.501
Veta Paes.
.501
Gay, Frank, Iron Works of
287
CONTENTS.
vii
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Robinson, G. B ..
27
Wells, T. S.
847
Lobech, Edwin ..
.. 497
Henry, J. J.
.341
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COLORADO
SHIELD with three white peaks in chief, A pick and sledge beneath them crossed; For crest, an eye with rays; a sheaf Of reeds about an ax; and tossed About its base a scroll I see, That says, "Nil sine numine."
Oh, child of Union, last born State, We read thee well in this device : That which hath made shall make thee great. Between green base and crown of ice Shine golden gifts that dower thee, Yet are " Nil sine numine."
The ax makes way for fold and field And marching men ; and none may bend Thy sheaf of knitted hearts; who wield In caverns dim the blows that rend From earth her treasures; these agree All is " Nil sine numine."
We sing thy past, we sing thy praise. Not long for thee hath man made song, But hosts shall sing in coming days. And when thou sittest great and strong, Thy future still, oh, Queen, shall be, Though great, " Nil sine numine."
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By running streams that fill the sands That thirsting, prayed so long in vain, . The desert children fill their hands With strange, sweet fruits, and deem the pain Of him that tills, its own reward, Nor any meed of thanks accord.
So, Princess proud, of infant years, Embowered here in green and gold, Thou hast no trace of all the tears These sands drank up; the hearts of old, That broke to see yon doors unseal, Naught of themselves in thee reveal.
Thus doth to-day annul the past ; There is no gratitude at all In Time, and Nature smooths at last The mounds men heap o'er those who fall, However nobly; thus we see It is, hath been, shall ever be.
But once shall one rehearse thy days And all the pride of those that made Thy places pleasant and thy ways Sweet with swift brooks and green, gray shade; Lo, memory opens here a book On which our children's eyes shall look.
Turn back the leaves a space, what then Beside this ever-changing stream : The rude scarce camp of bearded men, In guarded sleep they lie, nor dream Of shadowy walls about them set And domes of days that are not yet.
The sun looks not upon their rest. I hear the creak of scorching wheels, I know the hope that fills the breast, I feel the thrill the foremost feels ; I see the faces grimly set One way, with eyes that burn, and yet
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I know that when all wearily Their feet have climbed the horizon They may not rest; for there will be The rainbow's foot still further on, That some shall faint and fall and die, With eyes fixed on that fantasy.
And yet the saddest face that turns Back from a quest unsatisfied May have more hope than his that burns A beacon in the eyes to guide Those harpies, Luxury and Lust- Lo, how they leave us in the dust.
I see the tide rise up and fall, I see the spent waves turn and fly That broke upon that mountain wall, And see where at its bases lie Worn waifs of men that cling and wait, That cling and droop, yet bravely wait.
A pæan for the brave who wait. Impatience slinks along the wall, And hears afar the battered gate Some day go thundering to its fall. Lo, how the worn host, wan and thin, Like giants rise and enter in.
" To him that wills," the prophet cries, " All good shall come." Behold ! how fair The vision that their eager eyes Deemed unsubstantial as the air. We see fair streets from hill to hill, And by the river many a mill. 1
- And temples towering far above, And busy markets crouched between, And bowers beside the hills, for love, As fair ās any land hath seen, And fanes for Science reared, and Art, Beautiful, and sacred, and apart.
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Yet felt in all men's lives, to dream Was theirs with faith; they drove the plow And kept their herds, and. it did seem As though the end were even now And here; so all held to their way, And day was added unto day.
The wild things of the plain and hill Preyed on them, and were preyed upon. And vengeance had its own wild will, To come and go 'tween man and man. And might that questioned not of right, And hate, and fear, crept out at night.
And blood was cheap upon the street, And gold was dearer, some, than life, And many mornings did repeat The brutal record of the knife ; There were worse spirits here, I know, Than Cheyenne and Arapahoe.
Yet ever grew the vision plain, And was a wonder, more and more, How day by day the golden grain Spread all the hills and valleys o'er. How wall on wall and street on street Its promised features men might greet.
One day a cloud rose in the east, And when night fell it was a flame ; And soon across yon treeless waste, With sounds of winds and waters came The steeds of Empire, and her star From each plumed forehead flared afar.
The rays of steel before them beam, And close the myriad chariots throng With thunderous wheels, and arms that gleam Are borne by brown hands true and strong. And now, upon her border lands The vanguard of a nation stands.
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Swift as those cloud-winged steeds may fly, The stranger journeys to our gates. Swift, day and night, he passes by Long stretches where the gray wolf waits. And lo! on his astonished eyes See Tadmor of the Desert rise.
A thousand leagues to yesterday, A thousand to the day before, And, right and left, away, away, Stretch solid seas without a shore, Where porpoise shoals of buffalo Along the sharp horizon go.
And now, he deems it half unreal. The sunset glints in golden hues Back from the river's polished steel, Up from the stately avenues, And sparkles from the spires, and swells And throbs, with sweet of evening bells.
The cows come lowing to the fold, And men throng glad to happy homes. He stands knee-deep in blossomed gold, The distant mountains are God's domes, And on his lips, in deep content, He tastes His wine of Sacrament.
Oh, happy homes, a prophet stands Here all alone on virgin soil, And spreads to you his hardened hands, That here will take their bliss of toil. Be glad; your bow of promise bends And spans all beauty with its ends.
Seek not beyond ; the happy shores Bend nearer here than otherwhere. The gifts that wait beside your doors, And on the hills, and in the air, Are better than all old conceits, All faded and forgotten sweets.
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I see the new Arcana rise, Touched with the fire of other days, And Nature, grown more rich and wise, Yield to your prayers her mysteries. Straight be your furrow, look not back, Trust that the harvest shall not lack.
Build yet, the end is not ; build on, Build for the ages, unafraid ; The past is but a base whereon These ashlars, well hewn, may be laid. Lo, I declare I deem him blest Whose foot, here pausing, findeth rest.
J. HARRISON MILLS.
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HISTORY OF COLORADO.
BY W. B. VICKERS.
CHAPTER I.
RINGING UP THE CURTAIN.
L OOKING backward over the brief history of the State of Colorado, the youngest and fair- est of our bright sisterhood, is like turning the leaves of some grand romance that has charmed us in the past, and promises to renew the pleasure when we shall address ourselves anew to its peru- sal. To write of such a wonder-land can only be a labor of love for those to whom its rare beauties and eventful history have been revealed. Colorado is a poem, a picture, an embodiment of romance. No fairy tale was ever told in which so many glad surprises entered as have marked like milestones the development of the Centennial State; but still the writer of its history must shrink dis- comfited from the full performance of his duty, discouraged by the incompetence of language to do justice to the absorbing theme.
These may sound like grand words; and the his- torian may be accused at the outset of a "gush- ing" tendency, better fitted to the poet's corner of a country newspaper than to such a work as this. Colorado has the reputation already of having inspired more "gush" than most of the older States. Even New England's rockbound shores, where the Pilgrim Fathers foregathered in the early days, has suffered by comparison with the heart and crown of the continent; and Pike's Peak is at least as well known as Plymouth Rock, beside being much more monumental. National pride
and national enthusiasm have combined to fire the hearts and souls and tongues and pens of Colorado pilgrims, until now the State is so well and favor- ably known that its history may be written with the comfortable assurance that it will find many readers, and perhaps friendly critics, even though its faults are thick as dust in vacant chambers.
It may be well enough, perhaps, to confess at the outset that this sketch of the State is intended to be discursive rather than dryly statistical, and, although facts and figures will enter into its com- position, they are by no means likely to mar the pleasure of those opposed to the Gradgrind school of social economists. There is no lack, indeed, of interesting historical data, and the material inter- ests of the State deserve more recognition than they are likely to receive here; but there is no room for the long roll of pioneers more than there is for the almost endless list of paying mines. The most that can be crowded into this contracted space will be a skeleton history, filled out with pictures of the physical, social and business aspects of the State.
Chance reference to the pioneers of Colorado carries us back to the days of '59 and the strug- gles and triumphs of the brave men and women who, twenty years ago, sat down before the mount- ain walls to build a State, under circumstances the most discouraging. The Israelitish host who
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HISTORY OF COLORADO.
were forced by their masters to the task of making bricks without straw, had far more to encourage them than the early settlers of Colorado. The real utility of straw in the brick business has been doubted, but there is no doubt that nine- tenths of the men who saw Colorado in 1859, con- sidered it nearly, if not quite, unfit for human hab- itation. The Great American Desert stretched almost from the Missouri River to the Rocky Moun- tains, a rainless, treeless waste, and the mountains themselves, however rich in gold and silver, offered small inducements for men to build themselves homes therein, much less populous and enterpris- ing cities, such as we see there now on every hand.
The grand passion of our '59ers was to get themselves rich, and concurrently to get themselves out of the country. Thousands of them thought the first of less consequence than the second, and so made themselves scarce without waiting for fortune to shower her gifts upon them, preferring the flesh-pots of " America," as the East for many years was called, to Colorado's sunny but unsym- pathetic and lonely skies. No thought had these, or, indeed, the others who remained, of the glori- ous future in store for the incipient State. Beau- tiful scenery, to be sure; but who could live on scenery? A fine climate, too; but that only aggra- vated appetite, when flour was worth $50 a sack. The man who turned his oxen out to die in the fall of '59, and surprised himself in the spring by rounding them up in good condition, was probably the first one who looked upon Colorado with a view to permanent residence. He was the father of the stock business, and his name ought to be handed down to future generations of cattle-grow- ers as their great original.
Although this expansive region was so new and strange and solitary to the settlers of twenty years ago, and although its history may properly date from the last decade but one, historical accuracy demands that mention be made of former races and tribes of men, who lived out their little lives within these very limits where our prosperous State now stands. Colorado can show the mute
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