USA > Colorado > Colorado pioneers in picture and story > Part 20
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The following is quoted from Frank Hall: "Chaffee was the father of the State." In 1873. President Grant, inspired by Mr. Chaffee, urged the passing of an "enab- ling act" for Statehood. The attachment between these men was exceedingly close, and it was due unquestionably to Mr. Chaffee's earnest entreaties that the recommenda- tion was made.
When a bill was introduced nearly all the influential newspapers of the country were bitterly opposed and many of the Senators and Representatives of the older States were openly hostile, largely on the ground of insuf- ficient development and population.
Long prior to his election as a delegate to Congress. Chaffee had acquired a moderate fortune in mines and held the presidency of the First National Bank of Denver. He formed intimate personal relations with leading men
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in Washington, he dressed well, lived well, was extremely companionable, and what is more to the purpose, played poker with the skill of a veteran; there was no form of entertainment that the big men of that period loved more passionately than a pleasant quiet game of 'draw.' at night after the arduous labors of the day were over. The fight for Statehood proved a long, costly battle for Chaffee, lasting ten solid years, and absorbing the greater part of his fortune. He expended in his several cam- paigns more than $150,000 of his private means. To convey a clear idea of local conditions, take a backward glance and briefly epitomize the situation as it existed when President Grant wrote the message which inspired the successful movement for Statehood.
In 1870, Denver had a population of 4,000. Three railroads had been constructed; the Denver Pacific to Cheyenne, Kansas Pacific, and the Colorado Central to Golden. The entire population of the Territory did not exceed 40,000. The assessed valuation of property in 1873 was $35,582.438. There was no Leadville, Cripple Creek had never been heard of, Gunnison and San Juan countries were occupied by Indians, Colorado Springs and Manitou had no existence until 1871. Pueblo was a small village and the only productive mining sections were Gilpin, Clear Creek. Lake, Park and Summit Coun- ties. whose yields of precious metal were limited.
During the pendency of the bill for the "enabling act" and the debate thereon, a leading journal of Pitts- burg, Pennsylvania, said: "Colorado is one of the most intelligent manifestations of the spirit of territorial enterprise we ever had. The discovery of gold and the profligate scenery of the spot is its entire fortune. Colo- rado consists of Denver. the Kansas Pacific railway and scenery. The agricultural resources do not exist at all."
A New York paper said: "The population. such as it is, is made up of roving hordes of adventurers. who
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have no settled homes, there or elsewhere, and they are there solely because the state of semi-barbarism, prev- alent in that wild country, suits their vagrant habits. There is something repulsive in the idea that a few handfuls of rough miners and reckless bushwhackers numbering less than 100,000, should have the same repre- sentation in the Senate as Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, and that these few thousand should have the same voice in our legislation and administration of the govern- ment as the millions of other States. A territorial gov- ernment is good enough and effective enough for such unformed communities. and to that they should be con- fined for a generation to come."
Then came the awful "Black Friday," that paralyzed the country, followed by a rush of population to the new gold discoveries in the Black Hills of South Dakota, which took away thousands of our people. Add to this a still greater calamity, the appalling devastation by grasshoppers, that appeared in countless millions from 1874 to 1876 inclusive, and laid waste all the agricultural sections and reduced our farmers almost to the verge of destitution. and you have a tolerably complete epitome of the conditions under which we made our last appeal for a place in the American Union.
Impelled by the friendly attitude of President Grant's message. Chaffee. on the 8th of December. 1873. introduced a bill for an act to enable the people of Colo- rado to form a State government. It was referred to the committee on territories of which he was a member, then it was reported back to the House and passed by that body without serious opposition. on the 8th of June, 1874.
Mr. Patterson relates a very interesting incident con- nected with the State's admission.
"It was the plan of the managers in the House to admit Colorado and New Mexico at the same time," says
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Mr. Patterson. "New Mexico then had a larger popula- tion than Colorado, though of a different character."
The bills for their admission were introduced at the same time, and they passed the House at the same time. by the same vote, and they went over to the Senate, where both were hung up. At length the Senate passed both bills by the same identical vote, but with a number of inconsequential amendments, tacked on by the enemies of statehood. to ultimately defeat the measure.
It was a period of great political bitterness, and was associated with reconstruction measures for the South, all of which the South fought with unswerving steadfast- ness. What was denominated a "force bill" was before the House during this short session, and debate upon it occurred after the statehood measures had passed the Senate and been returned to the House for concurrence in the amendments. During the discussion of the force bill, Hon. J. C. Burrows, then a new member from Michi- gan, and later a senator from Michigan for a good many years, made a speech favoring the force measure. His speech was conspicuously bitter and eloquent. The House rang with his rounded and vitriolic periods. Before its conclusion the Republican members had gathered about the speaker and were carried off their feet by the splendor of Burrows' peroration. On its conclusion there was a general rush by the Republican members to congratulate Burrows. The very first person to reach and shake his hand was Mr. Elkins, then the delegate in Congress from New Mexico. The Democrats, and especially the southern men, looked on this scene with grim remon- strance, and they noted the celerity with which Elkins rushed up to congratulate Congressman Burrows. Many of them who had voted for the admission of New Mexico. as well as of Colorado, gritted their teeth. and then men- tally resolved they would repay Delegate Elkins for his unwise enthusiasm. and the display of it which he
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made, and they bided their time until the bills for the admission of the two territories were finally voted upon.
It was the last night of the short session of the For- ty-third Congress. Mr. Blaine had been attending a social function, and entered the chamber a short time after midnight, dressed in evening clothes. He took the gavel to direct the House business during the rest of its closing hours. Very soon thereafter the Colorado and New Mexico bills were reached, and Mr. Hoskins, who had them in charge, being recognized by Speaker Blaine for the purpose, moved that the bill for the admission of Colorado, with the Senate amendments, be taken from the speaker's table. that the rules be suspended. the amendments concurred in, and the bill placed on its final passage. Owing to the parliamentary situation of the measures, a two-thirds vote was necessary to carry the motion. But the Colorado measure received the requisite two-thirds by a very small margin and Colo- rado's statehood was assured. Immediately, Mr. Hoskins. the same member, being again recognized by Speaker Blaine, made the same motion with reference to the bill for New Mexico, and the roll-call immediately followed. The whole House was watching the progress of the roll- call with intense interest. and it was noticed that here and there along the line some Democratic member who had voted for Colorado voted against New Mexico. Some of the southern men who were incensed with Elkins for the Burrows episode were getting in their deadly work. and when the roll-call was concluded and the result announced it was found that New Mexico's statehood had been defeated-lacking seven or eight votes of the requisite two-thirds. Colorado became a full fledged State by the proclamation of President Grant in the Centennial year of 1876. while New Mexico was com- pelled to struggle in the bonds of territorial vassalage until 1911. when the long delaved justice of admission
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was given it. Every member and senator in those days knew that it was that unfortunate and ill-timed enthu- siasm of Delegate Elkins that prevented New Mexico from being made a State in the Union at identically the same time with Colorado, and that it was the slip of Mr. Elkins that kept it out of the Union for thirty-four long hungry years, and Mr. Elkins was to have been one of New Mexico's senators, as Mr. Chaffee became one of Colorado's. Elkins, disgusted with the failure, moved from New Mexico to West Virginia, and became a sena- tor from that new-made State, which position he held until his death-not so very long ago.
THE STATE CONSTITUTION
On the 14th of September, 1875, Governor John L. Routt issued his proclamation to the sheriffs of the sev- eral counties, notifying them that an election would be held for delegates to the constitutional convention on Monday, October 25th, in the city of Denver. The Repub- licans elected twenty-four and the Democrats fifteen. Each party had nominated some of its ablest men. But in a number of counties of the State, delegates were not nominated nor elected as members of any political party, since a constitution is in no sense a party measure or instrument, but for all the people of the State. The convention met in Denver December 20th, 1875, and con- ducted its labors to final conclusion under the presidency of Joseph C. Wilson, of El Paso County. No more hon- orable, patriotic or efficient body of men has ever been assembled in Colorado during any period of its history.
The convention completed its work March 14, 1876, and after drafting an admirable address to the people, adjourned.
The next step was to procure its adoption by the people : many were openly hostile to the State movement,
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owing to the depression from causes already cited and the fear of increased taxation. The few newspapers advocating the cause brought to bear every convincing argument that the editors could think of, and the mem- bers of the convention took the platform in their several communities and argued eloquently in its behalf.
On the 30th of June a mass meeting was held in Denver; the speakers were Governor Routt, Hon. G. S. Symes, H. P. Bennet, Judge Blackburn, W. B. Mills. W. S. Decker, Gen. Bela M. Hughes, Alfred Sayre, Gen. S. E. Brown, Maj. E. L. Smith. A. P. Hereford and others. The meeting was arranged by Dr. R. G. Bucking- ham as mayor and chairman of the special committee appointed for the purpose. These men by their argu- ments and eloquence succeeded in stirring up a feeling of activity for the measure.
Mayor Buckingham issued a proclamation earnestly requesting the business men of the city to close their places of business on July 1. between the hours of one and four that their employes might have the privilege of casting their votes on this glorious occasion.
The election occurred on Saturday, and Sunday morning the newspapers gave the news of a gratifying result.
FOURTH OF JULY
That same week the Fourth of July was made a day of great celebration. A large procession was formed of people from every walk in life, and stout-hearted pioneers whose pulses beat true to the best interests of the new State, were conspicuous in the streets and shouted themselves hoarse with enthusiasm at the glorious pageant.
May Butler Brown. who had been officially recog- nized by the pioneers as the first female white child
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born in the territory, represented Colorado and carried the flag in the "Procession of States." She was born October 15, 1860, on the site of the old Charpiot's Del- monico hotel, Larimer street, be- tween Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets.
The procession, keeping step to patriotic music, marched to Denver Grove, where a number of orations were delivered.
That year having brought the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the National govern- May Butler Brown ment. Colorado was familiarly called the Centennial State.
The following interesting telegrams were received :
Philadelphia, July 4, 1876.
To Governor Routt:
Are we a state? Answer.
STEPHEN DECATUR.
We are. The Centennial State and 20,000 here assembled send joyful greetings to the sister States of the American Union at Philadelphia on this our Fourth.
ROUTT.
Washington, D. C., July 4, 1876.
To Governor Routt:
Through you I greet the Centennial State, the latest but the brightest star in the political firmament. I am proud of the con- sciousness of representing the grandest State, the bravest men and the handsomest women on the continent.
T. M. PATTERSON.
On Tuesday morning. July 28th. John M. Reigart, private secretary to Governor Routt, left Denver for
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Washington, bearing a duly authenticated copy of the constitution, ordinances, an abstract of the votes, copies of proclamation and other documents, to his excellency, U. S. Grant.
COLORADO DAY
August 1st, President Grant issued his proclama- tion, declaring the fact that the fundamental conditions imposed by Congress on the State of Colorado to entitle it to admission into the Union had been ratified and accepted and that the admission of said State into the Union was now complete.
That is why the Sons of Colorado celebrate August 1st as "Colorado Day."
T. M. PATTERSON
T. M. Patterson says he was first attracted to Colo- rado by reading Bayard Taylor's thrilling and charming description of its mountains, its mining camps, and Den- ver. This was in 1868, and later in 1869 he made up his mind to see the country for himself. He only got as far as Wallace-the last station on what was then called the Kansas Pacific railroad-which had just been extended beyond the western boundary of Kansas into Colorado. The Indians were then on the warpath between that point and Denver, and no stages were running, and other overland travel had entirely ceased. He reluctantly turned back, but determined to try it again as soon as conditions would permit. But his affairs prevented him from turning towards Colorado again until 1872, when he got here by "all rail," and was soon satisfied that Tay- lor's description of the country had not overshot the mark. Mr. Patterson says he found that he had decided inclination towards politics, and wished in coming west to locate in a country where the Democratic party could
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SENATOR T.M.PATTERSON
MRS R.C.CAMPBELL
A WAR TIME PHOTO
S
"AT THE AGE OF 20
offer an ambitious young man no inducements to enter political life, and he thought Colorado was that place-for no Democrat up to that time had been sent to Congress, nor had been otherwise favored by the voters of the Territory. Colo- rado was considered dead safe for the Republican party for all time. How Mr. Patterson succeeded in avoiding the temptation of poli- tics is shown by his career after getting here. He was elected city attorney in the early spring of 1874, when he had been in the Territory less than fifteen months. and was elected delegate to Con-
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gress in the summer of the same year, when he had lived here less than twenty-two months. It may not be amiss to relate that Mr. Patterson was elected city attorney be- cause he demonstrated during his first year in Colorado his brilliancy and efficiency as a lawyer.
The bill for the admission of Colorado as a State was pending in Congress when Mr. Patterson was elected to that body. It had already passed the House, but was water-logged in the Senate. The Senate in those days was very much opposed to the admission of new States, for every new State added as many senators to that body as the great State of New York had or any other of the older States, and it was that feeling that caused the Senate to hang up Colorado's admission. Mr. Patterson felt that he could materially assist in getting the Senate to let go, so as soon as the short session con- vened in December. he went to Washington. His efforts with Democratic senators soon bore fruit. The bill was gotten to a vote in the Senate. and the great obstacle to statehood was overcome.
Following the admission of the State, Mr. Patter- son was elected to represent it in Congress. By that time he was recognized as one of the few great leaders of the western bar .. While in Congress he was recog- nized as a leader in his political party, and through his profound legal knowledge and brilliant oratory he won national fame. He was elected to the United States Senate, and succeeded E. O. Wolcott in 1901.
Recalling the struggle for State admission Mr. Pat- terson referred to Hon. Jerome B. Chaffee. whom he succeeded as delegate to Congress in 1874: "Mr. Chaf- fee," he said: "was one of the most influential and best equipped men who ever represented the West in Wash- ington." His enemies frequently denounced him as a cor- rupt politician. The ground for this was that in one of his campaigns Mr. Chaffee caused hundreds of sacks of
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flour to be distributed among the Mexican voters, of which he made no concealment. That was considered terribly corrupt in those early days, but since then cor- ruption in politics has taken a different and wider scope.
Speaking of the primitive state of society in Den- ver even as late as 1873, Mr. Patterson recalled that in that year a band of the Ute Indians passed through Den- ver bound for the plains to meet their ancient and implacable foes, the Chevennes. A battle between the two bands occurred not far to the east of Denver. The Ute band, several hundred in number, returned to Den- ver, carrying on the ends of long poles the bloody scalps of Cheyennes they had slain. They paraded through Denver's principal streets on horseback, single file, their bodies naked except the usual clouts. and covered with war paints, with the bleeding scalp trophies waving aloft. They went into camp across the Platte near Barnum and were there for a week. Every day and night they gave their scalp dances. which were witnessed by thou- sands of Denver's people.
From Mr. Patterson's first arrival in Denver he thor- oughly identified himself with the development both of Denver and the State. He has erected a number of Den- ver's finest buildings: he has been a large employer of labor, in the working of mines, both coal and the precious metals. In 1891 he bought a controlling interest in the Rocky Mountain News, and later the whole of it: he bought the Denver Times from D. H. Moffat. and how he built those papers up and made them a power for reform in government and the State's general welfare is now part of Colorado's history.
His daughter, Mrs. Richard Crawford Campbell, is actively connected with some of the most important char- ity organizations in Denver, and is prominent in the city's intellectual activities.
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THE CENTENNIAL STATE
The last Legislature of the Territory met January 2, 1876, and owing to the State movement that was under way they decided to do very little business and get along without a chaplain, for which it has passed down in history as the "Prayerless House."
The constitution provided that the territorial officers should continue in their respective positions and in the discharge of the duties thereof, in the interval between the State's admission and the inauguration of the duly elected State officers. The first election of State officers and members of the Legislature was held according to the constitution on October 3, 1876. Two tickets, Repub- lican and Democratic, were in the field, and the contest was a lively one. Governor .John L. Routt led the Re- publican, and General Bela M. Hughes the Democratic. The Republicans won by a narrow margin.
The last House of Representatives of the Territory of Colorado and the first of the new-born State convened November 1, 1876, and in spite of it being called the prayerless house, it was one of the most harmonious legis- lative bodies that either the Territory or the State ever had. By act of Congress this House was allowed to sit only forty days, as it was the first House that ever sat for the State of Colorado. Even though the time was short, the prayerless house did such work in organizing the business of the State that it cannot be forgotten. In this gathering were many of the builders of the western country, men who went through all kinds of hardships and emerged the stronger for their experiences. Alfred Butters was speaker of the House. He had been, and continued for years, an important factor in the affairs of the West.
The State executive officers elected were inaugurated November 3. Herman Beckhurts. Otto Mears and W. L.
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Hadly were chosen presidential electors. Jerome B. Chaf- fee and H. M. Teller were elected United States senators. January 9, 1877, Moses Hallett was appointed United States district judge, and Westbrook S. Decker United States district attorney. by President Grant. So. after a hard struggle. the victory was won. and Colorado en- tered upon her brilliant career as the "Centennial State."
PART VII THE MOUNTAIN TOWNS
CHAPTER XXI
PROSPERITY OF THE COUNTRY
THE RANCHMAN'S STORY
I have dwelt somewhat minutely on matters and things connected with the settlement of Denver, for its rise and progress is a marvel of modern civilization, and, in a measure, its history is the history of Colorado. Never before has there been such a city built up under so many conflicting circumstances, particularly in its first decade.
The establishment of new mining camps was in gen- eral a repetition of the scenes enacted at Cherry creek. To trace this movement throughout the pioneer camps down to when Colorado became a State would be a task impossible without repeating the facts that make up the history of Colorado.
Each town, in its own history, forms an integral part of the whole, and while it is not my purpose to go into the details of the settlement. my stories will show the up-building of the great industrial mosaic of the State.
One bright morning in August I took the Colorado Central, in company with a party of eastern tourists, to "do" the mountains, and gather stories of history, ad- venture, life and scenery, which I hope will prove more interesting to my readers than a prosaic array of statis-
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tics and of repeated rigmaroles about big mills, big leads, rich tailings and astonishing sales of interests in Tom, Dick and Harry's mines.
August is the very month to travel in the moun- tains. At this season the halcyon days begin, and con- tinue for weeks and even months, with but little varia- tion, making it a physical luxury to live and breathe the pure transparent atmosphere.
While the train moved over the great valleys I fell into conversation with a ranchman, who said: "When the grazing advantages and productive qualities of this soil were discovered, there was a great rush for land, and the country all around, far and near, was pre-empted.
"According to law, a house must be built on the pre- empted claim, the party must live in it a stated period and cultivate the land. Often a rough, unpainted board shanty was built, after which the pre-emptor would not see it again until, with the growth of the country, the land had become valuable, when he would 'bob up serenely' to claim his property. His perjury never occasioned any pricking of conscience, for, don't you see, it was one of the customs of the country.
"About twenty-five miles below Denver a party had taken up a certain tract of land in that way. Subse- quently a man, tramping about there on a tour of obser- vation, found the empty house and took possession of it.
"The pre-emptor heard of it, and, upon inquiring what he must do to secure possession, was advised to work the land.
"He bought a plow, went to his ranch, turned the interloper out and commenced plowing. Not being ac- customed to farm labor, he was greatly fatigued by his day's work, and slept late the next morning. The first sight that greeted him was the man who had taken pos- session of his house, with a bag swung over his shoulder. dropping something in the freshly broken ground. Upon
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being interrogated as to what he was doing, he replied : 'I am planting a little corn.' "
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