USA > Colorado > History of Colorado; Volume IV > Part 26
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After this harrowing experience Mr. Hall returned to California Gulch and con- tinued prospecting, also on Cash creek above Fairplay. In the spring of 1862, having located salt springs about twenty miles from Fairplay, Mr. Hall established the Colorado Salt Works. During the period of active operations these salt works were always managed by the Hall family. At this place the Indians received their annuities and upon order from the territorial government could also receive salt. Mr. Hall was twice elected to the territorial legislature from this district, Park county, and in later years was elected from Lake county for one term. He was also county commissioner
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of Park county for three terms. His home in this county, erected in 1872, was and is considered the best residence in that locality.
In the winter of 1878 Charles L. Hall removed to Leadville and almost immediately began taking active part in the improvement and development of that community. His first work here was in contracting for the grading of streets, laying of pipes, etc., all of which was done under his personal supervision. A short time later, in company with such men as William Bush and H. W. Tabor, he organized a company to light Leadville with gas; Mr. Hall was afterwards one of the promoters of the same utility at Pueblo, being one of the directors of the Pueblo Gas & Electric Company. Mr. Hall was one of the firm of Bush, Tabor & Hall which opened the Windsor Hotel in Denver in June, 1880, then the largest and most popular hostelry in this part of the west. He afterward sold his interest in this hotel to Mr. Tabor.
Mr. Hall's mining success really began in the year 1881, when, with Dennis Sullivan and two others, he purchased the Mylo group of mines in the Ten Mile district. Before this time, Mr. Hall had prospected the same as hundreds of others and had met with the same indifferent success. He also bought an interest in the famous Sixth Street shaft in Leadville and in the Rose group at Ouray. In 1892 he went to Arizona and there discovered the noted Mammoth mine, out of which he took minerals worth eight hundred thousand dollars. At the time of his death Mr. Hall was the owner of about forty mines in Colorado and Arizona. Mr. Hall was delegated to represent Arizona territory at the metallic convention held in St. Louis, Missouri, in October, 1893.
During the War of the Rebellion Mr. Hall was a lieutenant in the Second Colorado Cavalry and participated in the various campaigns of that regiment. He was in the hunt for the guerrilla bands which came into this territory from the south and also was at Sand Creek, when the troops under Chivington so decisively defeated the Indians under Black Kettle.
In the year 1862 Mr. Hall was married to Mary Melissa Hill Nye, a native of New York state. A sketch of Mrs. Hall follows.
MRS. MARY MELISSA HALL.
Mary Melissa Hall, wife of Charles L. Hall, was born in Geneseo county, New York, March 8, 1838 and died July 17, 1899, in Denver, Colorado. She was the daughter of Ebenezer and Hannah (Barber) Hill, who were natives of New York state. Her girlhood days were spent in the state of her birth, where she received her schooling and at a very early age she married Nathan Nye. In the year 1860, in company with her husband, father and her two children-Ella and Hal B .- she came overland to the Pike's Peak country. Her experiences upon this trip and in making a home here were those of the typical pioneer woman of the west, but hard as they were they brought forth sterling traits of character which dominated her life.
In the year 1862 she was married to Charles L. Hall, to which union were born the following children: Minnie B., born May 2. 1863, wife of Edward R. Murphy, of Denver; Charles A., born July 19, 1865, died May 21, 1906, who was a miner, stockman, ranch- owner and operator of the Mammoth mine in Arizona; and Mildred Nettie, born May 30, 1869, wife of Thomas McQuade, of Park county.
During the early days of Colorado's history Mrs. Hall met and overcame with Spartan courage many of the trials and dangers attendant upon border life. There were Indians who often came to her home for food and who at one time fought a pitched battle in the rear of the house, the Utes, who were friendly with the whites, being arrayed against the Arapahoes and Cheyennes. After this engagement Mrs. Hall's home was utilized as a hospital for the wounded Indians. At another time, a desperado, who had terrorized the country more or less, called at the home while Mrs. Hall was alone and announced his intention of carrying her away with him. Undaunted, this brave woman played her part well in the face of this ruffian and placated him until she was able to reach her rifle and cover him. Fortunately for himself the desperado held up his hands as instructed, for Mrs. Hall was a dead shot. The first American flag in what is now the state of Colorado was made by Mrs. Hall on the 4th of July, 1861, her materials for the same consisting chiefly of a red flannel dress, a blue- sunbonnet and goods which had been intended for a white shroud. Mrs. Hall was then living at Baker's Park in the Ouray district and here she hoisted the flag; it was later cut down by a rebel sympathizer but was afterwards returned to Mrs. Hall by that noted plainsman and scout-Kit Carson. In the formation and establish- ment of Christian Science in Denver and Colorado Mrs. Hall was the pioneer. Suffering
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from total blindness and lameness at one period of her life, she sought relief through the teachings of the Christian Science church and, having found not only relief but a cure for her afflictions, devoted her efforts afterwards to the start of the Christian Science practice in this part of the country. In 1885 the first services were held in her home at No. 412 Broadway and in 1886 services were held at No. 3 La Veta place.
WILLIAM TAMLIN.
There is much that is interesting and at times unique in the life history of William Tamlin, one of the old-timers of Elbert county. He was born in Italy, prob- ably in the year 1857, and as nearly as he can remember came to this country in' 1867, crossing the Atlantic as a boy musician. He ran away within a few months after the time that he landed on the shores of the new world and never saw any of his people again. Forty-five years ago he arrived in Colorado and became a cowboy. He became an expert rider, so that his services were in demand as a jockey and he rode in races throughout the western country, but the lure of cowboy life was strong and he returned to the business of cow punching. He rode for the big cattle owner, "Dad" Grimes, of Wichita, also for "Shanghai" Pierce, of Texas, for Henry Davis and the firm of Johnson Brothers. He had all of the experiences that came to the cowboy on the western ranges in the early days and was familiar with many events which found their place on the pages of history.
About forty years ago Mr. Tamlin was married to Miss Minerva J. McCorkle, of Clay county, Missouri, and they have five sons and three daughters, namely: George S .; Henry, who was for a time in the army; Vincent; Albert; Willie; Nora; Mary; and Lizzie. Four of the sons are married and are now successfully following farming.
For many years Mr. Tamlin engaged in freighting for the big Elbert county firms and later built the first livery stable in the new town of Simla. He has prospered as time has passed and is now the owner of a model farm of three hundred and twenty acres, which he has brought under a high state of cultivation and to which he has added all modern improvements, equipments and accessories. His land is under a high state of cultivation and as a reward of his labors he annually gathers golden harvests. Mr. Tamlin was educated in the school of hard knocks. He has the appearance of a college professor and is one of the best informed men in his county on affairs of the day. Possessing an observing eye and a retentive memory, he has constantly broadened his knowledge and from each experience in life has gained the lesson therein contained. Dependent upon his own resources from a very early age, he has steadily worked his way upward, not only winning success but also developing character that has gained for him the respect of those who know him. His reminiscen- ces of the early days are most interesting and Elbert county honors him among its pioneer citizens.
CHARLES ROBERT BROCK, LL. D.
Charles Robert Brock, a member of the well known Denver law firm of Smith, Brock & Ferguson, son of Daniel R. and Mary Lucas Brock and a lineal descendant of John Brock, a captain in the War of 1812, and John Brock, first lientenant of the Tenth Regiment of Virginia in the War of the Revolution, was born near London, Laurel county, Kentucky, on May 9, 1865, and was the first born in a family of eleven children. His parents were deeply religious. The most unselfish of mothers graciously taught her children to reverence their father, and the father sternly and yet affection- ately led them to treat their mother with respect and tenderness. The chief aim of the parents was first to give their children proper moral and religious training, and second to afford every available means for their intellectual development. In the latter respect the facilities were limited. However, when four years and two months old the subject of this sketch entered a school conducted by his mother's sister in a log schoolhouse at Rough Creek and was present every day during the term of one hun- dred days. The next year the school was conducted by his father, and again he was in regular attendance every day of the term. From that time until he was seventeen years of age he attended the country school on an average of about one hundred days each year, working during the intervals between school terms on his father's farm. He had no idle hours. In the winter evenings he was directed in his studies by his father and mother. His mother patiently memorized his lessons and then taught them
CHARLES R. BROCK
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to her boy as she moved about her household duties. The memory of those days is both sweet and tender. His father had little patience when his son seemed too stupid readily to understand a problem in arithmetic or algebra without any, or at most with one, explanation. He was rather stern in his exactions, but the deepest affection always existed between the father and son. It continues to this day, and weekly letters have always passed between them when separated. To his home life and home training he attributes whatever of virtue he may possess, and just to the extent that his life fails in being what it ought to be he recognizes that he has failed to follow the teach- ings of his devoted father and sainted mother.
When seventeen his father sent him to an academy at London for one term. At the end of this term he procured a certificate of qualification and taught a country school. From that time until he was twenty-one years old each year he taught one term of five months and attended an academy at London or Barbourville for a like term. In. this way he prepared for college, and in January, 1887, entered the State College, now the University of Kentucky, from which he graduated in June, 1890, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He was selected by the faculty to deliver an address at his graduation. The theme was "Our Glory and Our Shame," his purpose being to make a plea for independence in thought and action. A Lexington journal published the address and commenting on it said:
"It is with pride and pleasure that we lay before our readers the address of Mr. Charles R. Brock, of Laurel county, Kentucky, delivered at the closing exercises of the State College, June 5th. It is the province of the Journal to give attention to and pro- mote the material development of the state, but the methods of the Journal are only a change in the tactics prosecuted for ten years by The Lexington Observer for the up- building of the intellectual, moral and educational work of the state.
"Mr. Brock has happily touched upon both in this able and manly address, com- bining the two lines of development with such manliness and courage as to mark him as worthy the highest confidence of his fellow citizens. The evidence of intellectual vigor and moral courage to be found in this address is such as should reassure the faltering faith of every patriotic citizen of the commonwealth."
The compliment he appreciated most, however, came from his father. A few days after his graduation his mother confidentially let him know that his father, who was present at his graduation, had indicated that he was not ashamed of the address. His father was not willing to "spoil" his children by compliments. Accordingly this inti- mation that he was not displeased was received as a piece of extravagant praise.
He and a member of his class, Professor James A. Yates, now of the Kansas State Normal School, at Pittsburg, Kansas, became associate principals for the school year 1890-91 of the Laurel Seminary at London. During this year, in accordance with an ambition which had been steadily developing for a number of years. he began the active study of law. During the school year 1891-92 he taught in Williamsburg Institute, now Cumberland College, at Williamsburg. While at Williamsburg he lived in a room adjoining the law office of the late R. D. Hill, one of the most capable and painstaking lawyers in southeastern Kentucky. Not because it was required, but as a slight ex- pression of appreciation of the direction of his studies as given by Mr. Hill, and for the use of his books and the occupation of his office as a study, he acted as a kind of janitor of the law office, as he did of his own adjoining room. Before the end of the year he was admitted to the bar. In June, 1892, he and Mr. Hill formed a partnership for the practice of law at London under an arrangement for Mr. Brock to be in charge of the office at that place. The partnership continued for three years, Mr. Hill having given his name essentially for the help and assurance which it afforded. When he felt that the young lawyer was able to proceed alone the partnership was dissolved.
During the remaining years that he practiced law at London it- is no exaggera- tion to say that he steadily gathered about him the most desirable clientage the town and surrounding country afforded. Within this period those who had known him from childhood became willing to seek and to take his advice. In the meantime. on June 1, 1893, he was most happily married to Miss Katherine P. Brown, a daughter of Judge W. L. Brown of London, Kentucky. In 1901 Mrs. Brock's physician advised that her health would be improved by the Colorado climate, and this advice brought the husband and wife to Denver. They reached Denver in time for Mr. Brock to vote against the adoption of Article XX of the state constitution. This amendment, how- ever, appears to have bad no little influence in shaping bis future professional career in Colorado. It consolidated the office of the city attorney and that of the district attorney of the Denver district. There was a vacancy on the staff of the district attor-
Word reached Mr. Brock at an unexpected moment that the district attorney ney. desired to fill this vacancy with a man to whom he could entrust a share of the
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civil business of the city and that his name was being considered for the position. An arrangement was made by which he agreed to work one month on trial without compensation and if at the end of the time the district attorney was convinced of his ability to perform the duties desired he was to be appointed. The appointment was made at the end of the month and for eighteen months his connection with the office continued. He resigned to become associated with Milton Smith, the senior member of the present firm of Smith, Brock & Ferguson, with whom he came in contact as an incident to his official duties. When in the city attorney's office he had charge of litigation of considerable moment to his adopted city, including what was known as the "Wine Room Cases," which he argued in the supreme court of the United States. The basis of the writ of error from that tribunal was the contention that a charter provision which excluded women from saloons or rooms adjacent thereto constituted a discrimination against women as such. in violation of the Constitution of the United States-a contention resisted by Mr. Brock and repudiated by the supreme court.
In July, 1904, he was designated by the late Mayor Speer for the pleasing duty of presenting to the Cruiser Denver, then at Galveston, Texas, a silver service on behalf of the city of Denver. In connection therewith it was also his privilege to present to the Cruiser a silver pitcher on behalf of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
He is devoted to his profession and attributes whatever of success he has attained to the fact that he has always preferred a fair income earned directly from his pro- fession to a much larger income obtained from any other source. For several years he has lectured on the law of public service companies and equity pleading in the law school of the University of Denver and is now a member of the board of trustees of that institution.
At the Golden Jubilee of the University of Kentucky, in 1916, Mr. Brock was one of three of the alumni of the university selected for honorary degrees, the other two being Dr. John L. Patterson, dean of the University of Louisville, and Dr. Thomas H. Morgan of Johns Hopkins University, Mr. Brock himself receiving the degree of Doctor of Laws.
In religion he is a Baptist, having been baptized in the Cumberland river and into the fellowship of the Williamsburg Baptist church before leaving his native state. Since coming to Denver he has been a member of the First Baptist church, is a regular attendant upon its services and finds pleasure in contributing of his means for its local support and for the maintenance of its work in foreign fields. He advo- cates tithing, which he has consistently practiced for more than twenty years, as the scriptural and most effective method of raising funds for religious purposes. He believes that the question of the future life is the most important that engages the thought of man. While entertaining the profoundest regard for all evangelical denomi- nations he has no toleration for the popular heresy that it makes no difference what a man believes on questions of religion provided only he is honest in his belief. Saul of Tarsus, when "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," was probably as honest as when under inspiration he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.
In politics he calls himself a conservative democrat. This because he voted for Palmer and Buckner electors in 1896 and has not found it possible to assent to all of the progressive measures advocated by his party. He has never sought or desired political preferment. Under appointment of Governor Buchtel, however, he served as a member of Colorado's first civil service commission from 1907 to 1911-an office without compensation. His fundamental political creed finds illustration in an address which he delivered in June, 1918, at the installation of Dr. McVey as president of the University of Kentucky. Speaking of patriotism he then said:
"Within the past year many of us have learned that patriotism, like religion, can- not be spontaneously evolved; its development is a process. It is the peculiar province of a state school to breathe out a true spirit of patriotism-loyalty to our written constitution, an instrument so wise, both in its grants and its limitations, that no believer in representative government has yet been able to suggest any material improvement.
"With the proper ending of this World war our country will be confronted with grave and difficult problems. The conflict between labor and capital, the line of de- marcation between the right of private management and the right of public regula- tion of public service companies, the controversy between legitimate regulation and government ownership of public utilities, have already presented questions fraught with serious difficulties and attended with some dangers. Important as they are, those questions will be suhordinated to problems more vital and fundamental. Doubt-
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less the most important will be with respect to the subtle attacks of socialism upon our representative form of government.
"The enemies of representative government, of whom socialists are the chief, have already been active. They will become more so when the war ends. It is to their efforts primarily that the initiative and referendum, the recall of officers, and espe- cially the recall of judicial decisions, have been adopted in a number of the states. So plausible have been the advocates of these so-called reforms that many good-in- tentioned men have been beguiled to support them.
"It may be true, and undoubtedly it is true, that changes in our industrial and sociological conditions may from time to time necessitate modifications of our con- stitution. Nevertheless, in the representative feature of that instrument it is believed that it expresses the concentrated wisdom of the ages. And I submit that upon our loyalty to that feature of our form of government must ultimately depend its per- petuity. It is that feature which the framers of the constitution contemplated would always insure the selection of men with some special fitness for the duties attaching to their office. It was believed that specially qualified representatives selected by the people for the purpose could better make, interpret and execute the laws than any of these duties could be performed by the people collectively.
"The initiative and referendum and the recall of officers in general, although ignoring this principle, might prove innocuous. When, however, the representative feature of our government is encroached upon to the extent that judicial officers and judicial decisions are declared to be subject to recall at the election of the people as a whole, we strike at the very foundation of our liberties and of our form of government. Against any encroachment, however plausible the scheme, which strikes at a principle so vital as the independence of the judiciary and the principle which would select and call to duty a person specially fitted for the performance of that duty, we need to be constantly on our guard. Upon their loyalty to these principles depends the loyalty of our citizens to our government, for after all loyalty to our government depends upon loyalty to the written constitution of our fathers."
When not engaged in his professional duties his chief pleasures are found in his home, his books, his church and travel as opportunity affords. He is a member of the University Club of Denver and of its board of directors, of the Denver Club, the Denver Motor Club, an honorary member of Phi Delta Phi, and a member of the Denver, Colorado, and American Bar Associations.
JAMES ABSALOM MAULDIN.
James Absalom Mauldin, deceased, was one of the extensive landowners of Elbert county, prominently and actively connected with its agricultural interests for many years. He was born in Hall county, Georgia, September 16, 1846, a son of Terrill W. and Sarah (Jackson) Mauldin. The father died in the year 1862 and the support of the family then devolved upon James A. Mauldin of this review, who at that time was a youth of but sixteen years. The burden was a heavy one for young shoulders, but he bravely faced conditions and did everything possible to promote the interests and welfare of the family. He had pursued his education in the Hall county public schools and when twenty-one years of age he decided to leave his native state and seek the opportunities of the growing west. Accordingly in 1867, accompanied by his mother and his tbree younger sisters, he came to Colorado, settling in Elbert county, where he secured land. As the years passed his labors brought to him increasing financial resources and he made judicious investments in property until at the time of his death he was the owner of sixteen hundred and twenty acres of valuable land in the vicinity of Elizabeth. He converted the wild and arid tract into rich and productive fields, from which he annually gathered good harvests. and he added many modern and attractive improvements to his farm, transforming it into one of the valuable ranch properties of the district.
Mr. Mauldin was twice married. He first wedded Miss Caroline McCurry, a native of Missouri, who passed away in the year 1890. On the 25th of February, 1892, he was married at Geneseo, Illinois, to Miss Frances E. Tee. of Cambridge, that state, and they became the parents of five children, James F., William B., Charles Wesley, Harold Stratton and Nellie Ruth. Mrs. Mauldin's father and mother and two of her sisters were born on the Isle of Wight, while the Mauldin family comes of Scotch- Irish ancestry. William B. Mauldin, the second son, is in the service of his country, having been trained at Camp Cody, New Mexico, and at Camp Dix, New Jersey. He
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