History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 49

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

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MAJ. JESSE L. PRITCHARD.

Maj. Jesse L. Pritchard, the subject of this sketch, is one of the early settlers of Colo- rado. In March, 1859, he started from his home, in Ohio, for Pike's Peak. Arriving at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in April of that year, he came to Denver by ox team, over the Smoky Hill route. Soon after his arrival at Denver, he went into the mountains, and located at the Gregory Diggings, where Central City now stands. He engaged actively in mining, and in 1861, upon the first Territorial organization, was elected the first Sheriff of Gilpin Co., which office he continued to fill until the fall of 1862, when he was commissioned as Mayor of the Third Colorado Infantry, from Gov. Evans. The Second and Third Regiments were never

completed, but were consolidated, forming the Second Colorado Cavalry, with which com- mand Maj. Pritchard entered the service, tak- ing part in all the scouts, marches and battles of that regiment until the mustering-out at Fort Leavenworth, in the fall of 1865. After the killing of Maj. Smith, at the battle of the Little Blue, Maj. Pritchard was in command of the regiment, taking it through the Price campaign, at the battles of Big Blue, West Port, Mine Run and Newtonia. After quit- ting the service, he located near Kansas City, and was engaged in farming for about eight years, returning to Colorado again in 1877, where he engaged in mining in Clear Creek County, near Georgetown. In 1878, he came to Leadville and engaged in mining, meeting with very good success. In the spring of 1880, he was elected one of the Aldermen of the city, which office he now holds. During the strike last year, Maj. Pritchard was appointed Provost Marshal of Leadville, and exhibited great ability in governing the city through that trying time. Mr. Pritchard is just in the prime of life; born in Harrison County, Ohio, in 1833, he is now forty-eight years old; raised on a farm, his fine physical proportions were fully developed, which were afterward ripened by active work. . He received a com- mon school education; learned the marble- cutting trade, which he followed until his first break for Pike's Peak .. Those who know him speak of him as an affable gentleman, possess- ing those sterling qualities which makes up the much-admired Western man.

ROBERT E. PIPPIN.

Mr. Pippin was born at Greensboro, Md., on the 9th of July, 1850. He attended the common schools and afterward learned the machinist trade. In 1870, he came to Colo- rado and located at Central City, where he re- mained four years engaged upon machinery work at the mines; he also served as a police- man there for two years. Going to Caribou he worked as a machinist until December, 1879, when he came to Leadville, where he has since resided. At one time he was Assist- ant Superintendent of the Little Chief Mine. In 1880, he was elected Constable of Lead- ville, in which capacity he still acts. He is

Louis Ham an

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one of the proprietors of the Delmonico res- taurant. He devotes some attention to min- ing.

HON. JOHN L. PENDERY.

The subject of this sketch is deserving of much credit and more than. a passing notice in a history of Leadville, as one of the pio- neers, leading attorneys and mining operators of the Carbonate Camp. Probably no one man has a more extended acquaintance throughout Leadville and its surroundings than Judge Pendery. He was born in Lock- land, Hamilton Co., Ohio, in 1823, and lived there until 1857. He received a common school education and afterward read law with Judge McLean of that State. He was admit- ted to the bar shortly afterward at Cincinnati, where he practiced until 1857, and then went to Leavenworth, Kan., where he associated himself in the practice of his profession, with Hon. Daniel McCook, and afterward with Judge Brewer, who is now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas. He was also a partner of David Baily, who served as Consul at Hong Kong. While there he was a law partner of I. S. Kalloch, present Mayor of San Francisco. Judge Pendery's legal learning soon brought to him a large and lucrative practice. Through a combination of unfavorable circumstances he lost the most of his wealth, and in May, 1878, he came to Leadville and opened an office on Lower Chestnut street, where he commenced the practice of his profession. At that time he had no money, in fact, was in a destitute con- dition, and depended on what practice he could then secure for his maintenance. The Judge, however, commenced to interest him- self in mining and located the Ypsilanti, and soon after the Pendery lode, out of which latter he realized a large sum, and created for himself a name which was heralded throughout the land, as one whose judgment could be relied on in mining matters. He is now interested in more than 150 mining claims, located in all the various mining dis- tricts of this State, and should but a portion of his expectations be realized, he will be one of the world's richest men. He is a gentle- man who has the friendship and esteem of all his acquaintances, and the success, which his

judgment has been the means of earning him, makes him authority to many who seek him for advice.

JOSEPH H. PLAYTER.

Mr. Playter, City Treasurer of Leadville, is a young man well fitted and worthy of the honorable and responsible position to which the citizens of Leadville have chosen him. Born in York Co., Ontario, Canada, Septem- ber 5, 1854. His father was a farmer and stock-raiser by occupation, and until about sixteen years of age the subject of this sketch lived at home, and only received such educa- tional advantages as could be obtained by the public schools of his native place; subse- quently attended the high school for one year, and spent also one year in teaching school. He is descended from a noble English family of great respectability and note. Mr. Play- ter was the only candidate elected on the Democratic ticket of the last election, which was a strong evidence of his popularity. In the spring of 1872, he emigrated to Kansas and engaged in the banking business at Girard, Kan., with his brother, occupying the position of Cashier of the Crawford County Bank until December, 1878. Leaving Kan- sas he came to Leadville and embarked in the hotel business. After a short period went to the Ten Mile District and commenced prospecting and mining. Returning to Lead- ville he opened an office as assayer and min- ing engineer, under the firm name of Towne, Playter & Co., in which business he contin- ued until January, 1881, when he was elected Cashier of the City Bank of Leadville, which position he resigned the following spring, after being elected City Treasurer. He also was elected Treasurer of the School Board. Although Mr. Playter is no politician and has never sought office or public favor, yet when elected he has always discharged the official duties pertaining to the office in a creditable manner, and he has established himself for one so young in years as a man of unusual promise and enterprise, and who will, at no distant period, ascend to an enviable rank of wealth and importance in the community in which he lives. During the mining riots at Leadville, in June, 1880, Mr. Playter ren- dered efficient service as an officer in the

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State militia, to which organization he is still warmly attached. He is also Acting Eminent Commander of the Mount of the Holy Cross Commandery of Knight Templars, and during his residence in Kansas was twice elected as a member of the State Convention. Mr. Playter was married at Osage City, Kan., in 1876, and has two children.

JOSEPH PEARCE.

This gentleman was born July 11, 1844, in Cornwall, England, where he received a lib- eral education. In the spring of 1866, he came to America and located at Central City, Colo., and engaged in mining. In the fall of 1868, he removed to Oro City, the present town of Leadville, and opened a hotel, contin- uing in that business for a period of seven years, besides prospecting and buying mines in which he was quite successful. He sold the mines known as Waterloo, Henriett, Belle of Colorado, Gun Abroad, Maid of Erin, to New York companies, realizing quite a handsome sum from their sale, and still con- tinues in the business of speculating in mines. Mr. Pearce is a prominent Odd Fellow and is a Past Grand and Past Chief Patriarch of that order, and has been Grand Representa- tive to the Grand Lodge. He is also Chair- man of the Board of County Commissioners and Superintendent of the Poor. He was married in England and is an enterprising and prompt business man.

HON. WILLIAM RAYMOND.

William Raymond, Clerk of the County Court of Lake County, was born in Kings County, N. Y., on the 8th of June, 1837. He remained there until 1854, in the mean- time receiving a collegiate education. From 1854 until 1870, he was located at Jersey City. He read law with Hon. John W. Edmunds, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1861, in the city of New York He practiced. in New York and in Rockland County, until 1862, when he entered the Federal army and was commissioned in the Sixth New York Heavy Artillery. He re- signed his commission at Harper's Ferry in January, 1863, and was then commissioned in the Fifth New York Infantry. He served

during the war on various staff commissions; was at Appomattox Court House at the sur- render of Lee. He held brevet commissions as high as Major General. He holds army and civil commissions signed by Presidents Lincoln, Johnson and Grant; also commis. sions from Governors Clark, Seymour and Fenton, of New York; also from Gov. Parker, of New Jersey. Mr. Raymond took part in over forty engagements while in the army of the Potomac. He was a member of the Leg- islature of New Jersey, and was also Assist- ant District Attorney of Rockland County, N. Y. He came to Colorado in the summer of 1870, and located in Denver, where he re- mained until June, 1879, engaged in the practice of law, and was officially connected with all the courts of that city. He came to Leadville to accept the position of Deputy Clerk of the District Court, which position he filled until late in 1880, when he accepted the position of Clerk of the County Court. Mr. Raymond is one of Colorado's best-known attorneys. Through the many official posi- tions which he has occupied, he has made numerous acquaintances, who all testify to his affability, genial manners, prompt ability and well-known integrity.

HON. A. W. RUCKER.

This gentleman was born in Harrodsburg, Ky., April 3, 1847; he received an academic education in the State of Missouri, to which State he had moved in his early youth. Upon the breaking-out of the war, he entered the Confederate army as a private, and spent some time in the military prison at Springfield, Mo .; having been paroled, he, for some inex- plicable reason, was never exchanged. In 1867, he commenced the study of law at Lexington, Mo., and was admitted to prac- tice at the bar in June, 1868. In the fall of 1869, having formed a copartnership with his brother, T. A. Rucker; they opened an office and commenced business at Baxter Springs, Kan., and remained there until 1873, when he moved to Kansas City and there re- sumed his law practice, until he removed to Leadville, in February, 1879. Judge Rucker was appointed Judge of the Criminal Court of Lake County, which position he held for

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only a short period, as the Supreme Court had decided that the act passed by the Legislature creating the court was unconstitutional; his administration, though brief and but of short duration, was characterized with such a de- gree of fairness and ability, and the vigor with which he meted out the law to those who were convicted in his court, won for him the esteem of his brethren of the law, together with the praise of the law-abiding citizens of Leadville and Lake County, for which his friends and himself are justly proud. Judge Rucker modestly avoids public life, and has usually kept himself and his opinions out of newspapers; he is regarded as a man who is devoted to principle, and who pursues prin- ciples to their logical results; he is at present engaged in the active practice of his profes- sion, and has secured a large patronage. He was married in 1872, at Baxter Springs, Kan., to the eldest daughter of Hon. S. B. Caruth, who for several years was Mayor of that thriv- ing city.

WILLIAM H. RHINEHART.

Mr. Rhinehart, the pioneer telegraph oper- ator of Leadville and surrounding mountain towns, was born in Paxton, Ill., Dec. 30, 1856; after attending public school until thirteen years of age, he served two years in the tele- graph office in his native city; in 1871, be went to La Fayette, Ind., and worked in a photograph gallery two years. In December, 1874, he came to Denver, and was in the em- ploy of Perry & Bohm, photographers, one year. In August, 1876, he entered the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and went to Dudley, Park Co., and opened an office; June 1, 1877, he opened an office at Alma, same county; October 1, following, he returned to Dudley, where he remained until June, 1878; he then came to Leadville, and followed placer mining in Iowa Gulch three months. September 6, the first wire was run into Leadville by the Western Union Com- pany, and he opened the office. In February, 1879, growing business compelled him to call for relief, which was sent him in the way of operators, and during the succeeding year he was manager of the office. April 1, 1880, he went to Kokomo, Ten Mile District, and opened an office, and there remained until

November 9, when he was transferred to Lead- ville, in charge of the receiving department, which position he still holds. Mr. Rhinehart was married, February 23, 1881, to Miss Kittie Clark, of Denver.

J. THOMAS ROBERTS.

This gentleman was born in Baltimore, Md., in 1841, and resided in that city until 1861; a good common-school education was supple- mented by a thorough knowledge of the car- penter and builder's trade. During the civil war, he served in the Third Maryland Volun- teer Infantry, which formed a part of the Fifth Army Corps, taking part in all the en- gagements of his regiment; after three years of service, he was mustered out, and returned to his home. In 1866, he came West to Junction City, Kan., and remained there until 1870. He was Master Mechanic at Fort Riley. In 1870, he came to Colorado and worked at his trade in Golden, and afterward in Central City; after the destructive fire which destroyed most of Central, in 1874, Mr. Roberts rebuilt a large portion of the city. In January, 1879, he removed to Leadville, and is one of the oldest and most reliable builders there; among other prominent buildings which he has erected in Leadville are the Clarendon Hotel, Tabor Opera House, Daniels, Fisher & Co.'s Block, Owen & Chittenden's Block, and Manville & McCarthy's new block on the cor- ner of Fifth street and Harrison avenue.

CHARLES M. ROLKER.

Mr. Charles M. Rolker, the present General Manager of the Chrysolite Silver Mining Com- pany, a graduated mining engineer, comes, like so many of our present Coloradomen, originally from New York State .. Brought up in the city of Brooklyn, he went abroad for his edu- cation, the collegial as well as technical; the latter he received at the Royal Mining School of Clausthal, taking, in later years, a finishing course at the New York School of Mines. He has followed mining in its various branches since 1868, and, aside from his European ex- perience, has practiced his profession in the mines of New Jersey, Iowa, Wisconsin, Mich- igan (Lake Superior), Nevada, California and Utah, managing mines for the last five years,

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notably among which are the famous Mariposa Land and Mining Company of California, and the Stormont group of mines in Southern Utah. Mr. Rolker has established himself a high reputation as a competent and trust- worthy mine manager, to which he has added during his short regime of the Chrysolite Mine. Appointed as General Manager Sept. 1, 1880, he found the property still loaded with a debt of over a quarter of a million, and pronounced by the majority of leading mining men as worked out; since then, by his persis- tent and systematic working of the mine, he has extracted ore which brought $756,600 net, over smelter's charges; after paying off the large debt and the heavy working expenses, which are occasioned by the nature of the Fryer Hill ore occurrence, he had accumu- lated, on April 1, 1881, a surplus of $300,000 net over all, in the New York Treasury-a sum sufficient to prospect the mines of this company for another year; the mine has been put in first-class condition; considerable bodies of ore are still standing, and the future of the once clouded mine is bright once more.

AUGUST RISCHE.

The peculiar freaks of fortune which some- times follow the pursuit of mining are apily illustrated in the history of Mr. Rische. Au- gust Rische was born in Minden, Prussia, in 1833, and in 1852 emigrated to America and settled in St. Louis, Mo., where he worked at shoemaking. When the war broke out, he volunteered in the three-months service, in the Fourth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, and afterward for three years in the Twelfth Mis- souri Volunteer Infantry, under Gen. Oster- haus. At the close of the war, he still pur- sued his vocation of shoemaker, and, in 1868, came to Colorado and opened a shoe-shop in Fairplay, and while there staked several pros- pectors, but always without any pecuniary success to himself. In the fall of 1874, Mr. Rische came to Lake County, California Gulch, and engaged in mining, taking lessons from Charley Field, S. D. Newman and William Pierce, in the celebrated mine known as the Printer Boy. In the spring of 1875, he leased a mine known as the Five-Twenty, which, not proving financially a success, Mr. Rische turned

his attention to prospecting, and, while pros- pecting the head of Arkansas, discovered some valuable fissure veins. In the winter of 1877, while prospecting with George Freassle on Mount Zion, Freassle kicked Rische's dog, which caused hot words and a dissolution of partnership, and proved a lucky kick for Rische, as it placed him on the road to fort- une; on the 20th of April, 1877, he formed a partnership with George T. Hook, and, being grub-staked by H. A. W. Tabor, they proceeded to prospect Fryer Hill, and, on the 1st day of May, the Little Pittsburgh Mine was discov- ered by the striking of mineral at the depth of twenty-six feet; the New Discovery Mine would have disclosed the rich mineral of Fryer Hill, but the kicking of his dog shaped Rische's course and included Gov. Tabor in this fortunate streak of financial luck. Mr. Rische retired from ownership in this mine with a cash capital of $310,000; he owns a fourth interest in the New York Mine, and has large interests in San Juan and Rico Dis- tricts, besides owning some valuable real es- tate in Leadville and Denver. He married an 'estimable lady, and is now the happy father of a son and heir. Mr. Rische is a prominent Odd Fellow, being a Past Grand and Past Chief Patriarch, and a member of the grand lodge of the State, and takes life in a pleasant manner, being now content to enjoy the fruits of his lucky discovery. He has built himself a handsome residence at Malta, three miles from Leadville, where he now resides.

JOHN RILING.

The subject of this sketch was born in Can- ton, Ohio, in January, 1836, and received a common-school education; at the age of fif- teen years, was apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade; when out of his apprenticeship, he re- moved to Freeport, Ill., and, after a brief stay, came to Lawrence, Kan., and worked at his trade there until the spring of 1859; in chat year, with many others, he emigrated to Colo- rado, and was engaged in prospecting and mining, and located the placer mines of Lost Canon, and worked at placer mining in California Gulch. In the winter of 1861, he returned to Leavenworth, Kan., and was em- ployed by the Quartermaster Department at

THE WHITE QUAIL SMELTING WORKS, KOKOMO, COLO. LOUIS HOMAN, Supt. WM. H. DELLECKER, Manager.

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that point for a short time; he started busi- ness for himself, repairing and making wag- ons; afterward sold out and engaged to work for the Kansas Manufacturing Company, and remained in their employ until 1878. The following spring he removed to Leadville and started a blacksmith and wagon-making shop, in which business he has been quite suc- cessful, and is still engaged in that line. Mr. Riling is married, and has a family of five children.

RICHARD H. STANLEY.

The present County Treasurer of Lake County is Mr. Richard H. Stanley; he was born in Howard Co., Mo., in 1843; he soon afterward removed with his parents to Rock Island, Ill., which place he made his home until 1870; he first received a common-school education, and then engaged in farming; he was a member of the Nineteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the war, having enlisted in 1861, and served three years, taking part in all the battles of the Army of the Cumberland. In 1870, Mr. Stanley came to Colorado and engaged as a clerk for one year in Denver, afterward going to Park County and remain- ing there until the fall of 1876, when he went to San Juan and settled at Lake City; there he engaged in mining until the spring of 1877, when he went Ouray, and, in the fall of that year, came to Leadville, where he has since resided. He was elected to his present position in the fall of 1879; he is extensively engaged in mining, and has met with finan- cial success.

HON. WILLIAM J. SHARMAN.

Mr. Sharman is one of the successful attor- neys of Leadville, and has a large and lucra- tive practice. He was born at Clonmel, Tip- perary Co., Ireland, December 24, 1845; when two years of age, he went to Brideport, England, with his parents, his father being a clergyman. Two years afterward, he came to America, and, with his parents, settled at Erie, Penn .; when eight years old, he removed to Des Moines, Iowa, and remained seventeen years; he received a collegiate education; graduated from the Law Department of the Iowa Uni- versity in 1866; he has since practiced his profession at Des Moines and St. Louis for

ten years. He located at Leadville in April, 1879, and engaged in mining, as well as his profession; he was in the Senate of Iowa when the late Secretary of War Mccrary, and the present Secretary of Interior, S. J. Kirk- wood, were members.

JAMES SHIRE.

One of Leadville's popular officers is James Shire, who holds the position of Constable, a position he has held for the last two years. He was born in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1840; he received a common-school education, and served in the British army for about eight years; was in India during the mutiny there. He came to America in 1866, and settled in Kansas, where he remained until 1879, when he came to Colorado and located in Leadville; he has been engaged in mining, and met with fair success.

L. D. SPAULDING.

One of Leadville's young and successful business men is L. D. Spaulding, the senior member of the wholesale and retail confec- tionery house of Spaulding & Woodruff; he was born February 4, 1854, at Marcellus, Onondaga Co., N. Y .; he moved to Northern Ohio with his parents in 1862, and to Middle Tennessee in 1867. He came to Colorado in 1873, and located at. Colorado Springs; in 1876, he moved to Lake City, and was in bus- iness there until 1878, when he came to Lead- ville; since his advent here he has been iu the same business, starting with limited means but an acknowledged credit; the house has been very successful; they are located on West Chestnut street, and carry a stock of confection- eries and toys to the amount of $20,000; they do a yearly business of $60,000, and own val- uable property throughout the city. Mr. Spaulding is one of the proprietors of the Mansion House, at 212 and 214 West Second street. Through his strict integrity and ster- ling business qualities, this gentleman has built up a trade and reputation that are a fit reward for his ambition and endeavors.

CHARLES B. STONE.

Mr. Stone is one of the members of the firm known as the Leadville Undertaking Com- pany; he was born in Franklin Co., Vt., in

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1843, where he lived as a farmer's son until eighteen years of age; he then entered the First Vermont Volunteer Cavalry as Lieuten- ant of Company B, and served in the Third Division Cavalry Corps, which was under com- mand of Gen. Custer: after serving three years and six months, he was mustered out, when he returned to his native State and de- voted his attention to the lumber business. He came to Colorado in 1871, and engaged in the same business at Denver; the panic of 1878 engulfed him, as it did others. He was appointed Chief of Police of Denver for two years. He came to Leadville in the fall of 1878 and engaged in mining for a year, after- ward buying out the interest of Albert Brown in the Leadville Undertaking Company. He is now Secretary and Treasurer of Evergreen Cemetery. Mr. Stone is a live citizen of Lead- ville, and has always taken an active part in all public matters.

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 49

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080