USA > Colorado > Sketches of Colorado: being an analytical summary and biographical history of the State of Colorado as portrayed in the lives of the pioneers, the founders, the builders, the statesmen, and the prominent and progressive citizens Vol. 1 > Part 10
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Alva Adams for the third time became the chief executive of the state, but on Jan. 6, 1905, Gov. Peabody filed his protest in the legislature, against the canvassing of the so-called election returns from the City and County of Denver, citing the suit then pend- ing before the Supreme Court in which the State was plaintiff, and in which twenty-nine persons had already been fined or imprisoned for violating the court's injunction. The
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Supreme Court, prior to the election had is- sued such restraining orders as were deemed necessary to guard against fraud and insure an honest election. It was during this per- iod in the state's history that the "Big Mitt," so called was alleged to have been fraudu- lently, rolling up the big democratic majori- ties in Denver. On the other hand, the dem- ocrats were alleging that the republicans were committing election frauds in Huerfano county and other parts of the state.
Gov. Adams delivered his third inaugural address as the governor of the state, and a committee of the legislature began an in- vestigation of the alleged frauds. The docu- ments and testimony fill several large volumes. The contest was prolonged and bitterly fought in the legislature, which had a large repub- lican majority. On March 16, 1905, at 5 p. m. the legislature, by a vote of 55 to 41, de- clared that Peabody was entitled to the gov- ernor's seat. Gov. Peabody, on March 17, 1905, at 4: 25 p. m. filed with the secretary of state his resignation as governor. Lieu- tenant Governor Jesse F. McDonald, next in succession to that office, on March 17, 1905, at 4:30 p. m. filed with the secretary of state, his oath as governor of Colorado.
Thus within one day, Colorado had three governors, Adams, Peabody, and McDonald. The quiet administration of the latter, came as a relief from the excitement and turmoil of the great strike, the excited political con- dition during the campaign, and the guber- natorial contest that followed.
In 1906, Henry A. Buchtel, republican, chancellor of the University of Denver, was elected governor, receiving 92,602 votes, as against 74,416 for Alva Adams, democrat, the remainder of the gubernatorial vote being scattered as follows: Ben B. Lindsey, 18,014. William D. Haywood, 16,105; and F. C; Chamberlain, 2,087. The republicans elected the three congressmen by the following vote: congressman at large, George W. Cook, re- publican, 102,426; Samuel W. Belford, dem- ocrat, 76,792; first district, Robert W. Bon- ynge, republican, 47,549; C. F. Teu, demo- crat, 31,133; Luella Twining, socialist, 4,989; other votes scattering; second district, War- ren A. Haggott, republican, 54,869, and W. W. Rowan, democrat, 46,783. The legisla- ture which was convened in January, 1907, also had a republican majority, and Simon Guggenheim was elected to the U. S. Senate, to succeed Thomas M. Patterson. Two of the important measures passed at this session were the pure food and the local option laws.
John F. Shafroth, democrat, was elected governor in 1908, receiving 130,139 votes, as against 117,370 for Jesse F. McDonald, re- publican. 7,972 for H. C. Darrah, and 6,316
for Harry L. Murray. Three democratic congressmen were elected: at large, Edward T. Taylor, democrat, 126,934; James C. Burger, republican, 121,265; first district, Atterson W. Rucker, democrat, 60,643, and Robert W. Bonynge, republican, 57,597; sec- ond district, John A. Martin, democrat, 66,900, and Warren A. Haggott, republican, 64,400. On Jan. 20, 1909, the legislature, which was democratic, elected Charles J. Hughes, Jr., to the U. S. Senate, to succeed Henry M. Teller. A considerable part of the session was occupied in discussing new or reform measures now agitating the public. Not satisfied with the work of the legislature, as to the "platform pledges" of the demo- cratic party, Gov. Shafroth, later called an extra session, mainly devoted to those ques- tions. A constitutional amendment pro- viding for the initiative and referendum, was referred to the people, and adopted at the en- suing election. A direct primary law was also passed, relating to the nomination of candidates.
In 1910, Gov. Shafroth was re-elected, re- ceiving 114,627 votes as against 97,648 for John B. Stephen, republican; 7,844 for Henry W. Pinkham, 3,751 for P. A. Rice, and 735 for George Anderson. The democrats only elect- ed part of their ticket, but carried the state for all three of their congressmen who were re-elected; Atterson W. Rucker, democrat from the first district; , John A. Martin from the second district, and Edward T. Taylor, democrat, at large; the latter receiving 105, 700 votes, as against 101,722 for I. N. Stevens, republican; 8,620 for W. C. Bentley, socia !- ist; and 4,689 for Alexander Craise, pro- hibitionist.
The death of Charles J. Hughes, Jr., during the session of the legislature, left a vacancy to be filled in the U. S. Senate. The legisla- ture, which had a democratic majority, failed to elect a successor, owing to the long and heated contest among the several candidates.
The United States census gives the popu- lation of Colorado during the several decades of its history as follows :
1860
34,277
1870
39.864
1880
194,327
1890
413,249
1900
539,700
1910
799,024
At the last (1911) session of the legisla- ture, an act was passed, providing for a state flag for Colorado, described as follows :
The state flag "shall consist of three alternate stripes to be of equal width and at right angles to the staff, the white stripes being the middle one, the proportion of the flag being a width of two-thirds of its length.
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At a distance from the staff end of the flag of one thirty-sixth of the total length of the flag, there shall be a circular red C of the same color as the red in the national flag of the United States. The diameter of the letter one-sixth of the width of the flag. The inner line of the opening of the letter C shall be three-fourths of the width of its body or bar, and the outer line of the open- ing shall be double the length of the inner line thereof. Completely filling the open space inside the letter C, shall be a golden disk; attached to the flag shall be a cord of gold and silver intertwined with tassels, one of gold and one of silver. All penalties pro- vided by the laws of this state for the mis- use of the national flag, shall be applicable to the said state flag."
The act seems to be defective in omitting
the color or colors of the stripes, only the "white" ones being specified. It is supposed that "blue" or some other color was in- tended to have been incorporated in the bill, but it was passed without any such speci- fication. This statute providing for a state flag, was Senate Bill No. 118, introduced by Senator Sharpley. In the original printed bill, it read as follows as to the stripes : "said flag shall consist of three alternate stripes of Yale blue and white bunting, silk, or other appropriate material, said stripes to be of equal width, and parallel with the staff, the white stripe being the middle one," etc. The bill was amended in several par- ticulars, and as finally passed, no blue or any other color but red and gold in the C was ineluded, and serious doubt is now en- tertained as to the legality of the act pro- viding for a state flag.
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BIOGRAPHIES
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ROBERT W. STEELE
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ROBERT W. STEELE
S TEELE, ROBERT W., Provisional Gov- ernor of Jefferson Territory (Colorado), was born near Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio, January 14, 1820, and died at Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1901. He spent his youth on a farm, and in the fall of 1846, be- gan the study of law in Fairfield, Iowa. Lat- er, he attended the Law School of Cincin- nati, from which he was graduated in 1852, and then settled at Indianola, Warren coun- ty, Iowa. Removing to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1855, he there engaged in the real estate business, and was a member of the legisla- ture of that territory, during the session of 1858-9. Attracted by the gold discoveries in the Rocky Mountains, he started for Colora- do, March 25, 1859, arriving in Denver the following May, and in June that year, lo- cated in Central City. The Gregory, the first gold lode discovered in the territory, was being opened up, and with other devel- opments, this locality had become the center of the mining region. Mr. Steele first gave his attention to mining, and for a time was president of the Consolidated Ditch Com- pany.
On October 1, 1859, a convention was called to organize a provisional government, which was known as Jefferson territory. A full list of territorial officers were nomin- ated, including Robert W. Steele for gov- ernor. He defeated his opponent, St. Mat- thew, by a good majority. The legislature convened in December, 1859, when Steele took his seat as governor. He delivered his message to the legislature of Jefferson terri- tory, making the recommendations he thought necessary for maintaining a govern- ment at that time, when the mountains were filled with a large and transient population, who had followed the rush to Pike's Peak. This legislature enacted laws, which were published and known as the "Laws of Jef-
ferson Territory," a rare volume, and one unique in American history. Later, Jeffer- son territory was incorporated and included in the newly organized territory of Colorado, and in June, 1861, Governor Steele turned over to Governor Gilpin, who had been ap- pointed to that office, all executive authority. It has been claimed that a committee of re- publicans waited upon Governor Steele, re- questing him to take an appointment under President Lincoln, as governor of Colorado territory, but he refused to consider the mat- ter, as he was a democrat and remained true to the principles of that party. Governor Steele brought out his family from Omaha in the spring of 1860, and settling in Golden, made that place his residence, until he re- moved to Empire in 1862. Going into the Argentine district, in 1864, he was one of a party who discovered the Belmont silver mine, the first paying silver lode found in Colorado, creating quite an excitement at that time. It was so named for August Bel- mont of New York and sold for $100,000, changing ownership several times, and later was known as the Johnson mine.
Governor Steele returned with his family to Iowa in October, 1865, to educate his chil- dren, and after spending some time in New York City, returned to Colorado in 1867, locating in Georgetown, where he was after- ward joined by his family. In later years he made his residence in Colorado Springs, where he died in 1901.
He married Miss Susan Nevin, September 6, 1848, in Hillsboro, Ohio. They had the following children : Mrs. J. C. Parsons, Har- risonville, Mo .; Miss Mary E. Steele, Kan- sas City, Mo. Hugh Steele, his son, now (1911) secretary of the Colorado Pioneers Society, and Charles W. Steele, deceased 1894.
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WILLIAM GILPIN
G ILPIN, WILLIAM, Governor of Colora- do territory (1861-62), soldier, explor- er and author, born on the battlefield of Brandywine, October 22, 1822, died January 20, 1894, was the son of Joshua and Mary (Dilworth) Gilpin. He traced his descent to Richard de Guylpyn, in the time of King John, and down through a line of hardy an- cestors, eminent as soldiers, statesmen and
Brandywine, becoming the progenitor of the Gilpin family in this country, who were pa- triots in the American revolution. It was on this old homestead, historic from the days of the revolution, that the future gov- ernor of Colorado was born, and from amid such scenes he was imbued with those lofty and patriotic sentiments that were charac- teristic of his life. At the age of ten, he was
WILLIAM GILPIN
divines, including Bernard Gilpin, the "Apostle of the North," and to Thomas Gil- pin, a soldier under Cromwell in the historic "Ironsides" regiment, one of the provost guard at the execution of Charles I. His son, Joseph Gilpin, also a soldier under Cromwell, after the restoration of Charles II., and having also beeome a member of the Society of Friends, emigrated to the new world, taking up a large tract of land on the
sent to England, where he attended sehool two years. Returning to this country, he en- tered the University of Pennsylvania, of which his grandfather was one of the foun- ders. After graduating from this institution, he was appointed a cadet to West Point by President Jackson, from which he was grad- uated in 1836. He was then appointed a lieutenant in the Second Dragoons, and soon after served under General Jessup in the
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Florida war against the Seminoles. Resign- ing from the army, his request being denied to be sent to the Pacific coast, he settled in St. Louis in 1839, where he became the edi- tor of the Missouri Argus. In 1841, he lo- cated in Independence, Missouri, where he engaged in the practice of the law, and was also elected secretary of the general assem- bly of that state. While at West Point, he had also studied law, being registered as a student with his brother, Henry D. Gilpin, who was later attorney general in 1840, in President Van Buren's cabinet. Although successful in the practice of law at Indepen- dence, yet at heart, Gilpin was an explorer, and his ambition not being gratified in this respect, while in the army, which caused his resignation, he again was imbued with de- sire to traverse the unknown wilds of the west. Retiring from the law in 1843, he started out to explore the northwest, but soon joined Fremont, then on his second ex- pedition, and visited Fort St. Vrain that summer, while enroute to the Pacific. He assisted in the organization of the provis- ional government in- Oregon, and was com- missioned to carry the articles of agreement relating thereto to Washington. Notwith- standing the attempt at the national capitol to belittle his mission, and where he was des- ignated as the "Squatter Delegate from the Pacific Coast," he at least succeeded in ad- vertising the resources and made public the wants and needs of the great northwest. Gil- pin was accustomed to designate those op- posing his mission as the "Salt Water Des- pots," while on the, other hand, Calhoun referred to him as "A young man who de- sired to trade off his lieutenant's uniform for senatorial robes."
In the Mexican war, Gilpin was a major in Colonel Doniphan's famous regiment of Missourians, with which he rendered distin- guished services. In 1847, he was sent with 1,200 men against Indian tribes in the west and southwest, conducting a part of his cam- paign in Colorado. His command suffered and endured great hardships, but he was successful in his operations against these Indians. From 1848, until 1861, he resided at Independence, practicing law, and also by lectures and writings, was awakening a deep interest throughout the country con- cerning the west and its future greatness Even then and in later years, Gilpin was often characterized as a "dreamer," but more than he even predicted has come to pass in the empire building that has moved onward with gigantic strides on the Ameri- ean frontier.
When Gilpin was appointed governor of the territory of Colorado, in 1861, by Presi- dent Lincoln, the nation was engulfed in the great struggle of the civil war. Both from a civil and military standpoint, his appoint- ment was most fortunate. He had been a prominent figure in the organization of the provisional government in Oregon, and, when he was appointed governor of this new territory, he succeeded Governor Steele, who had been governor of the provisional govern- ment of Jefferson territory, the older name, but a little more comprehensive as to area, for what is now Colorado. He fully under- stood the underlying causes that lead people on the frontier to organize such forms of government, and was in full sympathy with all efforts to develop this new region. As a soldier he began to raise and equip troops for the Union army. Although prompted by sincere and patriotic motives, it was claimed at Washington that he exceeded his author- ity by incurring heavy expenses in the equip- ment of these troops, which resulted in his resignation as governor, and the appoint- ment of Dr. John Evans as his successor. Governor Gilpin was a scholarly, polite and courteous gentleman of the "old school," and in every sense was one of the distin- guished empire builders of the west. He owned extensive land and mining interests, more especially in the Gilpin land grant in Colorado. The last years of his life were spent by him in this state, highly. honored and esteemed by all. He retired for the night, January 19, 1894, and next morning (20th) was found dead in his bed, and is sup- posed to have died of heart failure. In 1874, he married Mrs. Julia Pratte Dickerson, of a very prominent southern family. Of her first marriage (to Captain John Dickerson, U. S. A.) there were born the following children : Louise, Sidney and Elizabeth, the latter the wife of Otis B. Spencer of Denver. Later to Governor and Mrs. Gilpin, there were born the following children: William (deceased) and Polly (twins), and Louis.
Governor Gilpin is the author of the fol- lowing books: The Central Gold Region (1860); Notes on Colorado (1870; Mission of the North American People (1874) and, the Cosmopolitan Railway, and Fusing To- gether All the World's Continents( 1891).
It was the old time prophecy of Governor Gilpin that a railroad would be built through Alaska, over or under Behring Strait. The rich gold discoveries in that region, and railway construction now being carried on there, may yet see it all realized.
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JOHN EVANS
EVANS. JOHN, governor of Colorado, born near Waynesville, Ohio, March 9. 1814, died July 3, 1897, was the son of David and Rachel Evans. His great grandfather, a man- ufacturer of tools, was one of the early Qua- ker settlers of Philadelphia, and his sons, Benjamin and Owen, continued to carry on the same business, Owen being the inventor of the screw anger. Benjamin, father of
age, he took a course in Clearmont academy, in Philadelphia, later studied medicine, grad- mating as an M. D. in 1838. After practicing his profession for a short time, near Ottawa, Illinois, he removed to Attica, Indiana, where he was successful as a physician and finan- cier. Through lectures, articles in the press, and an address before the legislature, he ob- tained an appropriation from the state for
JOHN EVANS
David, removed to South Carolina and mar- ried Hannah Smith, but being anti-slavery, removed to the then wilderness of Ohio, where he became wealthy in the manufacture of serew angers and in farming and merchan- dizing.
John Evans, the son, and future governor of Colorado, worked on the farm and at- tended the local schools. On becoming of
the erection of an insane asylum near Ind- ianapolis, of which he was the first superin- tendent. In 1845, he was elected to a pro- fessorship, which he held for eleven years, in the Rush Medical college in Chicago. Dr. Evans published a monograph, maintaining that the cholera was contagious at the time of the epidemie of that disease in 1848-49, and later. in 1865, also urged congress to es-
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tablish a national quarantine. For several years he was editor of the Northwestern Medical and Surgical Journal. Dr. Evans was the founder of the Illinois General Hos- pital for the Lakes, later transferred to the Sisters of Mercy, and named the Mercy hos- pital. He was largely instrumental in estab- lishing the Methodist Book Concern (pub- lishing house) and the Northwestern Chris- tian Advocate in Chicago, and was one of the original promotors of the Methodist Church block. He, as chairman of the com- mittee on public schools, in the Chicago city council, 1852-53, introduced the ordinance for the appointment of the first superinten- dent of public schools, the purchase of a site and the erection of the first high school building in that city. He secured the right of way and valuable lands for terminals, where the Chicago Union depot now stands. He was one of the promotors of the Chicago and Fort Wayne railroad, of which he was a managing director for several years.
In 1853, Dr. Evans advocated the found- ing of the Northwestern university and, with others, selected its location in Evanston, which was so named in his honor. Within two years this great university was estab- lished. He endowed the chairs of Latin and Mental Philosophy of this institution with $50,000, which he increased to $100,000; was the first president of the board of trustees, and remained with that board for forty-two years. In 1855, he removed his family to Evanston, then a wilderness. When Mrs. Garrett founded the Garrett Biblical insti- tute in Evanston, he was made a member of the board of trustees, a position which he held several years. Dr. Evans was a shrewd financier, and, in Chicago, laid the founda- tion of his great wealth in the purchase of large tracts of land that rapidly increased in value with the growth of the city.
In 1860, Dr. Evans was a member of the republican state convention of Illinois, which was the first to nominate Lincoln for presi- dent, and actively participated in that cam- paign. In 1861, he carried on a spirited con troversy, in the Chicago Evening Journal, with Judge Scates of the Illinois Supreme court, advocating the emancipating of the slaves, as a war measure, his position therein being vindicated in subsequent, events. Dr. Evans was a candidate from Chicago for congress on the know nothing or American ticket, but was defeated .. In the autumn of 1861 President Lincoln, who was his warm personal friend, tendered him the governor-
ship of Washington territory, which was de- clined, but in 1862, he accepted the position of governor of Colorado, becoming the suc- cessor of Governor Gilpin. He became a leader of men in Colorado, as he had been in Illinois and Indiana, and the founder and promotor of vast enterprises in this state and the west. In education, morals, railroads, finance, and in politics, here in Colorado he became an empire builder, as he had been in the Mississippi valley. He completed the work of raising troops in Colorado to sup- press the rebellion, and defend its people from the terrible ravages of Indian warfare on the plains. He retired as governor in 1865, having filled that office with marked ability during one of the most trying and critical periods in its history. He was elected United States senator from Colorado when the first state organization was effected in 1865, and passed the winters of 1865-66 and 1866-67 in Washington. Colorado was ad- mitted to statehood at both these sessions, but President Johnson vetoed both these bills and Governor Evans was not permitted to take his seat in the senate. During the ses- sion of congress, 1869, he procured the pas- sage of the Denver Pacific land grant bill and the road was completed to Cheyenne in June, 1870. The year previous he had been a delegate to the national convention in 1868, that nominated Grant for president and while at Washington, had been elected presi- dent of the Denver Pacific Railway and Tele- graph Company. In 1872, with others, or- ganized the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad Company. He was Colorado's first great railroad builder, and, among his later enterprises, was the old Denver and New Orleans Railroad, now a part of the Colorado and Southern system.
Governor Evans was among the leaders of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was one of the founders of the University of Den- ver, first established under its old charter of Colorado seminary.
Governor Evans married, first, Miss IIan- nah, daughter of Dr. Joseph Canby, an un- cle of General E. R. S. Canby. She died in 1850. Three years later he married Mar- garet, of illustrious colonial ancestry, daugh- ter of Samuel Gray of Maine. She was one of the most cultured and dignified of the pioneer women of Colorado, and a patron of painting and senlpture in the University of Denver; she died September 7, 1906. They were survived by the following children : William G., Evan E. and Anne.
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ALEXANDER CUMMINGS
CUMMINGS, ALEXANDER, territorial governor of Colorado, appointed October 17, 1865, by President Johnson, resigned about April 21, 1867, had one of the storm- iest careers in the early days, and his admin- istration of two years was characterized with wrangling and much political bitterness. He had come into political prominence in 1862, as the founder of the New York Daily
and great executive ability. Cummings was a scholarly and able man, but not in touch with western ideas and spirit, and naturally dietatorial in poliey, he unfortunately added flame to the excited condition of affairs, in- stead of exerting a pacifying influence. Gov- ernor Cummings opposed the statehood plan, and had strong baeking in the east, where he had been an active supporter and friend
ALEXANDER CUMMINGS
World. Hle came from Philadelphia, at a time when Colorado had been greatly wrought up over a political campaign in which the Sand Creek fight with the Indians had been an issue. The turbulent condition of the publie mind, and the inten- sity of the strife between the contending fac- tions in Colorado would have put to the test any man of the strongest force of character,
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