The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-12-15
LETTER FROM TRINIDAD, COL.
ORADO.
A Description OF the PIaee-LawIess-
ness and Outrage Rampant-A Good
Place for U. =. Troops.

Piace Tor U. n. Troops.
TRINIDAD, COLORADO, Nov. 25th.
Editors OF the Register
Trinidad, (mesning Trinity is situa-
ted on the Los Animas river, II stream
that would only be dignified by the name
of creek, in the East, two hundred and
twenty miles south of Denver, and one
hundred miles south of Pueblo, the ter
minus of the Denver and Rio Grandc
Railroad. The town site is miserably To-
Gated on the side of mountain, and the
buildings are constructed Of abobes. II
lasting material in this dry climate. To
an ordinary mind the place seems hardly
able to offer an apology for its existence;
yet it is claimed to be the most wide
awake and enterprising town in
Southern Colorado, and its future
insured by the abundance of coal
and iron in the Ration mountains near
by. The coal is of an excellent quality,
and much of it taken out of the banks is
shipped to Denver.
A strong rivalry exists between this
point and Pueblo, and much hot and dis
tempered talk has been INDUCED in re-
Gently by the editor of the Trinidad
Chronicle and writer in the Pueblo
Chiettain. The point of the discussion is
whether the Atchison, Topcca and Santa
Fee Railroad, now at Grenada, where it
has been for the last two years, will con-
tinue wsst to Pueblo, or come direct to
Trinidad.
We incline to the opinion that an am
bilious man desiring quarrel, could be
more readily accommodated in Trini-
dad than in any other town west OF
the Mississippi river, except
ing perhaps, Wichita, Kansas, the end Of
the cattle trail from Texas to the rail
road. There appears to be but little law
of any description. Men carry openly
through the streets ''six-shOoters" strap
ped to their persons, while Others Will
only exhibit the shining ends of smaller
ones projecting from their hip pockets,
when they dotf their coats for billiards or
pin pool 1t is place where one must
choose his words before speaking. Let
me relate an occasional event that oc-
CURED IN and about Trinidad, in one
week. last winter. A row took place ut
y mexican bale which terminated after II
man named Walling was held up against
the wall while a desperate called
Chunk" fired siv bullets through
him. After this heroic action Chunk
crossed the range to Stockton, where he
ordinarily stopped. That night party
headed by the Probate Jud &c Of the dis
trict, and accompanied by the Sheriff OF
the town, went after him and killed an
innocent man who was lying asleep in
Chunks room. The day following, ALI
son, a stock man from Red River, who had
previously quarreled with Chunk, renew
ed the difficulty, which resulted in the
death of Chunk. The only witness to
this last affair was young man by the
name of Cooper, whom Allison at once
took to town, the court being in session ,
demanded a trial A sort of trial took
place and he was at once acquitted. On
their return to Stockton the next day,
they were met by party named Bii!
Goodlet, who had some few days prcvl-
ously lost several hundred dollars, stolen
from his trunk, and had just ascertalned
that young Cooper had figured rather
prominently in the theft. The same
night Goodlet returned to Stockton with
Cooper's horse, and on being questioned
concerning the owner, replied THAT ne
had gone South to farm Ills body has
since been found. 1t is said that as many
us seyenty-five men have died with their
"boots on within the past two years, IN
Trini lad and vicinity. Governmenttr!in'
were ordered not to camp within touI
miles of Stockton few years back.
VI. l..