The Elk Mountain pilot., 1880-12-30
IRWIN.
Continued from Flint raSA
OUR LITERATURE

OUR LITERATURE
IS furnished by two news stands, a
reading room, a circulating library,
and lastly, but in our estimation not
by any means the least, the Elk
MOUNTAIN PILOT, to whose untiring,
but unappreciated and i'll paid efforts
the prosperity Of our camp is largely
due.
And now kind reader, that we have
finished general description of our
camp, internally and externally we
come to the
PERSONAL HISTORY,
our mercantile and professional COM
munity, of whom let..us first introduce
the firm Of Harding Bros, dealers in
hardware, queensware and tinware.
AS this firm carries the largest stock Of
goods in Gunnison county, and in
connection with its Canon City
branch, the largest outside of Denver,
we may be pardoned for giving it a
more than passing attention. L. l..
Harding, who manages this branch,
started to Irwin on the first of May
LAST with fourteen teams. After incred-
'ble hardships, these teams, which
were the first to go through Marshall
pass, at length deposited their loads
within three miles of Irwin, where
tents were erected which covered
part of the goods only, the balance
having to lie out in the open air. Six
weeks after they spread their big tent
on Ninth street, near avenue D, filing
it with hardware and putting their
stoves, land smiths iron on the outside.
They have done large business. We
estimate their stock on hand at S1s,-
900 to $4,000. They now occupy
the largest store building in town,
which is still unfinished. When COM
pleted this building will have three
large stores with rooms overhead for
offices, etc. The firm will also have
room in the rear of the building for
warehouse and tin shop. A corps of
timers and workmen to fit up smelt-
ing work, will be employed and a large
supply of material will be added in
the spring, which will be enlarged to
any amount adequate to the demands
Of trade.
Bank of Irwin, M. Coppinger, Pres
ldent; S. S. Metzler, Cashier. This
institution began business, in Irwin,
on the 10TH of July last, with a capi-
tai amply sufficient to meet all the de-
mands made upon it by this camp; in
fact it has not been able to use but
small portion of its capital, since
much of it is invested in banks else
where. Mr. Coppinger, the President,
isnow in Missouri but we understand
will be here in the spring and remain
permanently. Our banking facility is a
feature Of which, we may feel proud
and Irwin need have no fears of run
ming out of "soap." Mr.. Metzler, the
cashier, IS a prompt and courteous man
with whom it is pleasure to transact
business. The bank deals in domestic
exchange and has its correspondents at
every point of the compass, to which
the foreign exchange will be added in
the spring. The bank building is a
handsome one on the corner of 9th ST.
and avenue E. 1t has a beautiful
glass front and window shades painted
with the name of the bank and its
officers. in elegant design.
A. E. Bartlett & Co., grocery mer-
chants, opened their stock of goods
early in the spring in "a small cabin,
with dirt roof, on 9 tn street between
avenues d & E. Since that time they
have extended their building toward
the street, making their store 18x5o.
Mr.. Bartlett, now in Denver, in
xentoried his stock, before leaving,
which amounted to $40, 900, and this
will be largly increased in the spring.
DR.. Reid was the first physician
who came to this camp. As an M. D.
he stands atthe top of his professional
ladder. In May last he employed
some men to assist him and built a
log house, where he now resides, COW
ering it with clap-boards riven from
spruce blocks. This was the first
board or shingle roof in Irwin, all the
houses erected previously, having been
covered with dirt, no shingle mill
having been in operation here at that
time. The DR.. has since built pick
ct fence, weather boarded his house,
set out shade trees and improved his
place generally. He is also interested
in several valuable mining claims be-
sides owning a number of town lots.
And we may add that he takes a lib
eral interest in any and everything
tnat appertains to the prosperity Of
the camp, going down into his cash
depository and producing with a lib
eral hand the sinews, not only of war
but the press and every other enter
prize. May success ever attend him
and his accomplished and estimable
wife who is also interested in mining