Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-12
IN CLOSE QUARTERS.

IN CLOSE QUARTERS.
IA, AUTHORS Adventure ir the Far West.
EARLY IN 1859 Chas. Collins wrote book
about the then-unknown Colorado and
Pixies peak, in which he gave glowing
picture of the whole region. This book
had good deal to do with stimulating
emigration. After the rush to Pixies
peak had been going on for some time,
Collins, with the late A. d. Richardson,
set out for that place. Collins kept dis
tributing his books all along the line
and collecting his subscriptions ct the
ranches previously canvassed, until,
after some days of travel, both began to
be aware of the fact that a great many
of the emigrants, who had gone out
weeks before, seemed to be returning.
Their wagons no longer bore the bold
inscription, "Pike's Peak or Bust, " but
it was transformed to this effect, s'Pike's
Peak Busted The two travellers,
unaware of the depths Of chagrin and
significance behind this, thought little
Of it until they had traversed about one
half the route 800 miles from st. Jo-
seph. Here was famous stopping
place, known as Jack Morrow's ranch, a
place where Collins and Richardson had
determined to put up that night. Col.
Inns, who was well acquainted with Nor
low, got some distance ahead of Rich
ardson, in whose wagon, besides him
self and driver, were number Of emil
grants, also bent On trying the new
country.
Collins, as he drove up to Morrow's
ranch, was considerably surprised at
the sight. The place was everywhere
swarming with miners and emigrants,
all excited and savage about something
or another. There was loud talking
everywhere, and loud threats against
somebody, who in every breath came in
for the most violent and bitter execra-
ton. Collins was about to toss one of
his books to Morrow, who came forward
hastily when he saw him, and, getting
up close to him, he said, in voice
husky with'suppressed excitement:
COLLINS, git !"
"What do you mean?" said Collins,
excited.
"Git out O here quick" said the ex-
cited ranchman, as he waved his hands
and disappeared.
Collins, now thoroughly aroused,
thrust his book back under his seat and
bade his driver get out and mingle with
the crowd and find out what was the
matter. In few minutes the driver re-
turned with face white as ghost, and
told Collins that the miners were offer
ing reward of $4,000 for the bodies of
Collins and Richardson, dead or alive.
Having heard that they would be
along that way, they had come to stop
at Morrow's ranch, and secured a
couple Of ropes, intending to hang them.
Collins quietly slid down from his
buggy and sauntered out to the edge of
the crowd. Here he heard himself and
Richardson denounced in the most IN
sparng manner. Seeing there was no
time to lose, he instructed the driver to
take another route, while he himself
circled around the crowd until he
reached some tall grass, when. he took
to his heels. After running for more
than mile, he stopped. Like a fash
the question crossed his mind, Where
was Richardson? He turned around
and struck across diagonally for the old
route, on reaching which, some distance
from Morrow's ranch, he presently met
Richardson's team moving along leis-
urely. It required but an instant for
Collins to inform him of the true state
Of affairs, hearing which he was not less
frightened than Collins himself. The
result was that they struck off on new
route, and finally reached Denver with
out further adventure. Denver was
then settlement of about LOCO inhab-
itants, all living in tents. Soon after
their arrival there the two pre- -empted
12O acres Of land each. Becoming dis
gusted afterward, they threw up the
land again. To this day Collins brings
his fist down on his knee and says, with
an emphatic air of comic regret: "And,
fools that we were, this land is now the
heart of the town, and sold in less than
ten years afterward for 81 900 per acre. ,"