The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-12-01
THANKSGIVING DAY.

tive words long, that on the stretched
fore finger of all time sparkles forever.
1t sparkles cheer into the hearts Of
rich and poor, and for the one day
brushes care and discomfort into the
waste basket. 1t worketh more effec
lively to a generous content on the
sound than on the unsound stomach,
but stomachs on our pure hills, even
with the utmost perseverance to per
vert, have retained a majority Of the
soundness with which our Maker start
ed them on the trail of life A short
bill of fare. hard work and hard beds,
whatever the deprivation, keeps the
human machinery in good trim, and
VIC have been trimmed in this boat tor
three years and speak adylsedly, and
to look upon the now and then, upon
this picture and upon that, it is sweet
er to moralize now after the Thanks
giving feast, when safety compels the
letting out of a few reefs from the
buckled vest, than whilom, when a
few reefs had to be buckled in for
dessert and to counterfeit the present
day feeling of safety.
1t seems but a day when it took
days and weeks of toll for the little
band of pioneers, lured by the rumor
of riches in the Elk hills beyond the
dreams of avarice, to reach Gunnison,
then city Of two OF three log cabins,
while Gothic, Crested Butte and
Irwin did not exist-only here and
there an isolate ranch, and the vast
range of game and the Ute, especial
ly the Ute. But our steady, hopeful
crowd peopled the range and town
upon town took root and grew from
tents to cabins, and from cabins to
streets and houses, a common council
and other civilized lodges, and crowd
ing hard upon these, first came the
press to spread knowledge, then the
pulpit to spread morals, and last but
not least the petticoat to spread ac-
cording to the fashion. We represent
ed the press, and it seems like a night
mare now, the way we toiled up the
frozen hills with our incomplete stock
of civilizer, and the grit that made us
fertile of resources, how we whitfield
lost type and broken machinery out
Of pine and old wagon wheels, and
,( f{Iae ysaassea ll !!
! J. (E :. * -! Il !,
l All, 4 3 sin d,f1bls and has staid born,
and will live and grow through many
a Thanksgiving after We have passed
in our checks.
The Thanksgiving of '79 did not
count much. Gov. Pitkin cooked its
goose with his Ute proclamation and
what with the exodus and the barri-
cades and guard duty, the few that
were left tried 20 do their duty and
seem happy with their bacon and pota-
toes andseven up and poker. Thanks
giving of 80 showed growth only
seen in these new countries. Fine
linen covered''tables, freighted down
with all the good things that come in
cans, and there were some turkeys
that did not come in cans, and apples
mot cut and dried, and we thought
our feast was long shot from taking
the back seat. 81 tells different
story. Our rich land is not a dream.
We have not had to back out into
civilization, but it has hitched on tc
us with its telegraphs and railroads
and we have adopted it into our frater-
nifty. The D. & R. G.. has trumped
the South Park and got in ahead, bu,
the South Park will soon be along
with good hand to keep the other
in order. The good old days when
we half admitted to ourselves that
there was deuced little to return,
thanks for are rolled up on the scroll,
and we nevermore will pine to be
with our far away friends, SO far as
the wherewithal to thank with is con-
cerned. The railroads we have drawn
here have settled that condition, and
the outside world is one of us. We
shall give it silver, coal and gold
galore, for the dyspepsin promoters i,
brings to us. May be this is sort
of thanksgiving ranlble, yet we Of