The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-02-24
A TERRIBLE TOWN.
THE ELYsIUM OF TRAMPS, THIEVES AND
MURDERERS.

MURDERERs.
SILVER City On. NJ Letter: The town
of Colorado is on the Rio Grande, 100
miles from Silver City. 1t is the juno
ton of the Arizona, Texas & Santa Fe
main road and branch to Ell Paso The
houses are all one story abodes, built
around three large posts, ironically call
ed plaza. The hotel is six feet high
and sinking daily. There are two stores,
one meat market, no churches, and the
rest of the town is composed of saloons,
gambling dens, and mansions of the
demi-monde. The inhabitants are
tramps, highwaymen. thieves, horse
thieves, or in a word, the riffraff of crea-
tion. Ii a. .tenderfoot tackles it he is very
liable to "turn up his toes to the daisies"
Many of these hard cases were shipped
out from Kansas and Missouri on the pre-.
text cf working on the road, but they did
not intend to work-not bit of it. They
wanted to see the country on the cheap.
Men in Colorado with six shooters, slung
and spurs on, ready to Jump the first
horse that some greenhorn may happen
to have left unguarded, and migrate to
fresh fields and pastures new. When
Conway rode into town he fully expect
ed to be shot or ordered off his horse.
However, neither of these trihes happen
ed, and hitching his horse opposite the
meat market, with six-shooter in each
hand, he backed off toward the door,
when the friendly butcher shouted:
''Don't come in. Stay out and watch
your horse if you have any regard for it,
and 1 will come out"
The name of the butcher was Mills, and
Dir. Conway says he was the only man in
town that he could talk to. Mills kindly
took the horse, and locked him in his cor
| raj, while Conway took a stroll through
the various saloons and gambling dens,
| not on spree, but on some private bus
mess for his firm.
The scenes that he described there
would have delighted the soul of Charles
Dickens, and no pen but his could give
fair description of it. There were we'll
dressed men, shabby genteel men, rag
| ged men, the Mexican with his filthy old
blanket, white women, yellow women,
black women-in fact, "every kindred,
! every tribe, on this terrestrial ball, were
represented, one and all bent on plunder,
and seeking whom they could deyour.
The particular brand of whisky con-
sumed here is entitled Cowboys de-
| | hcht" You can take a drink and spit
| tob -, une cigars, a
"penny grab" is 100 per cent. better.
Poker, faro and monte were the little
games hey played. Mr.. c., fortunately
tor himself, got through with awhole skin,
and returning to the six-foot hotel, which
! b7 this time must have got lower, as he
says he could not get in (well, this last
Item may be fact, as he is pretty tall
MN. but it was hard pill for me to swal-
los), so he had to go without his dinner.
E probably did not lose much, but acted
wiely in bidding adieu to the friendly
btcher and leaving the town on the run.
IS specimen of what Colorado town
RELY is. a few trifles that happened about
th time of his arrival may be cited. The
pivious night nine men were knocked
d@n and robbed, and four mules and a
htse stolen. The night preceding that
a an was knocked on the head with
relver and killed, and another stripped
OIL his clothing, with the exception of
SHIT, drawers and socks, and left in this
/, edition. Things were in such a bad
r sfpe that two policemen were appointed
ne Mexican, the other white man;
] b fifteen minutes after they were on
e dy both were 'slaid out" the mob com.
|. ping them TO consume cowboys de-
V Int till they could not stand.