Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-29

shuttle about at night, bent on God
knows what errands OF vice and crime;
you who toil from drawn to sunset pinch
ing, starving. finding nothing but the
hpsks of life where you work for its bread;
you who are hived in brawling tenements,
breathing the fetor of the cutters, freezing
in winter, tortured nigh to death by the
furnace blasts of summer; YOU who lock
out upon your earthly future and see 1t q
Sahara OF blight and desolation. upon
which you set forth without ambition, and
filled with bitter uneasineSs; you to whom
the selfshness and heartlessness Of the city
are appalling; you who "eat your hearts
because of disappointment, come out here,
one and all, be made whole, become inde-
pendent, self supporting, selfrespecting
men and women, be q grace and honor to
your country and mankind!
II Il Nearly Sunset
when the prevalence of cottonwood trees
informs us that arboriculture practiced on
so extensive scale must preface the civili-
zation of streets and houses. We are shortly
in the thinly settled suburbs Of Denver,
suburbs of cabins, tents and emigrant
wagons, and soon draw up before q large
and elegant depot used jointly by the
Union Pacific and the Denver and Rio
Grande railroads. The electric light is
klcdliluS iIOlll lbo tONSIt oboi
of lightning shine from the parks and
streets. The gas is of better quality than
that of Wheeling, and as we turn up the
wide, clean, well-watered, well-paved
streets, we are surprised to find ourselves in
a rich and handsome city, filled with evil
dences of thrift and industry; abounding
in beautiful residences, surrounded by
lawns and flower gardens; sustaining high
grade of schools, newspapers, churches and
theatres; offering the hospitalities OF first
class hotels; abundantly supplied with the
best OF everything at the stores; possessed
OF fine public buildings; we'll guarded by
police and fremen, and operating extensive
factories, horse car lines and other private
enterprises. Were 1t not for the Cinnamon
and the characteristic figures in blue shirts
and sombreros on the lower streets l could
easily have fancied myself in Hartford,
New Haven, Springfield or dozen other
steady New England cities. 1t is hard to
believe that but few years ago the
Antelope and Bunalo Roamed
over the ground on which this city stands.
Antelopes do not take kindly to land that
sells for $500 lot at a distance OF seven
miles from the center OF the city, and that
is what happens in Denver. Go few uiles
further and you may have land almost for
the asking. The appearance of Denver and
the eminent respectability Of its people was
more of a shock to our travellers than to
myself. They had been reading The Scalp
Hunters" or some equivalent work during
the trip and had, think, been confidently
looking forward to Denver as the scene OF
some delightful acts of outlawry. They
wanted TO see a train or stage coach robbed,
few men shot, an Indian or two
scaped, murderer lynched. That is.
they wanted to see them from good safe
distance Before they get through with
Colorado all such fond expectations will be
ruthlessly crushed, and as they have t.kcn
to Dickens and Tom Brown" in place OF
the penny dreadful narratives OF western
life the trip will result beneficially if only
to show the falacy OF cheap yarns Of the
west by people who never lived there, and
TO prove that human nature is much the
same wherever found. We took many
pleasant walks in Denver enjoying the re.
ircshment of well watered lawns-they
will not stay green without artificial irriga-
tion-and the shade Of the cottonwoods,
whose
Bursting Seed Pods
filled the air with cotton" that is, a
thistle-dow attachment 10 the seeds by
| which they are disseminated, through the
agency OF the wind. The brilliancy OF the
stores, especially when lighted up at night,
was remarkable, for western folks are
without question fond OF display,
| II was at Denver that we struck
our first Chinese COLONY, and in the even
| ing we found much enjoyment IN looking
down upon it from the windows OF our
hotel. 1t was collection of little wuudeu
houses, crowded but not squalid, with strips
of red lettered with hieroglyphics fastened
to the doors and lintels, whether as door
plates or charms ! do not know. After
nightiall, when these rambling barracks
we're family lighted with lanterns, and the
occupants came out with their wives and
children TO hold converse in the yards,
dance, sing and
Play the One-Stringed Fiddle,
chinatown" presenteda a picturesque and
animated appearance. We were comforta-
bly, housed at Denver, and although we
had but six or eight pounds OF baggage, all
told, the hotel clerk did uot want a cent in
advance. This remarkable occurrence
happens at every hotel ! stop at in the
West wear coarse clothes, ! am as un-
shaven and unshorn as any vagrant, collars
and cuffs | have not worn for weeks, |
offer 10 baggage as security, have no cards
or credentials showing me TO be a person
OF any account las indeed, am not) yet
with a child.like trust the clerk declines
financial advances and offers me unlimited
board and lodging with payment atmy own
convenience. This confidence touches me
so deeply that never blk a hotel man.
What with the big mining exhibition, the
greatest thing of the kind ever seen, and
the superb mountain panorama stretching
for a hundred miles along the west there
is enough TO keep the visitor in Denver for
many days; but the mountains are before
u.s. daring US to invade them, and we ac-
cept the dare"