Delta chief., 1883-12-12
From ..Tne Lost Charlie Ross"


BAKERS FORD, December 10.-No, the
people of Delta county have no reason to
complain at present, for surely think they
have thus far been the recipients of as many
real blessings as were ever showercd upon
people in so brief space of time. First
came the bountiful crop of this year, spcci-
mems of which have been, through the instru.
mentality Of some of our most enterprislng
citizens, exhibited almost throughout the
United States, attracting in almost every in
stance universal admiration. A Pittsburg
paper credits the valley of the North Fork
with the production of pumpkin weighing
226 pounds, and a potato weighing ten and
half pounds, while Leadville journal says
that "a potato tipping the beam at four pounds
and one ounce" was exhibited in that city a
few weeks back that was raised on the ranch
of Joseph Bond, near Delta. Last, but not
least, comes the joyful intelligence of the ad-
vent into our midst Of one who has already
proven himself thorough master of the
epstolary art. This bit of news which has
gladdened the joy and heightened the hopes
of the people of Delta county, was commun-
icated to them in an article which appeared
in THE CHIEF two weeks ago over the nom
de plume of "Ed. Mahone." There is not a
person in the United States, presume, who
has not read or heard in some way of this po-
litical celebrity. 1t is this political magnate
who first sprang into notoriety as the presi-
dent of a railroad corporation, in which ca
pacity he managed by his usual course of
rascality to amass fortune, when he began
to cast himself about for other worlds to con-
quer, finally identifying himself with that
faction known in Virg ginia politics as the Re-
adjuster party, since which time he has been
in the enjoyment of not only a State but
national reputation until the State election
lately held in Virginia, at which time he and
his party, too, were completely annihilated,
when che, too, came to Colorado" settling
as he did in the town of Delta, where he can
be found daily diligently laboring in the ca
pacity of dispenser of Apollinaris and Con-
gress waters. Like the ghost of which we
read Of he "wOn't down." and being of a
strong political turn of mind, he bobs up Sc
renely with a smile here in Delta county, not
as party leader, but as one content to exc
cute the orders of would-be party leader,
who, like Malone in his political aspirations
aimed high but hit under the mark, while
his descent on the political ladder has been
from the top to the bottom round, as it were.
can't for my life see that he has been the
loser of any of that brilliant force Of pen,
such as he used to WELD in behalf of his par
ty in Virginia; but, on the contrary has
shown himself to still be in the possession of
all those rare literary attainments, an appro-
pirate use of which of late has gone so far
toward placing him in the front rank Of west
ern journalism, judging as do from the able
manner which he discussed the issues at stake
in this county, as set forth in an article which
appeared in a late issue of your paper. 1t
was in this able discussion that he proved
himself to be not only an enunciator of great
force, but an elucidator in the strictest sense
of the term In his course of reasoning he
managed to vanquish the foe on every hand,
furnishing as he did direct refutation forall
the accusations brought to bear in the article
to which he was replying.
In conclusion allow me to say that think
that the people of Delta county have just
cause to congratulate themselves upon the
fact that they have in their midst even in this
late day of journalistic efeminacy, one who
in righting her wrongs with his pen has
managed to attract even passing notice,
if he did have to call in the assistance of our
"officiap limb of the law.
Yours for my own and my county's inter
est THE LOST CHARLIE Ross.