The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-10
The Romance Of a SOLITARY gulch

The Romance Of a Solitary GuIch.
In one OF the gulches OF the gold
mining district Of the Divide, oer-
haps twenty-five miles from Denver,
stands the remains OF q cabin, if a
few blacksned and charred tinbers
ana pile OF stones, evidently at one
time a chimney, can be- caIIaI
remains. To the miners and mos.
pectors who pass over the trail to-dsv
the place has lonely and mournfiI
look and many speculations are in
dulged IN as to the history and fate Of
former occupants.
From 1858 until 1864 this wild and
almost uninhabited country was filled
With busy population who had left
comfortable homes and loving friends
In the East in the wild pursuit of gold
IN these rich diggings. In the latter
year, however, the number dVindled
from several thousand to perhsps less
than score of white men, newer ex.
ollements having carried the restless
TIDE IN other directions. Among the
few who remained were two bfotnerE
who had LETT their homes in a pleasant
town in Illinois to make their tortnnes
in these msIvelcusly rich plscers,
These were Thomas and William
Coleman. who, though 90 closely re-
lated. were utterly different in dis.
position and manner as could well bs
imagined. Thomas, who was of 8
dark and s@arthy complexion, was
always morose and dlssgreeable, and
generally disliked by his neighbors,
William, however, with his bright.
blue eyes ana sunny hair, was ever a
fsvorite with all. But little was
known OF their previous history save
thai the elder was unmarried. bal
that William hae left a young wife
and one child in the East. It was
known, also, to a few, that this mar
rage was continual source of cons
tentlon between the two, and it was
generally understood that the brothers
had been formerly rivals for the hand
OF the girl whom William sfterWard
married. One day in the summer Of
1864, the stage, which was still run
ming IN that section, brought as a
passenger q beautiful woman to the
cabin who proved to be the wife OF
William Coleman. The meeting of
the couple was joyous to degree, she
explaining that her parents and child
having both died. she had resolved to
join her husband and individually
share his fortunes and hardsbips,
Upon her arrival Thomas went out OF
the house and wandered a long dis.
lance over ridges and through gulohes
nor returned until long after dark.
Just exactly what happened after he
reached the cabin was never known.
Bat it is furmised that fierce quarrel
and double murder ensued, Sc late
that night man passing near shers
on horseback thou ht he heard loud
and angry words followed by two re-,
ports from a pistol, and looking back
alter getting on top of the ridge he
saw the bright light of confagra-
tlon. upon reaching the nearest SET
tlemens he reported what he had seen,
A parry of men started the mex! day
to investigate the matter, and found
the charred remains OF the cabin and
beneath the still smoking ruins ths
burned bodies of William Coleman
and wife. Thomas Coleman was
never afterwards heard Of. The place
to-day has a mournful loneliness and
silence, unbroken gave by the twi'ter
OF birds by day and the bowling Of
ths Cayote at night.