The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-04-21
Select Sturg.
PARSON jim.

The express trains of that monument of
engineering skill, the Denver and Rio
Graude Railway, now daily traverse the
extreme eastern portion Of the Rocky
Mountains, lying between the city of Den
yer on the north and Pueblo on the south;
and summer tourists, as well as all-the-
year-round men of business, pass over the
picturesque road by hundreds and by
thousands in the course of single year.
There was time, however-not very long
since, either-when white men were very
scarce in that section, and when the only
means of locomotion was much dilapidat
ed Concord coach, whose trips were alleged
to be weekly, though, as matter of fact,
the time schedule of said coach was prac-
tically filed out to suit the driver, as he,
with much "cussing" and little speed, car
ried Uncle Sans mails from stage to
stage.
Rather more than twenty years ago
there was, about midway between Denver
and Colorado Springs, a point on the road
where the broad valley narrowed into a
deep and wild gorge, known as the George
Washington Gulch. The gorge is there
vet, 1 presume, but the name has appar-
emily disappeared, there being no such sta
ton on the railway, nor, SO far as l can
discover, such place on the revised maps
of Colorado. But in those old days George
Washington Gulch was relay station of
the Denver stage line. Leaving Indians
out of the question, they being of
ubiouitous nature, the resident population
of the Gulch numbered three souls, al
told. while census would have revealed
the fact that these all occupied the same
dwelling house. There was in those times
no town or settlement of any account be-
tween Denver and the Springs, so that the
stage company was compelled to establish
number of stations at perfectly wild and
unpopulated points, to properly effect
changes of horses So a rough shed had
been erected in the gulch to do duty as a
barn for the accommodation of the four
horses usually to be found there; while ad-
Joining was a frame mansion, consisting of
one apartment, which served as sleeping
room, parlor, dining hall and kitchen for
the three inhabitants, as well as being the
official headquarters of Hon. Samuel
Green. who, in addition to his position as
agent of the stage company, held post
masters commission from the President of
the United States.
Honorable it remembered that Mr.
Green was Government official, though
no post Office business had ever passed
through his hands, not even a letter from
or to himself, unless we count those which
had to do with the stage business and went
"deadhead" Honorable Samuel Green's
companions in the solitude of the Gulch
were negro named Ananias-doubtless
from his propensity for prevarication-who
was chief groom of the stables, and half
breed Indian, whose main occupation was
to trap and shoot game and then cook it.
This latter individual was known as
Francis Murphy, and his chief failing was
A fondness for undiluted whisky.
At the close of fair summer day Hon
orable Samuel Green, with Messrs. Murphy
and Ananias, sat together on a bench
placed along the front of their residence.
The two last named gentlemen were still
enough to justify one in the supposition
that they must be sleeping; but the Hon
orable Samuel was busily engaged in rap
ping and rubbing two or three little pieces
of rock which lay in the palm Of one of
his hands. He was evidently much in
terested
ssNias," said he at last,
"Sah p responded the woolly headed
darkey, rubbing his heavy eyes.
s'I'm a,goin' through to Denver with
Bill to-mor. Bill was oneuf the drivers
on the stage line; the other was Slab
breviated from Silas.) The postmaster
continued ssYou an Francis Murphy
keep awake part o the time, an sorter
watch things while I'm gone. Do yer
ketch on ?"
"Yes, in course, sab"
Fur days later Hon. Samuel Green re-
turned to the Gulch from Denver, and
brought with him regular mining kit
picks, mattocks, hammers, shovels, blasting
powder and other useful articles.
Two weeks passed, and again the post
master of George Washington Gulch
"went through with Bill''-this time
loaded down with samples Of rich siveF
ore.
By the following spring the Gulch was
alive with population of over three hun
dred white men and three women-not
counting Indians and Chinese. George
Washington Gulch contained rich vein
of silver-enough to make it scene Of
much activity for five whole years.
About year after the postmaster's i'm
portant trip to Denver George Washington
Gulch was floating brayely on hoodtide
of wealth and prosperity. Honorable
Samuel Green actually had considerable
postal business to transact, besides which
double coach service had to be put on the
road, while Gulch passengers arrived or
departed with every coach. Add to this
the fact that the postmaster owned an in
terest in the richest claim in George
Washington Gulch, and it will be readily
understood that he had developed into an
Individual of considerable importance
Still, if one had about that time quietly
Investigated among the strange characters
who formed the euriously cosmopolitan
population Of that Colorado valleyz2With a
view to learning who among their number
- - 1 4