San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-29
PARSON JIM.

engineering SKILL the Denver and Rl0 Grande
railroad, now daily traverse the extreme
eastern portion of the Rocky mountains,
lying between the city of Denver on the
north and Pueblo on the south; and summer
tourists, at well as all the year round men of
business. pass over the picturesque road by
hundreds and by thousands in the course of
a single year. There was a time however,
not very long since, either-when white men
were very scarce in that section, and when
the only means of locomotion was a much
diapitated Concord coach, whose trips were
alleged to be weekly, though, as a matter of
fact, the time schedule of said coach was
practically filed out to suit the driver, as
he, with much "cussing" and little speed,
carried Uncle Sans mails from stage to
stage.
Rather more than twenty years ago there
was, about midway between Denver and
Colorado Springs, point on the road where
the broad valley narrowed into deep and
wild gorge, known as the George Washington
Gulch. The gorge is there yet, presume,
but the name has apparently disappeared,
there being no such station on the railway,
nor, so far as | can discover, such place on
the revised maps Of Colorado. But in those
old days George Washington Gulch was a
relay station of the Denver stage line. Leav-
ing Indians out of the question, they being
of a ubiquitous nature, the resident popula-
ton of the gulch numbered three souls all
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 between Denver
and the Springs, so that the stage company
was compelled to establish number of sta.
tions at perfectly wild and unpopulated
points to effect proper changes of horses. So
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 adjoining was a frame mansion, con-
sisting 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 the Hon.
Samuel Green, who, in addition to his posi-
ton as agent Of the stage company, held a
postmaster's commission from the president
of the United States.
The Honorable-be it remembered that Mr..
Green was government official though no
postoffice business had ever passed through
his hands, not even letter to or from him
self unless we count those which had to do
the Honorable Samuel Green's companions
in the solitude of the gulch were negro
named Ananias-doubtless from his propen-
sity for prevarication-who was chief groom
of the stables; and a half breed Indian,
whose main occupation was to trap and shoot
game and then cook it. The latter individ-
ual was known as Francis Murphy, and his
chief failing was q fondness for undiluted
whisky.
At the close Of fair summer day the
Honorable Samuel Green, with Messrs
Murphy and Ananias, sat together on a
bench placed along the front of their resi-
dence. The two last named gentlemen were
still enough to justify one in the superstition
that they must be sleeping but the Honor
able Samuel was busily engaged in rapping
and rubbing two or three little pieces of rock
which lay in the palm of one of his hands.
He was evidently much interested
"'Nias!" said he at last.
"Sah!" responded the woolly headed
darkey, rubbing his heavy eyes.
Pm a goin' through to Denver with Bill
tomorrow" BILL was one of the drivers on
the stage line; the other was Si-abbreviated
from Silas.) The postmaster continued:
''You an Francis Murphy keep awake part
O. the time an sorter watch things while
I'm gone-do yer ketch ons"
Eyes, in course, sah."
Four days later the Hon. Samuel Green re-
turned to the gulch from Denver, sand
brought with him a regular mining kit
picks, mattocks, hammers, shovels, blasting
powder and other useful articles.
Two weeks passed, and again the postmas-
ter of George Washington gulch event
through with Bill"-this time loaded down
with samples of rich silver ore.
By the following spring the gulch was
alive with a population of over 800
white men and three women-not count
ing Indians and Chinese. George Washing
ton Gulch contained a rich vein of silver
enough to make it a 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 bravely on a flood tide of
wealth and prosperity. The Honorable Sam
uel Green actually had considerable postal
business to transact, besides which, a 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 interest in the rich
est claim in George Washington Gulch, and
it will be readily understood that he had de-
veloped into an individual of considerable
Importance.
Still, if one had about that time quietly
investigated among the strange characters
who formed the curiously cosmopolitan pop
ulation Of that Colorado valley, with view
to learning who among their number was
held in the highest esteem, the Honorable
Samuers name would scarcely have received
mention. The parson was the fayorita