The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-05-26
pARsoN JIM.
Chambers Journal

engineering skill, the Denver " hlo Grande
Railway, 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, as well as -year-round men of
business, pass over the picturesque road by
hundreds and by thousands in the course of
a 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
dilapidated Concord Coach, whose trips were
alleged to be weekly, though, as a matter OF
fact. the tlme-scbedule of said coach was
practically filled ont 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 aud
Colorado Springs, point on the road wnere
the broad valley narrowed into deep and
wild gorge, known as the George Washing
ton Gulch. The gorge is there yet, pre-
sumo, but the name has apparently disap-
peared, 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 relay station Of the Denver stage line
Leaving Indians out of the question. they be-
ing of ubiquitous nature, the resident
POPULATION 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 be-
tween Denver and the Springs, so that the
Stage company was compelled to establish a
number Of stations at perfectly wild and I'M
populated points. to effect proper changes of
horses. So rough shed had been erected in
the Gulch to do duty as barn for the ac-
commodation of the four horses usually to be
found there; while adjoining was frame
mansion. consisting of one apartment, which
served as bedroom, parlor, dining-hall and
kitchen for the three inhabitants, as well as
'bsing the official headquarters of the Hon.
Samuel Green, who, in addition to his posi-
tion as agent of the Stage company. held
postmaster's commission from the President
Of the United States.
The Honorable-be 1t remembered that
Mr.. Green was government official, though
ne postoflce business had ever passed
through his hands, not even letter to or
from himself, unless we count those which
had TO do with the stage business and went
ss.deadhead" Honorable Samuel Green's
companions In the solitude of the Gulch were
q negro named Ananias--doubtless from his
propensity for :prevarication was chief
groom OF the stables, and half-breed Indi-
an, whose main occupation was to trap and
shoot game and then cook it. The latter
Individual was known as Francis Murphy,
nj 10 oh Of fafl for
diluted whiskey.
AT the close OF fair summer day, the Hon.
lorablcr Samuel Green, with Messrs. Murphy
and ,Ananias, sat together on bench placed
along the front of their residence. The two
slast-named gentlemen were still enough to
JUSTIFY one in the supposition that they must
be sleeping; but the Honorable Samuel was
busily engaged In rapping and rubbing two
little pieces Of rock which lay in the palm of
enc Of his hands. He was evidently much
: Interested. lss
s''Nlas |" said he at last.
"Sah?" responded the woolly headed dar-
/. key. rubbing his heavy eyes.
film a-goin' through to Denver with Bill
tomorrow" (Bill was one of the dri-
T. yers on the stage line; the other was
Si--abbreviated from Silas). "You an
Francis Murphy keep awake part o. the
time. an sorter watch things while I'm gone
do yer keteh on?"
Ives In course, sah."
Pour days later the Hon. Samuel Green re-
turned to the Gulch from Denver, and
brought with him regular mining kit
picks, mattocks, hammocks, shoyels, blast
+ ing powder and other useful articles.
TIVE weeks passed, and again the postmas-
9 ter Of George Washington Gulch went
through with Bilp-this time loaded down
With samples of rich silver ore.
By the following spring the Gulch was
alive with a population of over three hun
dred white men and threewomen- count
( ing Indians and Chinese. George Washing
: ton Guleh contained a rich vein of silver
enough to make it scene of much activity
/. for FIVE whole years.
About year after the Postmaster's impor-
tant trip to Denver the Gnlch was floating
brsyely ON q fioodtide OF wealth and pros
perity. The Honorable Samuel Green actu-
ally had considerable postal business to
= transact besides which double coach SER
+ vice had to be put on the road, while iGulch
4 passengers arrived or departed with every
coach. Add to this the fact that the Post
!, naster owned an interest in the richest
} claim In George Washington Gulch, and it
will be sreadIly understood that he had de-
yslOped into an individual .of some impor-
tanee.
Still II one had quietly at that time investi-
I, gated among the strange characters who
formed the curiously cosmopolitan popula-
ton OF that Colorado valley, with view to
i learning who among their number was held
In the highest esteem, the Honorable Samu-
sls name would scarcely have received men,
ten. The Parson was the favorite among
.'ths boys" and hardly man but would
gladly have given his last dollar, ay, or his
-IIfe's-bleod, had anything so serious been
necessary to help the parson out Of tight
place. Never let 1t be imagined for a mo-
nent that the Parson at the Gulch was the
orthodox pastor, in the habit of wearing
brssdcloth OF clerical cut and white cravats.
he wore byoad-brimmed hat, but it was
Of the approved cowboy pattern; to coat
he was well-nigh stranger, being content
10 appear In heavy red woollen shirt;
while for trousers he substituted the highly
orRsmented and picturesque buckskin
bEeeches affected by Mexicans, Indians. and
ether edenizens Of the Far West. 1t Is also
certain that the title of Reverend had never
been. verbally or in writing, prefxed to his
I name; and yet he knew. and the boys knew,
shat 30 be called "Parson Jim" was in itself
mark Of distinction In district where
nsn were supposed to have no official titles
or surnames, while Christian names were in
yariably reduced to monosyllables.
PEARSON Jim's record and capabilities were
hardly such as would recommend him as
( candidate for church werk in communities
laying claim to advanced civilization. He
coald not read the Pentateuch in the original
Hebrew; NOR discuss the Thirty-nine Arti-
sles but he was a dead-shot with revolver,
and could gracefully ride the back Of buck
Ing broncho. The Westminster Catechism
was sealed book to Parson Jim; but he
could set broken limb, raise a tent, or build
shanty with the next man. And because
ne was as coolas ice when fiery blood coursed
through the veins Of other men-because he
uas as brave as lion-because he was as
gentle as q woman with sick men--because