Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-07-12
From Denver.

Dear Readers OF the HeTat0:
It is not my intention to write a
letter for publication in the HERALD
every week but occasionally. The
weather since my last letter has been
very pleasant. There has been no
wind nor dust worth mentioning.
Some of the time it has been too
warm for comfort in the sunshine dur
ing the middle of the day. 1t IS
claimed by the old settlers that Col,
oradO has no cyclones. Occasionally
a water-spOut or cloud-burst lets down
large quantity of water pretty sud
denly. Away back in the year 1861
or about that time, a waterspOut in
the mountains near by, caused Cherry
Creek, which runs through Denver,
to be so swollen as to destroy cOnsid-
cradle property near the Greek. A
small city hall was swept away. The
city safe containing the plat Of the
town and the records, was lost in the
shifting sands of the creek and has
never been discovered. Recently
there was a rumor that the safe had
been found, and there was little
stir caused by a fear that the finding
of the old land records would cause
much litigation over land titles, but
the report of the unearthing of the
safe proved to be unfounded. The
city hall alluded to was a small frame
structure and stood on low ground
near the creek. There has been no
serious damage from overflow since.
Within the past few days the Daily
Republican has printed several col
umns of exposure of the last state
legislature, which is said TO have been
the most corrupt and rascally body,
of the kind, that has ever existed in
Colorado The pupers of the state
do not hesitate to call them robbers,
bOodlers and thieves and like names.
The Republicans exposure taken
from the records shows that the sta
tiOnary bill of the Legislature amount
ed to S19, 989.45, or about S.. per day
for every day the body was in session.
The senators were bigger thieves than
members of the House, They paid
for seven thousand envelopes for each
senator, $500 sheets Of legal cap,
nine quarts of ink and 1884 pens,
amounting to a total cost of S317.75
for each. They paid for 272 dozen
thumb tacks, 10000 paper fasteners
1000 lead pencils, 200 spittoons. scrap
books, record books, twelve dictiOn-
aries, nlnety-nine rulers, 400 cakes OF
toilet soap, q towels, pitchers an6
glasses, q combs and IL brushes, 81
boxes of blacking, 16 brushes and Is
daubers, thermometers, 4 carpet
sweepers, 4 cOrkscrews, Is whetstones
with scratch pads, and scores of other
unnecessary articles. Aside from
this $19,98945, they ordered furni
ture to the amount of over $4,000, al
of which they stole and carried HON,
with them. The Republican, under
the heading of Punish the Thieves,
among other things says:
THE furniture bill of Graham &
Weber, which we published two week.
ago to-day, amounting to S2O.478. so
was amazing, but this stationary bill
amounting to $19, 9S945. is astOund
ing. We believe that it would be al
most physical impOssibility to storr
all the articles noted in this bill in tn,
Assembly building, and we do no
suppose for moment that they wer
ali delivered at that building.
What has become of the DrODertv
There were many honest member
CT both houses who would scOrn L
steal stationery even from the state
and as q matter of fact we know tina
many of them did not use or carry OF
ten dollars worth of pens. paper, etc
during the session. But it is all con
as completely as if a fire or flood ha
destroyed it.
Must the people submit tameIy {
this outrageous robbery? Is ther
no punishment for the thieves. an
have we no state official who has In
conscience and the courage to persu
them?
This must not be allowed to dro
with the exposure. The laws for tb
detection and punishment of thievf
are clear and effective. Let iustiC
be done though the heavens fall
I am glad to see that the press ,
all parties is calling on the gran
juries to- indict these legislator thIeve
Let there be no white-washing of tE
rascals because they belong to ''ou
party"