The herald., 1895-10-13

women who comprised the population of
the place had no use for q government of
sny Kind. Each was a law unto himself
or herself. During the evening,as a mat
ter of csr,osity, a few of us visited the
principal gambling den of the place. Just
to see how business was conducted in
such an institution. A tougher gang of
desperadoes than we met there would be
hard to find, even on the frontier. They
were fighters almost by profession. Each
was heavily armed. and some little real
or fancied crookedness on the part of one
man among the silent manipuators of
the cards might at any moment result in
a terriblhe scene of bloodshed and slaugh
ter. We watched the proceedings for
some time and then engaged the propIie-
tor in conversation. He was an intelli-
gent man, and evidently better naturally
than his business would indicate. He
showed us a spot near his doorway where
two men had been killed and another ter
ribly wounded in free fight few days
previous. That night when we retired
to rest in the comfortable sleeping car We
were careful to see that tho doors we're
properly bolted and our revolvers placed
under our pillows. A feeling of relief
was experienced by all. the next m morning
when the train at an early hour sped
away from place which we had reason
to believe was little better than a verita bic
70 bbers roost.
vi W6 Spcu. al udy lOuR, OVeT tuo vast
plains, which seemed to he absolutely
unlimited. At one station, that day, Gem
eral Custer, the renowned cavalry officer,
accompanied by his wife, came aboard
the tram and rode some distance with us.
The general was then temporarily sta
toned at a military post rot far from
the railroad, and having occasion to Wis.,
it another post. He a1d Mrs. Custer
were welcomed to seats In our train.
Alas, that the brilliant career of such a
man should have been cut fl by gam g
of worthless Indian butchers like those
before whom Custer fell in the summer
of 1876.
On the third day out. and also on the
fourth and last days, we saw enough
buffalos, antelopes and prairie dogs 10
last life time. Of course we could n OF
kill or hit the larger and shyer ANNA lis
by firing from the train. But we thought
we might possibly kill off q few prairie
dogs, as many we're near the railroad, and
the little rascals barked at us so impu-
IDENTIFY and deliantly that we felt as II
they deserved to be taught lesson 70
likeness, even by harsh measures. SO
half dozen of us, at one of the stations,
mounted the pilot of the locomotive and
rode revolvers In hand for several hours,
ever and anon banging away at the pral.
rie dog as he sat on his launches at
the mouth of his little dugout and harked
his disgust at the innovations being
made by poor white trash on the natural
domain of his outraged dogshlp. 1t we
ever Killed or wounded one OF the little
protesting quadrupeds we never knew it.
The fact could not be proven, for when
fired at the dog. whether dead or alive,
always managed to drop backward into
his underground castle bout as quick as
the movement of healthy flash of light
ming, without giving us the slightest
clue as to whether he was killed, or IL sc
to what extent. or whether he was only
wounded or had disappeared because he
| felt insulted.
Our third night was spent at dreary
| shanty town (the name OF which l have
| forgot6en) much like Carson, put not SC
| tough nor SO thoroughly devoted 20 ths
gambling industry. In the aftern noon O.
| the fourth day we caught our frs
| glimpse of the Rocky m mountains. but al
| long range. Though yet many miles dis
tant, they we're distinctly visible. Ions
| line Of dark blue rising above the plair
and stretching north and south away be
vond the JeacI of our limited vision
| With most members OF the party this wa
| the first sight of the grand old Rockies
and the peculiar emotions resulting iron
the novel experience can be better i'm
agined than described. Early that even
| ing we arrived at Denver and were me
and escorted to the hotels by city officials
where we slept the sleep OF tired but vel
fed excursion SITS.
The next morning we we're up betims
and out doors IN the pure air and brigh
sunlight, viewing the landscape. Wit
one sweep of vision we beheld levt
plains that seemed to be illimitable. Ion
ranges of scalloped foothills and rock
peaks of every conceivable shape, tn
/ 1oftiest of which were even then whit
with snow. Away off SOUTH at a dis
tance of eighty miles, loomed up Pike
Peak, stsns'oG like grim sentinel nea
the gatewu3 jstween Colorado and he
sister territory, New Mexico, the grand
est and most famous elevation of thef
all. The little city of Denver locke
lonesome. The entireiscene was interest
ing, but extremely suggestive of isola
ton. A few people had undertaken t
build city on that desolate Spot ITO
miles from Chicago, 600 miles from tn
Missouri river and a good many mile
from everywhere else. Could the cit
become place OF commercial 1mpoi
snce, with extensive business interests
numerous railroads, handsome suburbs
a wcrld- wide reputation and over 100, 90
population? 1t did not seem possible. ye
these conditions apply to the Denver Q
today, and the citys future prospect
certainly bright and encouraging. Ate
our long journey many members OF tn
party very naturally sought an oppoI
tunity to take a bath. I, for one, sool