The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-05-16
CRIPPLE CREEK IS RISING
The Burned Mining Camp viii
Soon Be Rebuilt.
A Citizens Committee of 100 Is
Keeping Things in Order =
Several Toughs Have Been
Quietly Laid Away.

Cripple Creek. May 12.-Crlpple Creek
is raising from her ashes. Buildings
is rising from her ashes. Buildings
it will not be long before the city will
be builde better than before.
"A citizens committee of 100 is main
tanning order and all questionable char
acters are under surveillance. 1t Is
whispered that many tough citizens are
sleeping the sleep of the incendiary.
Nobody doubts that several men who
have disappeared are lying ~low-nbout
six feet down.
Nobody. OF course, knows how many
men have been quietly shot n buried.
Probably not more than u half dozen
ave been SO dispatched, but this num-
Der is likely to be increased without
lnanyp people becoming the wiser. Prop
erty and life have been placed in jeo-
pardy. and tine threats made by maud
lin men that more disasters We're lying
In the wake of the past contiagrations
have compelled the best men of the
camp TO enroll their names with this
vigilance committee, and they are ready
to act when called upon.
~ gentleman cf education. holding a
position of responsibility was compelled,
on the day of the second fire. to bundle
up what household goods he could hast
lily gather together and escape with his
family into the hills. After the fire had
died out he returned to his home, which
had escaped the fire, and, happening TO
pass around on the Side of his residence,
saw a man crouching there attempting
to start another contiagration. The
gentleman had no Weapon and all he
could do was to cry an alarm and try to
capture the man, who. however, made
good his escape. 1t will not be Won
dered at that this nan of peace decided
forthwith to join the committee of
safety.
For months the Cripple Creek district
had been gathering within Its folds all
manner Of desperate people-tin horn
gamblers, prison birds. crooks, murder
ers and thieves-until the gambling
halls, n houses and cheap saloons
swarmed with tough looking men and
ONE Below Myers avenue before the
fire, pandemonium reigned day and
night, and it was not surprising that a
fire should have starteS in broad day.
light. and that, after it had started. the
incentive to aid it's progress came read
lily to the minds OF some of the desperate
characters of the camp. The second fire
SSSIilS ny Il COLSeLlSuS VI OplulDI 10 nave
been of incendiary origin. possibly for
the purpose of obtaining insurance. but
Its spread was due to the very high
wind and the extremely excited and
| panic stricken condition of the resi-
dents.
1t is no wonder therefore that the citi-
Zens took drastic measures at the elev-
enth hour to rid the district of some of
Its worthless inhabitants. Ona hundred
of them were ordered out of camp In a
bunch, hundreds of arrests were made
and the county Jail at Colorado Springs
was soon filled with these people. The
militia from Pueblo We're doing guard
n patrol duty on the night following
the day of the fire and one man was
shot while making an impudent retort
to a challenge from a sentry. He was
sent to the hospital.
The boom of last winter followed by 4.
reduction of the ore output this spring,
resulted in a stagnation of business,
against which the people were contend
Ing at the time Of the ~contlagratlons.
The town of Cripple Creek was over
done in every line of trade.
The city council has established fire lin
ltS ana mas announced nFInly tldl no more
frame structures will be permitted With
In the limits thus defined, even for tenn
porary purposes. This will work a hard
ship upon the old residents of the camp
who lost so much in the recent fires that
they are unable TO rebuild substantial
brick structures. and they must give their
property over to lessees or build upon bor-
rowed capital at ruinous interest rates.
1t will also delay the rebuilding of the
l 49,, ll-t.t- - ~. T. .-,, -.
just now In this state. But that this policy
strictly followed out will be for the lasting
benefit of the camp there can he no ques-
ton. TIL tow of Cripple Creek is per-
manent and the mines now established will
for many years support a large number of
people. though not go large Il population
as was engaged in business here before the
fire. Neither will the disaster to Cripple
Creek change the center of business actir-
lily from Cripple Creek to Victor, Gillette
or any other OF the fifteen smaller settle.
mcnts in Cripple Creek district.