The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-01-25
Turning Out a Million in G Id
Per Month.
VICE AND SPEC ULATION ACTIVE
Scenes VIII ch Recall the Early Days of
LeAdVille and the Famous
~Omstock-

Cripple Creek is the most wonderful
gold camp in America and probably in
the world. 1t is producing one million
dollars per month in gold, while five
years ago there was no such place upon
the map of Colorado.
1t is hard to believe the most conser-
vative and reliable statements about
this wonderful gold camp. For instance,
the postoffice department at Cripple
Greek shows by it's last quarterly re-
port that ii is handling more letters,
money packages and registered letters,
and doing larger business generally
than any other postofiice in the state
outside of Denver, while the reports of
the Colorado Telephone Company for
the last three months shows that that
Cripple Greek is doing the largest bust
ness in the state with the exception of
Denver.
There are now two railroads running
into Cripple Creek the Florence Cripple
Creek and the Midland Terminal, both
of which have been obliged to put on
two extra trains in the last two weeks
for the accommodation of passengers.
A new short line is being surveyed from
Denver. Rooms are engaged weeks in
advance; cots, blankets and beds are
at a premium nightly. There are be-
tween 10000 and 10000 people in the
Cripple Greek mining district which
is about five miles square. Everything
is run wide open. Dance halls, saloons,
gambling houses, variety theaters, all
are reaping a harvest such as never be-
fore in the west. with the possible eX-
ception of the early days of Leadville.
With the drop of silver the habitues
of the dance halls and the only gam blers
who infest mining camps left Creole.
Leadville and Aspen and came here to
fleece the weak and unwary. DOT"
Ford. the wife of the late Bob Ford, the
murderer of Jesse James, is advertised
as one of the attractions of a leading
dance hail. while "Slanting Annie" one
of the most notorious and popular dance
hall managers, advertises that she
would like to meet all of her Creole
friends.
DENS OF VICE ON EVERY SIDE.
On any of the leading streets of Grip
pie Creek one can not proceed far with
out hearing the roll of the ivory ball of
the roulette wheel and the different call:
Seventeen in the black; low and odd"
or "thirty-two in the red; high and
even" One evening recently so mem
bers of the Salvation Army knelt in the
dust in front of one of the leading gam
bling halls and dance houses. and be-
tween the slow sentences OF the prayer
of the leader one could distinctly hear
the merry laughter around the gamb-
bling tables, the curses or the losers and
the careless call of the dealer.
In Cripple Creek alone there are 50
saloons, five dance halls and three vari-
ETY. theaters, while in the evening three
brass bands and the Salvation Army vie
with each other to obtain the most at
tention and draw the largest crowds
The bands play in front of their respec-
tive theaters and the Salvation Army
band in front of its large tent. There
are eight churches in the town, and not
withstanding the many dens Of vice the
place, as rule is orderly and quiet.
In the entire Cripple Creek mining
district there are half dozen incorpo-
rated towns, Cripple Creek being the
largest and the town Of Victor second
and almost as large as Cripple Creek.
1t is five miles distant, and nearer the
largest mines. Anaconda lies between
Cripple Creek and and Victor and has
about $500 Inhabitants All Of the min
ers who work upon the famous Anacon-
da mine. the Doctor, Ingham. Moose.
Elkton and other mines on Globe and
Raven Hills, live there. 1t is an incor-
porated town, as also is Gillette. which
is maintained by miners who live In the
eastern part of the district, and the
men employed in the large chlorina-
nd nj
was given national notorlety recently
by the holding of three days fiesta Of
bull fighting. which the state authori-
ties either could not or would not pro-
hibit. Six bulls were killed by gay
Mexican toreadors and badillero, who
came to the camp for that purpose.
Altman, the highest incorporated city
In the United States, is situated at the
top of Bull hill and was the miners
stronghold during the famous strike. in
which 1000 armed miners, 1900 deputy
sheriffs and the entire state militia.
composed OF 1900 men, We're engaged.
Surrounding Altman are the famous
Pharmacist. Beuna Vista, Zenobia.
American Eagle. Pixies Peak. one and
two, and Garfield-Grouse mines. all
of which are regular shippers and valu-
able property. Between Altman and
Victor, a distance Of three miles. are
three incorporated towns-Indepen-
dence. with a population of 1000 and
Gold Field. with a population of $500.
mostly miners and their families.
THE BONANZA KING"
The most prominent mining men of
Cripple Creek today is Winfield S. STRAIT
ton, the owner of the independence
mine. He was born in Jeffersonville,
Ind, in 1S4S, learned the carpenter
trade, and in 1872 removed to Colorado
Springs. Several times Stratton saved