Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-10-21
CHAPTER 1.

i
A few miles back from the mining
camp of Windy Gulch an old trail turns
away from the more travelled county
road, leading through rough, noun
tain region to the scene of an abortive
mining excitement now well-nigh for
gotten.
1t was in the spring of 1879, when the
newly discovered riches of Leadville
lad prepared foTtune-hunting world
for any marvel, that somebody started
q cry of "carbonates" in this quarter,
and from near and far came hurrying
horde to view this latest land of promise,
while, asif by magic, 4 city o. tents and
frame shanties came into being in the
depths of the wilderness. IN the after
years there came to be not d little dis
putting as to the real origin of this Sill
yer City boom, some believing that it
had been started by couple of mis-
guided ''tenderfeet," of wholly honest
intent, whatever the mischief they mad
vertentiy wrought, while others, claim
ing to be better informed, held that it
was the work of set of unprincipled
promoters, among whom the name of
Col. Randolph Meredith was always
However that might have been, the
boom was very real while j. lasted; and
it lasted the longer that the spring was
late that year, heavy falls OF snow SO
covering the earth that few might guess
what lay beneath. The gambling spirit
was rife in the air, and every one who
could call 1900 feet of that Wanted
ground his own was for the moment
rich, though nothing more tangible had
touched his claim than the shifting
shadows of the location stakes. Devcl-
opment work proceeded but feebly, and
few had anything of real promise to
show; but, as though each had quaffed
of some magic potion that gave him
eyes to see but the fair illusion of that
! fer which he longed, each chung with
mad insistence to his dream of wealth,
scrambling, fighting. and in some IN
stances even dying, to hold to claims
) from which the assayers' fires would
never reveal so much as q trace of the
precious metals.
At length, however, there came day
when the SHOWS had sunk down
through the seepy soil and all the land
lay bare to the probing of pick and
powder, and after that the time was not
long ere a cursing company of adj
venturers went drifting back over the
hills whence they came. The sound Of
the builders hammers stopped short
with the stilling of the dance-hall mu-
sic; and before the sweet, resinous
smells had been fairly lost from its new
1y-hewn pine boards, the embryo city
was left to desolation and decay.
But, while the rush and hurry went
on as though it would never stop, q
better grade was discovered for its
heavily laden teams at point which
left the main highway mile or more
beyond the original point of turning, 50
that bit of the way, which had como
to i'll repute for upsetting of stages
and kindred disasters, came to be
sloughcd off, as it were, and practically
sdisowned by the road, which now ap
Peared TO have developed 10 line OF
travel of vast Importance. The gain il
safety, to be sure, was somewhat Off
set by an added mile or more of dis
lance, so that the majority of those
who came on horseback, and all of that
vagabond company who toiled over the
hills afoot, still chose the older anl
shorter cut, which was never altogether
was left to degenerate to the Old Silver
trail, by whic:. name it came to be
known through all the after years.
And while impatient footsteps hur-
ried over the hills, lured by the ignis-
fatuus of wealth never 10 be attained
and while in the heaviness of disap-
pointment they toiled away again
there at one side of this unpromisina
bit of old road vein of gold lay wait
ing. where every passing eye must fal
upon its covering of sun-baked earth
waiting and making no sign. Fol-
cons before Windy Gulch was or Silver
City had been conceived in the mind
of man, nature had Rugged the precious
secret to her heart, biding her time
Men grooming under burdens of pow
erty and woe, and women whose hearts
were like to break for the heaviness
living, passed by the spot; but the gold
had naught to do with pity; its time
was not yet come. Sometimes pros
pectors discovered such signs in the
steep hillside that they paused to probe
the earth here and there in futile eff
fort; but q rubus bush had spread its
1.-the arms over the little outcropping
of gray rock which might have told
the story, and none thought to look be
meath. Years passed away. Autumn
winds swept bare the rubus bush; win.
ter storms beat upon the dull brocade
of lichen that had spread itself over
the sign-writing on the rock; over and
over again the wooing Colorado sun
shine called back new bloom to ring
rich joy-bells in the bright spring
weather; but now the Silver City ex
citement had been well-nigh forgotten
in other dreams and wakings, and sell
dom the feet of man .s,od the old trail
Earth held to her-own with greedy
giadness; and the gold waited on, full
4iilIElaE = L. - L.