The Newtown bee., 1899-02-10

CalnBs Az Ll6 upper obo VAo N0AAOy A"A
rows into a narrow pass, with walls OF
rock on both sides. Through this pass
flows a swift stream. In the haste of the
early days of construction logs were
thrown over this stream and houses erect
ed upon them. For buildings, tents were
often used and improvised houses were
erected of rough lumber. Often the cold
wind and snow entered through the wide
cracks between the boards, dry goods
boxes often serving the purpose for clap.
boards, chairs and tables. Most houses
at Creole in those days had neither plas-
ter or paper. The q oors of many were
the bare ground. OF all the houses saw
at Creede | remember but one hOnored
with paint. 1t was sight never to be
forgotten to stand at the lower end Of
town and look up through the valley.
The streets were crooked, filed often
with rocks, stumps, and great gullies IN
the mud. The houses and tents were
erected in the streets, in the alleys, in
the center of the blocks, and everywhere,
regardless of the points of the compass,
and looked as if huge cyclone had
hurled down upon the place immense dry
goods boxes and they had been allowed
to remain Just where they had fallen.
The altitude Of Creede is so great that
water often freezes at night even in mid
summer. Ice has frozen in my room one
half inch thick on the Sd Of July, and /
have seon snow falling on July 4th, and
a little higher up the mountains L have
stood in the banks of eternal snow in the
very heat of summer.
| remained for a time after my arrival
in Creede in what is called a clubhouse.
This was building of rough boards
covered with canvas, containing but one
room, furnished in the simplest manner
possible. On both sides of the room the
beds were built of lumber, arranged like
births on a sleeper, one above another.
| shall never forget the experience Of
that night. The bed was hard, the night
was very cold. The music Of a dancing
hall nearby rasped upon my cara. FIRE.
quently men could be heard running ana
shouting through the street. To add to
che din and confusion Of the night, d
drove of burros were confined near the
lodging house and there was an almost
incessant brsying until the early hours
of the morning.
But before retiring we took out our
Bible and asked our companions in the
bunk-house il they would be. willing 10
join as in the reading of the Scripture
and prayer. They were very quiet dur
ing this short service, ana we all
retired without comment. 81 The
next morning one OF them came
to me and said, THAT prayer last
night is the first prayer have heard for
seven years. / have wife and family
living. We did not get along web to.
gether and / left home in rage, resolved
never to return, but that prayer turned
my thoughts. have been thinking all
night, and now am going home 20 ask
my wife to forgive me and to become q
Christian with me-" Hfa s'e'2 '~+* ft*s3ass'
Nicholas Creole, after whom the town
was named, had been a prospector for
forty years with varying degrees Of suc-
cess. Through the discoveries at Creede,
he soon found himself the possessor of q
| large interest in q valuable mine, for
| which interest in short time he refused
an offer of one and One-fourth million.
In June of the same year Of the frst
excitement, two prospectors lost their
burros, followed them up what is called
Bachelor Mountain. but the burfos refus-
ed to return and after exhausting their
patience to no avail, the prospectors sat
down 10 rest and began to chip of pieces
of rock, when they found it was rich
with ore. A claim was &c once staked
out and called the Last Chance" In q
short time the Last Chance was shippiI &
ore TO the value Of $4,000 month.
Nicholas Creole was burly, rough
looking man OF reckless life and dissipa-
ted habits he lived In q log cabin and by
manner and habirs of life could not be
distinguished from many another rough,
reckless man. A few years later though
the possessor Of an immense fortune, he
ended his career In suicides grave.
Creole was reckless, wicked town. i
had been so informed before reached
the town and / never had occasion to
doubt the truth Of the statement. Much