Gilpin observer., 1899-02-23
NEWS FROM THE
WESTERN REGION.

Ut aspen through Iultn anu prayer 10
reported.
The plan for smelter trust, which
has been dist lussed SO often, has
again been revived.
The Colorado & Southern road is pre-
pairing to build summer hotels at Bal
tey's and Slaght's, in the Platte canon.
The Supreme Court of Colorado has
rendered an opinion that the Denver
school districts cannot be consolidat-
ed without an amendment to the con-
stitution.
| The Colorado Editorial Association
held its annual meeting at Denver on
the 21st, closing the convention with
banquet in the evening. .. Flnch
Of Castle Rock is the new president
The state oratorical contest was held
at Boulder on the 18th. Charles NJ
Dearborn of Denver University took
first prize, ]. V. Sickman of the Bould-
er State University second and G. e.
Smedley of Boulder third.
William A. Grandjean, Danish vice
consul at Denver, committed suicide
the other day He was man of good
character and the only reason for the
act seems to have been his anxiety
about some small debts.
The Hines party of twelve. which
left Kokomo ON Saturday last. reached
Pando station on the Denver x Rio
Grande at about noon Friday, having
opened a passable wagon road between
the two points. Any Kokomo citizen
can now reach the railroad with COM
parative ease and any supplies needed
can be taken in by sleighs over the
road.
In response to notice published
last week asking for volunteers who
will take care OF starving stock i'll the
mountains the following men have
been authorized to assume the duties
of agents of the Colorado Humane So
cety agents: Andrew McDermott of
HaZeltine. ]. ]. Miller of Gillette. T.
f. Richardson of Minturn and Mark
Finn and John ]. Blinn of Rocky
Ford.
The blacksmith shop of the Santa
Fe Railroad Company at Albuquerque
was destroyed by fire on the 18th. The
fire had gained considerable headway
before it was discovered. and owing
to lack of water pressure the flames
were not extinguished until the shop
and nearly all the machinery had been
destroyed. The origin of the fire is
unknown The loss is estimated at
from $4,000 to $4,000, which is cOv-
cred by insurance.
Governor Thomas has nominated
Messrs. w. S. Stratton, Frank Bulkley,
DIR. Henry Paul and Captain L. l..
Berthoud as members of the Board of
Trustees of the School of Mines. The
nominees are all well known and
prominent citizens of the state. Mr..
Stratton is the owner of the famous
Independence mine of Cripple Creek,
one of the great gold producers in the
world. This is Mr.. Strattons first rec
ognition in the field of state politics.
He is Silver-Republican
A gigantic snowslide thundered
down the side of Yellow mountain
one-half mile below the town of Ophir,
about noon on the 10Th, killing ]. G.
yardel and destroying the Caribbean
and MonteZuma mill. Vardel, who was
foreman of the MILL was in the build
ing at the time of the slide, and his
mangled body is somewhere in a con-
fused mass of timbers, ice, snow, bOul-
ders and trees. where the great slide
ended it's fatal rush. Miners in the vi
cinity of Ouray are panic stricken.
A dispatch from Leadville on the
18th said: The narrow gauge rotary
snow plOw was started out this after
noon on the Blue River branch of the
Rio Grande. 1t will probably take sew
eral days to complete this work, after
which the plow will be put on the IbeX
branch to open that line as quickly as
possible and give the people along that
line provisions. which are daily grow
ing more scarce. There is practically,
however. no more danger of suffering
in the little towns between here and
Dillon for the reason that the party of
up the wagon road between Pando and
Robinson have successfully accom-
plished the job. Provisions can now
be taken in over this trail.
The Wyoming Legislature adjourn
ed on the 18th. The session has been
marked by an absence of sensational
ism or strife, and the members have
made n record for hard work which
has not been equaled by any previous
legislative body in the state. 1t is be-
lieved the results of the session will
be generally satisfactory to the peo-
pie of the state. The appropria tions
have been kept within reasonable
bounds; the claims of various sections
and interests have been given fair con-
sidcration; n number of beneficial laws
have been enacted and the general
tone of the session has been practical
and business-like.
A snowslide fifty feet wide started
from the side of the mountain oppo-
site the stock yards mt Minturn last
Friday. 1t didn't stop when il
reached the bottom. but continued
across the fiat and with terrific force
struck an old unoccupled dwelling
house in its path. which was smashed
TO kindling wood. Nine freight cars
filed with merchandise, which were
standing on the track in the way of
the slide. We're picked up and two of
them broken open by its force. The
remaining seven were knocked off the
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