The silver star., 1900-07-06
COLORADO NOTES.

The city council OF victor mas aWeru-
ed contracts for the building Of . city
hall to cost $4,000.
All Of the coal miners Mt the Union
mine. sixteen miles above Glenwood ON
the Cardiff branch Of the Midland,
went on strike Monday. The cause ap-
pears to be the ungranted demand Tor
an increase of twenty cents per car Tor
digging and minor grievances. FIFTY
men are involved.
Rumors are again rife concerning the
building of a railroad from Florence
into Custer county. A few days ago
1t was announced that the Denver q
Rio Grande directors had voted 5000
600 to build line from Texas creek
or Cotopaxi This has stirred the Flor
ence Southern Company, which four
years ago completed survey for
line TO Silver Cliff.
A whole shift employed on the Santa
Rita mine has been discharged be-
cause of the disappearance Of some
high grade ore. The management was
unable to detect the thieves, and there
fore made the wholesale discharge,
hoping to include the guilty parties IN
the lot. II Is said that the ore has been
traced to an assay office in Victor. Fur
Friday morning 1t became known
that work had begun on the grade for
the Florence Southern. Upon investi-
CATION 1t was learned that upon in
structions received from headquarters
at Denver. Frank Ruby put dozen
men to work on the company's survey
paralleling the Rio Grande around
Vinegar hill. in extension of the work
done several years ago on Railrond
street. The men worked all night and
had completed considerable grading
at daybreak. When Mr.. Ruby was
asked by reporter about the work
being done at this time on the Florence
Southern. he replied that II was sim
ply done To hold It's right of way in
view of early developments pertaining
to the construction of the line into Gus
ter county.
William Mackin, q prospector. was
killed by bolt of lightning in East
Mancos on Friday afternoon. and 1t
WAS not until last saturday evening
that the body was found. He went
from his cabin to stake out his horse.
and the back of his head received the
stroke. He was about 60 years of age.
The Colorado Midland has aban-
doned for good the old Hagermann
tunnel and pass west of Leadville. and
the picturesque seven miles of road Is
being demolished. The big trestle over
which the trains approached the tun-
mel is being torn down and the timbers
carried away and stacked nj Colorado
City. The rails viii be torn up. and
soon only a hole in the mountain will
mark the most wonderful piece of rail
road engineering in the state.
For some time trouble has been brew
ing between the teamsters of Lyons
and the owners of the toll road between
there and Estes park. The climax was
reached the other day when John
Walker and Norman Billings attempted
to pass the gate without paying toll.
The company had placed in charge of
the gate Charles Knapp of Longmont,
who claims he has instructions to col.
lect toll or keep parties from going over
the road. even should he be compelled
to kill them AT the gate. When Walker
and Billings made an attempt to pass
the gate. Knapp promptly presented n
cooked revolver. and lcvelng IL at
Walker told him that he would certain
ly Kill him il he attempted to pass with
out paying toll The argument en-
forced by the gun was convincing and
'oll was promptly paid However. the
end Is far from being reached as yet.
That nm attempt will probably be
made to force the road open by deter
mined men.
What within comparatively short
time will be the largest coke plant in
the West is now in its infancy at Red
stone. Pitliin county. according to
Henry Denman. state coal mine in
spector Near Redstone. Pitkin coun-
~, he found n new mine. the Coal
Basin. in operation under the proprie-
torship of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company. Some development work
was done ON this property about four
years ago. hut the mine was aban-
dOned. The Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company prospected the ground later
and found that 1t produced n fine quail
lty OF bituininOus coal, especially
adapted for the manufacture OF coke.
Recently the company began taking
out coal. and last month the embryo
coke plant. consisting of fifty ovens.
produced go tons of coke. the first
output of the works. II Is Intended. II
the circumstances continue favorable
TO the new project. TO have 800 ovens
In operation nj Redstone before the
coke plant is considered complete.
4 La Junta dispatch says: Rev. DIR.
Weaver. pastor of the First Presby.
terrain church of Pueblo; Rev. DR.
Patched. pastor OF the First Congre-
gational church mt Pueblo. and I.ev.
Dr. Farley OF the Central Christian
church of Pueblo. came down Monday
morning and II meeting was held Mt
the NJ. T.. church regarding the re-
establishment OF the Fries Orphans
home nt this place. These gentlemen
| contradIctcd the statements made in
the pnpcrs ns to Mr.. Fries neglect OF
the home. They say that under the ex.
cifement OF the hour neither the people
nor the daily papers gave Mr.. Fries a
chance to be heard and that he has
been basely misreprescnted. Mr.. Fries
said that there wns no doubt but TINT
the home would he located here: that
he was daily receiving letters from
vnrlous parts of the state assuring him
OF financial assistance. A trnct OF land
VIII be purchased shortly. and It is Mr..
Fries plan 10 raise money In the Fast
| TO erect suitable buildings Ho .I.c