Idaho Springs siftings., 1903-08-01
WAS PULLMAN A WOOD HAuLER7

lhe best posted men Ill the state OF Colo
zado on its early history, has corrected
the statement made by me last week,
That Pullman had hauled wood from this
district to Black Hawk in the COS. Gen
Hall will certainly be courteous enough
10 allow that erred in my data as to the
year, using 1850 instead 1860. The in
formation gave wss CLEANED from talks
with cold timers in this section, and
from them l got tue impression that Pull
man had contracted at one time to de-
liver wood and timbers to the mines and
mills at Black Hawk. However, this all
happened before my sinful career started
on this earth, and 1 thank the General
for correcting me, as l might have gone
on until had Senator Teller working
with a pick and shovel on the Silver
City ditch into Russell gulch in 1862, and
Prof. Fill digging the foundation for his
Smelter himself aud eating Blank Break.
fast food to save money enough to buy
his smoke stack. But, poor Pullman,
YOU will have to rest now forever and
ever i'll your grave, looked upon as
blooming capitalists from the beginning
20 the end. did what could for you,
but could not succeed. Maybe in a thous-
and years from now some reporter will
be able to make a WOOD hauler of you
but not now. Lincoln could be a rail-
splitter, Garfield engineer on a canal boat
ana Rockfellow clerk in country store,
but you-I am sorry must still he what
you were, while they slander your shade
by even saying you got your idea of a
sleeping car from miners bunk house
Poor Pullman.
But, in correcting my story General
Hall has erred to greater extent than 1
did in making a wood hauler" of Pull
man. He says: "First, gold was not
discovered in the Rocky Mountains until
1889" Gold was FIRST discovered in
Colorado in the spring of 1858. on the
northern slope OF Pixies Peak. had the
experience only few years ago of clean
ing out and exploring an old shaft sunk
there in the winter of 1858, which proved
a depth of over 40 feet with some drifting
from the bottom. This shaft is located
in what is now know as the Front Range
district aud is eight miles from Colorado
City, then the capital of the territory.
Mr.. Hall says; Finally, Mr.. Pullman
never visited Yankee Hill, never heard
of its existence. 1t did not come into be-
ing as a mining camp until more than
thirty years after he left Colorado -
Pretty positive statement that, though
1t does not prove facts. l have pretty
positive proof by living witnesses that
interested more or less, but it is of little
Importance whether he did or not VIM.
Pilgrim. with his son Robt. Pilgrim set.
tied here in 1859. Robt. Pilgrim built
The first court house in Clear Creek county
in the winter of 50 80, and was clerk
and recorder of the district for many years
after. In 1861 Silver City, as it was then
known, had population of nearly 500
people, and produced in placer gold over
IS, goo. The old workings can be seen at
this time. An ore mill was built by
Messers. Wheeler, Jones, Condor and
several Others in 1862. Mike Graft, now
of Idaho Springs. walked from that city
to this camp in 1861 to vote, and says it
was one of the liveliest camps in the
state. Colonel Moore visited the camp
in '63 and reports that placer and other
mining was booming. Along about 81
silver was found in Georgetown, and this
district was abandoned in the rush for
the silver camp. So much for the early
history of this section, all of which is
doubtless an old story to General Hall.
But to go back still farther, it is my
opinion that gold was first discovered
here in 1850, by party of Virginians
who passed over James Peak by all old
Indian trail in that year. This belief was
founded on letters and maps in the
possession of my family, and written by
ssr uncle who were of the party. The
patty wintered in this vicinity on account
of deep SHOWS, and they prospected to
while away the time. In these old letters
a vein of ore was spoken of, which they
believed TO be immensely rich in gold.
In time, with the help of the map, hope
TO locate these workings, and prove that
gold uas first discovered in Colorado in
1880.