Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1903-09-28
NINTH ANNUAL SESSION.
CONTINUED From First page.)

nation Of the grand march, first start
ing with the year 1870. No one re
sponded. but the next year Col. r. ".
Snowden took the lead, having as his
partner Mrs. c. T. Dudley followed
By Harry Schiller and Mrs. Newman
aid on down the list to 1851, there be
ing sixty-three couples in line. II was
a grand sight to see the old veterans
keeping step to the enchanting mu-
sic Dancing was continued until 10
O'Clock when the gathering Wac called
to order to listen TO the speakers OF
the evening.
Hon. Charles a. johnson was the
frat speaker Introduced by c. f. Nc
Council, who acted as chairman. Mr..
Johnson said first came Iebulon Pike
10 these Rocky mountains. and then
Baker. and next, Colonel Snowden.
who was present at the meeting. He
said that in those days, when every
man was pioneer and every pioneer
was man, the latch string always
hung on the outside OF every cabin
door. and the lock and key was an
unknown quantity. II a man came to
cabin hungry and the occupant was
away. he went In and ate what lie
wanted and 1t was all right. But,
later, with the influx of another class
Of immigration, came also the lock
and key. He made hurried review
of the growth and development OF the
country, remarking that In 1874 IL
took 800 ore In good quantity in Sill
verton to pay, while at the present
time there were many Instances oil
si5 ore paying. He was eloquent IN
ms praise oil the hrst corners ana the
country winch they settled. Iheh
dropping the sublime Tor the hnihor-
Gus, ne expressed the OPINION ihat one
OF the greatest Factors In the develop
ment OF the country was sour dough;
Tor SAID he, when the'miner strred
up his dough IN the morning ana went
TO his work. he knew that when ne
returned in the evening ms Housh
would be sour so ne couId nave
bread. lie poked iuh at the dahc-
ing OF squire watson Dad Io"n' Mr-
Newcomb and some others, "hlch
mentioned thal IN the es1iy DAYS IN
Siiyerton we ali h.f- 10 answer lUr
our SINS 10 squire watson, ana "hlle
he dealt justice out 10 all aiike, ne
always tempered the hne 10 Mt the
pocheiDooh OF the poor oHehher'
Judge AGAR wilson was the next
speaker lie recalled the main MS
FnFlHlI f4fsfE leading the sell
ting OF the section oil country known
az the san Juan. In lol parry Oh
prospectors VINO had been placer MN
Ing at TERRA Amarillo in New Mexico
made their way to the san Juan river,
where they washed gold Tor ume'
and then came on to where Durango
now stands There were in the party
Dempsey reese, rom BIaif' auha
French, Miles Il. Johnson, Gus besoie
and Bill Mulhoiland.
Gus Begoie and his party went
around by the Dolores and later joined
the nrst party where Siiyerton now
stands. The party that went hrst 10
hrst NINE located IN TINS country a.
the close Of the season tney crossed
the range and went down the flo
Grande and met other prospeotors ana
then 1t was that Del Norte, Tor many
years known AS the gateway TO the
san Juan, was founded. Inc speak
or hrst looked out over these noun
tains from the top OF the Sangre de
Christie range In 1913 ana peheid the
country with winch ne mas since peer
SO closely idepuhed. Iheh there was
only the Town Oh Del Norte, with its
rev inhabitants ANA now there are
scores OF towns ana thousands upon
thousands oil people. In 20 all TINS
country was ConeJos county. soon al
ter Hlnsdale ana La fiata were
formed, ana later La flata was diViu
ed ana san Juan was thus created
AT that time all the sood mines were
supposed to be around 1owardsVlile
niue hamiet ABOVE SliVertoh. me
route lay up the hio Grande river ahd
II was good hundred miles from De
Norte. There were then no stopping
places Tor the wayiarer, save at some
cabin oil hospitabie miner ana III
those days they were al nospitapie
mere was no stopping place uh'il
Mrs. COTTON came anu started poafu
ing mousse. Ihihss were announcement