Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-08-08

II the waning seventies? However.
\, the year is not of as much Importance
.. as the fact that II was the booming
,. days of he once celebrated mining dis
= irict OF the San Juan, where the in
, habitants of Durango were mostly
:. men, and men of that rough and ready
:. order which follows the fortunes of a
:. mining camp; generous and big heart
:, ed. but hot-headed, always ready to
:. shoot mp the town" When 1t sud
!. denly came their turn to pass in their
:. earthly checks, they usually did 1t
!. with their boots. and quite as often,
!. with their spurs on. Those were the
!. days when the ready gun struck ter.
!. ror 10 the hearts of the just and the
| unjust alike. for bullets. as well az ar
!. rows. If you viii allow me to para
: phrase the great poet. may fall to
!. earth you know not where, and they
!. have an unpleasant way of plowing
!, through even innocent distinctions;
!. the days when Ike Stockton. for whom
. there was n large reward offered in
New Mexico. dead or alive" ate his
, meals at the old Leland hotel in Du-
, range with a six-shooter at each side
. of his plate, his restless. hunted eyes
. searching the face of every newcomer
. The good people of Durango. as you
know, made him welcome Blood
money" Colorado men refused TO deal
in. but there were others, from over
the border, who were not so scrup-
ulous. and one day they got him quite
dead to he sure. but loading the limp
| Hply Lt1rro thav ad nj tn
New Mexico and the waiting reward
1t was at this time when reckless
awlessness seemed at premium that
| went west to join my family who
had preceded me in their search for
gold, and one day found myself walk
ing the streets of Durango, which. un-
IN the boom blew away was to call
home.
AT that time my most precious as
ct was a fine mezZo-soprano voice.
supplemented by grand piano. which
had found Its way to that mountain
fastness some weeks before my ar
rival and which the men of the camp
had all lent a willing hand in unpack
, ing and setting up in the little canvas
. lined house where 1t belonged. Pianos
|, were not an everywhere occurrence In
|, Durango; indeed, there were few to be
!. found, save down on Railroad street,
!. the red light district" and the fact
!, If that piano and that could sing was
:, known to every man. woman and child
:. IN the camp long before my arrival
!. Nor were they slow to test my ability
!. for on the evening of my arrival | sat
:. down to try my voice In the new altl-
q. tude. and after had gone through a
q. list of home favorites, my sister, who
|. had had her attention attracted by
- suspicious sounds, suddenly raised the
shade of the long French window
oh, yes, there were such things in Du
range even at that early time-and
there, in the brilliant moonlight, stood
my first western audience. a crowd ol
silent men-and they were quite un
abashed at being caught in the act
&c Believing that my voice should car
50 ry pleasure. perhaps comfort, to as
III many as cared to come to listen. | at
once took my place in the choir of one
Of the churches. For there are two
things which always follow in the
= wake of boom in the West. churches
Y
ception to this rule. There was a
Catholic church and close by Mercy
| hospital where the sweet-faced sis
/ lers ministered to broken bodies: and
hen there was an Episcopal church
with sawdust floor and rector who
was in the habit of leacving his game
\ Of poker of Sunday morning to ad-
/ minister the comforts of very high
i church rites to the members of his
i flock. The Methodists- had the most
/ imposing church in the camp, with a
lower which came to fine point sky.
ward and a deep-toned bell, the only
one In the entire San Juan, the gift OF
a wealthy Denver Methodist. And
asst, but not least. there was the
Presbyterian church, in which | sang
o please my dear mother. But my
eryices were unrestricted, ard soon
rad sung in each church. and wher-
aver sang, be it midnight mass or
Methodist revival. | was sure of an ap-
preciative audience of rough-lookine
men who came for the one purpose Of
hearing me sing.
There were the pltifully frequent
II l
chose death rather than the horror of
her life; again of a poor fellow blown
. 10 pieces by blast, or caught in re-
morseless snowslide, or of a man. per
= haps only hoy, who had chanced to
d stand too near the ever-ready gun ag
g eressvely showing itself from every
si' hip pocket for there were no 'con-
& cealed weapons" in that camp.
& It soon became known that | drew
& no lines, but would sing at funeral
= 10 matter whose or where. and my
s. place in the hearts of that people who
6 knew neither law nor religion became
). corespondingly warm, and they did
+ not hesitate to proffer their requests.
& One day my father came in with a
+ twinkle in his eyes and told me that
), a somewhat noted tough and gambler
Z had been caught AT n game in Silver
& ton with too many aces up his sleeve
Z. and had paid the penalty with his
Z life The man had. until quite lately,