Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-03-21
CHAPTER LIZ.

In the midst. of the mountains, in
the lap Of two smooth, grassy domes,
old Philip lie Beau established COW
camp in the early seventies and called
it Belle Marie, after his wife. This,
however, proved to be too fanciful for
his cowboy neighbors, who promptly
called it lie Beau's Hole" and in the
end it was known among cattlemen US
Bozle Greek.
Just west Of lie Beaus camp, and
sentinel to the valley of the Loup, stood
symmetrical peak which some mis-
sionary to the red people had called
Mount Horeb. About the year 1870
some persons not missionaries planted
gold in the soil in convenient places at
the base Of this hill and raised
mighty shout over the discovery of
new Ell Dorado. A rush took place, and
to the outside world the region became
known as '.the Mount Horeb mining
district" and was alluded to with deep
seated resentment, with curses.
But there were miners whom neither
the dogmatic opinions of biologists nor
the tricks of schemers could turn aside
from faith that somewhere on the
mighty slopes Of Mogalyon lay veins of
gold, and these continued to chip and to
dig and to hammer.
Valley Springs was becoming known
as pleasant health resort, and the wa
tiers Of its spxlngs We're being bottled
and shipped to the eastern cities. Each
year a larger number of stricken ones
came to find respite, IL not recovery, in
it's gloriously bright sunlight and pure
air. For years It remained village
and Its business men merely shopkeep-
ers and resident ranch owners, but as
its fame spread families of wealth and
social position in the east began to set
tie along the bank of the Bear and to
build homes into which the sunlight
streamed with healing magic, and the
men of these families began to look
about for business and for investment,
and not a few of them were in the
mood to listen when rough bearded
men began to plod down the trail from
Bozle Creek bringing sacks of promis-
ing ore.
Returns from these samples, sent
away to be assayed, started flight of
golden eagles east and west. Again the
adventurous YOUTH the skilled pros
pector. the gambler and all the uneasy
and shifting clements that follow such
lures poured into the valley and toiled
over the trail to the grassy hills of
Bozle.
At fret, though short of breath by
reason Of the altitude, two full miles
above the sea, some of these incomers
laughed and some were angry. Gold!
In these grassy hills? Impossiblew And
they went away again with bitter
words. 1t was Mount Horeb repeated
on large scale.
But the assayers, the men of learn
ing, persisted and in their little NOR
tars prayed the ore and in tiny portal
Die furnaces smelted for many stur-
dy miner minute buttons of shining
metal The gold was there, and at
last even the most skcptical believed.
Then the inflow began in earnest.
Ehe trail was beaten smooth by
swarming feet. 1t became stage
road. A great railroad sent survey
ors toiling up each of the deep and
winding canyons in the attempt to
reach the mighty camp whose fame
was beginning to shine throughout
Ne world. The beautiful grassy hills
were blotched with eruptions of red
earth. Paths appeared leading from
burrow to burrow like runways in a
town Of prairie dogs.
The main street Of Bozle was 10000
feet above the sea, but at last, Oh the
top OF Pine mountain, u vein of ore
ruaning $1,000 to the ton was discov-
cred, and another town arose-full H.
600 feet above sea leyei-the highest
town in all America, and this became
at ones celebrated above all others
and was called Skytown.
In the end Skytown dominated the
whole camp and gave name TO it. Bo-
ne, Grass Mountain, Pin Gulch. Hoff-
nan, all were subordinate in fame as
they were geographically, and the
press alluded TO the region as the Sky
town mining district.
In those days the barroom Of the
mountain House III Bozle was the cen
tral STOCK exchange OF the whole camp.
1t swarmed OF an evening with bust
ness men frsm Denver, Kansas City,
chicago, Salt Lake City, San Francis
co and New York. Every great news
psper had Its representative there,
atert and interchangeable, seeking the
latest word OF strikes and sales.
At the time when Raymond entered
it skytowa was the busiest, most vital
and In some ways the most pictur-
esque mining district in the world. 1t
was ut its height us IL poor mans
camp. New territory was being open
cd up each day. Each evening brought
stories of strikes-scores of them.
Tho streets of Bozle We're graceless
and grassless, but Valley Springs was
bower Of trees and growing vines.
The houses Of the peak were tents, slab
shaeks and cabins of aspen poles, and
remained so, while splendid stone pal
aces had already appeared in the val.
ley, and every comfort and nearly CIV.