Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-04-04
FOR LOVE THIS MAN GAVE UP
A KINGDOM AND A GROWN

undtsputed. That person was l.ieutenan
Charles 9. Ripley. then on the retired list
and an u,aspiiinE citizen Of Colorado. II.
was notified that the throne OF Samoa was
his for the taking.
He Gave II UP for Love.
H.. declined TO be a king.
To refuse a crown il an act a little out
Of the ordinary. 1t seems TO demand an
explanation. In this case the explanation
Is simple
The lieutenant was In love. A young
woman back In Illinois had won his heart
and had pledged to him her hand. But
when the prospect OF being queen OF tho
Samoan islands was opened up TO her.
she quickly said. No"
Who shall say that in choosing the WON
an Of his heart in preference to "A king.
dom the lieutenant WAS unwise?
Although Lieutenant Ripley thus con-
teinptiously rasi aside the Samoan crown.
he is undisput"d monarch Of "A little king
dom of his own. After the close OF the
Spahish-Ametican war he was placed on
the retired list. having served for thirty
nv" sears in the American navy. He then
dontssd the rough garb OF n mountatneer.
and began prospecting On Colorado hill.
There he struck ii rich" opening the.
Mascot mine and founding American city.
The population of the camp is hardly.
more than half a hundred. all OF whom
work I'm the mine.
His hom. is Justly esteemed one OF tha
sightS of Colorado. 1t is called tOlum-'
bine castle. built lc.a0 fee, above sea
level. in tiiipin county. seven miles from
Black Hawk. II Is unique among Amer
lean homes of culture and refinement on
more accounts than one. 1t IL probably
the only nom" on this continent having
the shaft of II gold mine leading DOWN
from the basement into natures most
secret treasure vaults. and IL doubtless
tn. only on" containing the Jail OF the mu-
n!cipality in which 1t is located directly
underneath the ballroom. 1, Is true. that
the jail has never held any prisoners with
the exception Of a dog. hut II was built
FOR the Incarceration OF obstrepcrous citi-
Z"ns. and may he called into reQuisitiOn
for that purpose at any moment. The
castl" is built of logs. cut in the surround
ing mountains. The ceiling and lioors are
OF hardwood. and the log walls are pol-
ishrd. stained and finished i'm imitation
of -rurt,!f--- ,A1 -feet-uf
floor space. Ill or the ground floor level
with the exception of Mrs. I1ipiey's bnu-
d"ir in the tower. The ballroom accom-
modates eighty guests without crowding.
and here hundreds of guests of the Rip,
ieys have enjoyed the novel experience Of
tripping the High fantastic almost two
miles above the level of the sea.
She Might Have Been a Queen. ,
Mrs. Ripley is famous throughout Colo
RADIO as a daring and fearless horsewoman.'
Two years ago she made the 200 mile jour-
ney TO Glenwood Springs and back on.
horseback, crossing The range over the old
Ute trail. This had been lost for a quarter.
of a century. until rediscovered by Lieu
tenant Ripley. IL was the road travelled
by the Ctes to aud from their villages and
camping places in Middle park. when they
went buffalo hunting on the plains. FIRE.
mont. the Pathfinder. searched for 1t i'm
vain. although pilotcd by Kit Carson HIM
self, when he made his famous journey
overland to California that earned for him
his title. He was misled by the articles
of the redskins and sent on ii long detour
along the Frontier range and Medicine
Bow mountains. finally crossing the CONT
mental divide by way OF South Pass. Had.
he found the Ute trail 1t would have saved!
him hundreds Of miles of wandering and
untold suffering In the mountains in the
Indictment midwinter season.
The Ripleys have recently bought a
home OF Lafayette street. Denver, where