The Washington herald., 1908-06-29
DEMOCRATIC SIDELIGHTS

Denver, June 2S.-Those politicians and
others who are here for the Democratic
national convention are beginning to un-
derstand what Western hospitality
means Nothing is too much trouble for
| the local people in their efforts 10 make
the visitors have a good time. The spirit
of welcome is in the crisp mountain air.
and what Denver may lack In size IL
intends 10 make up in energetic enter
tanning
There is nothing conventional about
/ Denver. It's residents are Of the West.
Westly. and are proud Of It. They don't
attempt 90 follow the ways and man
nerisms Of the big cities Of the East.
A sense Of satisfaction exists over the
| fact that community of 10000 has been
! established here more than 5000 feet above
the sea level and every man, woman,
and child is a booster" as they call
ii. for Denver and the whole Of Colo
RADIO. and the visitors don't blame them.
II everybody who comes hera for the
convention goes away as pleased as the
Democratic leaders are. who got 20 the
scene early, the boosters can take rest
for a while and let the boosting be done
by outsiders.
Last night all tie Democratic high
chiefs and a lot Of other strangers went
out 10 Lakeside. a resort five miles from
Denver, where they were entertained at
dinner by local officials. Lakeside was
a revelation 10 them in the way Of an
amusement resort. It's on the order Of
Luna Park. Coney Island. with diver
siOns Of many kinds. but these things
became secondary. in the eyes Of the
visitors, 70 the scenic setting. The long
table at which the visitors sat down to
dine was placed on an open porch over
looking a pretty lake. and as they ate
the diners looked over the strip OF
water at a background of Jagged noun
tain peaks all purple and blue IN the
beams Of the setting sun. Most OF them
said that they wouldn't have missed II
for worlds. and while they enjoyed the
dinner and particularly the Rocky Noun
tain brook trout q was the scenery that
appealed to them most.
Some one among them was moved 20
verse. and although 1t IS generally sus-
pected that Col. John ]. Martin. OF St
Louis. the sergcant-at-arms Of the Demo
cratic National Committee. is the guilty
party, there is no certainty that he is the
author OF these lines:
No painted scene IS this our eyes behold.
No camcra's rcr-oduction here We see;
Those slukiesed peaks real and strong and bold
Rock ribbed and beautiful. like Democracy.
This dropping into poetry invites at
tcnton 20 the fact that the average Den
verite is a natural poet Whether it
comes from living up here among the
clouds or where the clouds ought 10 be-
or from having a constant panorama Of
lofty mountains before the eye or from
some other reason. goodness only knows,
but the spirit Of the muse is in the air
II shows itself in unexpected places.
Even the busy shopkeeper. his mind
burdened by things that have no rhyme
or rhythm in them. is affected by the
prevailing poetic tone. There is a laun-
dry in the hotel district whose window
reflects metaphoricalIy and in glass the
idea that the uplift may be found in
sordid business. In golden letters the
window bears this Legend
No; The cheapest, but the best;
The fnes, laundry in the West.
q
vites custom with the following fastened
to u juicy melon:
WatemcloDs on ice.
Five cents slice.
The spirit of freedom and independence
among the Denver people shows itself in
many ways.
To the Eastern and Middle Western
politicians the young woman who rides
horseback cannot be surpassed. Nothing
conventional about them. They sit astride
their Indian ponies and gallop along in
devil-may-care way that would put old
John Gilpin to the blush. Fine looking
girls they are too.
They are different from the tailor-made
maids of Manhattan Island. their fresh
checked sisters of upstate. and the Great
Lake region. and the soft. rosy young
women of the Southwest. They have a
style and appearance all their own. sug-
gestive Of the determination Of their pio-
neer ancestors. They are straight and
1.-THE and are frank and direct in speech. |
and how they can ride.
One of the first things that attracted the |
attention Of the visiting politicians was
the scarcity of straw hats among the |
men of Denver. OF course. in a city of !
this size there are hats of all prevailing |
shapes and materials, but the tendency
is toward soft felt headgear. Many of the |
younger men affect the light-colored. !
broad-brimmed slouch hats, which the |
Eastern mind associates with the West /
Some Of these are ovnamented with |
leather bands. But the striking /
thing about Denver hats is that they are /
worn with unconscious rakishness that
suggests the independent and care-free |
plainsman who holds himself to be as |
good as anybody else, and wants ev-
erybody to know it,
There are other things about Denver |
that tend to show its individuality. Near |
ly every saloon has a Chinaman as bar |
keepers assistant, and when the bar |
keeper is very busy. the Chinamaa helps |
out and, with Oriental adaptiveness and /
ability 10 initiate, manages TO make him |
self useful in the mixed drink line.
Denver. by the way. is pretty abstemi- |
Gus in the consumption of intoxicating
beverages. Beer is popular. but the hard /
stuff is not imbbed with that freedom !
which prevails in other large cities. The |
-------------------