The Washington herald., 1908-07-05


chairs, everything. home with them IL
was clean sweep and there was moth
ing 10 do except 70 gasp and then TO
laugh.
A Gorgeous Panorama.
There have been many big gatherings
Of various kinds there in recent years.
and Denver has attractions that are like
ly to make 1t a popular convention city.
Where else can one SIT at breakfast on
the top floor Of a hotel which Is plastered
high with slabs Of gorgeous onyx. and
look on a panorama Of more than 10
miles OF mountains2 Imagine getting up
on a midsummer morning to sB many
Of the loftiest ranges Ia America, eppar-
emily near by. glistening white from
stray SNOWFALL Sixty miles 70 the south
stands old Pixies Peak along the bottom
slopes OF which ran one Of the old Lead
Vile trails. on which men and women
sank from privatiOn and hardship while
their mules and horses literally kicked
gold dust of their shoes at every step
while plodding over the ground where the
first Cripple Creek trenches made men
rich 'at grass roots"
One can take IN the whole panorama at
a glance. from Pixies Peak almost 20 the
Wyoming line on the north. with 1900
| foot "hogbacks" anC 1A000-fOOt crags all
the way along. or he can watch a single
monarch or a single gulch by the hour.
noting the blending Of colors and the play
OF shadows. That Is the old story Of tenn
| perament7.the story OF the men who
/ looked at the tree and saw in It so many
feet Of fine lumber. a splendid pole for a
yacht. a creation beautiful. and a SYMBOL
/ spiritual. each according 10 himself.
/ Originally the site Of the city was an
arid plain, but now, where the business,
| streets end and the residence section be-
gins, on the rising prairie 70 the south OF,
the town. the place IS almost reminiscent
Of some OF the wonderful Southern Cali
/ fornia towns This transformation was
| accomplished with the help Of the cotton
! tree much turfing of lawns, and a capi-
! tai irrigation system connected with foOt-
hill reservoirs. The cotton tree grows at
a great rate. and in four or five years
! gives a handsome circle OF green and a.
| grateful shade. They are planted for
miles on both sides Of the streets. with
bitches al their roots and late in the
evening the sluice gates are opened above
the city and the waters come gurgling
down beside the sidewalks with a re-
freshlng lullaby. On the lawns the re-
1 volving nozzles swing their tiny cascades
around all summer long 10 keep the green
from burning brown. Sometimes an East
erner wih complain of the eternal sun
shine. He will lcng for a shower. for a
gray day. with all the f0rcible backsliding
of perverse human nature.
Fifty Years Old
Fifty years is little enough in which 10
build up a real city-and Denver is just
that age this year-but It is enough 10
leave behind many touches Of the from
l.,
10 gallop down Holiday street with or
without news Of hostile Indians. Such
days did the owner Of the Rocky Noun
tain News SUGGESTIVE one who preceded
the present owner-as he stood in the
street. at the entrance TO his Office on
the ground floor OF a lofty brick and
stone building. Col. John Atkins IN his
I | shirt-sleeyes, shaking hands with his
passing friends. presented a curious con-
trast TO the modern building behind him.
, Ii reminded one OF the days when the
7 papers plant was tOted across the plains
I on mules. Just after Denver had started
to be. Editing was not all beer and skit-
; ties in the West even in the early SOS
/ Rivals did not hesitate 10 cartoon one an
other in their frailties IN political hot
days. One would be portrayed leaning
/ befuddled against bar; another in re
tort the next day, playing with fifth
ace under the table.
Col. John was beaming upon all the
Western world one bright morning when
"Soapy' Smith came sauntering down
r the street, the same "SOapy" who made
1 dramatic exit from life at Skagway a
=. few years ago. accompanied by two or
s three others, his pals and members OF a
! vigilance committee.
Good morning. John" said Soapy.
Good morning. Soapy," said John.
Il see you had a little fun with me in
your paper this morning" said Soapy.
Yes. I saw something" said John.
: You know the boys will write things,
\ Soapy. and"
I Biz Bin, Bin. Down went the col
onel without any further conversation
! smashed and disigured by as cruel a pair
d Of brass knuckles as ever fitted the hands
[ OF bad man. Col John was laid up FOR
g weeks, but "Soapy" got his in the north
=. land, and he was certainly long over
S due"
+ Frontier Contrasts.
Other contrasts have vanished. too. The
= Rev. Myron ". Reed, some time dead
: had a large church and a crowded con
o gregation. A Monday morning newspapeI
, without Reeds quaint bat forcible ser
= AtlNu WIS aAA lAAlklDoclbAAAAA <ALNNl ulAAEA as
S every Sunday morning the moment ht
s had finished and as the organ started tC
= play the OffertoTy music. two reporters
u were TO be seen racing. one down each
aisle. for the pulpit The one who got
e up its steps first got the manuscript. Il
J. was curious sight. too. 70 see a regu.
I latiOn English deans tOp-hat on tht
S streets as the clergyman OF the Eplsco-
: pal cathedral went his way and a still
o more striking contrast TO see an orgauist
e wearing the scarlet hood Of a Mus u
= OF Oxford enter the choir on a Sunday
d morning and then on the way home watcl
g a Chinaman trying TO exc out living by
d washing the dirty sand of Cherry Greek
y IN a pan under one of the many little
a bridges that span II at almost every city
block
Denver. Ike other youngsters. had II.
e measles and whooping-cough, and chick
q en-pox. Fire tried TO wipe it out one,
q or twice in the early days. and Cherry
! Creek. a miserable tributary Of th,
:, Platte, almost washed the town away
after one Of those ClOudbursts which hav,
been described. But Leadville poured il,
millions into the city when the placer.
: OF the foothills and the earlier discov
e cries up Clear Greek Canyon became les
IT prolific 1t was too big n city had 10,
Il many uunk llne TallroadS and TOO many
4. incidental interests. cotton mills. oape
d mills. smelters coal mines, 10 be over
y whelmed by the silver panic OF 1885
>, and the Cripple Greek gold output soOl
;, put Il on its feet again. Dry farming an,
- irrigation have driven out the cattl,
n ranges of Eastern Colorado and the sag,
- brush Of the mountain valleys. Now I
y is alfalfa and wheat and fruit
The agricultural products of the Stat
ie are almost as important as the mineral
- There is not another city of considerab bI