Cañon City record., 1910-03-17

FhH years IN business In Derg
and no failures and no fires. o! all
the men selling merchandise in Den
yer half a century ago when he
weighed out his first pound OF coffee
for Rocky Mountain miner. not one
beside himself is selling merchandise
here today
There may be a few SIN alive. but
those who have not passed into the
beyond have ceased 20 be merchants
one OF his contemporaries of 1850. D.
" hoffat. IS still 4 business man. but
he Is n banker. not n merchant
IL was New Years eve-ls5s was
Witnessing It's last sunset-when
Wolfe Dondoner. stripping in his
teens. helped make camp on Sand
Creek about six miles from Denver
There we're sixty-two wagons drawn
up IN a circie-the outfit OF Hanauer
Doid a Co. freightcrs and govern
meni contractors. bringing out sup
plies for the soldiers OF the plains and
mountains and stocks % goods for the
Denver houses. besides one for them
selves. To young Londoner had been
entrusted the delivery Of the goods to
the Denver merchanis-raihcr
large sized trust for a youth making
his first venture into ihe world
When the long wagon train wound
its way out Of the Missouri bottoms
the young tenderfoot--A sort OF super
cargo on n prairie schooner tried 10
stow himself away in one OF the can
vas-covcred wagons But the wagon
master. a Mexican and thorough
plainsman. intervened with: Gov
ernment contract. young fellow: no
passengers" So Wolfe Lond lner
walked every step OF the way from
Atchison 90 Denver. n frontier town.
then. In jefferson county. Kansas.
ANY adventures on the road he is
asked.
estfit too Big for Indians to Tackle.
mo. our outfit was too big for the
Indians TO dare TO take any chances.
At night we put the wagons in a circle
and camped inside with strong guards
out We were the biggest purely mer
cAnndise train that ever came across
the plains We had $50 men or more.
all armed. and u would have been n
sorry lot of redskins who would
tackle us
"Indians7 Pshaw, They were only
too glad 20 be friendly With the first
ones ! met began my trading career.
What few gee-gaws | had were hand
ed over TO them for three or four pairs
- moccasins. Happy You bet. I
wasn't any too well fixed for walking
waEonmastcr"
Bright and early that New Years
uorninE. 1860. Young Londoner. ac-
companied by the wagonmaster. who
had taken q liking 70 him. walked into
Denver and had his FIRST peep at the
city that was later TO honor him as n
useful citizen. The story OF his rise
,o n~luence Is the story of Denver.
First there was tour of the from
tier rambling houses en- Blake streci.
The town was wide cpcn" then and
the Young tenderfoot's first acuuaint
asce with life In the far west he has
never forgotten. One inciden, stlll
stands out In his memory. He knew
enough about poker TO realize that
when one cf the poker players dealt
himself an ace from the bottom there
was something wrong. Quietly he
called the attention OF another player
- this apparent lapse from the path
Of recti,ude. well. what of It," re-
turned the warned one. evidently n
seasoned rountalneer; "it's his deal.
alnf it, Thereafter young Joudoner
never interfcred In another mans
ssme-a rule he has followed to this
say
HA First Meeting with d. II. MofYat-
Leaving the gambling houses he and
- wasonmnster pal visited those
ussrchants for whom he had oonsign-
nents and he found them ali oiamor-
lag for their goods 90, bright and
sssSy next morning. With q Mexican
y kelp Mn. " bcess his deliveries,
- tssiA aln ~ 81 . tttfie 49,.