Cañon City record., 1910-04-28
Big Kate In Tenz0le Canon
BY II. n. BEECHER


us on fire over Temple canon can
not say. Perhaps it is only the COM
ing spring when all rich. red blood
tingles for the lif that God intend
ed white folks to live; or 1t may be
and more likely is, the timely shak-
ing up; the arousing to the real at
traction about Canon City. so long
slumbering, that we are now alive
furthering the good work OF
Mr.. Hardy of The Daily Re-
ccord and Mr.. Maddox and others
of the Chamber of Commerce. How
ever this may be we are warming up
to the really wonderful attractions
and old time legends of this myster-
ious mountain of mysteries so near.
and yet so little known to Canon
City.
Often of late l have been asked
for that Legend of Temple Canon"
a very clever bit of well written fic-
ton that appeared in print some time
ago-think it was in the Canon City
Record. Just why the story should
be credited to my pencil 1 do not
know for the authors name, that do
not remember, was given at the time
OF its publication. take off my hat
to him and am sorry that am not
guilty.
Truth is sometimes strange of it's
self and the oft repeated call for the
~ hrfn IN
my mind a rather pathetic little
story; at least it was so 20 me, COM
ing as 1t did in a way that I only
wish / could picture to you now;
though can not tell 1t as classic lit
erature or paint it with an artists
brush. God forgot to give me that
power that puts the "frills and file
grees" on things and makes one tell,
almost unconsciously. in that beau
tiful, make-you-want-to cry. sort of
style we all so much admire. / can
only just talk-as did big Kate" that
afternoon, long ago. that we slid
Cross lots to the top of the Royal
Gorge mountains; over that same
tidii tudt 10 hon Dtihb ihto thc
new road from Canon City.
OF Big Kate. how he got his name.
! am not saying now: many of you
old timers knew him. before his gas
oline sparked out. He used to say
"as there isn't any hell such as we
pay the preacher folk to stuff US full
of. we git it right here-Ive had 1t.
and reckon it's mighty likely to hit
me again before I quit for the place
you don't know anything about"
And poor old Kate got it, got II
hard, right at his quitting time; dy.
ing in bed as was his fate after hav-
ing fought Indians, been sturck by
lightning bit by a rattIer, and all
such things so dear to the life of an
old timer. Then to sit propped up IN
clean bed with a smooth shaved
doctor holding his pulse and women
folks crying at his bed side-well 1,
must have been hell for a man like
Kate to go that way.
See that little knoll over yonder.
whispered Kate as he put the cork
back and pointed to a little ridge over
toward Fremont's peak.
Burned Indian squaw over there
burned 'er to the stake: for witch
craft or some such stuff-oh. you
didn't know that the Indians did
that7 Well. reckon there may be
other things that you don't know
.ho..k ~,lo, sho r.dt,p. dgH. 1fdnss
know It either. till then. Yes. I was
there; after she was dead. thank
God! Give me another sip. will ye;
that day always put my nerves un-
steady"
gave him another Sip" and threw
the empty bottle down Priest can
on.
"Injuns was bad in those days.
mighty bad, and white folks and good
guns want any too numerous. We
boys had to keep sharp tally onto
ourselves to save our scalps. A bunch
OF us was just comm down from the
hills, headed fer Canon. comm over
this same old trail. when we saw
smoke curlin' up from yonder little
hill; curled up devilish as only In
juns can make 'er twist
1--WE wus purity close on. hid by that
bluff over yonder, and didn't care
to meet 'em. never did In those days
unless some of their devilment was
goin' on, as 1t were a good bit oi
the time. so we Slid quiet like. mean
In to pass 'em up unseen, but lit