Gilpin observer., 1911-03-09

When the Jim OF Arabia and the
gcnii OF Rome sprang into existence
back thousands of years before Ad--
am, some Of the best disposed Of
those beneficent spirits, or demons,
or furies, or whatever they we're
and are-made bee line for crew
ice in the Rocky Mountains of the
western continent. there to await
the arrival of the mortals who were
to populate Gregory gulch, and every
blessed spirit lowering about the yet
uninhabited spot was a good genius.
On the other theory can the won
derful good fortune that has attend
ed the men Of Gregory gulch be cx-
planned. Riches and honors have
come to them in such profusion as
to warrant the assertion that no spot
of similar contracted dimensions has
ever turned out SO many men Of
notc in tho political and financial
worlds. Scan a list of those upon
whom fortune smiled and who came
from Gregory gulch:
Henry NJ. Teller. United States sem
ator and secretary OF the interior.
Jerome B. Chaffee United States
senator.
N. P. Hill. United States senator.
E. o. Wolcott, United States SEN
ator.
w. A. Clark. United States senator.
N. B. Scott, United States senator.
James B. Belford. representative
in congress.
James B. Grant. governor Of Colo
RADIO.
Samuel Ebert. territorial governor
and justice Of the supreme court.
George NJ. Pullman, Of sleeping car
fame and millions.
Major General Fitz John Porter.
mine and mill owner; later police
commissioner of Now York.
]. A. Thatcher, president of the
Denver National bank. and million
aire.
Joseph STANDBY. millionaire mine
owner and banker in Denver.
Dennis Sullivan. director OF the
Denver National bank and a million
aire mine owner.
Henry r. Wolcott. manager Of
smelters. state senator and long the
Republican leader In Colorado. now
retired and living quietly in ,the ho-
tel named for him in New York. when
not cruising abroad.
Eben Smith. millionaire. and up to
the time OF his death. recently. part
owner Of tho famous Little Johnnie
gold mine in Leadville.
Andrew N. Rogers. noted mine
manager. engineer and railroad build
er. who settled the historic contro-
versy between the Atchison. Topeka
& Santa Fe and Denver G. Rio
Grande railways over possession OF
the Royal Gorge through a range of
the Rockies.
George E. Randolph. colonel in
the Civil war and later manager of
the Denver Tramway system and
president of the Denver board Of
works.
John w. Nesmith. iron manufact-
urer and millionaire.
Charles B. Kountze. one of the
famous family of bankers operating
in New York. Omaha and Denver.
Most OF these men lived in Greg
ory gulch almost from the beginning
of the mining life of that favored
spot. The genius who watched over
man never "loafed on the Job" and
fortune was never stingy with her
smiles when they were about. They
all went through life Ia few are still
alive). prosperous and triumphant in
the financial and political battles in
which they engaged.
And where is Gregory gulch? Why.
Gregory gulch is in Gilpin county
Colorado. 1t is 40 miles west of Den
yer. its steep hillsides forming walls
between which rushes and tumbles
the north fork OF Clear creek-now
a misnomer because numerous stamp
mills and smelters have polluted the
waters.
One day-May 6. 1859. to be ex
act-John H. Gregory. Georgian
found - In gold in one pan Of dir,
In this then unnamed cleft in the
hills. and the locality, very naturally
took his name. The east had been
set afire with more or less fancifu
tales of fabulous gold discoveries al
Pixies Peak (Pike's Peak was a gen
eral name for all the great Rocky
Mountain region because its bald
summit afforded the first glimpse d
the Rockies to the prairie schoonei
voyagers crossing the plains). and Il
was Gregory gulch that put tho first
mark of verify upon the tales o