Semi-weekly herald., 1912-09-30


over in the Pine river country. 1t
was then that he found the price of
flour $45 per hundred pounds and
other provisions accordingly. He
found the white man to be his great |
est enemy.
Experience in Housekeeping
Mrs. w. G. White was called upon
by the POSTMASTER for recitation.
She gave her early experiences in
housekeeping and by her many humor-
Gus remarks merited and received the
applause of all present.
She recited the recitation she gave
in the First Presbyterian church in
the early days of Silverton. Her de-
livery was most pleasing and all en-
joyed her interesting recitation.
The Practical Pioneer
Mr.. Wingate called on Mr.. 7. c.
Graden to give his experience in the
San Juan country and called atten-
tion to the fact that he was perhaps
the most practical of all men who
came to the country in the early days.
Mr.. Graden left Kansas City in a
wagon in 1876 and came to Pueblo
over the Santa Fe trail. He then
went to Del Norte and on to Sill
verton. He met one man returning
from Silverton and gave as his rea-
SON for leaving the country the fact
that he would not stay in a place
where dried apples were considered
luxury.
He recalled the incident when two
pioneers were killed at Animas City
and were the first to be buried there.
1t was in the fall of 1876 that Mr..
Graden with others were building
bridges on the Pine river. That was
the year of the contest between Hays
and Tilden for president. 1t was in
June that they first heard the result
Of the election. This gives one an
idea of the means of the transporta-
ton of news in the early days.
He spoke of the high price of pro-
visions of all kinds and the fact that
they had to live largely on vegeta-
bles.
He called to mind the excitement oc-
casioned by the White river massacre
and the fortifications thrown up at
Animas City which then had a popu-
lation of some two hundred.
1t was Mr.. Graden who said that
after all the future of the San Juan
is most promising when compared
with other sections of the country. He
thought that our school houses and
churches gave evidence of the pros
perity of the country and the high
state of civilization that now exists
in the historical San Juan.
Our Toast to the Pioneers
The writer had the pleasure of lis
tening to the exercises above described
and feels that this article would not be
complete did he not offer some words
of praise and cheer for those who
left their homes and friends in lands
where plenty prevailed to go out into
the big wilderness to subdue the wilds
and savage beast.
To you, my fellow countrymen and
women, it is for us to know that the
ranks Of the pioneer must gradually
weaken and give way to the Reaper
who will sooner or later call you one
and all to the beyond where the fiery
cherubim that guards the eternal
gates of Eden shall announce to the
world that the San Juan pioneer has
gone to his reward with his battles
all fought and his victories all won.
1t will be for US who follow to carry
out those high ideals of civilization
marked out for us by you. It will
be our pleasure and our obligation to
follow that trail blazed by you in
order that we bring the San Juan to
the highest point in the development
of all the boundless and undeveloped
resources that are around about US on
every hand. Here is to you, one and
all, many years of happiness yet in
this world and q safe and glorious
journey to that other world from
which no traveller has yet returned.