The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-29
DAYS AT CRIPPLE CREEK

vigilance committee of 100. and every
dwelling left in the town was searched
for lost and stolen property, which was
restored, upon Identification, to the orig
inal owners All hoboes, crooks and a
number of the rough element were
rounded up loaded into box cars, locked,
and the railroads, gratis, ran them over
to the prairies of Kansas, and turned
them loose with warning not to return. I
know of but one of these characters,
'Pick Handle Jack who returned; 1t
Jared hard with him. For several months
before the fires, the town was so crowded
that if one had a friend coming, it was
necessary for him to wire two or three
days ahead, in order to secure bed.
Joe Wolf of the Palace hotel, used to
charge so per night for chair to sleep
in, in the lobby. 1 have seen men Sleep
ling on and under the billiard tables in
the saloons.
Pneumonia exacted a toll of two or
three persons daily from exposure of
miners on coming off shifts, staying
out at night drunkenness, etc. AT that
altitude, 5000 to 1000 feet they only
LASTED two or three days, after being
taken with pneumonia.
One of the largest real estate firms
of Denver had loaned money on the
cattle ranch which embraced Cripple
Creek It had been compelled to fore
close and take it over at a cost of
$4,000 and felt pretty blue over 1t.
After the discovery of gold, the firm
plated the town of Cripple Creek. and
was tickled to death in the early days
to sell business lots, 25 foot front on
Bennett avenue (the main street) for
l$25 each. The same lots, later sold for
$4,000 to $4,000 each.
The Portland mine. which has always ,
been the best one in the district, was
originally a triangular half acre piece
of ground, which happened to have the
Anna Lee ore chimney on 1T. The three
owners, then poor men, were soon
deeply involved in litigation, conflicts
and adverses with adjoining claims.
They were tied up by injunction, even
from taking out any ores. and engaged
the services of one of the best mining
Iattorneys in Colorado.
In order to keep him supplied with
the snews of war to fight their suits
with, while the Injunction was on, they
would at night take out of this Anna
Lee chimney few sacks of the richest
ore. worth dollars per pound, pack 1t
off the hill on their backs down to a
team and wagon. load it on, and one
of them drive to Pueblo with 1t and
sell to the srheltery there. Eventually
they won out, making a great property.
The company has paid over three times
Its Capitalization in dividends, and the
end is not yet.
One war inspiring day in 81 the Hol-
! Ilingsworth brothers, mentioned above,
were sitting on the sidewalk on Ben
nett avenue, when Mr.. Stratton-who
discovered the Independence mine, took
out s4,000,O00 and then sold it for $10,-
0O0, ,000-came along; he looked sharply
at them. as he passed. then turning.
came back. When opposite he stopped
and asked, "Are yau boys the Hol1ings-
worth brothers?" yes" Used to be
| in the San Juan? Yes" Used to
run burro train packing ore?' Yes
I'sDo you remember an old prospector
coming along to your camp one night
late, with his blankets on his back,
tired and hungry. You took him in,
fed him and in the morning when he
left you gave him a IS bill and sent
him on his way rejoicing? well, pos
sibly we might have been guilty of
that" Boys, am that prospector and
| I want to pay that bill" He stepped
into a saloon near by, called for pen
and ink. and wrote check for $1,000
and gave it to them.
e Il
bly, never wihagain see another Cripple
Creek. nor an area the size of Cripple
Creeks producing district that equals
it-with $3.50. 100000 production and
still producing more than 100000 gold
iper month.