Gunnison news-champion., 1915-02-26
TELLS us STORY OF
n M 0THER EIcITls:
EVENTS Of THE TINE
Normal Student Secures In
terview and Contributes
Fourth Interesting Ar
hcleo Early Days.

BY Rachel Reedy, junior c. S. n S.
Mr. W > ID ito settled back IN his chair
and smilmgly said: ASK me anything
you wish; I'n be glad to tell you what
ever can.
DO yoa remember an Indian story?'
Ne; | can't say that | know any real
''lnjan" story. About the most | ever
cared TO have TO do with them was to
ran away from them. About the near
est thing to an 'fInjun story that comes
to my mind hadn't any '1njuns" in it.
1t was in the fall Of 70, soon after the
Meeker massacre, up in Routt county,
and the thought of an Indian made peo-
pile excited and scared. The people of
Gunnison formed companies and ran
horses to death getting to the governor.
] started with q team and wagon to go
to the railroad ! was on my way to
Kansas City, Mo. The morning | left,
the report came that the Indians were
going to attack Gothic. When ! had
gone short distance, l was overtsken
and passed by man on horseback. His
horse wss lsthered and almost exhaust
I'd; he WAS going to the governor to ask
for militia. He obtained . relay of
horses st Jacks Cabin and sent on over
Cottonwood psss to Duens Vista. The
terror was widespread. The people of
South Pack went to Fairplay for great
Or protection. but no Indians appear
"a; it wes eli scare. You see my ex-
distance ones :"
"Will you tell us something Of the
general nature of the mines?"
Most Of the mines were silver mines
N fact, gold was found only in placers.
do not know of single mine that is
worked out. Most of them shut down
when silver was demonetized and gold
became legal tender. Probably if silver
ever becomes monetized again, many of
these mines will be reopened-
What sort of entertainments did
they have in the early days? What did
they do for recreation? ?"
what sort of amusements did we
have? About the same as you do now,
suppose. We had parties, singing
parties, and a rousing old singing school
in Gothic. Some of the miners, partic-
ularly the Cornish, had excellent voices.
We gave concerts and socials once in a
while. We had Sunday School regular
ly aud preaching sometimes. 1t was a
treat to us to listen to good sermon.
After they built the church at Gunni-
son, we had services at Gothic almost
every week. That church was consider
ed most wonderful building, and its
furnishings were satisfactory, although
its seats were rude wooden slabs laid on
blocks"
Weren't there many exciting incl
dents in those times
''Yes, indeed; election times were al
ways very exciting. | especially re-
member the first one which WAS in 1879.
was Judge of the election, and as there
was no table furnished, was obliged to
use my old mess box for one The
Democrats had majority of one vote
just a few minutes before the polls clos
ed; then two Republicans came in and
voted and gave the Republicans the
election.
There is quite a little story about
the first death in Gunnison: A little
boy and his sister were left alone in the
cabin while their parents went to visit
sick neighbor. The little boy went
into the bedroom and began playing
with his fathers revolver. Suddenly il
went off, and the bullet passed through
the walls of the room and into the sbdo-
men of the little girl. The boy took her
by the hand and led her to the nearby