La Junta tribune., 1915-07-17
MORE REslINIsCENCEs.
Pioneer Sky Pilot Bluffs the bad
Men h Coolidge and Has His
Name Changed.


Men h Coolidge and Has His
Name Changed.
lAnother interesting article about
Holly and Coolidge. In the days Of
their adolescence. by tenderfoot oi
varied experiences and versatile tai
ents, namely-the founder Of q city,
the discoverer Of . lake, the inhabi.
tan. OF 4 palace. or dugout. q preach.
er of the gospel to cowboys. . pugi.
list OF note. the builder Of . church,
the terror Of booxers. boodlers. gam
blers, salo0nkeepers. and law-break-
ers in general: town lot boomer, q
storekeeper. bank receiver. etc.
Finally he comes to La Junta, the
city OF the just.
In my first article In the Tribune.
giving an account OF the wild animals
! saw on my trip to Sheridan Lake.
! forget to state that saw buffaloes
on the trip. Not many. however. but
lust few. away off.grazing on a hill
side.
Ny carrying the gospel to Granada
and preaching TO cowboys was a dis
NAL failure. but not without its CON-
pensation. II Ii true today as In
Moody's day. that II you want field
OF labor. you can find It anywhere.
Coolidge had three saloons: "a
loon buns. gambling dens. tinhorn
gamblers. sports. dispensers Of knock
cut drops. ETC.. all law breakers. who
feared nothing but the law. and those
who enforced the law. II was q
motley crowd.
These are often referred to % the
first immigration west. . part Of
which was. and all Of which I saw.
nese are the kiaA Of psople who
rained Coolidge. and made Il Q
fvhistlins seatioa on the Santa Re.
CDolsdss Il oas tine had . popula-
IN Of l.see people. Now she has
popuistioa OF las. according 70 ~
LOT csasss. but thess are good peo-
-. 10 boossrs. 10 saloons, NO towQ
tsosgs tAare aow. TAe same tau
|I1uon- -1u1oD- o111nm1GoG
e. ever ~ TIE power n thts esty,
Thsa II viii b soodbys L. Junta--
The city that was. but ID not.
After declared war on the 80
looms. gamblers. boodlsrs. ste.. my
ae0s was changed. was hence-
forth known all over that section Of
The country ~ THAT damned preach
sr." There wers two small news
Dapsrs In the town at that time. but
I could not get . word In either %.
pr. One Of the editors. when he
vas leaving the town. told mo that
he was paid Sss for throwing one Of
ny articles out Of hts paper. after Il
had been set up. and after he prom
lied 20 publish Il. and hs said. "Mr.
Plaity. Il takes money to run Q news.
psesr."
Every place I went I talked against
the saloons. gambling dens. Law
breakers. etc. and soop my rantins
beeaA 10 have effect. The people
Interested In these dives told me To
sAut up. told them I would not.
They told me II I did not I would bs
carried out Of town In q boz. ask.
e1 them what they meant. They
pelnted toward the cemetery and
ssid.
"You can't talk out there"
"Ses here. gents" I said. ''if any
Of you chaps wan. TO shoot with me.
you can be accommodated. All
ask 10 q square deal. was through
Tie Civil war aud am not afraid oi
bullets. The whining Of cannon.
tails. bursting Of shells. and ths
whistling Of bullets are music TO my
ears."
stretched the truth considerably
when I ssid that. but Il had . good
effect. Il made them afraid of me,
beeauss most toushs are towards
Nearly every one In town carried
gua. % ! carried one. They beiisv.
- { would shoot. n Imposed upon,
81 n seif defense. and they were
rgAt. while thess things were 60.
lag o.. the Santa re Town Company,
WA1eA owned ne town site. decided
- Dut . local aseat In Coolidge fos
~ sals Of town lots. The position
~ worth about $500 PER year. ~.
~ real estate agent ID towa applied
~ ~ pesltion. but I GOT H. whsa
~ eoenles learned that I was -.
ooCoee1 agent . great howl vest ~
~ - 70 . pselliea - hsvs ~ ~
0ovo1, whtsh wss auassously slsa.
- ~ eeas Il - tAs osaseal aesat
- 0nha Nan - nAaanaa >aA6