Denver labor bulletin., 1917-05-12
The 1neOptin1istic
Philosopher
GOVERNOR GUNTER performed a

GOVERNOR GUNTER performed a
Colorado this week when, upon
recommendation of Adjutant General
Frank D. Baldwin, he summarily dis
missed George M. Lee as major quar-
termaster of the national guard. The
letter informing Lee of his dismissal
stated, "You are dismissed for mill
tary reasons and for absolute neglect
of duty" For the past six years
efforts have been made to get rid of
Major Lee, but he appeared to have
political pull that could not be over
come. Governors Ammons and Carl
son were frequently petitioned to re-
lieve the national guard of the odium
cast upon it by Major Lee. No doubt
the political influence of his wife, Mrs.
Gertrude Lee, former Democratic state
chairwoman, caused his retention in
office. Major Lee has been charged
with misappropriation of funds of the
national guard and of moneys received
from the United States war depart
ment, which charges have never been
cleared up. During the coal strike in
southern Colorado, reports were fire,
quent of the shady methods pursued
by Lee in doing business 1t is un-
derstood that several other national
guard officers who have odious repu-
tations will follow Lee to the junk
pile. Major Charles E. Tardin, U. S.
A, retired, was Immediately ap-
pointed to succeed Lee as major quar-
termaster.
JAMES C. BULGER, assistant city
Il plumbing inspector and a vice
president of the United Associa-
ton of Plumbers and Steam Filters
of the United States and Canada, re-
turned this week from an official visit
to Casper, Wyoming, where he sue
ceeded in establishing local union
of the Plumbers and signed up every
shop in town. "The oil boom has made
Casper the busiest town on the map"
said Bulger to the o. P. "From a town
grown to more than 1000. Apartment
houses are going up fast, but are un-
able to meet the demand. The oil
exchange is putting up a six-story
building, and the oil craze which has
been current in Denver has extended
to South Dakota, Montana, and as far
east as New York. Anybody who can
hit nail on the head with hammer
can get Sc per day. Two hundred
frame houses have just been built on
the sand bar and others are going up
ings seem to grow up over night. The
streets are being paved and the seven
hotels are always full to overf1owing.
1t costs a lot of money to spend few
days in Casper, but the coin of the
realm seems to flow as freely there
as OIL While in the town / saw
huge gas well, tapping an estimated
75,000,000 cubic feet, on fire in the
Jupiter Company's Powder River
lease. All efforts to extinguish it
have failed and the gas comes thru
over the well. The Casper oil re-
fneries stand side by side for whole
mile and burn crude oil for fuel. When
the piping now under way is COM
pleted natural gas will furnish the
fuel, thereby saving great amounts of
oil and perhaps cut the cost of pro-
duction. Get-rich- quick men are there
in droves. Stories of quick fortunes
made in Casper are told everywhere
up there. A Denver man with $85 in
cash and lot of nerve went there
recently and is now getting rich build
ing houses. A Denver stock salesman
and fioated a stock issue of a new
enterprise, is reputed to have made
$4,000 in a single day. He now
counts his riches in six figures"
NOW comes letter from our old
IN friend DIR. T. F. Long, a well
known member of the Brotherhood
of Railway Trainmen, saying that he
has enlisted with the United States
navy, being at present located in
Grand Junction, where he is examin-
ing recruits. The doctor requests that
The Bulletin be changed from his
Denver address to the navy recruiting
office in Grand Junction, saying that
he doesn't want to miss single issue.
He is immensely interested in the
campaign to build Labor Temple in
Denver, and says in his letter that
when the plans are completed he will
take a good block of stock We feel
sure that hundreds of labor men in
Denver join the o. P. in extending fell
citations to the doctor and in wishing
him success in the navy, whether such
service be on land or sea.
HITY farmers have their worries.
u My two optimistic friends of for
eign extraction, Jake Wander Perel
and Heinie Schluter, who started out
to do their level best in showing
patriotic ardor along lines laid down
sage to congress, are now seeking
coincidence of their friends. Literally
acting upon the advice of Governor
Gunter's war council they started in to
plant city lots. Adjacent to their
homes on TETON street, over beyond
Little Italy, they acquired, by consent
or otherwise, five lots, which they had
plowed, narrowed and put in what
Lord Ogilvy proclaimed the most
promising farm in Denver. The land
lay low, as in valley, where mois
ture would accumulate and make the
crop sure. Seeds of various denomin-
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