The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-07-17
Continued from page one.)

west of Gunnison city, thence a mile
west of Crested Butte and mile east
of Gbenwood Springs was the 107th
meridian and the dividing line be-
tween Gunnison county and the Ute
Indian reservation.
The first mineral discoveries were
made at Irwin in 1879, when camp
was established and an application
made for n postoffice under the name
of Ruby. because of so much ruby
silver being found. 1t was learned
that the name of Ruby was in use
elsewhere and tho department re-
quested the application be made
under another name. Hon, Richard
Irwin. an ex-member of the Colorado
legislature from Custer county, was
in camp as an active prospector, and
i, was suggested the town and post
office be named for him. Genial
Dick Irwin, to know him was to love
him. A Canadian by birth. but a
whole-soulei western pioneer by
training. He died in Colorado Springs,
/ just few years ago.
The Ute Indians were bad in 1879.
1t was the year of the massacre at
the White River agency of the agent,
Mr. Meeker and the ravaging of his
daughter. eliminating in Major Thorn
burg and detachment of soldiers
from FIT. Steele being killed, all of
which stirred the whole country up.
| All summer long there We're rumors
of uprisings and blood shed that hap
PLY ended in rumors. A stockade
was built in Irwin stocked with pro-
visions and arms. At given signal
all would leave their prospect holes
and run for the stockade. There was
in camp man from Canon City by
the name of Joyce. He had bald
head but had allowed his hair to
grow long fringed around below the
dome of his head. One day he came
running down the gulch with his
locks flying back and yelling at the
top of his voice: 1.-THE Utes are COM
ing; I don't care for myself, but
what will my poor mother say" At
ter the excitement upon investigation
it was found that some one had seen
two old squaws with pappooses and II
buck or two about ten miles down
Anthracite Creek peacefully picking
berries.
l was in Silver Cliff, Custer county,
a part of that summer. and rumors
wore thick of indian troubles over
there The women and children were
kept frightened. We had an old fell
low by the name of Frank Roth for
Mayor. He was busy as hen on n
hot griddle one evening wiring Gov.
Pitkin ito send arms and ammuni-
ton to protect the people, that the
indians had come through Mosca
Pass and were advancing up Wet
Mountain valley, burning ranches and
numbering the people" The late Col.
B. F. Montgomery was present and
after hearing that hot message go in,
he wired the Governor as follows:
please send two bottles of Grant
whiskey and one private. We have
all the Colonies and Captains we
need" Upon investigation it was
found that there was not Ute with
in hundred miles of Silver Cliff.
During the war of 1S61-65 when,
General Grant was licking the South,
some one reported to Mr.. Lincoln
that Grant was drinking too much
whiskey Mr.. Lincoln replied that he
would like to get the brand of the
Grant whiskey to give to some of his
other Generals that they might wake
up to the same success that Grant
was having. l make this mention to
explain what Col. Montgomery
meant by Grant whiskey.
The first mines in Irwin were the
Forest Queen, the Ruby King, the
Lead Chief, the Ruby Chief and How
ard Extension, the Bullion King. the
Venango group and others. The ex-
tremely rich ruby silver ore discov-
cred, running from one to two thous-
and ounces in silver to the ton
caused wonderful excitement.
This was following right on the heels
of the great carbonate ore discoveries
in Leadville, made it all the more
feverish. Enough of this beautiful
rich silver ore got out to Denver
from this then isolated country, be-
fore the deep SHOWS came in the fall
of 1879, and by the time this ore in
specimens had been exhibited from
San Francisco to New York the snow
had fallen so deep in that region that
made it almost impossible to get in
there until the following spring. This
feature made it all the more ex-
citing and it did seem that when the