The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-08-07
EARLY oUNMIs0N
POLITICAL DOINes
The Foundiss Of . Comsss~wseith
er.phieaIty Described

s9S"sOessy OSSSs'o~s
Mr.. Editor:
When the boomers arrived in Gun
nison County in 1880 they found the
offices filled with the sturdy set
tiers who had arrived possibly as
early as '76 as believe the town Of
Gunnison was first started in 1877.
Jacob Hinkle was County Clerk, Geo.
Yule Sheriff, Jim Kelley Treasurer,
David Smith County Judge, DIR. N.
Jennings County Physician, Charley
Biebel one of the commissioners and l
do not recall the other two unless
John Parlin was one.
In the fall of 80 Jake Hinkle was
elected clerk Jack Bowman was
elected sheriff and a man by the
name of Joseph Cotter, of Tin Cup,
treasurer. He did not last long as he
soon became a defaulter and skipped
out and is going yet, l suppose, for
have never heard what become OF
him, and SO far as l know he was
never apprehended. That left the
county without a treasurer, and 1t
was said his predecessor had his
books all in a muddle, having his store
accounts mixed with the county funds
as Mr.. Kelley kept the store in town.
It resulted in him having to give his
check to the county to make his ac-
counts good. After ]. X. Robinson
had attempted to straighten out hls
books. the election in 80 proved
victory for the Republican party
and it looked as though they might
get a firm grip on the county, but
het break that Joe Cotter made was
a loop-hole for the Democrats.
A Democratic governor appointed
Tom Maloney, county treasurer. He
liked the job so well that he stood
for election in 80 and was elected.
A forwarding firm by the name of
Mcintyre & Beam came over from
Canon City and was forwarders Of
freight from Alamosa before the
railroad arrived. Mr.. J. A. Mcintyre
was elected to the legislature as u
Republican in 80 and Capt. A. j.
Beam was elected county clerk on the
Democratic ticket in '82 SO the for
warding firm went out Of the for
warding business and into politics.
Capt. Beam proved to be leader and
a master politician. A most peculiar
situation in Gunnison County was
that it was always claimed to be
Republican County with the minority
of the voters Republican, yet the Of
fees were most always filled by
Democrats. The condition prevailed
in no other county in any state in
the United States, and Capt. Beam
got the credit Of being the astute
politician that brought about this
state Of affairs.
It was in the days of big fees by
all county and state officers before
the Legislature had regulated the
commissions on tax collection and
fees in other. offices, so that the
county treasurer's was a particularly
fat one. 1t behooved the county
treasurer to collect all of the tax
possible before retiring as the more
he collected the moro commission he
made. In the fall of 'S4, Tom
Maloney knowing that he was to re-
tire at the end of the year undertook
to issue distraint papers against de-
Iinquent tax payers. After his time
was out along with Marion S. Walker.
another Democratic leader, he went
to Kansas City in 1885. made and lost
a fortune in the real estate business
in that city in the late eighties, re-
turing to Cripple Creek in the boom
of '94 he recouped his fortune and
retired to Denver where he became
Democratic political leader, and died
about Is years ago.
Gunnison County was new, without
roads. court house, Jail or other inn
provements, and very little taxable
property up to 1880. The great rush
of people demanded all these thinga
and the County Commissioners start
ed in with a rush to satisfy these
demands Each Commissioner tried to
see how much road could be built in
his district which would create senti-
ment in his favor for reelection.
Bonds and more bonds were issued
and had to be sold to get money to
carry on this work. l once heard
Charley Biebel say, "Vell, we build