The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-01-15
MORE OF THE MEN Wsso
DEVELOPED TINS COUNTY

Mr.. Editor:
What would your readers think II
several hundred people wouh come
into Gunnison daily in wagons, or
horseback. afoot and every other way
bringing with them provisions, bed
ding. tools, saw mills. and every
thing else and keep on coming for
days and weeks until at least 5000
had arrived. then go off up some
gulch, hy out streets, build two-story
business houses. theatres, residences.
etc? Your readers would think the
people were all crazy. Yet that Is
what hppened to build tbs town OF
Irwin in 1880, as well rs tho towns
Of Gothic, PMkin, White Pine. and
Tin Cup. That was all done between
the months Of April and November In
1880. so you must imagine that Irwin
was = pretty busy place. Many Of
these stores hotels, halls and tssatres
were two story structures and quite
imposing.
Harding Bros. from Canon City.
Colorado, had the first hardware store
and it was \ complete stock, suitable
for mining camp. L. L. and 7. M.
Harding were tho owners- T. M.
Harding never lived there. L l.
Harding was In charge Of tho busi-
ness, and think. during the summer
was married in Cincinnati and
brought his bride there to live. II
I am not mistaken I think their first
child, a daughter. was born there in
1881. He is still living in Canon City.
where he has raised an interesting
family. L. L. Harding did big busi-
ness for two years, took a lively in
terest in the affairs of the camp. and
was no doubt bright angel for many
out Of luck prospectors who were
always just going to strike 1t. F. M
Harding died several years ago at his
home in Canon City.
Henry Painter had the first drug
store in Irwin in 1880. He had been
there in 1879 and succeeded in selling
some prospects, and put the proceeds.
about $4,000, into his drug store,
That amount made fine store in
those days and Henry did good busi-
ness. His wife was there with him.
and they were Wisconsin people. The
next time I saw Mr.. Painter after he
left Irwin, was working in the mines
at Cripple Creek in 1894.
We had hotels and rooming houses
galore. The Windsor Hotel, kept by
Ayers & Browning was the most i'm
posing structure. 1t had 40 sleeping
rooms. Down stairs = big lobby and
dining room, and would feed one and
two hundred guests during the boom
times. l met Mr.. Browning year.
Afterwards. as conductor on . Pull.
man car. but never knew what be
came Of Mr.. Ayers. 49, -,r+
Samuel Geiselman came all the way
from Houston. Texas. to run meal
market for Irwin. while his sons in
dulged in prospecting. He was ;
great, big. hopeful and cheerful Ger
man-American, who WAS always "a
pecting to strike it in the mines. Hat
he known Of the great riches in th'
Oil industry In Texas in his day, h
would not have had to travel 80 IA
to- look for wealth. but aAs, he wa
called to the realms above before oi
was known to exist In his state.
There. were assayers and Surveyor
enough to take care Of the trade. an
for . couple Of years they had al
that they could do. The Cornwall
Bros. were Deputy Mineral Surveyor
as well as ,assayers. George and Har
ry Cornwall came into the camp o
Ruby in 1879 and plated the town
site of Irwin. After operating II
Irwin for two years. with their fathe
they bought the Henry Teachou
ranch. some eight miles north o
Gunnison on Ohio creek. They sol'
the ranch after few years to VIM
A. Gilhspey. and then returned t.
New York City. from whence the.
came. The last i knew of Harr,
Cornwall he was running a fire in
surance agency in New York City
George Cornwall was interested II
introducing some new patent photo
lithograph printing press.
o. G. Schultz run an assay office n
we'll as being a Deputy Mineral Sur
veyor in Irwin. The firm was Stoibe
& Schultz. Mr.. Stoiber never lived Il
Irwin. but was in Silverton, Colorado
where he opend up the famous silve
Lake mine, built big mill, sold on
the mine to the Guggenheims- thel
went to Paris. France, where he died
Before going abroad. however, n
built a paktial home in Denver