The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-01-22
HOW THEY AMUSED Them
SELVES IN THE OLD TIMES
Los Angeles. Calf. Jan. II. 1920.

Los Angeles. Calf. Jan. ~, 1920.
MIR. Editor:
| Wherever there is crowd assem-
bled the people must have amuse-
ment. In Irwin in 1880 we had the
dance halls and the variety theatres.
with all star stock companies, bands
of music to play on the streets in
front and to act as orchestra when
the performance begun
Bill Nuttall, famous as variety
theatre proprietor all over the Pa
cilic' coast, brought in from Leadville
complete show. His star performer
was Jim Dillon. clever Irish COM
edian. His wife. Susie Dillon, a great
dance artist of her day. Who of the
pioneers living that remember Jim
and Susie Dillon of forty years ago?
They were great entertainers. Other
performers were coming and going
taN the time. SO there would be a
change of bill every week of two.
The Pilot printed the play bill. and
many was the time after the stage
coach would arrive for the day. that
Jim Dillon would rush up to the Pi-
lot office and shout stop the press.
stop the press. two more new stars
come to town!" and the press would
be stopped and the two stars fea-
tured in bold letters. Think of it,
of all the prima donnas travelling
around on stage coaches, and as the
telegraph and telephone had not
reached the town the first year. we
were entirely in ignorance as to who
would arrive on the coach until its
arrival
The theatre was built after the
most approved style. with private
boxes up stairs where wine and beer
would be served. and the actress be-
tween acts would entertain the pa
irons.
Leaving the Variety Theatre one
could visit number of dance halls,
where 1t was on with the dance, waltz
to your partner and waltz to the bar
until the wee sma' hours of the
morning.
There was also all the known gam
bling devices run wide open and ex-
posed to the public. such as faro
bank. roulette. keno. crap games. stud
poker. Mexican Monte. and anything
else to crafty the desire of the
sporting element. There are young
men born and raised In Gunnison
since that time who have perhaps
never seen these games in operation
and yet both In Gunnison and Irwin
and Gothic and Crested Butte thirty
five years ago they were wide open.
We had all sorts Of notorious and
famous characters gathered from
western Kansas, Nebr1ska. Nevada,
and the Black Hills. as excitement in
those places was ON the down grade.
We had sure thing professional
gamblers. gun man as well as many
notorious women Of the under world.
I remember such names as Colorado
Charley. Arizona Bin, Wild Bill. They
all wore long hair. having chased the
buffalo on the plains among the In
dians and at times acted as scouts
for the U. S. Government.
We occasionally had little troub-
le, shooting up the town. but rs n
rule we got along with very few kill
ings, especially in community where
so many notorious characters had
congregated
A man named Cal Hayes kept a ga
loon and gambling rooms ON the cor
ner opposite where the First Nation
al Bank of Gunnison is now. on the
east side Of Main street. He was
from Texas and looked upon as a
high toned. on the square gambler.
One morning he was standing behind
his bar when a man stepped into the
door. fired at him. killing him in
stnntly. There are few other such
cases, but 1t will do no good to bring
them up at this late date. but just
happen to remember the one above
mentioned.
There were few men in Irwin
who did not care to spend all their
money and spare time in the Variety
theatre and dance halls, and it was
suggested to organize q, club, a regu-
hr social and gentlemen's club pat
termed after the Denver Club. A few
got together. applied for a state
charter. which was granted, and the
Irwin Club came into existence with
Col. Wilhet Rose as President and the
hereof as Secretary. We had a MEM
bership of so or 20 members. l was
sent to Denver to buy the furniture,
,,ch 90 carDnt r,ro cbairs lO,1uues