Gunnison news-champion., 1923-04-13
TWO STORIES OF PIONEER
Times IN GUMM|sON
Fascinating Tales Of Early Days Related
for News Champion Readers by Mrs. FIVE
and Miss Delo. You Will Enjoy These.
METEORIC CAREER OF
EARLY GUNNISON PROMOTER
(By Dorothy Delo)

While chatting with News Cham
pion reporter one day last week, T. VI.
Gray handed US . paper dated August
- 1903, containing . notice az .tlss
death Of Elisha A. Buck Of New York
City.The account was read with in
terest and Mr.. Gray related some in
teresting stories Of his associations
with the gentleman whose name was
connected with many enterprises
around Gunnison in the early days.
Altho Mr.. Buck did not reside in
Gunnison, he spent q great deal Of
money in various Gunnison county en-
terprises.
The east portion of Gunnison which
is now known as Boutchers addition,
and where the Mckee, Estes and other
old residences are located, was financ-
ed by Mr.. Buck, who built six resi-
dences there in 1881.
He was heavily interested in what
was then known as the Haveriy
ranches, which now belong largely to
Adams Bros. and Pat O'Fallon.
Two famous mines, the Painter Boy
and the Silver Jewel, located in Wash
ington gulch, near Gothic, ate up u
vast amount of Mr.. Bucks money,
some say as much as quarter of a
million dollars in cold cash.
Mr.. Buck presented the bell which
now hangs in the Community Church
belfry to the Methodist church. He
was instrumental in building q tele-
graph line from Crested Butte over
Peard Pass to Aspen. It was during
the construction Of this line that Mr..
Gray worked for Mr.. Buck and also
he x.,oo vvnAnan~>~ - =.
terssts west Of Castieton.
He financed . Are department here,
known as E. A. Buck Hose company,
which was in operation for over forty
years, buying most Of the equipment.
The Newspaper mentioned above,
The Spirit Of the Tines, published
in New York, was owned by Mr.. Buck
and was the only paper Of its kind in
existence. The sheet carried nothing
but sport news, every phase Of which
Mr.. Buck was vitality interested in.
The tribute paid to the man reads:
Starting out for himself at an early
age. . country boy without money or
friends, he was prosperous In business
and employer Of thousand men be-
fore attaining his majority, and while
yet in the prime Of life, had earned
wealth, social position, friends, every
thing that men call success. He was
one of the pioneers Of American trot-
ting; an enthusiastic lover and gener-
ops supporter Of racing, catching, rife
shooting, rowing, base ball and ali
other manly sports; q liberal and in
teliigent patron of the drama; an in
innate friend Of Mccullough and Flor
ence that were, of Irving, Willard, and
Mansfield that are.
To his best friends and acquaint-
ances, he was almost like a father.
Those who sought advice in business
or personal matters received such
thoughtful counsel as he might have
given to his own son, and none who
asked for money went away empty
handed. In fact, his persistent liber-
atty. and his unfailing belief that all
men were rs honest rs himself, would
long ago have bankrupted . man Of
les ability and resource.
He was true to every trust and
Loyal 70 every promise; honorable even
Nh dealing with knaves and upright
49, surrounded by deceit; steadfast
1rten& m a6ectionate husband, kind
fnthsIs lover Of home and family an
16aesf uan.
Dspfe3ous there are some Of oar
Ele16ss who VIM resnsmbef the eentle-1
~ - = wi11 b. god for thoGe who
- ~ - knsw 1T thsfe vas sod,