, 1925-01-08
1OLD MAC" WAS
NOTED FIGURE
IN TWO STATES

The following article written by
G.. III. Leckenby and published in the
last issue of the Craig Empire, will
prove OF great interest to the many
Carbon county friends of the late
Robert McIntosh:
(By G. H. L~eckenby)
One of the Oldest and hest known
Of Northwestern Colorado pioneers
passed to his reward on Thursday,
Decmaber II, when Robert Mcintosh
died at his home at Slater at the age
of sc years. He was one of the first
settlers In Routt county, coming to
Hahns Peak In 1876 with j. v. Far
we'll Of Chicago when the merchant
prince spent a small fortune in an
effort to wrest gold from the gravel
OF that early day mining camp. "Old
Mac" as he was affectionately called.
was known to every early settler and
was noted for his hospitality and the
kindness of his heart. His history is
the history of Northwestern Colo
RADIO, In the development OF which
he has borne an important part. For
a number Of years he worked under
lease the Poverty Bar placer mines
at Hahns Peak. When the mines be-
gan to become exhausted he moved
W oldler Oh oudhe TlEeT, WHERE ne
established a store Inc for many
years raised horses on a large scale.
Robert Mcintosh was a character
who had no counterpart. He was a
Scotchman, large of frame and large
of heart. careless In his personal ap-
p%earance, but of sound Judgment and
sterling character. He was loyal to
his friends and had no enemies. AS
long as the present generation lives
stories will be told of the ~eccentrici-
ties as well as the loyalties and the
generosities of "Old Mac"
Early Mining Camp Days
Robert Mcintosh was born in Can
ada, of Scotch parents, In 1888. He
went to- Chicago. then a growing but
comparatively unimportant city on
Lake Michigan. and engaged in con-
tracing. There he became acquaint-
ed with J. V. Farwell. the merchant
prince, and when the latter under
took his Hahns Peak enuur he in
duced Mcintosh to accompany him.
Farwell become interested in Hahns
Peak property in 1875, and the fol-
lowing year he shipped in a saw
mill. which was frelghted in from
Rawlins. and Mcintosh had charge
of 1t. The mill was set up south OF
TdI Ell lnOuIldlu anu III us 1lTSl
year sawed out 800 600 feet of lum-
Der for use in operations of the COM
pany.
The Farwcl Operations
When Robert Mcintosh arrived at
Hahns Peak the settlement was call
ed International City. for the COM
pany which Farwell organized was
known as the International Placer
Mining company. There were other
scattering groups of log cabins and
the miners gave the Farwell camp
h nickname of "Bugtown," because
the big bugs" lived there. II was
a town of about twenty cabins To-
Gated at the lower end of the ridge
between Ways and Nova Scotia
igu1ches. The ruined cabins we're en-
tirely destroyed by a forest fire near
iy 80 years ago.
When the placers began to go
down. Robert Mcintosh determined
to become a ranchman. Alfred Nc
Cargar and family wore early resi-
dents OF Hahns Peak. but In 1877
moved to Snake river and located the
ranch at Slater which Mr.. Mcintosh
acquired and where he lived for so
years. He was n friend OF Jim
Baker, the pioneer scout and guide.
whose ranch was also on Snake river.
At Slater Mcintosh erected a stone
and had 1t engraved with the date
Of birth and death OF Jim Baker. He
erected n school house and always
took grea. interest In children and
In education.
County Sen Removed
Robert Mcintosh knew the whole
history OF county seat troubles in
Routt county. for he was part of
them In the early days. lie knew
The utter fallacy of the myth that
persists. like the william Tell story.