Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-09-19
OLD LEADVHLE
TIMES REVIVED
BY WORLD WAR 2
TOWN is WHOOPNG IT UP AGAIN
AS 1T DID BEFORE LITTLE
JOHNNY MINE FTzZLED

given Leadville, a pale purple shell o
Colorado's richest and rowdiest rnininl
camp, Jingling cash Northumberland
The old town is Whooplng It III
again like 1t hasn't done since tn
Little Johnny fizzled out more thar
30 years ago.
On Saturday nights roughly-dresses
men jam five and six deep agains
the 60-year-old Pioneer Club bar OF
State street. State was an avenue O
ribald revelry and reckless spending
sprees in the time Of A. W. Tabor
who found a S10.O00,000 fortune ir
Leadville and died broke.
! The boys at the Pioneer bar arr
spending part of the payroll of th.
contractors building Camp Hale. 8
big army ski troop cantonment. There
are carpenters getting sI25 q week at
time and half and double time over
40 hours. Common laborers make ass
Started in June, the cantonment
construction near -Pando in a steep
walled mountain valley 30 miles north
west across Tennessee pass from Lead
vile, is going to be finished by winter.
Great While It Lasted
Then the old mining towns latest
whirl in flush times win subside. But
Leadvilles used to that. When Camp
Hale's construction payroll estimated
now at a 100000 weekly peaks cut
off in q few more months, Leadville
will remember, as it always has, 'they
were great days while they lasted"
Leadville, in 1880 a riotous city of
10000 with tent hotels, is jammed
again.
It's population in June was about
$500.
Leadville's population now is esti-
mated at 5000 to 10000, more than
doubled in two months.
mo vacancy" signs are pasted in
the stairway doors leading to the Sec
ond floor rooms on Harrison avenue.
the towns main drag.
On State street, now officially called
the signs read, significantly,
private residence" They report the
demise of Leadvilles red light district,
1ne phase of the towns old life which
he army decreed must not be revived.
At the Vendome hotel, built in 1884
and still the towns most luxurious.
owner F. w. Henson has partitioned
wo banquet rooms off the lobby into
one-cot stalls. They are full every
light at 81 a bed.
Those who come too late for a cot
an and do curl up in the lobby chairs
Without charge.
Sheriff Angelo Travison's office is |
IN agency Of last resort for people /
uniting rooms. A man can have a |
all bunk for, the asking, except on
nights. The bunk space then |
reserved for boys who take on too |
many drinks for Leadville's tWo-mile-
Ugh atmosphere
Legend says that a newcomer into /
altitude can't hit the floor
18th his hat after three drinks. oscar
Vide, accepting a drink from the
attleS Of IL Old Matchless miners in
uick succession, proved in 1882 that
e was an exception
News of Camp Hales high wages
as travelled like the word of rich
fetal strikes in former days.
Roy d. Price, Ocate, NJ NJ, rancher,
'lled into town with his pickup truck,
bed roll, and Lawrence M. Stevens,
J, a hitchhiker from Versailles, Ind.
MY crops were hailed out" ex-
aimed Price. There was nothing to
} on the ranch that my wife couldn't
D. heard about this good money up
ere and said, there's no reason
by shouldn't get myself some.'"
Young Stevens was making his way
} work as hay hand at Gunnison
nd see the Rockies for the first time
hen Price picked him up.
II told him." Price said, he'd better
me along with men and get some of
IFS good money, too"
Price and Stevens couldn't find any
ID when they arrived. Price parked
Is truck outside town. They turned
OWN the bedrou and. slept in the
uck.
Next morning they signed on at the
Non office as carpenters helpers at
10 an hour, agreeing to pay $13
Non fee and So month dues
re for Business
The first fellow locked up in Sheriff
ravison's Jail one Saturday night was
IroWn out Of a State street bar be-
Iuse he took a leather jacket from
lder the arm of one bar acquaint-
ice and tried to sell it to another.
F. M Blakley, a Denver carpenter,
me in as Travison finished locking
lie man away.
Can you find me a place for five
.ople to sleep2" he asked. "Its for
e and my son and my wife and two
omen friends Of my wife"
Sheriff Travison found what he said
rs the last available place in town.
was one room over First street
r with three beds In it.
In the Pastime bar, blonde Garrett
urray, who's been playing the piano
Leadville spots for rs years, says:
ITS all right, this army camp boom,
It they're not spending money like
ey did in the old days These boys
me to town to have a little good
ne, but they're careful with their
Oney.
'The old mining boys. when they
t started, they just didn't give a
mn about how they spent their
oney."