Idaho Springs siftings., May 16, 1903, Image 2

About Idaho Springs siftings. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1900-1905

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Idaho Springs Siftings
By the Siftings Printing and Publishing Company.
The News From Everywhere Everytime
Published in the Owen Building, Idaho Springs, Colo.
Every Saturday.
A Paper for People Now on Earth
Subscription - - - $2 Per Year
Live News Items, Up-to-date Ideas and Suggestions
for Making the Paper Better are
Always Welcome
Advertising Rates Made Known on Application
A Fair-fighting, Uncompromising Republican Paper
Entered at the Postoffice at Idaho Springs. Colorado as second
class matter. January 31.1301.
THE FORT COLLINS EXPERT.
We have received another clipping from
the physician, Dr. Morgan, of Fort Collins,
. who claims that mining is a false industry
in Colorado and is writing letters to his
home paper in an effort to prove it. His
assertions are foolish. He is acting upon
an absolutely false premise and injuring his
own state. It is one of those peculiar cases,
probably, of the singed cat. He has made
a mistake in some investment and as a re
sult can see no good in any investment. In
a recent issue of the Bellvidere (111.) Daily
Republican, he says:
“The Clear Creek country mentioned in
Idaho Springs Siftings is one of the best
and oldest producers in the state. It con
tains many good mines, and thousands of
failures. Two of its oldest and best known
and wealthiest operators have during past
years been so reduced financially that only
by the strictest economy can they hope to
end their days in comfort.”
“Two have been reduced.” Wouldn’t
this interest you! What harm could come
if two or even a dozen of the best should
reduce their tonnage, or even go out of bus
iness? The talk of this man Morgan is
gibberish, foolish and absolutely untrue.
We will take it upon ourselves to make
the statement that in the past forty years
the county has produced $2 to every one
expended. Of course this has not been
distributed so that every investor received
his proportion. There is no way this can
be done. We can name scores of investors
and even hundreds of them who have re
ceived ten dollars for every one dollar in
vested.
In this letter the physician attempts to
class the Saratoga mine among the failures
—let him attempt to purchase the Saratoga
and see whether it is a failure or not.
The publication of these letters must do
harm to tliejmining industry of the state
and the man who is responsible for them
should be ashamed. He represerits the
same farmer idea that fights every law to
benefit mining that is brought forth in the
sessions of the legislature. A bunch of
pin-headed lobsters have done this for
years and it seems that the doctor has
found congenial company in this little
bunch. In thejmeantime the mining in
dustry will flourishjjust the same.
ITS PROGRESS CANNOT BE RETARDED.
The spirit of progress is getting pretty
prevalent in Idaho Springs. Citizens begin
to realize that it will require a united effort
to place the city and'district in the sphere
in which it belongs. Everyone must help.
There are those who fought the telegraph,
the telephone, thejrailroad and every- great
innovation that has shown itself since
history began. We find people in this day
who are willing to fight improved methods
in mining and milling—men who believe
that the ways and means and methods of
the days of old were good enough.
It is a pleasurable fact, however, that
those who fight progress are growing
in number every day in Idaho Springs.
One by one they are joining the up-to-date
majority.
There is the man who says there is noth
ing in a certainjmountain “because noth
ing has ever been taken out of it”—re
gardless of whether it has ever been devel
oped or not.
There is the man who says there will
never be a method invented for treating $2
ore in the district because there has never
been any.
There is the man who says we will never
have a modern tourist hotel because we
never succeeded in getting one.
There is the man who says tunnels will
never become winners because shafts are
shipping more than the tunnels —forgetting
the fact that the shaft method has been em
ployed for forty years, the tunnel method
for five.
There is the man who says the milling
facilities of the district will never get better
than they are, for they are as good as
could be.
There is the man who predicts that the
mineral springs will run dry.
There is the man who predicts that the
hot water in the springs will turn cold.
There is the man who claims that it is a
sin to advertise the district because non
residents come in and get things that ought
to be left for the next generation.
The men of this class are becoming fewer,
(praise the Lord) and fewer, (praise the
Lord again) and it will be but a short time
until they are extinct. Idaho Springs with
her great resources must grow-.
IT IS AN EMPIRE IN ITSELF.
While the snow over Berthoud Pass made
the trip to the park practically impassible
last week, and some doubt is expressed as
to whether or not it will be passible for the
next ten days, yet hundreds of movers,
moving wagons, mounted prospectors with
pack donkeys and those fitted out with al
most every conceivable mode of conveyance,
are passing through Idaho Springs every
day and getting in camp above Empire pre
paratory to the rush into Middle park, into
Routt county and the field to be opened by
the Moffatt line.
As a matter of fact, it is stated that the
camp of the pioneers in that section begins
to resemble the camps of the boomers who
were on hand ready for the opening of the
strip. Whether such a rush will be made
or not must be determined.
It is safe to say that many will find pov
erty but on the other hand many will find
wealth in abundance. Those who go to a
new country are not always fortunate, nor
are the really fortunate ones able to find
themselves in that condition at first. All
pioneers must suffer hardship more or less.
The territory into which these people are
going is nearly as large as the state of
Pennsylvania, and as stated by those who
claim to be familiar with the territory,
fully as rich in coal and iron with its ad
ditional gold and silver and copper depos
its.
We understand several of our own citizens
are preparing to get in on the ground floor
in this territory and no young man will
make a mistake who goes over there, works
patiently and faithfully and builds for him
self a home and a competency that will
place him outside of the realm of poverty
within the next twenty years. It is a good
investment.
Hot Suphur Springs, Steamboat Springs
and many other cities along the line of rail
road soon to be built will make splendid
cities —rich in everything because they pos
sess the resources to make them rich.
Timber, mining, stock raising and agri
culture combine to make the territory a
most inviting one and the man who jour
neys there will find that with the proper
exertion of ambition, the proper prudence
and proper effort in every direction that he
will win.
It does look a little bit suspicious to see
all the Colorado & Southern officials not
only riding over the line in special cars but
on hand cars as well. For the past three
months it has been reported that an effort
would be made to broad-guage the line and
that it might be extended on beyond and
across the range. Special cars have been
plodding past about two or three times each
week and last Saturday Superintendent
Eagan came down on a hand car. While
he would not commit himself it is pretty
safe to state that he talked like a man who
had thoughts of broad-guaging. Railroads
do not tell their stories to the people until
they are ready to proceed but it is safe to
state that something is doing right now at
headquarters.
The
Burro's
Briefs..
A meeting of the local Poets’ and Auth
ors’ club was held Saturday afternoon on
a ledge of rocks immediately above the hot
soda springs. There was an inspiration in
the surroundings and something of an in
spiration in the water. The members sel
ected “Woodticks” as their subject on ac
count of it being closer than any other.
Those present were: Bonney, Cunning
haln, Coddington, J. Smith, G. L. Hanson,
Birkins and others. We append one or two
of the poems to show that there is little
doubt that the members of the club are im
proving, although the poetry is not. The
poem of Coddington runs:
The Woodtick ticks both night and day—
I think he is the head tick.
He bites as hard as any dog
And is as tough as bed tick.
BY CUNNINGHAM.
The Woodtick walks along the fence
And up and down the tourists tents;
You’d think he’d have much better sense
But darn his skin he haint!
BY SMITH.
The Woodtick, O the Woodtick,
What a touching thing he be,
How pathetic and affectionate
Is he, is he, is he.
BY HANSON
The Woodtick sits upon a tree,
With merry, merry glee
He sits and sings in summer time,
For you, my dear, and me.
The poetry could be improved but it i s
better than the club has heretofore written
and the people should stand by them.
jtjiji
In reply to an inquiry from a Boston In
vestor we want to say that in many ways
his ideas are right. It is always letter to
interest yourself in a company in which
local people are not fearful of investing.
In other words, if a proposition is attrac
tive enough to interest local people the out
side investor can invest with more confi
dence.
The timber cutting continues and there
appears to be no authority to stop it. We
are informed that timber is being cut around
the Empire city reservoir and that if it is
continued the source of supply will be ma
terially diminished. Something ought to
to be done to prevent this waste of timber
—the time is not far distant when it will all
be needed.
“Did you eat all that cake?” asked a
fond mother of a little Idaho Springs girl.
"Yes, I did,” was the frank reply.
“Shame on you,” returned the mother
scornfully, “I did not think it was in you!”
“It ain’t all in me,” again interrupted
the little one, “part of it is in sister.”
jtjtjt
Idaho Springs is apparently quiet and
calm while court is in session in George
town. The report, however, that the ab
sence of the legal fraternity is responsible
for the condition is erroneous.
jtjtjt
Uncle Dan Mason and Len Pauly, of
Minneapolis, accompanied by Mr. Cox, of
North Dakota, were in the city this week.
Everyone knows Dan Mason. Idaho
Springs claims him as well as the city of
tall trees and blonde women. Len Pauly is
a manufacturer of bar and bank fixtures,
show cases and everything used to make a
place of business beautiful. He is one of
the successful business men of the twin
cities, a great big hearted fellow and a win
ner with wings several feet in length.
They were out on a tour of inspection for
the Golden Hecla, one of the big mining
properties of the district and were pleased,
indeed, with the healthy appearance of
everything in the district.
JtjtjC
Next month is the month of marriages
and County Clerk and Recorder Walker
has purchased a new book, and w r e under
stand, will offer some licenses at marked
down prices. Golden is becoming pretty
teugh competition in this line. Down there
the judges, justices of the peace and minis
ters will marry a couple for 30 cents and a
one-tenth interest in an irrigation right.
As a result many of the local people go
down there to get married.
jtjtjt
The following story is being told on one
of the good, old Teutons of this city. It
seems that lje sometimes tires of the mon
otony of life and the other day when in
that frame of mind he talked to his dog
like this:
“You vos only a dog, but I vish I vas
you. Ven you go mit the bed in, you
shust durn round dree dimes und lay down,
Ven I go mit the bed in I haf to lock up
the blace und vind de clock und put de cat!
out und undress myself, und my vife wakes ;
up und scoles me. Den de baby cries und,
I haf to valk him up und down; den maype
ven I shust go to sleep, it’s time to get up :
again. Ven you get up you shust scratch;
yourself a couple of times und stretch und
you vas up. I haf to quick lite de fire, und
put de kittle on, scrap mit my vife already,
und maype get some breakfast. You play
all tay und haf plenty of fun. I haf to
vork all tay und haf plenty of drouble.
Ven you die, you’s dead; ven I die I haf to
go to hell yet.”
jtjtjt
After all it makes a fellow feel good to jj
note that the efforts of a newspaper in the 1
direction of success are appreicated. Thei
following from Mines and Investments, of*
Colorado Springs, sounds well:
“The appropriation by the legislature of*
a sum with which to erect a monument to
the memory of George A. Jackson meets
with general approval. A statue will be
erected at Idaho Springs on the spot where
this intrepid mountaineer made his famous
discovery of placer gold some 44 years ago.
Much credit is due to the Idaho Springs
Siftings, which we believe first suggested
this move, and to the press of the state 1
which ably seconded the suggestion. Rec
ognition is also due to Senator Roberts who
presented and championed the bill, and to
Mr. L. Hanchett of Idaho Springs, w’ho
has donated the site.”
jtjtjt
The Silver Plume Standard rises to re
mark in its last week’s issue that George
town is claiming all the rich strikes and
goes outside of its own territory to get them.
Now we believe the Board of Trade and :
Mines, if they will permit us to make the
suggestion, is in a sense responsible for
this. They should have a correspondent at
Silver Plume who would fight for every in
terest of that little city. It will pay the
board to pay him something for his work +
in behalf of that section. We are of the
opinion that Georgetown does swipe a
whole lot of glory from Silver Plume and
we are of the opinion that she needs it. 1
Under such circumstances if Silver Plume 1
does not buckle on her armor and go forth 1
to fight for herself there is little reason why 1
Georgetown should be blamed. If any t
city in the district gets the bulge on Idaho 1
Springs there will be a meeting of the 1
chamber of commerce the next day and if it 1
is necessary that part of the program will -
be attended by some one who is paid for his .
effort. It is such'loyalty as this that makes
cities. It is such loyalty that makes the .
people feel like a great big family and that
the interests of one is the interest of the •
other, either directly or indirectly. We •
have often wondered why the Plume per- •
mitted the Georgetown sharks to filch laur- •
els right from the wreath on the brow of
Silver Plume. Get a move on you Silver r
Plume! =
jtjtjt *■
We may be mistaken but it looks to us
as if a general stirring up, a general shak
ing up in the churches would be a pretty
good thing. The modern church should be
strenuous. They can bring people to them
when they can attract attention. This
may not be a pretty theory but it is a
pretty fact. Denver and every other city
appears to be a little bit off color just at
this time. If the churches expect to fight
the instruments of vice and sin they must
enter into competition against it. The
churches and ministers have vacations but
the devil works all the time.