Turning Back the Pages

30 years ago - November 16, 1984 School board members received an unpleasant surprise prior to the school board meeting November 8. Board members were individually approached by Deputy Sheriff Bruce Hartman of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Department. Each member was given civil complaint papers and requested to sign a form that the papers were received. The complaint was filed by the Missouri Lakes Homeowners against the RE-1 School District and the individual board members in their capacity on the school board. Mona Dawkins, City of Black Hawk Clerk/Treasurer, informed Council members that there have been several complaints about dogs running at large in Black Hawk. Ordinances are in effect which forbid dogs to run at large in the city. Dawkins stated that Council members will be called on to start issuing summonses to owners of dogs running loose. The Council agreed to issue the summonses. Council members agreed not to apply for a grant from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) regarding the water system. Linda Martin, circuit riding City Manager, stated that she was told to apply even though negotiations between Central City and Black Hawk have not been finalized. She added that the engineers working on the water study appear to be leaning toward combining the two water systems as the best solution. Unseld commented that the water study is still tentative. He added that he did not “see a chance” of the grant being approved. Council members agreed with Unseld. Black Hawk will be applying for a grant from the Land-Water Conservation Fund. The grant would provide for capital improvements such as the park Black Hawk has approved. If accepted, 50 percent of the funding would be paid for by Black Hawk and the grant would provide matching funds. Martin announced that the roof at City Hall has several leaks. She stated that attempts to fix the problems have corrected them temporarily, but not permanently. She has contacted Lett about the repairs because he owes the city $1, 970. His estimate for the temporary repairs was $2,800, she said. Clay commented that City Hall needs a pitched roof. Martin responded that Lett’s estimate for a pitched roof and the bonding process was $5,000. Clay stated that he though the estimate was high. Council agreed to obtain initial bids for the roof. Lorenz stated that he would like to look at the roof before requesting bids. Council members did not object to his request. By Ted Ellis: The Gilpin County Art Association, a non-profit organization in Central City, will raise the yearly contribution that the arts association makes to Gilpin County School’s art department. It was a unanimous vote by the board of trustees at the November meeting. Since the organization of the Gilpin County Arts Association 37 years ago, one of the main objectives has been to assist the school’s art department in buying the many art supplies that the school is not able to afford. The arts association has one of the oldest and finest juried art shows in Colorado. When it has a good year in the sale of artists’ works, it is then possible to help the school with additional support. The balance for the school for 1984 will be raised by one-quarter, and the contribution for 1985 will be doubled. 60 years ago - November 19, 1954 With so much interest aroused by uranium these days, it is but natural that some mighty “tall tales” will appear in the eastern newspapers and magazines, and some of them are really “tall.” For example, I was reading a story of some lucky greenhorn who found some uranium that paid him over $60,000 for a small truck load. Now I figured from the description of the “small truck load of rich uranium ore” that it must have been a pick-up, say the load was a ton, or even two tons of ore. To receive $60,000 for two tons of uranium ore, even if the ore was 100 percent uranium, would be way off the beam. The AEC pays $3.50 per pound for any uranium that will assay from 0.20 per cent up. So that would mean $7,000 per short ton on 2,000 pounds. Now you just don’t find 100 percent uranium, not even in Canada or the Belgian Congo. And if a tenderfoot went out and did find 100 percent uranium, and loaded his truck with two tons of 100 percent uranium, all he could get would be $14,000, far from the high of $60,000 mentioned in this story that was written by someone who never knew exactly what he was writing about. It is time that these wild stories became tamed down a little as they do a great deal of harm. And though uranium is wonderful, don’t forget, gold is still the champion. A short ton of gold, 2,000 pounds, would bring $1,120,000 to the miners at the Denver Mint. Gold a silver receipts at the Denver Mint were reduced sharply in October by strikes, now settled, in western states. Receipts of gold for the month were down to 54,910 ounces worth $1,921,872 from 86,712 ounces worth $3,034,939 in October 1953. Silver receipts were reduced 213,415 ounces worth $193,056 from 247,306 ounces worth $223,689. For what it costs to go to college, the professors should do all the homework. AD: Want to buy a town? There’s a second-hand one, Pickstown, in A-1 condition, for sale in South Dakota. The state’s Natural Resources Commission says Pickstown would make a good site for a large industrial plant or a group of smaller plants. It’s equipped for a population of 3,000. The federal government built Pickstown at a cost of $9 million eight years ago. It’s occupied by workers on Fort Randall Dam, which will soon be completed. The commission reports that the town has water, sewers, electric power, phones and a Milwaukee railroad spur. It has a brick school for 500 pupils, a non-denominational church seating 200, a theater, a recreation hall, 30-bed hospital, 122 room hotel, a supermarket, and a warehouse 385 by 50 feet. If you’re interested, write the commission on Pierre, South Dakota, for further information. Mr. Chandler Weaver of Denver and Mr. Hans of Boston made a business trip to the Calhoun mine. Mr. Hans left Boston that morning, attended a meeting and luncheon in Denver, came up here and would be back in Boston that evening. Margaret Ress and some of her friends made a short visit at the Ress home Thursday evening. They drove up to see the Donkey Basketball game. Alice Ress represented the Freshmen of Gilpin High School at the Student Council Conference held in Evergreen. Mr. and Mrs. Stapp and Mrs. Madison drove to Denver Sunday to spend the day with their son and his family. Miss MacFarland came up from Littleton Sunday morning. Saturday’s welcome snow and a warm Sunday certainly helped the water situation for a little while anyway. Mr and Mrs. Warren Johnson are the proud parents of a 6 1/2 pound baby girl, born Nov. 13, at Presbyterian Hospital. Mr. Harold Burrows of the Hughesville District has gone to Eldorado, Kansas to see his sisters. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Reed left Monday for their former home in Los Angeles. The Reeds have occupied the downstairs apartment in the Belcher house on Main Street for the past summer and she worked at the Black Hawk trading post. The fellow who plays second fiddle usually has to listen to a lot of chin music. 90 years ago - November 21, 1924 National Guard officials mustered in Company I, 157th infantry, at Burlington last week. The company as mustered in consists of three officers and fifty-five enlisted men. The officers are Capt. Irving K. Browning, First Lieut. Max S. Underhill and Second Lieut. R.E. Hook. With his right eye torn out when the ejector of an old gun with which he was experimenting with jumped from the weapon, Robert Denning, 17, accompanied by his mother, staged a frantic race with time from Frisco to Leadville, a distance of about 125 miles, on a gasoline rail car, reaching Leadville four hours after they started from the little mining camp. Young Deming was rushed to a hospital. Three coal mines operated by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company in the Trinidad District, employing over 600 men and producing approximately 50,000 tons of coal a month, have been closed in a movement toward concentration of production in other mines, according to information received at the state house. These mines are the Sopris No. 2 Mine, which employed about 317 men and produced 25,000 tons of coal a month; the Tabasco Mine, which employed 193 men and produced over 17,000 tons monthly; and the East Side Primero Mine, employing 92 miners. The entire Primero Mine, of which East Side is the major operation, produced about 13,000 tons per month. Forty two Colorado counties embracing national forests will receive a total of $89,286 from the government as the counties’ share of receipts from the forests during the fiscal year of 1924, according to the final tabulation of forest receipts by the United States Department of Agriculture, made public here by A.S. Peck, district forester. The sum represents 25 percent of the total receipts from the fifteen forests in the state. The money is placed at the disposal of the counties for expenditure on schools and roads under the act of Congress of May 23, 1908. The government’s national forest resources netted a total of $5,251,903 during the fiscal year, according to the report. Archie Waters and sister came up from the valley on Saturday to spend several days with friends, returning again Tuesday morning. George McFarlane was up from Denver for the Saturday night picture show. Charles Gage and wife returned Sunday evening from a visit of several days spent in Denver. Attorney James Seright returned Saturday evening from a business visit in Denver. John C. Jenkins, president, and Wilfred Fullerton, vice president of the First National Bank, motored up from Denver Wednesday morning to attend a directors meeting of the bank that afternoon. Accompanying Mr. Fullerton were two lady friends who returned with him to Denver that afternoon. Mr. W.H. Hoerner boarded the lightning express for Denver yesterday morning, on business matters and to enjoy a few days at a lower altitude amid the many attractions which the city affords. 120 years ago - November 19, 1894 Prof. Thomas, the very able teacher of music, will likely locate in this county. It is to be hoped he will, for during the coming winter great pleasure can be had by studying with, or listening to his choral classes. Messrs. A.J. Zang and Peter Fredericks, who are interested in the Hunkadori prospect on Bobtail Hill, visited it last Sunday. They were accompanied by Col. Walter, E.M., of the Colorado Journal , leading German paper at the state capital, and Mr. Joseph Taylor. The results of their observations were highly satisfactory. The party returned to Denver Sunday afternoon. Mr. Grenfell, agent of the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf Railway Company in Black Hawk reports that during the month of October just past 207 cars of ore and concentrate were shipped over that line to the Denver smelters and concentration works at Idaho Springs. This is an increase of 37 cars over the corresponding month in 1893. Our pioneer Teutonic friend E. Buckman, was up from Golden Saturday talking up flour with Central and Black Hawk merchants. Mr. R. Mueller, of the Mueller Commission Company, contemplates this winter taking a trip to the Sandwich Islands and visiting the ex-queen who has extended him a special invitation to call upon her. “Dick” was always a chevalier, even in boyhood days. While there he will look into the sugar and other industries of that favored climate region. Mr. Matt. F. Helleher, underground superintendent of the Argyle Mining Company’s property in Russell district, left Tuesday for a two months’ visit in California. He was accompanied by his wife and children. Born: In Central City, to the wife of John Angell, a daughter. Here’s looking at you and your young queen, John. Born: In Central City, November 16, to the wife of Joseph Carnes, a son. Married: In Denver, November 7, Mr. Wm. T. Roach, of Central City, and Miss Julia Elzay, of Findley, Ohio. The wedding was a quiet affair, being attended by a few of the intimate friends of the contracting parties. Mr. Roach is well known in Central City, where he has been engaged in mining for the past sixteen years. The bride and groom are old acquaintances. Having proved true to each other for so long a time, it was neat and proper that they should unite their destinies for life. That their lives may be long and blessed with good health and prosperity is the wish of their friends not only in Colorado, but in the Buckeye state where the bride came from. Mr. and Mrs. Roach are now at home to their friends at their residence on Spring Street, first door above the Swedish Chapel. “Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.” Died: In Central City, November 12, Mrs. Mary Swift, aged 30 years. Deceased was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McCallister of this city, old timers and esteemed residents of the county. Since her marriage, she and her husband have been living in Cripple Creek, where he was employed in the mines of that section. About two weeks ago, not enjoying good health in that section of the state, she returned home and on Sunday last was seized with a hemorrhage, which could not be checked, and died on Monday. She leaves a sorrowing husband and daughter, kind parents and a number of relatives and friends to mourn her loss. Died: In Nevadaville, November 15, John Semmens, in the 61st year of his age. Deceased was well known in the Town of Mines, having resided there for a number of years. He leaves an aged wife and 12 children to mourn the loss of a kind husband and indulgent father. Died: At the National Soldiers’ Home, Leavenworth, Kansas, November 9, Comrade Joseph Galler, in the 58th year of his age. Deceased enlisted in 1861 in Captain Cook’s company of the First Regiment Colorado Volunteers. After having served his term of enlistment he returned to Colorado and engaged in mining in Russell Gulch and Idaho Springs mining districts. Some four years ago through ill health he was sent to the Solders’ Home at Leavenworth.

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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