Work resuming on Floyd Hill; expect overnight closings

By WR-C Staff

April 20, 2023, WEEKLY REGISTER-CALL PAGE 7
1845 Miner Street, Idaho Springs, CO 80452
Forrest Whitman
Escape to the Little Kingdom
The Little Kingdom was a well-loved escape
place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At
my coffee group this morning, various historians
argued that the Little Kingdom was where the deals
were made. But what about Glen Eyrie in Colorado
Springs, a well-known center of that sort of mind
and real estate trading?
William Jackson Palmer did own our Colorado
railroad. He built the Denver and Rio Grande
Western Railroad. If there was to be any extension,
any new mine, or even a cattle stop, it had to be
approved by him. He built Glen Ayre with business
in mind. It was a fantasy palace for his wife, Queen.
But it was also the place to entertain business rivals.
They spared no expense when William and Henry Teller built the hotel after
the 1874 Central City fire. The famous golden girl in the lobby was worth a
million dollars. Later “The Face on the Bar Room Floor” became Colorado’s
most famous poem.
The poem deals with a drunken miner who has a revelation. As he slumps at
the bar, he thinks he hears his mother’s voice. He may be dying but possibly
hears in time. In the many versions of the poem, he changes his role often. In
at least one, he takes the straight and narrow and stops drinking. In the origi-
nal, however, he is dying.
The furniture in the original Teller House was also a showpiece. Buffalo
robes were for freezing nights. Woven straw hats were on the hat stand for the
4th of July. The front door kept mud shoes. Hotel staff appreciated noticing
them when tip time came around.
The Teller House dining room was a gourmet paradise. A real cave at the
rear of the room kept everything at the just above freezing temperature of a
mine. That meant real oysters on the half shell in August and ice cream that
kept a weekend.
By 1876 statehood was at hand. Would Central City or Cripple Creek be the
first city? How about Colorado Springs for that honor? In fact, Denver was on
the up and up. Even that early, it was generally thought that Denver might be
a temporary capital until it became the number one by the turn of the next 10
years.
How did we entertain the visitor? The largest group of tourists were single
mine owners or mine bosses. Nearly all males tended to want a good time
along with doing their business. Therefore, the women who worked at Lou
Bunch’s place up on Pine Street were often literate. They could discuss the
latest novels like
Juanita and help with wording; some of
fered to spell-check.
They could light your cigar, but other skills were more important. They
reviewed the mining terms used right down to miners’ inches of water sold
with the claim. Some went on to become lawyer-type assistants. Most large
firms had a woman who specialized in following mine decisions.
Dining and dancing were essential to the entertainment industry. Traveling
string bands were in demand. Sometimes these would be “mixed race,” as was
said back in those days of standard unconscious racism. Women would be tran-
sitioning from the Victorian styles with their long toga-like dresses. Women
would also wear an hourglass style of corset. The flappers wore a corset or
simply underwear that allowed the beasts to float free.

Early in the 1920s, styles changed again. Now women dressed like busi-
nessmen if going downtown to do business. The skirts were shorter and more
colorful. Hats were more likely French style. It was a radical change.
Women
who were demanding liberation also demanded style change. They not only re-
belled against patriarchy, but they also formed groups who fought for changes
in far more important than styles.
The National Association for the Rights of Women made headlines. Ironi-
cally enough, the headlines seem to have changed little today. Women were
asking for the right to take charge of their bodies. This was not only the right
to decide about abortion. It also included the right to basic medications like
lithium.
So did many women come to the Little Kingdom without their menfolk
along? That is much debated. Some did come in small groups or solo. Some,
like Harriet Bonfies, actually started the theater revival in Colorado. But had
they asked for family support for those daring moves?
Some of our pioneer doctors come to mind. Doc Suzy put out her medical
doctor’s shingle on the west slope. They did this with or without support from
the medical establishment. Suzy entered the halls of renowned Colorado citi-
zens as she felt she was honoring the doctor’s oath.
Following the trends of a nation in entertainment is fascinating. the directions entertainment was going, you could trace our history.
120 years ago
Week Ending April 24, 1903
Nick Prouse and Mrs. Mabel Ruth-
erford were the winners of the prize
waltzing contest at the dance given by
the Clover Club at the Cannon’s ball,
Nevadaville, on Saturday evening.
Miss Mary McLeod, of this city
, has
been appointed teacher for the spring
and summer term of the public schools
at Gilpin.
The dedication of the new Elk’s
hall in the lodge rooms in this city,
occurred on Monday morning and
was largely attended by members of
the fraternity and the public. In the
absence of the district deputy, past
exalted ruler Mr. C. E. Nichols, of-
ficiated, and the services were well
carried out. The Misses Gilmore sang
two beautiful duets, and the dedicatory
address was made by Dr
. George C.
Stemen, of Denver. In the afternoon
the lodge conferred the initiatory work
on 19 candidates. In the evening the
grand ball took place in Armory Hall,
when 100 couples enjoyed dancing to
music furnished by the Koenigsburg
orchestra. A reception and dancing
took place at the Elk’s hall, and sup-
per was served at the A.O.U.W. Hall,
by the degree of Honor. Central City
Lodge No. 557 has one of the finest
lodge rooms and quarters in the state.
The building was purchased for the
sum of $12,200 last fall since which
time a third story has been erected, the
additional cost representing a total out-
lay of close to $25,000, and now has a
total membership of close to 200.
The 4th annual contest between
the high school societies of this city
took place on Friday evening last.
The contest proper was between Miss
Grace Lightbourn, representing the
Cardinals, and Guy Morrison of the
X.L.C.R.s, the decision of two judges
being in favor of Mr. Morrison, and
the third judge in favour of Miss
Lightbourn.
Professor F
. H. Clark made a trip to
Denver Tuesday to attend a meeting of
the Presbytery and was elected as one
of the alternates to attend the synod in
Los Angeles next month.
Mr. J. T. Quick, of Nevadaville,
threw A. Rogers, of Black Hawk, three
times in 17 minutes, in the wrestling
match last week in this city. The match
was for $50 a side, the wrestling to be
Cornish style.
Nino and Kuhns, who are leasing
on the Golden Wedge mine, in Lake
district, received returns last week
from a shipment of ore sent to the
sampling works in Black Hawk, the
first class returning 17.82 ounces gold,
17 ounces silver and 16.35 peprcent
copper, a net value of $377.40 per ton.
The second class carried 5.70 ounces
gold, 9.65 ounces silver and 6 percent
copper, showing a net value of $117.25
per ton. This portion of the Golden
Wedge mine is owned and operated
by the Cashier Gold Mining company,
with the Pittsburgh mine as the princi-
pal producer, and a carload shipment
of smelting ore by the company, sent
to the sampling works in Black Hawk,
returned at a rate of $144 per ton, the
shipment returning a check for $2,200
net.
Born in Russell Gulch, Monday
,
April 20, 1903, to the wife of Frank
Dalla, a son.
Born on Dory Hill, near Black
Hawk, Tuesday, April 21, 1903, to the
wife of Nels Nelson, a son.
Born in Russell Gulch, Wednesday,
April 22, 1903, to the wife of Fred
Wood, a son.
Married in Central City, at the M. E.
parsonage, Wednesday, April 22, 1903,
Rev. F. W. Sadler officiating, Mr. Mar-
tin Noonan and Miss Gertie E. Hoefle,
both of Central City.
Died in Central City
, Monday, April
20, 1903, Angus Morrison, aged 94
years.
Died in Apex, Gilpin County,
Wednesday, April 22, 1903, David
Lafore, aged 70 years.
150 years ago
Week Ending April 25, 1873
Mr. R. C. Lake, who had been sick
with mountain fever, left on a short
visit to Pueblo and other valley points.
Rev. M. Lowrie left the first of the
week to represent the Presbytery of
Colorado in the Presbyterian confer-
ence at Baltimore. Rev. Sheldon Jack-
son will look after the parish during
his absence.
Bishop Randall came up from
Denver T
uesday and lectured on the
“Philosophy of Success,” at the Con-
gregational Church.
The Central City Fire Company No.
2, received their new truck and ladders
on Monday from the Babcock Extin-
guishing company of Chicago, the cost
of the equipment and freight being
$783.67.
The Society of the “Helping Hand”
met W
ednesday evening at the resi-
dence of James Mills.
Henry Dobson and Miss Bessie
Lyon were united in marriage by Fa
–
ther Bourion, on Tuesday evening.
A number of Central City folks
took in the excursion from Golden to
Longmont,
Wednesday, a distance of
41 miles, on the new Colorado Central
Rail Road, completed to that point.
Died in Missouri City, Friday, April
18, 1873, William G. Shute, aged 30
years.
Mr. Sam Cushman, who has been
suffering from rheumatism, left for the
valley the first of the week, in the hope
of getting relief at a lower altitude.
Mr. Martin Lewis has started up the
old Hardesty stamp mill and will keep
it in operation on ore from the Kansas
mine.