Turning Back the Pages

30 Years Ago - June 3, 1983 The resignation of Gilpin Re-1 principal, Doug Rudig, was accepted by the school board. The board also accepted the resignation of music teacher Lon Huckaby as the varsity boys basketball coach. Huckaby is resigning as coach because he wants to expand the music program. The Black Hawk marshal, Black Hawk police commissioner, the Central City police chief, the county sheriff and a state trooper met last Friday afternoon to iron out some jurisdictional problems that had been boiling over the last few months. The conclusion seemed to be that there weren’t any real problems between the officers present at the meeting and the agencies they represent, and all will be cooperating in the future. With the chance to a four-day week at Gilpin Re-1 School next fall, each secondary teacher will have an extra period and will be able to teach an additional course. Several new courses have been proposed: human biology, computer programming, theater arts, junior high reading, leadership and college readiness for juniors and seniors. Students need to have 23 credits for graduation. A gold panner, looking for gold along North Clear Creek, near mile-marker one on Highway 119, discovered an apparent suicide victim last Wednesday evening. The victim’s vehicle, a yellow Vega, was parked in a ravine out of view of the highway and was believed to have been in that location for about three days before the gold panner found it. The cause of death of the 33-year-old Arvada man was officially listed as carbon monoxide poisoning. The Class of ’83, 24 students strong, graduated from Gilpin County Re-1 with all due pomp and ceremony on May 27, 1983. Marnie Collins and Mary Kate Mason shared the honor of being class valedictorian. Salutatorian was Lori Manweiler. The end of the school year has long been an occasion for joy and high jinks among students. Gilpin’s were no exception, as a rather decrepit Volkswagon, sans engine, mysteriously appeared on the roof of the Re-1 building last Thursday morning. It remained on the roof the whole day, causing much speculation as to how it got there. That speculation ended abruptly when, after footsteps on the roof were heard by the attendees of a late-night school board meeting, the culprits were caught in the act by a camera. There was no damage done to the roof and if the VW was damaged by the outing, there was no way to tell. A Rollinsville owner/builder formed in for his footers on March 2. He just poured the cement early this week. He said, “With my luck, it will probably snow again today.” It did. 60 Years Ago - May 29, 1953 Spirit of Memorial Day, 1953! Sleep on proud heroes of America’s wars wherever you may lie. The fight you have made has been a blessing to mankind, and Americans in America see in a new light in the tower of liberty that now faintly illumines the darkest recesses of the world. Your lives have not been given in vain. We weep because you are our kin, but we are proud that you so nobly fought and so nobly died and rejoice that you are in God’s keeping. According to press reports, it was one of the most successful opening days of fishing season on record. Yet, fishermen who tried the Gunnison area, the Kremmling area, the Rollinsville and Tolland area, reported little or no success – who’s ballyhooing who? A reporter was told to cut his stories to bare essentials. His next story read - Q. Johnson looked up the elevator shaft to see if the car was coming down. It was. Age 52. A Dallas, Texas, junior high school teacher, who dons western clothes to become one of the nation’s top square dance callers during the summer has been signed to lead the Central City association square dance team that will appear during the summer’s festival. Could it be that the handsome bachelor of Central City - Jack D’Arcy, has something on his mind? He has completely redecorated and papered the inside of his Central City house on Third High. Those three-tier double bunk-beds built into the bedroom are a work of art. Now he is modernizing the house throughout, with electric wiring and a sewerage system like none in Central. White enameled appointments, all new, in the kitchen and bath room are most attractive and a background of canary yellow walls, and a touch of Chinese red. It is anybody’s guess. Hi Folks! We want to say “Hello” and that we opened Saturday, May 23 rd and hope to see and serve all our fiends another Season. We hope to please you in every way. We’ll be looking for you. Gardner’s Lunch, Black Hawk. In Russell Gulch, the Stephens and Schaffer homes were opened Sunday. A painful accident occurred Friday when Johnnie Ringer was holding a police dog with a heavy chain. The large dog owned by Claude Gallegos, became frightened and leaped away, causing the chain to twist Johnnie’s finger, cutting it badly but the surgeons are making an effort to save the digit. AD: Uranium-Pitchblende-Claims: Will lease for 99 years. No cash down. Royalty basis. Can start production immediately. Possibility U. S. Government paying 90% exploration expense. One property 34 patented claims, U.S. Government reports 8 tons ore shipped amounting to 11,520 pounds uranium U308. Silver and other minerals over $100 per ton average values. Another property U.S. Government reports one piece weighing 240 pounds assayed 88% uranium oxide. Have another property with 6-foot wide vein averaging 2.7% uranium. These properties among best silver and gold mines known. Do not communicate unless you are financially responsible and can carry on large mining operations. Telephone Murray Hill 2-1815 New York City. 90 Years Ago - June 1, 9123 Decoration Day was one of the most pleasant and enjoyable days seen in the mountains in many years, the weather being pleasant with bright sunshine, and while there was no arranged program for the day, the cemeteries were visited by relatives and friends of departed ones and their graves decked with flowers and blooming plants. There was a continuous stream of autos passing thru the streets to and from Denver, by way of Idaho Springs and over the Guy Hill Road, and the streets presented a lively appearance. Mrs. Mary Pallaro, Russell Gulch, received a car of young cattle last week, which were turned out to fatten up. Dorothy Phillips in “Hurricane’s Gal,” in eight reels, will be the picture at the opera house on Saturday evening. Truth is mighty and will prevail provided a lie doesn’t get the better of it. Saturday evening has been designated as “Field Day” for the children of Gilpin county and Main street of this city will be used for many of the events which have been planned for the occasion. The fire department should be given credit for this innovation, which may be the starting point for a new lot of runners who will compete in the future in some of the firemen’s tournaments held in different portions of the state. Alderman Max Gabardi while crossing the main flume just below the Welch block, in this city last week, happened to step on a spot of ground that had been undermined, and went down into the flume. He injured his knee in his acrobatic feat and has been walking lame ever since. It’s a mistake to keep your wife in the dark about your business affairs. If she knew how little you have she might not make so many touches. John Andrietta was arrested by Sheirff Williams Wednesday afternoon and a hearing held before Judge Gustave Kruse, resulted in a fine and costs amounting to $36.80. The trouble occurred in the Catholic cemetery, Wednesday noon, when some dispute occurred between Andrietta and Mrs. Moser and Mrs. Plank, and at a remark made by the latter, she was knocked down by Andrietta and kicked in the ribs. Word was received here Wednesday morning of the death of William Mitchell at his home at Edgewater, just outside of Denver. He was in his 75 th year, had been a resident of Black Hawk for many years, and filled several terms as city treasurer and other city offices. Contractor John Stroehle has commenced on the flume on Gregory Street and is getting things in shape so as to put on a large force of men next week. He is taking advantage of the stream of water coming down the flume and the dirt and sand is washed down the gulch, which is a great help in excavating. Next week he will erect a derrick to handle large rock which will go into the walls and bottom of the flume, and will rush work as fast as possible. Planting spuds has been the rage in Russell Gulch for the past week. John Floyd came up to Apex from Black Hawk on Saturday with Blake’s team, bringing a load of supplies for John A. Crook, at American City. All people have good intentions. At least they look good to those who have them. 120 Years Ago - June 2, 1893 Decoration Cay was very befittingly observed by the Grand Army Republic, as also by Company D, the fire departments of Central, Black Hawk and Nevadaville, and the public school children of the three mountain towns. About 2 o’clock p.m. a procession was formed at the public square at the head of Main street, and preceded by the Black Hawk band, took up the line of march down Gregory street to Casey and then counter-marched up Lawrence to the Opera House. Arriving at the opera house on Eureka Street the doors were thrown open and in a very short time every seat was occupied for the ensuing exercises. The grizzly old prospector, against whose wrinkled brow the storms of many years had beaten, this picturesque character of the olden time, is rapidly disappearing from history, and in his place comes a hardy race of younger men, with college education, who can cover twice the distance and undergo as many hardships and privations as the pioneers of ’49. The first Sunday opening of the World’s Fair occurred on the 28 th , when at least 100,000 people were present. Our sister city of Black Hawk will have a grand celebration and firemen’s tournament on July 4 th , which will eclipse any former celebration ever held in the city. The Black Hawk Fire Department has raised the sum of $1,000 with which to defray the expenses of the tournament. The day will feature a drilling contest, foot racing and climbing a greased pole. The exercises will conclude with a grand display of fireworks and a grand ball at the Sons of America hall. Mr. Grimm and his associates have at last got the water lowered in the main shaft of the Buell mine to the bottom and are cleaning out the 500 foot level preparatory to commencing sinking the first of next month. Mr. John Ross last week completed sinking another 100 feet in the main shaft on the Wyandotte in Russell district. As soon as levels can be extended each way from the shaft, a contract will be let for an additional 100 feet of sinking, which will give the shaft a depth of 668 feet and 300 feet of backstoping ground. North of the Wyandotte, at the Calhoun mine, Mr Ross has opened up in the backstope of the 10 foot level a 12-inch vein of very high grade copper mineral. The last smelting ore netted the company $87 per ton. Mr. Ross informs the Register-Call that last Wednesday morning the miners driving the 350 foot west level of the Mollie Newcomb vein holed through into the workings of the Argyle Company’s portion of the Topeka mine in Russell district. The point at which connection was made with the latter workings is about 500 feet west of the Mollie Newcomb shaft. Mr. Ross has always contended that the Mollie Newcomb and the Topeka were one and the same veins, but the company who sent out an expert to examine the Mollie Newcomb, whose opinion was adverse to Mr. Ross, acting on his recommendation, ceased work in the 350 foot level. Not content and in order to back up his opinion, Mr. Ross put a man at work at that point in the mine, who in driving four feet made the connection. What the outcome of the confliction will be is not known, nor will it be until the company can be heard from. They were wired yesterday that connection had been made. The water in the Corydon Mine, this city, which drove the miners out of the 600 foot easterly workings some weeks ago, now stands at a depth of 485 feet. During the time that the Fiske mine was closed down there was quite a decrease of stamp mill dirt furnished several of the custom stamp mills in Black Hawk. This week that company is employing 80- stamps and anticipate soon to sufficiently increase their output of stamp mill dirt to keep 100 stamps dropping. The new Gregory Company on Monday last commenced tramming ore from the Bobtail lode, through the cross cut tunnel over the old tramway leading from the mouth of the tunnel to the Bobtail stamp mill. This is an improvement over quartz wagons and not as expensive. A Central City barber attributes baldness to excessive use of the comb. There are now 12 feet of water in the large reservoir in Eureka gulch, and the reservoir full on Academy hill. The springs on the ranches belonging to the city are all full and overflowing. Mr. Mathias Mack was as busy as a Queen Bee last Saturday in sowing the field below his residence in Eureka gulch to oats and wheat. The grove of apple trees in front of his residence have budded out nicely. Messrs. R. B. Williams and George Fuhrman, a few days ago, mounted saddle animals bright and early in the morning for the ostensible purpose of capturing two cinnamon bear reported to be hibernating near the Surprise mine on Yankee Hill. Both were well prepared for a terrific engagement with the beastships, carrying plenty of ammunition with them. After scouring Yankee Hill and down Silver Creek gulch to Silver City, they returned, reporting that they did not even see a bear track. Died: In East Nevadaville, May 21, 1893, Mrs. Mary Galligan, aged 62 years. Died: In Central City, June 1, 1893, Matilda, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wiliam Lehmkuhl, aged 1 year, 11 months and 20 days. Died: In Gilson Gulch, May 31, 1893, of dropsy, Mrs. Martha Vincent, aged 68 years. A number of lads in the city are in the habit of shoving an idle tramway car that has been standing on the switchback from the main tramway line to the St. Louis-Gunnell Mine, up a very steep grade, and then piling into the car and riding down to that property and back to the switch and up to the James Henry Mine. They manage to control the brake by a long piece of scantling. While it affords amusement and exercise to the lads, it is dangerous. The tramway company should remove the car from the track, thereby preventing the possibility of any accident happening to them or other lads who may attempt the same exercise. The churches looked like flower gardens last Sunday to one who sat well back and could look over the heads of the people. The flowers which are so generally used upon the hats and bonnets of the ladies are such wonderful imitations of the natural ones, that it is often hard to realize that they are not the genuine article. A team belonging to Mr. John Semmens, of Nevadaville, attached to a wagon ladened with hay, on last Monday morning took a spin from Fick’s wagon shop on Main Street, Black Hawk, as far as the toll-gate at which place they struck an outhouse near the creek, capsizing the wagon and landing one of the horses into the creek. No damage done farther than giving the horse a cold bath and the demolition of the outhouse. A regular railroad spile-driver put in an appearance ahead of Tuesday morning’s freight train into Black Hawk, and was put to work in driving spiling alongside the bridge spanning North Clear Creek just above the old railroad depot. It was a novel sight to many who never before witnessed one in operation. In Russell a debating society had up for discussion one day last week, the question: “Does a woman enjoy talking over the fence with another woman as much as her daughter does over the front gate with a young man?” The arguments became so heated that no decision was reached, and this momentous question will not be decided until the next meeting of the society.

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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