78

CROFUTT’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST

 

four daily newspapers—the News, Times,
Tribune, and the Democrat, each of which
issue weeklies—together with eight or ten
others, that are exclusively weekly, the
principal of which are, the Rocky Moun-
tain Herald, (who has not heard of Gold-
rick’s Herald?) the Colorado Farmer, the
Journal, and the Mirror. In fact, Denver
is supplied with aii the “modern improve-
ments,” including many big hotels, and
more little hotels, but the principal ones
are the Grand Central, the American, with
its annex, the Inter-Ocean, and the Went-
worth. What cannot be found in Denver,
you need not hunt for in the West.

The State Agricultural Society has 40
acres of ground adjoining Denver, where
stalls, etc., have been erected for the ac-
commodation of animals at the annual
fairs. A half-mile race track is laid out
and the buildings and the land enclosed
with a concrete wall, the whole costing
about $10,000.

The Ford Park Association have a race
track about two miles northeast of the
city; itis handsomely enclosed, and kept
in good repair. On every afternoon the
fast horses of Denver and their fast drivers
can be seen enjoying the smooth track at
2:40 speed.

Tux BoarpD oF TRADE was organized in
Denver in the fall of 1867, by the capital-
ists and business men of the city, especzally
to build the Denver Pacific railroad, which
it aided to a great extent. The Board has

‘taken the lead since, however, in all public

enterprises, and has been one of the lead-
ing instrumentalities in promoting the
growth and prosperity of the city.
Narrow GaugeE—The first narrow
gauge railroad in Colorado, was organized
by the writer, and incorporated January
30, 1868. It was called: “The Arapaho,
Jefferson & South Park railroad.” When
this road was incorporated, there was not
a foot of railroad track in Colorado, anf
not a shovel-full of dirt had been moved to
construct one. The nearest lumber had to
be hauled on wagons, from 35. to 60 miles,
and sold in Denver, from $50 to $100 per
thousand feet. Wood had to be hauled
over 25 miles, and at times sold as high as

$80 per cord. Coal was hauled from 15 to |

23 miles, and sold from $12 to $30 per ton.

' Just previous to the organization of the
above company, the Denver Pacific Rail-
road Co., had secured the bonds of
Arapaho county to the amount of $500,000,

in aid of their road, and were advertising

for bids for 200,000 ties, and the Kansas
Pacific Company—claiming all timber
within twenty-five miles of their line—had
warned all persons against cutting ties
within that limit, under penalty of the
law.

To build this “ baby road ” to the timber
region, beyond the prescribed limits,
and put in the 200,000 ties for the Denver
Pacific, was the incentive which prompted
the writer in attempting to build the Ara-
paho, Jefferson & South Park railroad.

The route was westward from Denver
via Mt. Vernon Canyon, to Bergin town-
ship, 80 miles distant. The route was
duly surveyed and found satisfactory; the
money and labor necessary was ready to
complete the road in 90 days—conditional,
however, on securing the tie contract. The
ties could be purchased atthe end of the
road in the mountains, for 15 cents each
with all down grade to Denver.

Then it was that a bid was handed to the
President of the “D. P.,” offering to put in
200,000 ties for 50 cents each. This bid was
immediately taken to Omaha, and the con-
tract given to two of her citizens, at a price
considerably more than double the amount
for which the narrow gauge company of-
fered to contract.

On the return of the official from Omaha,
the writer was told by the then President of
the Board of Trade, and a “director” of
the Denver Pacific: “Crofutt, your bid was
too low; if you had bid higher—at a price
high enough for us all to make something
—you could have had the contract.” We
immediately wilted. Previous to that time,
we would have made an affidavit that
every man, woman and child in Colorado
was honest, and all working together for
the common good.

Well, time passed, the child died, the
“boy ” fled the country, and only after ten
years, returns to record a Uttle of the
early history of “narrow gauge” in Col-
orado.

Earuier History—The first settlement
where Denver now stands, was made Nov.
ist, 1858. Aurara, now West Denver, was
laid out and named on the 4th, and on the
6th, there being 200 people present, an
election was held, and H. J. Graham was
elected a delegate to Congress, and in-
structed to get the “Pike’s Peak gold
mines” set apart from Kansas as a separate
Territory. On the 8th, Mr. Graham
started for Washington on horseback. In
December following, the town of St