GLEANINGS From Old Valley Newspapers

Some interesting, or at least amusing items taken from the Crystal River Current, Crystal City, Colo.:

Oct. 9, 1886

Our miners are wondering if James N. Bennett, our next County Commissioner, will do anything toward extending a wagon road up Crystal River next fall.

Bill Benton came over the divide from Crested Butte on Monday with 75 jacks loaded with hay for the J. C. Osgood Coal Co. Hay and grain are very scarce along the valley as the demand is greater than the supply.

Nov. 20, 1886

Sleighing is good over the divide and our roads could be kept open all winter if there were a few more sleighs on the road. At present there are six “fours” running between here and Crested Butte.

Nov. 27, 1886 WEDDING BELLS The Phillips-Penny Marriage

About two weeks ago the friends of Mr. J. W. Phillips and Miss Olive Penny received cards to be present at their wedding to take place Thanksgiving Eve, at the residence of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Penny of Hot Springs, and the event had become the principal topic of conversation. It was thought us old bachelors never would get “over the fence,” but Mr. Phillips was the first to make the start.

All day Wednesday, despite the unfavorable weather, crowds could be seen going to the Springs from Carbondale, Satank, and up the river, and by dusk there were upwards of 30 present. At 8 o’clock 44 the bride and groom entered the room followed by Miss Alice Penny, sister of the bride, and T. A. Boughton, who acted as bridesmaid and groomsman, to where the Rev. J. Wallace Ohl, of Aspen, was in waiting with their friends who gathered around. After Mr. Ohl pronounced them man and wife according to the rights of the Episcopal Church, congratulations and hand shaking was in order.

The bride’s costume was a rich satin with lace trimmings and orange blossoms. Lying upon the table were numerous presents for the couple. Dancing was indulged in until morning, and all expressed themselves as having had a most enjoyable time.

Dec. 4, 1886

Quite a number of married ladies are leaving here at present for more comfortable winter quarters. Future Bill of Fare for our bereaved bachelors—bacon, beans, galvenized biscuits, and hunting case pies.

Dec. 11, 1886

Dec. 18, 1886

Citizens around Glenwood Springs and Carbondale are all anxious to see the toll road built up the river as it would give them another outlet to Crested Butte and in fact all Gunnison County would be benefitted by the construction of the road.

Van Sycle & Co. are having their winter supplies packed up to their mine on Avalanche Creek from Carbondale. Their property is looking fine.

Dec. 25, 1886

Not over 10 inches of snow in camp. How’s that for the 25th of December?

Roads over the Pass (Schofield) are blocked for the season and snowshoe express is the only means of getting anything into this neck of the woods.

Jan. 15, 1887

About 18 inches of snow fell around camp during our last storm.

June 6, 1887

Wagons will go over the divide (Schofield Pass) next week as the snow has about all disappeared through the timber.

The Crystal and Prospect mail sack comes in chuck full these days, making quite a load to be packed over the divide on a man’s back.

June 18, 1887

The route down our valley from Crested Butte to Carbondale and Glenwood Springs is becoming quite popular for those traveling on horseback, as the distance is considerable shorter and can be made in about two days. If our wagon road were only completed there would be a large amount of freighting done on this road and it would not be long before the mail route would be extended down the valley.

June 25, 1887

The first team went over the divide (Schofield Pass) last Sunday. The range is now cleared of snow and we can expect to see considerable travel this season.

Ashby has opened up a good body of lead ore in the Crown Point on Crystal Mountain. He has been working this property since 1876.

A post office has been established at Carbondale and W. M. Dinkle appointed postmaster. This is quite a convenience to the rapidly growing town. The old Satank (sometimes called Yellow Dog) post office is now at Rockford about two miles farther down the valley.

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Aug. 13, 1887

The Board of County Commissioners (Pitkin) met in special session Monday. $800.00 was set aside to build a road up the Crystal River.—Aspen Times.

Sept. 10, 1887

50 coke ovens are to be erected near Glenwood Springs. The coke is to be made from coal at Jerome Park.

Sept. 17, 1887

The citizens of Glenwood Springs contemplate holding a celebration upon the arrival of the railroads. The Denver & Rio Grande (D&RG) is expected to reach the Springs within the next two weeks, and the Midland will not be far behind.

Sept. 24, 1887

A most attractive feature of the Midland railroad exhibit at the Denver exposition are several marble specimens which they obtained from their claims on Yule Creek. They have been polished in square blocks. This exhibit will give visitors an opportunity to see the valuable resources of this district.

The wagon road up the Crystal River from Carbondale is progressing quite favorably and our citizens are in hopes it will be completed this fall.

THE MARBLE CITY TIMES and Clarence Chronicle

Sept. 8, 1893

In the Little Jessie mine on Yule Creek, there is from four to six feet of lead ore exposd in the workings, which runs well in lead and silver. The ore body is opened up in two places and shows up well.

Dec. 1, 1893

While over the range they are struggling with from two to three feet of snow, here we are having pleasant weather and a scant two inches of snow, which is thawing.

Jan. 5, 1894

The bid on the mail route between Crested Butte and Gothic went for $276 per annum—just $23 per month—barely enough to pay for horse feed. Evidently some one wants to walk and live on mountain scenery. Speaking of mail contracts, Allan Hodges did not get his route by about $300. Some poor hayseed is badly stuck.

Jan. 12, 1894

The Club held a special meeting last night and unanimously decided to offer Corbett and Mitchell $75,000 each to have the fight come off at Marble. In addition to this they offered to give the contestants a free ride on Tucker’s bicycle line and a body guard to pass Cumming’s place; a free bath at the Hot Springs; free hot Scotch at Leggetts, and a marble monument to the one that gets killed.

Jan. 26, 1894

Marble failed to secure the Corbett-Mitchell fight.

Feb. 23, 1894

Bud Fisher had a hard trip to come from Crystal with the mail Wednesday. He had to leave his horse in the Canyon and walk to town. The boys from the Silver King shoveled the snow so as to get the horse out and brought him in about three o’clock.

March 16, 1894

The people of Carbondale are a little excited over the discovery of gold near there and up towards Mount Sopris. We understand that a large number of claims have already been staked and that some very promising rock is being shown around town.

April 4, 1894

A Coxey Army is talked of from Marble. A great interest is being taken by our people in the industrial army.

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A PARTIAL LIST OF BUILDINGS MADE ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY OF COLORADO YULE MARBLE

Lincoln Memorial Washington, D. C.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Arlington Cemetery, Washington, D. C.

Custom Houses (both old and new) Denver, Colo.

Annex to the State Capitol Denver, Colo.

City & County Building Denver, Colo.

Cheesman Memorial Denver, Colo.

Post Office Denver, Colo.

Colorado National Bank Denver, Colo.

Broadway Bank, interior Denver, Colo.

Union Depot Denver, Colo.

Metropolitan Building, interior Denver, Colo.

Barth Mausoleum Denver, Colo.

Daniel & Fisher Building, interior Denver, Colo.

Colorado State Museum Denver, Colo.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral Denver, Colo.

Post Office Greeley, Colo.

Merritt Building Los Angeles, Calif.

Examiner Building Los Angeles, Calif.

Athletic Club Los Angeles, Calif.

Citizens National Bank, interior Los Angeles, Calif.

Merchants National Bank, interior Los Angeles, Calif.

Sub-Treasury Building San Francisco, Calif.

San Francisco City Hall San Francisco, Calif.

Huntington Mausoleum Pasadena, Calif.

Post Office Pasadena, Calif.

Rosehill Mausoleum Chicago, Ill.

Howard County Court House St. Paul, Neb.

Court House Greeley, Neb.

West Lawn Mausoleum Omaha, Neb.

Lincoln High School Lincoln, Neb.

Bancroft High School Lincoln, Neb.

IOOF Building Broken Arrow, Neb.

Brandeis Subway Omaha, Neb.

First National Bank Lincoln, Neb.

Union Pacific Building Omaha, Neb.

Chapin Building Lincoln, Neb.

Douglas County Court House Omaha, Neb.

First National Exchange Bank Sidney, Neb.

City Hall Cleveland, Ohio

Court House Youngstown, Ohio

Union National Bank, interior Houston, Tex.

McKnight Building Minneapolis, Minn.

New York Municipal Building New York City, N. Y.

Adams Hotel Phoenix, Ariz.

Mohave County Court House Kingman, Ariz.

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Enid High School Enid, Okla.

Tulsa High School Tulsa, Okla.

Telephone Building Chicago, Ill.

Wiedener Memorial Cambridge, Mass.

First National Bank Portland, Ore.

German-American Institute St. Louis, Mo.

Citizens’ National Bank Evansville, Ind.

Chambers Estate Building Kansas City, Mo.

Montana Power House Billing, Mont.

Lind Mausoleum Plover, Iowa

Post Office Pocatello, Idaho

MINE NAMES

While reading the papers published in Crystal City and in Marble in the 1880s and 1890s I came across many intriguing names and thought a list of them might give you a little enjoyment.

The more familiar names were:

The Lead King

The Black Queen

The Lucky Boy

The Little Darling

John Baroni Tunnel

Sheep Mountain Tunnel

Whopper Load

The Inez

Catalpa

Copper King

20th Century

Winchester

El Negoero

North Pole

These were very important to someone at sometime, yet did very little production:

Highland Mary

Painter Boy

Robert E. Lee

Bell of Merino

Silver Cord

Grass Widow

Golden Harvest

Gray Copper

Mountain King

Bay State

A. C. Richmond

Forest Queene

Jennie-R

Belle of Titusville

Small Hopes

Judd No. 2

Pride of the West

Bob-tail

Silver Link

New Years Gift

Banker’s Daughter

Black Girl

Jim Blaine

Smooth Eph

Bullion King

Mt. Owens

Good-enough

Jackwhacker

Moss Rose

Cebolla Bella

Cortez

Bonanza

Chance

Hecla

Irene

Milwaukee

Excelsior

Cora

Manitou

Sheol

Mammoth

Undine

Chimney

Rescue

Ladoga

Buckeye

Ella

Stonewall

Della S

Topsey

Detroit

Pacific

Terrible

Skookum

January

Warrior

Negola

Brown Point

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SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Crystal River Current, 1886-1887.

Marble City Times, 1893-1894.

Marble Booster, 1911-1917.

Geological Survey Bulletin 884 by J. W. Vanderwilt.

History of the State of Colorado by Frank Hall, The Blakely Printing Company, Chicago, Ill., Vol. IV.

A Statement to the Stockholders of the Colorado-Yule Marble Co., by J. F. Manning. Data concerning dates of sales, buildings, etc.

History of Yule Marble Companies’ Properties at Marble by Edward C. Hanley, dated at Denver, Colo., Feb. 14, 1929.

Vermont Marble Co., Proctor, Vt.

APPRECIATIONS

My special gratitude to the following persons who so graciously dug through old papers, pictures, and memories to find special facts:

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. G. McManus, Glenwood Springs, Colo.

Mr. J. L. Dever, Glenwood Springs, Colo.

Mr. and Mrs. John Reheuser, Denver, Colo.

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Herman, Denver, Colo.

Mr. Kenneth E. Herman, Denver, Colo.

Mrs. V. F. Ratay, Denver, Colo.

Mrs. Anna May Brooks, Littleton, Colo.

Mr. Frank E. Kistler, Redstone, Colo.

Mr. Colon L. Moore, Gunnison, Colo.

Mr. John E. Davisson, Grand Junction, Colo.

Mr. Dick CarScadden, Aspen, Colo.

Christensen Bros., Aspen, Colo.

Mr. Theodore (Sgt.) Jackson, Delta, Colo.

Mr. and Mrs. Wade C. Loudermilk, Marble, Colo.

Mr. Elmer Bair, Carbondale, Colo.

Mrs. Maxine Fowler, Long Beach, Calif.

Mrs. Lucille Jones, Sunnyside, Utah.

Mrs. C. H. Patterson, Farmington, New Mex.

Mr. C. Ambrose Williams, Phoenix, Ariz.

Mr. John A. Williams, Phoenix, Ariz.

Mr. Fred Raymond, Proctor, Vt.

Mr. and Mrs. Olyn Parker, Denton, Tex.

Mrs. Hazel McCully, Grand Junction, Colo.

Vermont Marble Co., Proctor, Vt., graciously searched the files of the Colorado Yule Marble Co.—their Colorado branch—and sent much valuable data.