The Gold Rush Days, Cripple Creek, a journey to the past Our Pioneers – Part Two

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The Gold Rush Days, Cripple Creek, a journey to the past Our Pioneers – Part Two

While existing in Cripple Creek Colorado, I exhausted numerous days roaming around Pikes Peak Mountain range, to the far north, looking off into the distance is the san-de-cristo Mountains, and this range of mountains means “The Blood of Christ.” As a result, the range was named by Spanish, when they came to conquer the new world, this range of mountains, located on the other side of  Pikes Peak, facing to the North West corner of Colorado and the plains of New Mexico. The San De Cristo Mountain Range lights up just before sunset, by the means of the sun, which strike upon them and produces an explosion of brilliant colors of red like blood… Thus the Name of “The Blood of Christ” was born.  I know my track around The Rocky Mountains and passes, to the equivalent of living there all my life.

Throughout my years in the 1990’s, I would fetch my dogs and scamper off in my jeep, to a locality called, Eleven Mile Run.  The road was bumpy, and grated dirt, this path you needed to follow was and insane dirt road, while at the same time, you would navigate a powerful changing river, driving about eight miles, up hill, while the river was rushing down from the mountains, this was my ideal spot.  Concealed by trees, I would find my greatly loved boulders, numerous shapes and sizes of boulders.  We park into a turnoff and walk down, making our own path, until we reach your destination of my desired place, a large boulder in the middle of this river. 

The river traveled swiftly thus my dog, which got pleasure from running and playing in the river. Whilst I originally established the location my dogs forever treasured playing there, Penny, the mother chow prized hurdling into the water and exploring ever nook and cranny during her hikes up and around the vicinity.  She was so adventurous, although her daughter Cody, was more timid, and took to looking around in a safe way, heck not Penny, she would explore every rock and water fall, at the same time shaking the water off her heavy winter red coat. 

When I initially went to Eleven Mile Run, people we the minority, at present there is now a ranger station which now you have to pay, the mountain has befallen the crowds and converted into a popular tourist location, due to the fact it is only about an hour drive from Cripple Creek.  At the end of Eleven Mile, are camping sites, and a great rock climbing area as well as hiking trails. However, on the top of the mountains was a wall and behind this wall was the Eleven Mile Dame. 

As soon as I moved to Cripple Creek I rented a house in the summer of 1992, all the old timers still lived in Cripple Creek.  Bearing in mind, in several years in the coming future this town will become too industrious and expensive for the locals, the prices of homes soared, from a $5000 home to an $80,000 home. Who knows now in 2011 what the prices could be?  As a rule, many locals were constantly poor; as a result, they sold their old shack homes to the ridiculous people from all over the country that required a place to live and to work.  I should admit, I secured more money in Cripple Creek then anyplace I everlastingly worked in all my life.  I guess the Gold Rush Days and the Pikes Peak Mountain, even now, wants to persist in the wish to be essential to spew out Gold.

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Consent to reading my thoughts whilst I travel back in time, how about what lead up to the Gold Rush day? First we had the Civil war; Philadelphia was a busy town, around 1793 the yellow fever obliterates this famous town.  Art Star was a famous trapper, a trade he learned from his father; he would take large groups of folks out to show them the most excellent hunting places.  Art keep an eye on this condition as it was responsible for the destruction of destroying his beloved town and he become conscious that it was essential to leave and head west.  His entire family died from the yellow fever, he experienced deep loss and despondency, and he must find out where he belonged, he was already 24 years old and he ought to recognize when it’s time to renounce and make his own way in life.

Art felt off course as he watched the refugees, thousand of people were pouring off the large boats causing this sickness to his world.  During this time more then 55,000 humans landed from the large boats arrive to the American ports.  During this summer a great amount of refugee’s escaped political turmoil in the Caribbean islands which caused this large city to go into a crises mode.

Art scrutinized the ships as they unload its human cargo. At that moment, Art grasped it was time to move west, Philadelphia was finished for him and he old enough to follow the folks that were talking about a great mountain range, there was acknowledgement of Gold. At was noticeable as he favored his old Fedora hat, he had a full beard, wore a coat that matched his hat and always had his pipe.  His hair was light sandy blond and held in a pony tail, he looked old for his age, tragedy offered up a story on his face.

Acknowledging it was his turn to leave home, he bound on one of the many trains heading west, he looked up and observed an old friend on the train, John, B. Stetson, John was one of his hunting partners and Art remembered he made this funny hat as a joke, he called it a cowboy hat, he made a big rim which was wide, and had an up turned rim, Art laughed to himself when he saw how large this hat was. John wore  this strange hat on one of his hunting trips and revealed that this hat, not only protected his face from the sun, and on the contrary, it also protected him from the rain and other weather conditions.   The hat became popular and he sold them for $5.00 a piece, heck you noticed almost every cowboy had a Stetson.  John was also heading west; hence Art took a seat next to John heading west.

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Following the civil war, the cowboys were reverence, herding cattle on long cattle runs, along the rail heads, that is where the popular cities along the railhead developed, Dodge City was the largest, it was a Wild West cowboy town, and Art was itch’en to see this town of Sodom.  Everyone revered the thought of being a cowboy. This is where he would stumble on this ‘Great Gold Rush’ and he could feel the excitement as his heart pounded and his anticipation was building.

Art transpire to feeling ill, John departed the train the day before to sell his hats in one of the towns along the way to Dodge City.  Instantly, being alone as the train progressed his body started quivering and felt he felt a deep bone bitter chill.  At this point, Art recognized his symptoms, he witnessed everyone each person he loved in his life die of the Yellow fever.  He touched deep in his spirit and could see the fear, the intensity was unmistakable.  It was late, dark, and pouring rain outside, several of the windows of the trained were missing or broken; the closer the train traveled west the colder the train was becoming.  

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