CHAPTER II 

 THE NEW DAY IN COLORADO 



THE old day in Colorado was the era of frontier bar- 

 barism. The glitter of Pike's Peak gold drew throngs 

 of adventurous folk who toiled across the plains of Kan- 

 sas and Nebraska in wagon-trains that they might spec- 

 ulate in the mysterious possibilities of a new country. 

 They were not home- builders, but fortune-hunters. 

 Wherever they found placer gold rude settlements sprang 

 up. 



In the mean time the cattle industry began to contend 

 with Indians and buffalo for the possession of the grazing 

 lands which sloped away from the Rockies, and the neces- 

 sity of a base of supplies planted the seeds of. a few per- 

 manent towns, such as Denver and Pueblo. These were 

 mere clusters of rude homes and stores which seemed to 

 hold out scant promise of future importance. The In- 

 dians were numerous and troublesome, and the life of 

 the pioneers was spiced with danger. Though the coun- 

 try belonged nominally to Kansas, there was but the 

 slightest pretence of civil government. Practically the 

 only authority was that exercised by organizations of cit- 

 izens, who brought horse-thieves and murderers to speedy 

 justice upon the most convenient tree. 



In 18G1 Colorado became a Territory, and was then 

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