Apparently, the editors of the Colorado Transcript were having a good week in 1880. Their section on local news is upbeat and provides a little bit of everything. The weather was cold (18 degrees Fahrenheit below 0!) and it was “a good night for a sleigh ride” on November 17, 1880. The population was increasing, merchants reported good trade, there was water in Clear Creek, the public schools were thriving, and prospectors were coming to winter quarters. The city council had just decided to reduce their meeting schedule to once a month. Overall, life was good (despite Denver papers alleging the pointlessness of even one meeting).
In a more dramatic snippet, a young man attempted to jump on the front cowcatcher on a moving train. Fortunately, he was not seriously harmed, though he did come close to being thrown under the wheels. The Colorado Transcript commented, “Those narrow-gauge engines are not very large, boys, ‘tis true, but they are hardly large enough for you to play with in that manner.”
Politics was a topic of concern 130 years ago, just as it is now. John A. Kasson of Iowa was announced as the US Speaker of the House. Rumors flew that General Sherman would cede his position to President Grant, when the president’s term ended in March, 1881. The paper wrote, “That would be accommodating. Perhaps Sherman’s zeal for the party is not so great as Grant’s, and it may be that an emergency will arise where party zeal will be necessary in the general of the army.” Partisan politics (and humor about them) are not unique to today’s world.
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