How Bad was It? | Caboose Cobwebs
I have heard that Chinese were not welcome in many Colorado towns. This 1889 story tells of a surprise visit to this area. The story went around when Leadville was in its infancy, that the Cloud City was not a healthy resort for the “heathen Chinese,” and the followers of Confucius gave the town a wide berth. All looked with disfavor on their arrival and some were for organizing to drive them out of the city.
“A special train with a large number of Chinese arrived in Leadville. Word spread of the event. On investigation it was learned that they had only arrived in the city temporarily and much against their wishes. They were passengers on the D&RG’s Salt Lake train bound for the east, and a washout had just happened on the D&RG between Pueblo and Salida. The train would not normally come into Leadville, but it was found necessary to bring them to the station, and transfer them to the Midland, which ran a special train from Colorado Springs.
“The D&RG depot presented quite a lively appearance. There were hundreds of the visitors. Actually, it was 250 passengers with their baggage, camped on the platform for an hour or so, and they viewed the surrounding country with astonishment. They gazed at the hills where so much wealth was being taken out and wondered at the wonderful formations. Although the washout put them to considerable annoyance, they had a view of the greatest mining camp on earth that was unexpected. The D&RG people had telegraphed the Midland, when they learned of the washout, asking for this assistance, which was readily accorded. The necessary arrangements for the special was dispatched band soon arrived. The last heard from the train was it made it safely to Denver and was soon on its way east.”
I have heard stories from early newspapers in Leadville of how badly the Chinese were treated. Many of these arrived after the completion of the Centra Pacific in California and Nevada. Even here on the front range the Chinese were not really all that welcome, unless they had some sort of business or trade. Colorado Springs had a prominent Chinese gift shop dealing with Oriental art and jewelry for many years, but few Chinese laundries.
Mel McFarland