The Boys of Crawford’s Basin

THE STORY OF A MOUNTAIN RANCH
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF COLORADO

BY

SIDFORD F. HAMP

Author of “Dale and Fraser, Sheepmen,” etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY

CHASE EMERSON

W. A. WILDE COMPANY

BOSTON CHICAGO

Copyrighted, 1907

BY W. A. WILDE COMPANY

All rights reserved

The Boys of Crawford’s Basin

“THERE WAS BIG REUBEN LOOKING DOWN AT US”

PREFACE

In relating the adventures of “The Boys of Crawford’s Basin,” the authorhas endeavored to depict the life of the ranchman in the mountains ofColorado as he knew it towards the end of the “seventies” of the centuryjust past.

At that date, the railroads, after their long climb from the MissouriRiver to the foot of the Rocky Mountains, were still seeking apracticable passage westward over that formidable barrier, and inconsequence, the mountain ranchman—who, by the way, was also sometimesa prospector and frequently a hunter—having no means of shipping hisproduce to the outside world, depended for his market upon one oranother of the many little silver-mining camps scattered over the State.

That infant State was but just learning to walk without leading-strings;and it has been the aim of the author to show how two stout youngfellows, prone to honesty and not afraid of hard work, were able to dotheir share in advancing the prosperity of the growing Commonwealth inwhich their lot was cast.

It may not be out of place, perhaps, to mention that, besides having hadconsiderable experience in ranching, the author was, about the date ofthe story, himself prospecting for silver and working as a miner. Hewould add, too, that several of the incidents related therein, and thosein his opinion the most remarkable, are drawn from actual facts.

CONTENTS