Leadville Newspaper Articles
Leadville, Colorado
 (Photograph courtesy of Beverly and Roger Phillips) The picture in the above newspaper article shows the "other" John Perme’s Saloon, located at 700 Elm Street. When this photograph was taken he had already moved on to another location. The Herald Democrat, Section II, Leadville, Colorado Leadville Had Many Fine Boarding Houses This building at 700 Elm is an example of a number of buildings which were used for private large boarding house enterprises. With single men coming in droves to Leadville to work in the mines the need for boarding houses became self-evident, and those who had large homes or places of business in front soon realized a good thing. Couples who had large families had built-in help. Extra help was also available from sending for ladies from the "old country" when a job was there. Many of these ladies soon became Mrs.ed with the good supply of eligible bachelors, but there were always more "where they came from." Married men who had left their wives behind either in the "old country" or here were also patrons of boarding houses. Both bed and board were provided in the arrangements. Augusta Tabor was probably the first woman in Leadville to keep the family going by providing boarding facilities in the days when her husband Horace moved from camp to camp before he hit it rich in the Little Pittsburgh and became one of the most famous of the "silver kings." Because in the very early days a place to sleep was a major problem, it is recorded that George Pullman supposedly got the idea for sleeping cars just from seeing how miners packed themselves into bunks in tiers along the walls of small cabins. There was more than one boarding house on Elm Street as large buildings had been constructed there in the early days when mile-long Chestnut Street became a mass of population and structures, necessitating the overflow to go one direction or another. John and Johanna Bernat had a like establishment in the 500 block of Elm which occupied the now vacant lot across from the present Eagles Hall. Those headquarters were outgrown, and the three-story Crystal Palace was purchased at the corner of Chestnut and Pine. Those three stories provided plenty of sleeping room. Many of the boarding houses prior to prohibition added a saloon to their bed and board enterprises. The theory was, "The miners are going to drink some place so why not provide them with a package plan." The many-roomed boarding houses also made it easy to secure employees from the former home land of the couples conducting the business since they had a place for them to live. There was no housing problem such as is being experienced today in a busy ski resort like Vail. A humorous story – in some respects – concerns an incident which occurred in a boarding house located in the 400 block of Elm. One of the amorous local miners had his advances spurned by one of the beautiful bar maids who had come over from the "old country." Thoroughly miffed, he sought revenge so he wandered upstairs and found the room which was occupied by the young lady. On the bed reposed a beautiful Easter hat she had purchased with her first earnings. He’d show her – he’d get even for turning him down. He proceeded to ruin the hat. The building at 700 Elm was a barber shop, a candy store and other enterprises before Mr. and Mrs. Anton Bost came here from Pueblo in the early 1920s to establish a new home and occupation. The ample quarter provided plenty of room for the family which grew to seven children and remained a family home for many years. The Koerners of Denver realized the outstanding qualities of the building and purchased it when all the Bost family members had moved elsewhere. Although boarding houses are associated with the early mining days of Leadville – and would still be a going business if high food prices did not make it hesitant nowadays for anyone to enter such a venture – boarding houses in America go back to the 1700s. School teachers were known to "board around." Widows established boarding houses to supplement their livelihood. One of the most famous boarding houses in New York was known as the Widow Gallop’s and attracted such well-known people as Robert Fulton. Even the Boston magnates sought girls from New England to work in their mills and provided food and lodging plus the magnificent wage of $2.00 a week. In Boston there were strict rules to observe: Lights out at 10 p.m.; church attendance on Sundays; observation of the Sabbath with no card playing on Sundays. Charles Dickens who made a tour of the east in 1841 didn’t think much of the idea of married couples taking advantage of the cheap living provided by boarding houses. This didn’t occur in Leadville as far as is known. As soon as the eligible bachelor won the heart of the girl who waiting on him, they set up housekeeping on their own. And in many instances it was a "fast romance" with some of the girls having worked only a month before "hooking a husband," and the man of the house disgustedly had to send for a replacement. This was costly for the proprietor for the usual arrangement was that the transportation cost was borne by him, and the employee was to work at least long enough to replay that cost. The expression "boarding house reach" took no time in becoming part of American language. The ample food prepared by the cooks had the miners eagerly scrambling for the various dishes. History records that over seventy percent of the population in early times lived in boarding houses. Why not? They provided companionship, freedom for responsibility, and it was also fashionable. Necessity in the 1800s in the east caused the growth of boarding houses. So many people came to New York in the 1830s looking for jobs that the city became knows as "one great boardinghouse." The same was true for Leadville. Miners had to find a place to eat and sleep, and houses could not be erected as rapidly as the need for them. The boarding house is now considered an American institution of the past. |
Undated Newspaper Article Two stories of the Crystal Palace have hit the dust. This led to a little reminiscing about former occupants. The name of Martinelli was visible for many years on the building. Our historian tells us that the Martinelli's has some beautiful daughters who were courted by the swains of the area. One of the suitors is said to have lost out when he treated the girl's prize tomcat with disrespect. Then John Bernat brought his beautiful daughters to live in this huge home. When the girls were growing up, the third story rooms served for playhouses which were the envy of all their playmates. Jennie, the oldest daughter, was the first to leave the family fold when she became Mrs. Thomas Keating. The bridegroom took his bride to China, and the Bernat girls didn't have to fall back on fairy tales to impress their friends. They could hold silence by telling about big sister's life in China. The most impressive fact was that Jennie had servants in her Chinese home. Thomas Keating, now deceased, worked for many years for the Standard Oil Company in China. The last known address of Jennie Keating is San Diego. Josephine was considered the delicate beauty of the family. In fact, a snapshot of her was considered equal to a Hollywood beauty. One of her snapshots caused a few of the younger set of the neighborhood some anxious moments. These members of the younger set for a time developed a pastime of answering lovelorn letters and get-acquainted letters published in some of the pulp magazines of the day. One of the lovelorners became particularly impressed and desired a picture. Josephine's picture was sent. He became so infatuated with the picture that he was ready to board the next train for arrival in Leadville. Luckily, he was located on the east coast, and a hurry-up telegram was sent to inform him that the subject of the picture had to make a hasty departure for Canada due to the death of a grandmother, ending the romance. Josephine has been Mrs. George Foster for a quarter of a century. Last word about them was that Foster had gone into the contracting business for himself, which requires living in all parts of the U. S. Angela was the dark-haired beauty of the Bernat girls. She became Mrs. Thompson, and the couple are in Utah where Thompson is still with the U. S. Fish Bureau. The youngest girl, Rose, became Mrs. Shultz, and still lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and family. Louis Bernat is still employed in Alaska while the youngest boy, John, lives in California. |
The Herald Democrat - Leadville, CO Christmas cards present the opportunity to hear from old-time friends at least once a year. Such pleasure is derived from the various members of the former occupants of the late Crystal Palace. The Bernat family spent many happy hours growing up in the three story building which years before it became known as the Crystal Palace, was Martinelli's Saloon. The stellar attraction of the Crystal Palace during the Bernat regime was the mechanical "jack of all instruments." This musical giant played several instruments at one time for the price of a nickel. Many people wonder what happened to this magnificent instrument. Unconfirmed reports place it in a Las Vegas collector's showcase.... |
 (Photograph courtesy of Beverly and Roger Phillips) The above newspaper article shows the Crystal Palace Hotel during its autumn years. The title of this newspaper article is a metaphor that clearly tells the story for any seasoned Leadville citizen -- the building is forever gone, just like the annual Ice Palace constructed out of blocks of ice during the freezing winter season, only to melt away into oblivion when the Spring thaw arrives. Thursday, October 25, 1979 It’s In The Ice Palace Park Now This rambling old structure at the corner of Pine and Chestnut for many years was a large part of Leadville's history. Built around 1880 the wooden hotel building had many owners and several names, but it seems to have always housed a saloon and a hotel boarding house. It was most noted as the locale of the famed Wurlitzer PianOrchestra that is now being offered for sale by a collector for $65,000. Another part of Leadville's history more valuable to others than to ourselves. The Crystal Palace has had many owners among whom were Frank German, Joe and Louis Martinelli, Rudolph Sayer, Louis Matekel, John Bernat and Mary Bailey. There were others. It also had a number of names with the one most remembered by the older folks being Martinelli's. It was also called Bernat's and lastly the Crystal Palace. The structure was torn down in the early 1960's after the rear had been damaged in an arson inspired fire that sent several people to jail. The bar was on the left, the center door led to the hotel rooms upstairs while the entrance to the right was for the kitchen. This is just another part of the history of Leadville written now only in memories of our residents. |
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