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Show EdDgP "Wears Ago TTaidlay Proper punishment for improper advances the mines in such condition this winter as to enable them to send out 100 tons of ore per day." To reach that goal, the ground in Park City was being prepared for the construction con-struction of a tramway that would be three-and-a-half miles long, and would extend from the mines to the sampler. sam-pler. "This tramway," wrote the Tribune, "will be constructed con-structed of T rail, and will be operated by horsepower in taking the cars up; they will go down by gravity after being filled with ore." (The Silver King Tram way opened to rave reviews in 1901. The aerial buckets carrying ore headed for the terminus on Park Avenue inched their way over Treasure Hill for more than 50 years. Even when the digging stopped and the buckets were put in storage, locals still held a special place in their hearts for the frame structure that became Park City's most recognizable landmark. The Silver King Coalition Building's final chapter was written in July 1981, when it was destroyed by a massive fire.) by Bettina Moem h Dooley Life in America 100 years ago was a rough-and-tumble affair. Indian attacks were frequent, shootings were routine, and death from disease was so commonplace common-place as to tax the expertise of the most skilled physicians. Hard-working men sought relief in gambling gam-bling dens and houses of ill repute, while outlaws found thrills waylaying the trains and stagecoaches that snaked across the plains. Despite the harsh and sometimes cruel conditions of life in 1884, there were still boundaries of decency that could not be crossed, particularly par-ticularly where women were concerned. The Park Mining Record ran a front-page story of a New York missus who was approached by a man of high standing while doing her household chores. Mr. Diall, it seems, put his hand around Mrs. Whitney's waist. She resisted his shocking advance, but he persisted. She grabbed her husband's rifle and shot the amorous Mr. Diall dead. Said the Record on behalf of all incensed Americans: "The community is loud in its praise of the brave woman's defense of her honor. Assaults upon women in this country has been unusually un-usually frequent of late, three remarkable cases having occurred within a short time." January of 1884 found the postage rate in the country increased from a half-cent per ounce to a cent. In Texas, which was admitted to the Union in 1845, the war between the fence-cutters and the fence-owners was raging. And in Washington, D.C., it was rumored that the Capitol dome was haunted. "Strange noises are heard there nightly," reported the Record. "Perhaps it is the Goddess of Liberty shud dering at some of the scenes she is forced to witness downstairs." In New York, the eminent Dr. Eduard Lasker, one of the most important parliamentarians of the German Empire, "died suddenly sud-denly from heart disease" in his carriage as he was returning retur-ning from dinner. In St. Petersburg, Col. Sudenkin was assassinated, sending Czar Alexander III into a frenzy of fear for his own life that resulted in an all-out search for "an iron-clad paTaceT" Life in Park City was somewhat more serene, and the only complaint the Record cou j raise was that "several crazy drunks made night hideous this week, but no arrests were made." It wasn't that the Record neglected its duty to report the news of local disasters and unseemly conduct, but it did seem to devote more space to happier happenings. hap-penings. With customary enthusiasm, en-thusiasm, it noted that, "These moonlight nights are splendid for coasting, and every sled in town sees good use." In other uplifting news, 32 bars of silver valued at $37,365.31 were shipped from the Ontario during the week ending January 7. The miners had just received their monthly paychecks, boosting spirits throughout the Park. In perhaps the longest news item in the four-page paper dated Jan. 12, it was noted that E.P. Ferry had recently returned from San Francisco, where he was researching machinery and arranging for the construction construc-tion of a concentrating mill at the mines in Park City and a sampling mill at the railway station. Mr. Ferry informed the Salt Lake Tribune that it was the intention inten-tion of his company to "place |