Charles Wesley Franklin

Charles Wesley Franklin died at Denver, Colorado, September 26, 1913, aged fifty-five years. He was born on a farm near Booneville, Missouri, and spent his boyhood at Sedalia, that State. Early in life he entered a printing establishment at Sedalia and, after service as "devil”, typesetter, and job printer, became a reporter and editor. He was educated in the country schools and the public schools of Sedalia, Missouri, and Leavenworth, Kansas, and studied at Central College, Fayette, Missouri, and the University of Missouri at Columbia.

In 1880 he came to Leadville, Colorado, in the midst of its early mining boom, and there worked as a typesetter upon the “Ilerald”, and as manager of the job printing office of the “Chronicle.” The following year he resuined the study of the law and for a time was in the office of Patterson & Thomas at Leadville and of G. G. White at the same place. He was also assistant district attorney in those turbulent days of Leadville's history. Equipped with an excellent practical knowledge of the law, he once more took up its technical side, this time at the University of Michigan, and, upon graduation there, returned to Leadville and was re-appointed assistant district attorney.

Franklin had been one of the earliest residents of the new mining camp of Aspen. IIe was with the second outfit that went into that country over the Independence Trail. In 1885 he formed a partnership for the practice of law with James M. Downing at Aspen, which shared in all the success and prosperity of the camp. During this time he was identified with some of the greatest legal contests over mining rights which have arisen in Colorado, the most notable being the “apex cases”, and thenceforth was always engaged to a large extent in mining law. He was a man of fine presence, a ready speaker, and exceptionally good in

the trial of cases. In 1893 the partnership with Mr. Downing terminated upon Mr. Franklin's removal to Denver to become the general counsel of the Midland Terminal Railway. From that time until his death, Mr. Franklin practiced his profession in Denver, where for twenty years his office was in the Equitable Building. A part of this time he was in partnership with Lafe Pence, and a part of it (1906-1912) in partnership with Harry B. Tedrow. In 1893 a branch office of Pence & Franklin was maintained at Cripple Creek with Kurnal R. Babbitt as the third member.

Mr. Franklin gave much of himself to public affairs and was constantly serving upon committees for the advancement of the public welfare. He was widely known. He never held a political office, although when a young man he ran for that of clerk and recorder of Pitkin County, to which office it subsequently developed he had been elected and counted out, and in 1908 bis name was presented to the Democratic State Convention for nomination for Governor. In that year he was chairman of the local Denver committee having charge of all the arrangements for the National Democratic Convention. He served as vice-president and as president of the Denver Bar Association. His widow, who was Carrie May Beman, of Leadville, and a daughter, Mrs. Lucile Hendrie, survive him. Ilis only son, Charles B. Franklin, pre-deceased him by one year.

Chauncey Wilson Blackmer

Chauncey Wilson Blackmer was hor› October 11, 1848, at Somerset, Hillsdale County, Michigan, and did at Cripple Creck, Colorado, March 5, 1913. When a stall lad, his family moved to Omro, Wisconsin, where he spent his boyhood. After graduating from the White Water School moved to Sioux City, Iowa, and in May, 1871, was admitted to the Bay at larion, Iowa.

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In the Spring of 1872 he came to Norte until 1882; ten eventful, and 1 his arrival in Colorado he was appon District Attorney, and his then practice forest and largely deterine, sional career. This other he abandı ne?! in tion as county jud. On January 11. 1873, be med Margaret Ellen Glasgow of D. Norte, who wish a daugher survives him. On March 25, 1874, Mr. Blackmer was adipified to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Colorado, and in 1882 moved to Montrose. During his residence there he did not devote his endre time to the law, but took an active interest in Repablican polities and in 1885 was elected superintendent of pullie (retra

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