Changes

Less than five years later (1893), the price of silver crashed. The miners first turned to gold, after Tom Walsh opened the Camp Bird Mine to the southwest. Eventually this mine, too, closed.

Less than five years later (1893), the price of silver crashed. The miners first turned to gold, after Tom Walsh opened the Camp Bird Mine to the southwest. Eventually this mine, too, closed.

Thereafter Ouray became a tourist attraction, subsisting on income from the Ouray Ice Park to the south, and the original hot springs that are located halfway up-slope, on the right bank. In real life, this tourist trade continues today. But in the alternate reality of the novel, this trade failed on or about the year 2000, possibly coincident with the runaway [[Constitution]]al convention that saw the rise-to-power of the infamous [[Mr. Thompson]] and his hangers-on. Years later, [[Midas Mulligan|Michael Mulligan]] of [[Chicago]], known as "Midas" to his friends and associates, bought the now twice-defunct town, together with several miles of the Uncompaghre River Valley to the north and south. Midas Mulligan knew what others did not: governments come and go, but land, especiall mineral-rich land, holds its value. He reasoned that eventually he could finance some miners who might reopen the old Camp Bird Mine and prospect for other minerals in addition to gold or silver.

Thereafter Ouray became a tourist attraction, subsisting on income from the Ouray Ice Park to the south, and the original hot springs that are located halfway up-slope, on the right bank. In real life, this tourist trade continues today. But in the alternate reality of the novel, this trade failed on or about the year 2000, possibly coincident with the runaway [[Constitution]]al convention that saw the rise-to-power of the infamous [[Mr. Thompson]] and his hangers-on. Years later, [[Midas Mulligan|Michael Mulligan]] of [[Chicago]], known as "Midas" to his friends and associates, bought the now twice-defunct town, together with sixty miles of the Uncompaghre River Valley, beginning with the old Ouray Ice Park (the river's source) and extending downstream and north. Midas Mulligan knew what others did not: governments come and go, but land, especially mineral-rich land, holds its value. He reasoned that eventually he could finance some miners who might reopen the old Camp Bird Mine and prospect for other minerals in addition to gold or silver.

Or so he thought.

Or so he thought.