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The New American Digest

For Followers of Gerard Van der Leun's Fine Work

  • About American Digest
  • About New American Digest
  • “The Name In The Stone”
  • Remembering Gerard Van der Leun
    • from the website: Through the Looking Glass
    • from the website: Barnhardt
    • from the website: Neo’s Blog
  • Articles
    • The Overland Stage
      • The Holladay Overland Stage: 1 – The Central Route
      • The Overland Stage – 2 Company Operations
      • The Overland Stage – 3 Exploring The Route – An Overview
      • The Overland Stage: 4 – South Platte/Julesburg/Ft Sedgwick
        • Jack Slade
      • The Overland Stage: 5 – Julesburg to Junction Station (aka Ft Morgan)
      • The Overland Stage: 6 – Junction Station to Latham
      • The Overland Stage: 7 – Latham Crossing to Fort Collins
      • The Overland Stage: 8 – LaPorte to Virginia Dale
      • The Overland Stage: 9 – Virginia Dale to Cooper Creek
      • The Overland Stage: 10 – Cooper Creek to Pass Creek
        • Fletcher Family
      • The Overland Stage: 11 – Pass Creek to Bridger Station
      • The Overland Stage: 12 – Bridger Pass to Duck Lake
      • The Overland Stage: 13 – Duck Lake to LaClede
      • The Overland Stage: 14 – LaClede to Almond
      • The Overland Stage: 15 – Almond to Rock Springs
      • The Overland Stage: 16 – Rock Springs to Fort Bridger
      • The Overland Stage: 17 – Fort Bridger to Weber Station

I find I don’t wish to explore new lands, but to explore again those I have already passed through, trying to see what I’d missed in the first hectic rush … Gerard Van der Leun

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Yearly Archives: 2025

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First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln

The New American Digest Posted on July 7, 2025 by ghostsniperJuly 7, 2025

submitted by ghostsniper via Comments

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1861
Fellow-Citizens of the United States: In compliance with a custom as old as the Government itself, I appear before you to address you briefly and to take in your presence the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States to be taken by the President before he enters on the execution of this office.”

I do not consider it necessary at present for me to discuss those matters of administration about which there is no special anxiety or excitement.

Apprehension seems to exist among the people of the Southern States that by the accession of a Republican Administration their property and their peace and personal security are to be endangered. There has never been any reasonable cause for such apprehension. Indeed, the most ample evidence to the contrary has all the while existed and been open to their inspection. It is found in nearly all the published speeches of him who now addresses you. I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that–

I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.

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Posted in others, Uncategorized | 2 Replies

Million Dollar Highway

The New American Digest Posted on July 7, 2025 by DTJuly 6, 2025

So called when they built the road and a million dollars was a LOT of money.

This came up based on discussions of yesterday's post "Study In Old Wood" about Ironton. I believe I forgot to mention I'd like to have lived in Ironton during its heyday ... (just like a few other places I know of). Sometimes I have posts scheduled a few days ahead of time; sometimes I'm not sure what's coming up until time to prepare one. This is one that wasn't planned until I reviewed yesterday's post and comments. Yesterday's post was originally to be just the photo of the old siding ... but I got carried away.

The road passing by the Ironton site is now US550. Ironton is not far below the north side of Red Mountain Pass (11,000 ft) heading towards Ouray (7800ft); this photo is further north of Ironton, dropping down to Ouray ... if you make it.

Road's clear here; try it when it's snowy :)

The original stage/freight road was much narrower than this - as narrow as 8ft in places.
A lot of rock was blasted out to build the modern highway.

"Although the road may be both treacherous and intimidating, adventurous drivers are rewarded with breathtaking views from the top."

"a 25 mile stretch of U.S. 550 that is consistently rated as one of the most scenic drives in the country. Red Mountain Pass is the highest point on that road. It is also one of the most dangerous sections during the winter, because of its steep grade and lack of guardrails."

Saw a family in a station wagon go off the road one winter. They went down about 400ft (known from the length of chains required to pull the car back up) but a conveniently-placed tree and snowbank kept them from going over the couple-hundred foot drop-off down to the Uncompahgre River. Only damage to the family was the need for a change of clothing.

This was the main route between the mining camps of Silverton, Charleston, Red Mountain and Ouray. A railroad came up from Silverton to Ironton but the terrain was too rough for rails down to Ouray. It was originally a toll road; the toll house was on the south side of Bear Creek Falls - this photo (1886) taken from roughly where the scenic turn-out is today. The Bear Creek Falls area is on my list of favorite places to be.

Toll house at Bear Creek Falls; circa 1886

The state took the route over and rebuilt (and widened) the road in the 1920s. It's usually open all year but this is deep snow country and often the road is closed just above Ouray. Fascinating area in both scenery and history.

I was privileged enough to be able to live in both Silverton and Ouray for a short period of my life. Almost - not quite - settled in Ouray. As a friend once told me before she moved on: "You can't eat scenery".

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Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Replies

Study In Old Wood

The New American Digest Posted on July 6, 2025 by DTJuly 5, 2025

Closeup of an old house in Ironton, Colorado circa 1880s.

Ironton was once a "major" city in the San Juan Mountains between Ouray and Silverton. A thousand people, over 300 structures including chain stores, waterworks, and twice-daily railroad service, the town died when the mines did; the post office closed in 1920. The last resident died in the 1960s.

Now overgrown and subject to the ravages of winter at 9800 ft in the high mountains, it is easy to get to and a number of structures still stand. A few miles south of Ouray, it lies just off US550 and is easily reached with 2wd vehicles in nice weather. I wouldn't take a passenger car to the townsite in rainy weather and only snow vehicles can reach it in winter.

pawnbroker Ironton, CO Sept 8 1886
Ironton - circa 1890
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Some Behind The Scenes Thoughts

The New American Digest Posted on July 5, 2025 by DTJuly 5, 2025

Reader Tom Hyland left a couple of comments - which I didn't see - regarding an article he wished to share. He told me he had a message "Waiting moderation" or some such yet there was no notice of anything waiting for approval on the admin site.

Until I dug deeper and found his comments deep in a spam basket.

Now, I'm not sure how or why his comments ended up there - he's on the white list and some of his comments come through - but there they were. Unless the links were bad ... but Abbeville Institute should be OK (and I left the link live)

I moved them to where they belonged and approved them; his thoughts should now be visible in the Comments section of the post "Summer Flowers".

That problem's taken care of. I hope.
Sorry 'bout that Tom ...

What was interesting is the number of comments in the spam bucket that are obviously spam. It's amazing how "readers" from various places around the world use the exact same wordage in their thoughts.

A sample:

Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?

I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.

Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.

Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.


The same phrases from multiple origins (or VPN swaps) and authors. Better than gibberish I suppose.

A sample of author's names:

Vytvorit osobní úcet

Dang k’y binance us

Index Home

There were many more similar comments and "author names" than these.

Now - if any of you are real people - I'm looking at you Index Home - let me know and I'll take you off the spam list. Maybe.
But don't use symbols in your name and don't use a bot IP address when you do so.

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Summer Flowers

The New American Digest Posted on July 5, 2025 by DTJuly 4, 2025

Somewhere west of Idaho Springs, Colorado along old US6

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Independence Day

The New American Digest Posted on July 4, 2025 by DTJuly 2, 2025
"Stars and Stripes Forever" John Philip Sousa - 1896

I lived for a time in Williamsburg, VA. A quiet little town dominated by "Colonial Williamsburg" - a "living history" outdoor museum made up of many of the structures of Williamsburg circa 1775 when it was the capital of the Virginia Colony. The museum attracts visitors from around the world; actors - many from adjacent William & Mary College - play roles of various characters of the pre-Revolution era. Although the museum has entrance fees, the streets are city-owned and not a legal entity of the museum. This means one may wander around Colonial Williamsburg for free with only entrance to some of the buildings and exhibits restricted. The taverns and shops are open to all.

Mrs DT and I would spend 4th of July at the site - special presentations went on all day. There were parades, exhibits, and historical speeches throughout the day, a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Courthouse steps, a concert on the green at sunset, and of course, a fireworks show at dusk.

Parade up Duke of Gloucester St
Fireworks above the Williamsburg Magazine

On the other hand, in a small town in Idaho - a farming town - one of the best fireworks shows I've attended takes place. For all the effort, expense, and professionalism of the big shows, the small towns seem to generate a more realistic celebration of the meaning of the day

Worth the 18 minutes:
Utube dot com/watch?v=m82nYY8Ywqo

Here's to y'all having a glorious 4th..

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In A Foreign Land

The New American Digest Posted on July 3, 2025 by SKJuly 3, 2025

by SK via Comments

I am in a foreign land at the moment, staying with friends in a small town at the base of the Alps.

The heat you all are hearing about is real. The air is dry and the sun is scorching. Feels like desert heat. There has been rain but it mostly evaporates before doing the earth any good. Although lawns and fields are crispy and brown there is still a lot of green to be seen from heavy rains in May. The trees are huge and healthy. Oleander is in full bloom.

The food is delicious- fresh and simply prepared. No fussy sauces or dips, no crusts on fish or chicken. No gigantic appetizers. Ham is just air-dried or baked – no unpronounceable ingredients or plumping salt water injections. Good bread made from only 4 ingredients- water salt yeast and flour. No butter, only olive oil. Good yoghurt made from milk and active cultures, nothing else. People drink coffee, tea, water and wine, no fruit juices or soft drinks. They are on the menus but come in tiny tin cans if ordered, or fresh squeezed at breakfast. Fresh fruit is on every dessert menu. Berries are served in a bowl with lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar.

Food is abundant and cheap. The fruit and vegetables are ripe and flavorful. The selection of cheese is dazzling.

Gas is crazy expensive and so is electricity. Few homes have air con. Windows are opened at night to let cool air in then shuttered in the day to keep heat out. Shutters and doors are always double locked and alarmed. Gardens are walled, fenced, gated and locked. There is an ancient, ingrained fear of invaders and thieves, now largely justified by the real invasion of folk from non Christian places.

People are generally cheerful and friendly. And slim. And patriotic. They all wear locally well made and beautiful sandals, shoes and boots. They walk a lot. Everyone talks about going to the seaside or the mountains for relief from the summer heat. A lot of very old people ride bikes on busy roads and up steep hills.

You dont need a watch. You can tell the time of day from the rhythm in the streets and the church bells that ring. The bells also announce funerals in long, slow, sad gongs. There are many, this is an old country.

No one seems deeply concerned about the world’s woes. Though you hear occasional anti Trump sentiment, fueled mostly by the press and their depiction of life in America or fear of tariffs, there is no real animosity, mostly admiration and fascination with the size and scale of everything American- it is still viewed as a land of opportunity and freedom. Mostly they talk here about food, music, football, cycling, beautiful women – but above all, food. It’s an obsession.

I’d say we still have a lot to learn from the old countries.

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Happy “I Forgot Day”

The New American Digest Posted on July 3, 2025 by DTJuly 1, 2025

It was yesterday.

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July

The New American Digest Posted on July 2, 2025 by DTJuly 1, 2025

It's the time of year where everyone starts complaining about the heat. I just want to remind you of what's coming ... when everyone starts hoping July comes soon.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Replies

Happy Dominion Day

The New American Digest Posted on July 1, 2025 by DTJune 30, 2025

Being from Detroit, the week containing Dominion Day and July 4th was cause for celebration. In 1972, I was old enough to appreciate July 1 on a Friday and the 4th on Monday - and young enough to take full advantage of it. The fireworks shows from Belle Isle were something to experience.

Seems now most all of that is forced and over-celebrated ... and even less so now that Canada is no longer our friendly neighbor.

Canada ceased being "Canada" when they changed their flag and went metric. I recall buying gas in Imperial gallons: 5 quarts to the gallon. Remember - the industrial Revolution which formed the basis of today's technology was measured in imperial units, not French Revolution units.

Sorry, Canada - it was so good to know you.

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Rules

Gerard Van der Leun
12/26/45 - 1/27/23


Gerard's Last Post
(posthumous): Feb 4, 2023
"So Long. See You All a Little Further Down the Road"

When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?
Or tropical rain?
Or snow from the heavens?
Will I join with the ocean blue?
Or run into a savior true?
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night, straight to the light
Holding the love I’ve known in my life
And no hard feelings

Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings

The following was posted along with the announcement of Gerard's passing.
Leonard Cohen - Going Home

For a 2005 interview with Gerard


July 2025
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Most Recent Comments

  1. Tom Hyland on First Inaugural Address of Abraham LincolnJuly 7, 2025

    Three Presidents that formed the highest trifecta of the destruction of the American republic are Lincoln, Wilson and FDR. The…

  2. Tom Hyland on Million Dollar HighwayJuly 7, 2025

    Patel and his sidekick Bongino were shown a video of some of their friends being fed into a wood chipper.…

  3. DT on First Inaugural Address of Abraham LincolnJuly 7, 2025

    Three American Declarations - Two Of Independence, One Against from LewRockwell.com, July 9, 2024 www dot lewrockwell dot com/2024/07/thomas-dilorenzo/three-american-declarations/ "Three…

  4. DT on Million Dollar HighwayJuly 7, 2025

    Published as Post and Page

  5. ghostsniper on Million Dollar HighwayJuly 7, 2025

    One day the powder keg is just gonna up and blow.


Blogroll
The New Neo
Jean's Blog

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
I'm not sleepy
and there ain't no place I'm goin' to

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning,
I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon
your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it


Men who saw night coming down about them could somehow act as if they stood at the edge of dawn.


From Gerard's site. The picture always caught my eye.

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