In 1891, Salida, Colorado is one of the most modern towns in the west. There is electricity, numerous multi-story buildings, a thriving economy, and the town is the center of railroad activity. Salida is the epitome of bootstrapping American success.

 

But under the surface is a not-so-secret truth--the people are among the most brutal in the mining region. The majority are rough-and-tumble railroad men who regularly settle their differences with fists and knives and guns. And ropes.

 

Oliver Briley is a newcomer, working in the rail yard. Not understanding the difference in Salida's surface beauty and the underlying violence leads to him paying the ultimate price.