New-York tribune., 1867-05-31
4 T0UR 1ERoUGH THE BOCKY NoUNIAlNS
No "

RANGE
,,ov our sp.cial Correspondent ,e.-
have now spent week IN COloiauo-iiiNs IN
frsIv with her ever kind and generous people u ''i
cIasses visited her vast and rich, but saulS uIp
duotlye mines shared the proverbiai hosPi''n''
liar thrifty farmers attended her horse Iaoo' 60
raading-rooms; her churches ana 'nea.e'S' to,,
messed her variable climate-1Tom INC ii ;tb
storm 10 the hurricane that illunines I's p"'n
tha Tobtnino,s fash perspired under her seoIcllns
,oorS Sov sun and spent the evenings OF 'he S''i"S
Sor. ovid the cheerful welcome FIRE OF her own co'i
cd end seen her hopeful, expanding business
conters in the tide of prosperity ana her ueSe'teu
villages created by feyerish speculation no" tne
,nsighIv monuments Of decay. All these pass De-
fore the inouirng tourist like some swift revolving
panorama, and each day leaves him beWlldered WIN
its shifting scenes and its impressive lessons
Of all the far Western cities have visited, Denver
seems to me the most inviting and substantial AZ
has had the usual schooling Of prosperous clnes IN
,ninino reOiops. its history has been bloted by the
supremacy of thieves and desperadoes; It's Nshahce
committee has been compelled to usurp the functions
of the law in behalf of morality and public sa1ety;
its gamblers have even, until within two years occu
pied its choicest places, where the Vlctm was iuItu
to ruin in open day by bands of music but sturdy
earnest faithful people have steadily warred upoh
defiant crime until it has surrendered the contest
and left Denver q city Of c0mmendable order ana
morals Itnow numbers probably eight thousand ln-
habitants; has semiuaTies and schools nearly haf
soore of churches, three daily newspapers, an excel
lent reading ROOM the finest stores have seen west
of Chicago, and class of business men unsurpassed
in character OF attainments in any of our Eastern
towns of the same size. 1t has the common fault OF
all Western cities. While they grow at ALL they
grow with feverish, unhealthy pace Instead Oh sys
tematically labOring to cheaper homes business
places and products they all struggle to swell the tde
of initiation In few instances, IL may De saStalneu
by fortnitOus circumstances, but as rule 1t results
in financial disaster and in prosTatlng prices busl-
ness and growth below their proper level. Denver
was the creation of the mines. Ii now is hoatmg on
the waves of hope and dlscounng all ITS prospects
If the mineral wealth OF Colorado snail De nasteISu
at early day, then must Denver even suipass tne
expectations of its citizens; but If successive years
of doubt and hope deferred should be the 1ate Oh Cor
orado then must its decline be fearful and to very
many fatal. l share fully the hope OF the business
men of Denver, that they have reached nearly or
quite the depth of misfortune, and while lots ana
rents are still at fabulous prices, look for them TO
advance rather than decline. There IS wealth
enough TO maintain the struggle until science shall
pour into it's lap the untold wealth OF the surround
ing mountains, and the busy husb9ndman is yearly
making the parched plains about the city TO bloom
and ripen with the golden fruits OF the held;
Col3ra9o mas Desn sSS MouE1 % f hui i,i fr cortcJ
ing clques of selfish and corrupt politicians ana IS
ever cOnvulsed by their ceaseless machinations 1t
would seem that Caesar has party, and Antony
party but that Colorado has none. Badly as most Of
our Territories have been and are still governed,
know of none that has been so played upon and be-
deyiled by ambitious tricksers as Colorado Her pol
icy is ever unsettled her future uncertain and doubt
disappointment, and Illumination the experience OF
her people. Gen. Hunt would doubtless make her
State tomorrow if he and his friends could hold tie
winning cards, and whether many OF tine present
State leaders would not, in that event Tecede IN in
yor of a continued territorial government certainly
admits of argument. This struggle, ever injurious
10 COlOTauO III Wouiu seem must continue t!tS uuth
she is admitted and for that reason alone If for no
other trust Congress will speedily end the contest
in that way. The fact that those who ask her adj
mission in sympathy with the loyal men OF the
nation while those who resist it are IN harmony with
and sustained by the faithless here and elsewhere Is
an additional argument in favor Of ending this bitter
and disastrous strife, that should be conclusive l
firmly believe that the material interests Of Colorado
would be more advanced IN one year under state
organization than in five years OF inevitable terri
torial misgovernment and acrimonious political |ar-
fare.
gigantic suicide In 1862 hermines yielded not less
than eight millions of gold. In 1856 they yielded less
than one million although hermnes to-day present te1
tim the number OF rich leads they had developed
when the product was the largest. True, elich min
ing has passed awaylt mas dQhe lts WOIK ana M ilie
free gold of the surface has changed, as the
shafts have descended, into eomRlnatloh WIN tle
refractory @ ne'? nt SI J od siIVcr nn,slIy
The rage for speculation in the East made some OF
the shrewder owners of the mines put them into
hugo corporations at bewide1ing prices AID the min
ers were not long in learning that it was easier TO
make hundred thousand or so by single sale TO
Yerdant capitalists than to earn IT by pan ana shoyeI,
or by rude stamps, however Tch the yield Thus the
infection reached the mines and thousands who are
less content to treble wages at mining, became
mere prOprietors speculatOra, and often swindleIs
Legitimate mining was almost entirely abandoned,
and the whole industrial wealth OF Colorado was
paralyzed AS soon as one good lead was sold
hundred Others, in the Same locality, would be
forced or to the market successfully by regular
system of Jeremy diddling, and 'Salted" lodes and
hired certificates used to tempt the Unsuitable
appetite for sudden wealth.
It is o startling fact but nevertheless true, that
there has been nearly much money invested III
q Is product
mines from their discovery until now. have seen
the fruits of twenty millions Of capital IN one days
ride from Denver TO this place The Clear Creek
gulch for several miles east of Central City, until we
leave il TO ascend the range west Of Central is almost
continued city of idle mills and machinery
Some are rOtting down and their machinery falling
10 pieces; Others give unmistakable signs OF aban-
dOnment and decay. Still Others are closed up IN
tOerable preservation but evidently have served
their purpose in the hands of THEN present
few-not one in teIl-aTe IN operation, but all, or
nearly all are gutess of dividends 10 their stock
holders. Many Of the finest mills have been
built by companies who were cheated in
were ready TO run, that they bad no gold
ore to reduce. Others found their ores so charged
with suphurets that they could not amalgamate;
but perhaps the larger class swinded and bank
had practical ideas of the successful development Of
gold They had been promised easy dividends by
those who sold them their mines and they all rushed
up their mills, at enormous expense, before they had
opened their leads or had any proper preparation for
getting out their ore The result was delay wasteinl
extravaganea and usually, bankruptcy. l. saw tully
a score of mills erected by Eastern companies which
had not one good mine, put them all together. One
excellent stono mill, built by Gen. Eitz John Porter
is now used as O stable and il serves q better
purpose than do most of the others. Many Of them
have good mines but they never can work them
profitably at present organized They must, as
rule be0in again; procure machinery adapted
10 the peculiar OF Colorado, bring their inflated
capital down TO something like rational figure, and
enforce the same system of economy in their man
aQemoDt that their practice III their private