, 1872-10-27
IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS,
Central City. Blackhawk, and Golden
---krchitoCtAraE GuFl0Sities.
In a Tunne1---S1nelting Works
James Peak.
The Autocraf Of the Stage-Coach
...Infant Mountains.


&.
From Our Omn Correspondent.
-. DENVER, Col, October, 1872.
Fancy 3 town Of 5000 people thrown up bv
-some volcanic convulsion, and the houses left
standing in 3 deep, narrow valley, at whatever
angle or altitude they happened to alight, and
you will have very just idea Of
CENTRAL CITY.
It is a typical mining town, built along the
sides Of IN irregular gulch, through which cruns
a stream that is dark and muddy with the wash
ings of numberless mines. The bare, gray rock
that slopes abruptly for nearly 1000
fest On either side, is unrelieved by tree or
shrub. In the only spot where the gulch widenB
sufficiently to admit Of more than single thor
oughfare scarcely broad enough for two teams
to pass, you find yourself in hopeless confusion
as to the points Of compass. The streets wind
around in purposeless sort Of way, without
any apparent beginning or end. You seem to
wander IN very small circle, in utter uncertain
II as to where you started, or in what direction
you are going; but you console yourself that
you cannot get lost so long you are less than
q stones throw from granite wall in every di-
:rection.
In this narrow, dusky, rock k-bound valley,
churches, halls, business-blocks, miners
cabins, and quartz-uaills are tumbled hetrogene-
ouEly together. Some of the blocks and
churches are Of stone; the Seller HOUSE,
which is the finest hotel building in the Terrific
II, outside Of Denver, and towers conspicuously
over everything else,-is Of brick; but the ma
:lorlty Of the houses are Of wood, facing in any
direction that is most convenient, and
PERCHED UPON ANY ELEVATION
where they can find a piece OF g foundation,
which is enlarged to the necessary size by blast
ing out the rocks on one side, aad piling them
up on the other. How the people ever climb to
the residences that are terraced indefi-
nitaly above you on the sharp hill
side, is mystery; and why the stilted houses
don't roll down in strong wind would be still
more Of mystery, if you did not remember the
rarity OF the air, and conclude that the wind,
with all its duster, must be more feeble than
ordinary wind. Still, you lind yourself involun-
tarily wondering what. they do with the little
children, who usually have singular propensi-
t. for tumbling even on level ground, and you in
dulge in sundry philosophical speculations as to
the probability of Rocky Mountain human nature
being especially adapted to steep and rugged
But, it your house stand always on the verge
OF . downfall, you have the satisfaction of know
ing that it
. RESTS on GOLDEN FOUNDATIONS,
and that, it you commence digging in your back
yard or, possibly, out OF your back window, and
have the patience, to dig long enough, ycu are
likely, too, there is tunnel leading from your
door into the midst Of untold wealth that lies
hidden in the heart OF the mountain. Or it may
be there is shaft sunk in the next cellar; and
ing the shining dust out Of the sands in the
shallow bed otthe muddy stream that tumbles
over the rocks dozen yards away.
Altogether, Central City ought to take the
medal for originality. As
AN ARCHITECTURAL CURIOSITY,
it certainly deserves the attention Of artists and
antiquarians. Taking in Nevada which iB 3 |
mile above, and Blackhawk, which is mile be- |
narrow gulch. As it is impossible to tell where
one town ends and the other begins, you wonder !
why they don't call it all Central City; hut each +
seems to be especially tenacious Of its own indi-
vdnelity, and especially sensitive on the subject
Of it's oTn exclusive rights.
BLACKHAwK
ia Central City repeated on smaller scale. Its
houses are dingier, its streets are narrower. and
been the product Of the same grand conyu1sion
that laid out the town. Its uneven planks are
scattered along in terraces, and dip at almost
any angle from horizontal to perpendicular.
q suburban town, and suffers severely from it's
foolish ambition to. stand alone and
maintain separate city organization, sep
a1ate and churches separate s.z daily papers,
clearly how any other name and organization
would help its being built down hill, or give it
any more room to put its houses.
Starting from the hotel 3 few moments drive
you to the large smelling works Of Professor
Hi1l.-that Is, II you are fortunate enough to
escape being hlockaded in the crowded thorough
fare, OF getting upset among the rocks that run
osity to see tie inside OF the mountains, @ you
can
ENTER DARK TUNNEL
that opens out of the street, and find yourself,
as the most cynical Of world-haters would ever
desire to be-. Good Mother Nature rigidly ad-
heres to the law of compensation, and hides her
choicest treasures in the the most deso1ate and
1hrouh tse 1s oT 7 s1Rfa ZEE tho 1
gurgling under our feet, and the flicker
ing candle in our hand only serving
to make the darkness visible. I could
not help thinking that after all, it was
very much like mortal pilgrimage through the /
world I vas quickly compelled, however, to
drop moral reflections and attend to my light,
which seemed to be In Imminent danger Of 60
ing out. As the distant sound Of the work
mans drill WAS very indefinite guide through |
the winding passages, the prospect Of seeing l.
light in darkness WAS not altogether agreeable,
we bai1ed The dim Ight at the farther end Of the
tunnel. There, in this living tomb, 900 feet
from the sunlight, men bury themselves and
toll through the solid rock, at the rate Of
the richest gold veins in the mountains Re-
tracing our steps little way, and turning into /:
a branch Of the main tunnel we come upon
another vein from which they we're taking out
the dark ore, some Of it -glittering with leaden
crystals, some Of it tinged witha greenish copper
hue, and some of it touched with all the colors
Of the rainbow. As they were just ready to
blast, and the prospect Of an explosion in that
narrow cell was not especially inviting to unac-
customed nerves, We picked up few shining
specimens that we're just taken out, and made as
rapid an exit as the uncertainties of the wsy and
the dlmness Of our lights would permit
But the glory of Blackhawk ia
ITS sMELT1Na-WoRKS,
which are acattered along the valley at the
lower end of town. Here the large dust-heaps,
pictured all over with flowers of yellow sulphur
and white arsenic from the burning ore inside, |
smoke all day, and ceaseleHs fires glare upon
pale-faced men who stir their hves away in the
1yhite-hot LIQUID metaI, with the din Of ma