The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-08-28

sltuatcu. lHcN udSc IL COdi vein ncTc
which is eleven feet thick-just the
size we want at Wichita. The next
day we took seat in prospect car
Oh the Colorado Central railroad, which
is narrow guage and runs mp Clear
creek canyon twenty-five miles to Black
Hawk and Central City. And such q
road as il is. Sleeper than the steepest
hill in Sedgwick county, and crook
eder-well, crooked is no name for il.
In that twenty-five miles it runs up
over 5000 feet, and one half the time
the person sitting in the hind car can't
see the engine. Gilbert SAYS il was
the first road he was ever on where
one could set on the back platform of
the hind car and look the engineer
square in the face. There was not
room enough for the creek and road
both, so the roadway was hewn ont of
the walls of solid rock that keeps this
wild mountain stream in its bed. This
/ is called the ~ osemite Of the Rockies"
deep gorge of wondrous formation,
bounded upon either side with perpcn-
dicular walls of solid rock Of gigantic
height, which, for magnificent scenery
and granduer, is unequaled in the
world. In our ride up we became ac-
quaintcd with DIR. A. +. Barnes, of St.
Louis-corncr 10th and Morgan streets
who, liking my description of South
ern Kansas, became a subscriber TO the
EAGLE, paying his two dollars; so send
it along.
We reached Black Hawk and Central
CITY about noon. These cities are about
forty miles west of Denver, in the
centre of the gold and silver lode min
ing district. The two places are vir-
tually one, and make the largest town
in the territory outside Of Denver, con-
tanning, say, ten thousand people. We
shall not attempt description of them
further than to say that they are about
three miles long and two rods wide,
that is, the city consists of single
street, running up narrow dcfile, high
mountains upon either side, and the
places for the houses have been dug
into the mountain side. kept con-
tinually on the lookout, expecting to
see some woman or young 'un tumble
ont of their front doors or yards into
the street, from sixty to hundreds OF
feet below. Some go up to their houses
upon ladders, Others wind up by zig
gag paths. People who think Kansas
City rough place ought to visit Cen
trail City. The mountains here are all
dug full Of holes, shafts and tunnels.
Many of the silver and gold lodes are
paying largely and are worth hundreds
of thousands Of dollars. Others are
paving nothing. Much Of the richest
silver and gold ore is crushed up fine,
put into stout sacks and shipped to
Europe to be smeltcd or reduced. They
have reduction works here, but labor
is SO much higher here and the works
here save nothing but the gold and
silver, while the European works save
the lead, zinc, etc, SO it pays to ship.
We spent whole day in running
around these mines mills and reduc-
ton works. Rich silver orc pays from
three hundred to six hundred ounces
to the cord, and good gold ore yields
from thirty to fifty ounces to the cord.
| found many poor fellows here who
had been whacking away for ten years
and still as poor as ever, but still hope
full, while some of their neighbors had
become immensely rich.
From Central City we crossed spur
of the mountain over to Idaho springs,
the famous watering place. The town
has but three or four hundred actual
residents, but the cold mineral and hot
soda springs bring hundreds of eastern
invalids and people of leisure in search
of health and pleasure. spent day or
to in bathing in the soda baths and
drinking the mineral waters, and while
I feel that | am gaining in health and
| yicor, attribute il to the mountain AIR,
and not to any medicinal qualities of
the waters.
Georgetown, sixty miles west ofDen-
yer, and the centre of the mines proper,
we reached yesterday. Georgetown is
a place of probably 5000 people and is
situated right under the snowy range, in
Il little narrow valley, at an altitude of
5000 feet. ] meet here Judge John ii.
McMurdy. who is leading man,an ex-
tcnsiye mine owner, fine lawyer and,
by the way. a regular reader of the
EAGLE. He will be remembered by
some of the citizens of Wichita as the
wealthy gentlemen who purchased
large lot of property in Wichita and
Sedgwick county one year ago. We
Gilbert and I-dined with the Judge
Yesterday. lie has u fine home, filled
with costly adornments, notwithstand-
ing his remoteness from civilization,
| shall not soon forget the kindness OF
his inestimable lady.
Since reaching the mountains have
walked from ten TO twenty miles each
day. climbing mountains, visiting
mines, works. etc, which is rapidly
improving my health. wish it were
possible that [ might remain several
weeks longer, but already | have COM
menced to think strongly of home,
wife and little ones.
From here, Georgetown Il didn't
write all this letter up in the mountain
lit got too coldD | shall go back TO
Idaho, thence to MAINTAIN and Denver,
and on back to the country ofbig corn,
big wheat, and, in time, of big people
the Arkansas valley.
To Mr.. Hall. the secretary of the
territory; Judge McMurdy. of George
town. and to the editors of the Denver
daily Ners. Central City daily Register
and the Georgetown daily Miner, we
return grateful thanks for courtesies
extended TO us, stranger in their
country. NJ. VI. NJ.
From our Special Correspondent
PRESERVING FRUITS.
MANHATTAN, August 2lst 1871.
EDITOR EAGLE: Do you know where