The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-07-30
LETTER FROM COLORADO
Interesting Desc riPGiOn Of the
sam .Bunn NRInInE District.

sam Juan Mining District.
SILvERToN, COL, July 10. 1875
SiIverton is the county seat of La
Plata county, and the principal town
in the San Juan mining country. 1t
is about 200 miles, or perhaps lit
further, nearly west of Rosita,
about I40 miles of the distance be-
ing through and over mountains.
While crossing the Sierra Madre,
l climbed TO the top of one of the
snow-covered peaks, far above tim
Der line, and had fine view of the
eastern plains on one side, and the
Rio Grande valley on the other.
The Rio Grande was so miles dis
tant at the nearest point, but l could
see its silver thread of water stretch
ing south from its exit from the
range of mountains 70 or 100 miles
west. Going down from the noun
tain, waded in snow waist deep,
and two hours later was walking
over the burning sand of the San
Luis desert. And a desert it is; the
most desolaie spot ever saw.
Nothing but burning pillows of
sand piled hundreds of feet high,
like a CONCEALED and stormy ocean.
There is a story have heard sever
al times of a Mexican attempting to
1,;-o a thonaan1 baoH Of ooffIa nuar
this region, when a wind storm
arose, and no vestige of the herd
was ever seen afterward. They
were all buried in the sand. The
herders escaped.
There is one paculiarity about the
whole San Luis valley. 1t drains
$50 miles of mountain range, from
all parts of which dow numerous
aud large streams of water, none of
which, so far as l could observe,
ever reach the San Luis lake with
out first sinking into the sand and
afterward reappearing further out
in the valley. The valley is from
so to 60 miles wide. lido not know
its length. 1t often presents mir
rage of exceeding beauty. 1 saw,
in crossing, an imitation lake almost
SURPRISING nature herself. A beau
tiful expanse of CLASSY water with
we'll defined boundaries spread out
before me, aud had not been on.
the lookout for mirage would have
been most completely deceived. 1
could see objects beyond the lake
and their reelection in inverted i'm
ages beneath, as perfect as truth,
aud even the gentle ripple of mo-
mentary breeze was Immediately
visible on the surface of the water.
But the whole scene faded away, as
many another illusion as bright has
done before, and left only the heat
ed expanse of sage brush and grease
wood stretching far around, and the
toilsome journey undone.
Del Norte and Iona are two RE
val towns on each side of the Rio
Grande, where it first bids farewell
to the mountains and first greets the
plains. Beth are well nigh desert
ed. Iona, as its name indicates, is
built on a hill, aud two years ago
houses went up by the score, and
property holders were jubilant at
the prospect of fortunes. But Del
Norte Is now the town, though very
dull at present. 1t is situated in
one of the finest portions of the Rio
Grande valley. 1t is beautifully
laid out, and planted with trees, and
may become large and influ entail
city, as it seems TO be the natur al
supply point for several mining dis
tricts, especially the Summit dis
trict, so miles south, and all the San
Juan districts. From Del Norte TO
SilVerton the distance is Ito miles.
The whole country is mountainous
and the road lies up the Rio Grande
to its source 100 miles, and thence
over u pass away above timber line,
into the Animas valley, whose wa
tiers flow into the San Juan, and
thence through the Colorado into
the Pacific. The red granite chan
ges to blue, and you are in the
mines. 1t takes an old miner and
prOspecisr TO find the mines. They
show all over the face of the noun
tains. Leads running from the top
to the bottom are the feature that
strikes one at first. Nearly every
man in the country thinks he has
the beat mine that has been found.
But few pay to work at present, as
there are 10 smelling or crushing
works to speak of as yet. Many
men are holding thirty or forty
lodes aud are too poor to buy q dog
his breakfast. Any amount of lOdes
could be obtained by working out
the assessments on others, as their
holders are unable to do SO. The
assessment is ten feet The mines
are very high. II seems but G rifle
shot from the valley to timber line
and snow in any direction. But Il
pays 9 man to breathe the air and