The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-11-16
IN A BONANZA.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED FEET UNDER GROUND
AND WHAT MAY BE SEEN THERE.

| FIFTEEN HUNDRED FEET UNDER GROUND,
AND WHAT MAY BE SEEN THERE.
1t only takes five minutes. You step into
the cage, and the hand that guides the Titan
at the surface touches the rein Of the black
monster and you are plunging into the
| gloom. In moment the lights Of earth go
out; by the glare OF lanterns you know you
are passing dripping timbers; the sounds
from above grow fainter and cease; the va
pors rise around you as from cauldron;
| you hear now and then q rumble in the
depths. as though the dark spirits below.
were complaining that their treasures were
! being thus taken away; you listen, expect
| ing to hear the muttering OF gnomes which
guard the sacred treasures; then comes a
| dance Of tile cage under your feet; you know
| the hand above has touched the bit of bur-
den-bearer. and then the cage stops, and
you arc more than 4 quarter OF 4 mile below
| the busy city which YOU just a few minutes
before left; from the dusty highway you
have stepped into the worlds grandest treas
urc-h house; you have passed from the temper
ate, to the tropical zone in moment-you
are in q Bonanza. 1t takes but q little space
to complete the transition: it takes but a
moment to describe it; but the change is
wonderful, and. to one OF thoughtful mind.
the wonder increases with each returning
visit. It's no LITTLE thing to work mine
1880 feet below the surface. True, there
are broad avenues there; broad timbers
which like Atlas seem competent to support
world upon their broad backs; there are
engineers ut work and cars running; but
every glimpse Of a man there reveals the ex-
ertion necessary to keep this conflict with
the spirits which guard the buried treasure
below. y The men are stripped to the waist,
those ,brawny delivers, with Precipitation
bursting from every pore and their bodies
shining as it is said the Spanish victims shcne
in the sunlight when stretched upon the top
of TeOeola, ere the Aztec priests tore out
their hearts for a sacrifice Those white
breasts have another significance. On the
surface servile races may take from the L.
borer his bread; down in that gloom there is
no fear of competition. The pale faces there
hold sway. There the Caucasian race is in
dispensable, for what is needed among
gn0mes is q steady BRAIN, a quick, strong
hand, ruling intelligence. Those strong
holds are not stormed until grappled with
by the worlds ruling races. It looks pleas.
ant down there in the mimic streets and I'M
der the lanterns glare, but before those
streets were opened there was in the sitting
air work performed which can not be cal
cu!ated. Picks were swung, drills were
struck, powder was burned, men tainted
and fell in their places; but the work went
on. So it will proceed in the future, until,
probably. after another sixteen years, they
vii! be worked 5000 feet below the surface,
as unconcerned as they now dclve at the
present levels. We pass through long
drift, and suddenly VIC find where the at
lacking column is driving into the ORE The
sight is magniticent;) bnt for those in the
East who fancy that silver mining is light
thing to accomplish, one visit here would
disrel the illusion. A glimpse at the work. |
a glance at the machinery, a few thoughts of
the study required to make successful bat
tie against the rock, the danger and gnomes,
would suddenly reveal to them how it is
that first-class miner has to be a first.cas
man, and how, after he completes his educa-
ton below ground, he can seize upon the |
ordinary avocations Of life as o student after
comprising algebra is never more troubled
by problem in arithmetic. But we are on
the cage once more, the bell above signals /!
that there is precious freight on board, and
in five minutes more we are out Of the
depths, the blessed sunlight comes to us
again. the summer strikes us with chill. we
are out Of the depths and have done the Be-
nza,-Boqlder fCol.) Courier.