The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-08
Delving After wealth.
III A SILVER NINE, NEARLY SIXTEEN HUNDRED
FEET UNDER GROUND.
From the Boulder (Col.) Couricr.l

,.,.... From the Boulder (Col) Courier.
It only takes five minutes. You step into
the cage, and the hand that guides the Titan
Mt 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 rs from caldron; 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, eX-
pecting to hear the muttering OF gnomes
which guard the sacred treasures there
comes dance of the cage under your feet !;
YOU know the hand above ha' touched the
bit. Of burtlcn-5carer, and then the cage
stops, and you are more than 4 quarter OF
mile below the busy city which you just Il
few minutes before left: from the dusty
highway you have stepped into the worlds
grandest treasure-house; you have passed
& from the temperate to the tropical zone in q
moment-you are in Bonanza. 1t takes
but 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. 1t
is no little thing to work q 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
at work and cars running; but every
glimpse Of man there reveals the eXertion
necessary to keep this conflict with the
spirits which guard the buried treasure
below. The men are stripped to the waist
those brawny delivers, with perspiration
bursting from every pore, and their bodies
shining as it is said the Spanish victims
shone in the sunlight when stretched upon
the top OF Teocola ere the Aztec priests
tore out their hearts for sacrifice. Those
white breasts have another significance.
On the surface servile races may take from
the laborer his bread; down in that gloom
there is no fear OF competition. The pale
faces there hold sway. There the Caucasian
race is indispensable, for what is needed
among snonles is a steady brain, a quick,
strong hand, ruling intelligence. Those
strongholds are not stormed until grappled
with by the worlds ruling races. 1t looks
pleasant down there in the mimic streets
and under the lanterns glare, but before
those streets were opened there was In the
sitting air work performed which cannot
be calculated. 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
will be worked 5000 feet below the surface,
as unconcerned as they now delve at the
present levels. We pass through a long
drift, and suddenly we find where the at
lacking column is driving into the ore. The
Sights magnificent, but for those in the
East who fancy that silyer-mining is a
light thing to accomplish, one visit here
would dispel the illusion. A glimpse.
at the work, o glance at the machinery,
a few Thoughts Of the study required
to make successful battle against the rock,
the danger and gnomes. would suddenly
reveal to them how it is that frst-class
miner has to be a frst-class man, and how,
after he completes his education below
ground, he can seize upon the ordinary
ay0eati0ns OF life as a student after CONF
passing algebra is never more troubled by a
problem in arithmetic. But we are on the
cage once more, the bell up above signals
that there B precious freight on board, and
IN hYe 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 Bonanza.