The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-11-16
H.estcr:rroim Colorado.

make mySeiI W. wen hcQuuiAteu WIFI
the mineral resources of that remarka-
BILE region asI could. Both the north
ern-and southern divisions of Colorado
are rich in gold and silver mines.
Greater progress has been made in the
north, but the southern md south>
western mites are richer and more nu-
merous though less developed. What
is known as the San Juan country is
probably the richest mineral region OF
the continent aItis an extensive tract
witlrno' definite %boundaries-as large
perhaps AS four or five of orr counties.
1t lies west ofs,theS Continental Water
shed and drains into the Pacific through
the great Colorado. re- . RITZ - sAss& Y
The Summit DistrietAsmalls in area
but remarkably rich in. gold-bearing
quartz-is not part of the San juan
eountry.s That district lies thirty miles
south of the town of Del Norte, and
sheds its waters into the Rio Gfande.
Silverton, in Baker's Park, is n of Gle
chief towns west OF thesDel Norte.r In
1874 therewere9 perhaps . half dozen
rude buildings in Silverton; brt last
season as oons as new saw mills III the
Park were prepared to furnish lumber
atown sprang up like magic, abont
two hundred houses being built during
the Spring AMI Summer of 1875. The
town has now about eleven hundred
population and it is safe to say the
place Will double this season. 1t has
five stores, eight smelters, two saw
mills, one barber shop, n butcher
shop and nnmber of small hotels and
one newspaper-the La Plata Wihei-
and perhaps half dozen saloons.
then visited Howarl's Mill, y small
town of three hundred Inhabitants.
Here as You advance up the Animos
river and Cunningham Gulch the width
between the mountains begin to narrow.
When you reach Eureka the mountains
have crowded close upon yon; the
scenery is beautiful. There is one
mountain that presents the appearance
of a huge cathedral, It's pillows and
dome making magnificent nights and
presenting a very imposing appearance.
In this Natures Architect has furnish
ed Il model of the grand aud sublime
which the art Of man can never initiate.
Cement creek or canon is beautiful.
This brings you into the heart Of the
mines. The scenery here is grand in
the extreme. Mature must have been
in wild riot, to have produced such Q
wreck of matter as is here found. If
the ruins of ancient cities impress the
beholder with Wonder and amazement,
what must be The emotions in viewing
for the first time what II might I'M
agine to be IN exploded world with its
sharp, broken fragments piled il
strange confusion fourteen Thousand
feet high!
There are at present about five hun
dred mines in. the San Juan country
producing about SIS, 900, 900 annually
aud about 81, 800 to 81, 300 to the ton of
ore at the smelters. This is a good
country for q young man of capital to
come to. He could trade goods for
ores &C the mines and forward the ores
to st. Louis and sell it for gold at nj
TIMES. A great many people are ship
pin. it to Europe i'll preference to the
American market.
1 then left for Lake City. This is a
place. of sever hundred inhabitants, five
stores, one weekly ~paper-the Siice'
Wor{i-and one b>nk with a capital OF
$50, 900. The people intend to make
this a great city. The scenery about
Lake City is beautiful, and is remarks
Bile for it's deep canons, picturesque Wa
t~erfalls and floral attractions. The
Granite Falls, two miles distant, are
seventy,eight feet in hight, and the
Argentine Falls, four miles aboye the
city, take a tremendous leap OF one
hundred and sixty feet into a chasm be-
low. .rf-' H
Thus briefly l have noted the leading
features of the San Juan country.
Many of your readers think this a
wild, savage State. Many are led to be-
lieye and think that the West is a place
for the knife aud gun, the horse and
spur-that'all of these are inevitable
%components of Western life. 1t is true
that human nature, freed from the re-
straints of society, often presents in The
West many features that in the East
would seem reckless; yet life and prop
ertv are as secure in this section as in
that part of the country where people
don't Observation-Disclosures society
is free from the error and hypocrisy
common to the polished circles of the
East.
On my return | stopped at Silverton,
Fort Garland, Clear Creek Falls, An
teIope Springs and Wagon Wheel Gap.
All of these towns are rich in gold and
silver mines. / then took the Santa
Fee Railroad to Los Animos, then to
the city of Lawrence in Kansas. Law
renee, it will be remembered, was
burned during the war by Quartrell
and the James boys. This was q me
city of six thousand inhabitants, The
walls of Jim Lanes residence are still
to be seen. 1t has never been rebuilt
since it was destroyed by fire, and poor
Jim Lane became crazy because Andy
johnson would not appoint him to the
Collectorship OF. New York. Poor jim
had to be watched for some time before
he died. One evening while out buggy,
driving with his guard he jumped out
of the buggy and shot himself in the
month. and did not live long enough to