Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-07-07

Away out IN Colorado, IN tho south
western corner, on the summit OF the
Sierra Madre, the main range OF the
great Rocky mountains, the little min
ing town Of Mineral City has its being
and existence. Twelve thousand feet
above sea level is the altitude, and yet
on the four sides of the town huge peaks
tower hundreds OF feet higher, To the
notrh Old Engineer, IN almost solid mass
Of rich silver-bearing rock to the east,
the horse, shoe shaped Wood mountain,
on whose rest the famous Elephant lode
buries its shaft to the south, the pre-
cipitous Mineral point, scanned in every
possible direction with rich veins Of the
precious metal and to the west, the
rugged Holy Gross, whose jagged peaks,
bristling precipices, and deep ravines
present n grand and solemn picture. To
the lover of mountain scenery, Mineral
City presents a variety unequaled, and,
ut the same time, furnishes to the capt.
talst and scientist food for much thought
and reflection.
The town lies on the slope of Mineral
point, and, like all frontier cities, is built
on but one main street which, in this
instance, is but trial. There are no
mayor, or council, or fire department, or
horse cars; nor are there gas trusts or
newspaper offices. The inhabitants fill
all these offices except horse cars, rs n
mass, and burrs, mules and horses sup
ply this exception. Timber grows up to
the town, but above that nothing but
grass. moss and bare rock turn toward
tho sun. One of the headwaters of the
Oncompaghre river rises on the east of
the city, and MS little babbling brook
gurglcs westward and tumbles tumul-
tously into deep, rugged canyon, and
finally, by passage into other streams
and rivers, empties into the gulf.
The town numbers probably twenty
five log cabins, and in the middle of the
mining season has, in addition, a few
canvas tents. Last year there were two
bark huts, but running short of fuel
during the past winter, some of the boys
sacrificed these structures on the plea of
necessity, and now the city numbers its
buildings by two less. The largest cabin
in the town was the store, where every
thing, from bars of soap up through
-four, bacon and coffee, to powder, fuse
and tools may be procured at prices per-
fectly astounding. Opposite the store is
the saloon, where a board on barrels
serves rs the counter, and two bits, or
twenty-five cents, is the minimum price
of drink. Another cabin houses the
justice of the peace, whose ordinary
method of opening hearing is to stand
in his doorway and shout: ooh, yea
oh, yen oh, yea all you galoots that
are indicted come up here and be tried"
At the other end of the town-the
western-is the office, laboratory, kitchen
and bedroom, all in one, of the assayer,
where samples from the various mines
are treated and their value determined.
Then we have hotel conducted on
strictly Western principles, where n
parlor and an elevator are unknown, and
where board is seven or eight dollars per
week; and then last, by no means least,
there is blacksmith shop, where drills
and picks are continually sharpened and
repointed from morning till night. The
rest of the buildings of this promising
young city are occupied entirely as pri-
vate residences, and the census taken
last election day placed the total number
OF inhabitants at about ninety. though
this will be largely increased this year
by the enormous immigration from the
East