Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-27

The Far West.
Extract from Private Letter.
The following extract from a private let
ter Of graduate Of the University Of Yer
mont, now travelling in Colorado among the
mining districts of Boulder county. which
has only been opened up to the public since
1871, will give some idea of the rapid pro-
gross of the far West
We leave Denver on the morning train
and speed across beautiful valley Of sixteen
miles, and arrive at Golden, thriving town
at the entrance to the mountains. noted
more particularly for its manufacturing in
dustries, both public and private. and which
have won for it the title of the "Birming-
ham of the West
Changing cars here for the narrow gauge
road, We eLter Clear Creek Canon, and
CONNIE nee to ascend at once and are soon
shut in, apparently, by huge walls of solid
rock which loom up higher and higher. as
We speed along our winding course, until at
times they threaten to meet, and shut the
heavens from our view. Clear Creek. no
longer clear and limpij, as its name i'm
plies, but rather muddy and boi>tcrous
stream. madly rushcs by us, beating its fury
vainly against the mighty and immovable
boulders, which for ages have biavcly with
stood the attacks of this raging mountain
torrent. Sometimes the rushing waters
threaten to engulf our narrow pathway; at
other times it eddies far below US, still
beating our stony parapet. Our little track
is wonder of engineering skill. and has
justly been styled "a railroad of curves"
Straight track is unknown, hut our path
way hugs the sides of the lofty mountains,
as if for dear life, and in many an
instance it is blasted from the
solid rock. We are now approaching the
great mining region Of Northern Colorado.
and already We see along the sides of the
canon long, irregular fumes with their es
Gaping waters, while along the banks of the
stream miners are seen busy with their pans
and mining apparatus, seeking manfully
their fortunes from out these mountain re-
sources. We pass Forks Creek, where our
road branches, one branch leading to Black
Hawk and Central City. the other to George
town. We take the latter, and soon are at
Idaho Springs, one of the best health resorts
in Colorado. 1t is 500 feet above the sea,
and the nights are cool the whole summer
long, even necessitating the use of blankets
for ones comfort. The days are bright and
invigorating, inviting outdoor life. There
are here soda springs, which range from
6Oe to 1909 in temperature, and sulphur
springs so hot you can not hold your hand in
them, and of course "bot sulphur baths arc
plenty and cheap, huge bath houses
being constructed for That purpose.
Inyalids from ali over the country flock
here summers and are greatly benefited and
often cured. Proceeding on We reach George
town, the great mining centre Of this region,
and only ffty-four miles from Denver.
Here, at an altitude of s 40 feet above the
sea, We find brisk little town Of 5000 in
habitants, bemmed in on all sides by gigan-
tic mountains. 1t is the Queen OF the
Mountains, and strictly, mining town.
Nowhere in the whole country can wilder
and more sublime scenery be found, than in
and around this vicinity. On all sides,
We find evidences of the vast mineral wealth
of the mountains. Qaurtz mills, prospect
holes, and richly producing mines gre to be
seen on every hand. Miners are getting
about thros dollars per day here.
with chance Of making their
fortunes. One poor miner recently struck
rich silver vein, and now instead of being q
laborer tor others, has a working force of
fifty men, and clears over expenses 500 per
day. There is said to have been taken out
Of the mines in this county, already over
$l4. 600 900. and yet comparatively they
have only commenced. Mines can be bought
all the way from few thousand dollars. up
to s., 500 900, and often the cheaper ones,
when developed, prove as valuable as the
best. A couple of Frenchmen shortly ago
had few hundred shares in one of these
cheap mines, which were valued at So or
81 per share, when suddenly a very rich
vein was struck, and the shares jumped to
500. The Frenchmen bought a draft on
the Rothschilds for S75 600, and have gone
back to .he old country to enjoy their wealth.
Mining is becoming less and less a mat
ter of speculation, but with science and eX-
perience, is becoming legitimate business,
and of certain reward. Capital is being
argely invested here from all parts of the
country, and the Centennial State un-
has a great career before it, and
will be Of rapid and permanent growth. |
Aside from its great and ine1haustible re-
ources, it offers every inducement as q place
o live in for climatic and health qualities.
IS well as for natural and rugged beauty. |
No one ever goes away dissatisfied with the |
ountry.
If a hundred thousand or more of the IN
employed Of the East would come GU. among
he mountains of Colorado and set to work,
hey could find themselves the possessors of
f3 Per day hard cash, and would have
.hances for becoming owners of property
themselves, and thus be offered an induce
nent to change their ideas ofmam and tenn.