Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-27
From Leadville.

Robert Z. Woods, Esq, returned from
his iar-western trip, on Saturday. lie
speaks with a good deal OF enthusiasm
Of his trip, and his physical appearance
is witness to the fact that 1t agreed with
him. No better route for u summer
trip can be selected, he thinks, than the
one TO ColOradO-tO see its rapidly grow
inc cities, its grand mountains and Won
drous canons; to breath its eXhilarat-
inc atmosphere and witness the
resistless energy and pluck of its
population. Mr.. Woods spent some time
AT Lcadvillr; investigated the mines and
.cIaims" OF the ncighbOrhOOd; had a
number Of temptingOtterS to invest, and
rruurls himself the luckiest man in the
country that he did not yield 10 the
Establishments of the men with claims.
He saws that the number OF mines IN the
Leadvillc region which are-or were
when he WAS there-paylng, Is twenty
one or twenty-five. The precious metal
i'm these mines IS found IN
large dcpOsits-nOt in crcvlces or
leads, as in most other mining re-
gions: and the law governing their lOca-
ton. if there he any such law, is not yet
as we'll defined. Like boring for oil, Mr..
Wooks thinks, the question OF striking
paving dirt is mainly matter OF acci-
dent. The pittsburgh deposit, the
richest of the Leadville mines, was
struck by sinking a shaft forty feet down
i'm the hill. 4 drift mas been run out IN
the four directions corresponding to the
points Of the compass, and shaft has
i l. int A
some forty feet, yet neither the
length, breadth nor thickness OF the
mass OF precious ore has been dis
covered; while another shaft has been
sunk Immediately beyond the border OF
this claim to a great distance without
finding any trace OF paying silver. lie
saws that while there are few paying
mines i'm the Leadyille vicinity yet de
vrlOppd, there are claims innumera-
bic with varying prospects, which can
be purchased at any price from the
value Of a spawned mule up to any
sum YOU may be pleased to name.
These claims are not pure swindles,
as popularly supposed 4 man will eX-
anime his ground, stake of his ''clalm,
and commence 10 develOpe IT. Alter
going down some distance atan expense
of six dollars a foot at the beginning, in
creasing up to fifteen dollars foot after
ne gcts well into the bowels OF the earth,
the "pr0SpeCtOr" may strike something
promising i'm the way of rock or sand
imprrguated with silver. He runs out
OF money and offers TO sell One-lOurth
or ouc-half interest in the work as fan as
gone, IN order TO get money To 90
further or he may sell out
entirely 10 another who wishes
either Ia prosecute the work or spcCu-
late upon it. But it is all legitimate
What IS there can be seen; and what Is
likely to come of it is as well known 10
one man rs another.
Mr.. Woods saws hc had some tempt
iug offers; and one in particular he
looked iavorably upon. A party wanted
him To purchase a One-fourth interest
ior four hundred dollars, and, OF course,
bear onc-iourth the expense OF further
developing the work. The claim
looked promising to him. 1t
might prove TO be worth
a million: or it might be
worth no more than a Cindcr pile.
lie finally concluded not to invest; and
a biz. broad-shouldered Englishman
concluded he would, and so the latter
did. Mr.. Woods left and continued his
Journey to California, aud on his re-
turn. i'm passing Cheyenne, he saw his
English friend standing on the railway
platform. On meeting, the EngliShman
shook his hand heartily cOngratulating
him on his good fortune in not invest
ing. The claim had proved utterly
worthless.
Mr.. Woods heard of ives. - Hamilton
being in Leadville, and also heard OF
his efforts to sell his claims in San
Francisco. OF his Chicago speculation,
he knew nothing.