The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-03-15
BACK FROM LEADyILLE.

An indianapolis News reporter met Nah =
Ion B. Draper, who short time ago was
Seized with the gold fever"and went to Lead
vile, Colorado.
Back already?" the reporter inquired.
"Well, yesI | know when I've got enough.
was in Leadville one week only"
"Why did you come back so soon from
that place of surprising prosperity"
81 went there with a view of locating, bu,
soon saw there was no show. Merchandis.
ing was what intended, groceries and
everything of that sort, general stock, but
soon saw that nothing of that kind would
pay-already over done. Dry goods busi-
ness in the same fiX-in fact, there seems to
be nothing in anything but the vices. In
the first place, rents, even if you are lucky
enough to get room, are too high. Their,
ore $4,000 people in Leadvile to-day, near.
ly all men, and at least 1000 men are with,
out work and without dollar in their pock.
cts. never saw so many beggars in INV
life, miserable devils, begging for a quarter
to buy loaf of bread. You can get little
LOAF, about a mouthful, for ten cents, but a
deseent-sized loaf sells for a quarter"
"But the other lO,OOO-are they making
money!"
"Some Of them are. But there's no room
for new men, and yet they are constantly
coming. The mines, smeltcrs, and saw
mills are running all the men now that thev
can handle. Aud just think! This little
city, the liveliest, wekedest city in the
world, has nearly all grown within the past
year. In 1861 it was called slabtown, and
there were few houses there, but its pres.
ent population has all come within the past
year. a lot in the business part ofthe town
that twelve months ago sold for 500 to day
sells for $4,000 Rents are viciously high
A business room eighteen feet wide by forty
feet deep rents at $500 a month. The
Theatre Comique building, a rough frame
box, seating and standing about seven hun
dred people, though they crowd in a thou.
sand night seven nights in the week at 81
head-well, sardines in a box are COM
paratively comfortable compared with them
rents for 81 400 month. Well, the in.
iqulty can afford to pay it, for the wine room
alone takes in $500 a night for liquors
There are two other theatres, paying the
same heavy rents as the Comique. Gamb,
ling houses and saloons ? l don't know
there's over hundred of them. I should
think. Every saloon is gambling house
There are numerous dance halls which pay
an average rental Of 5000 per month.
The first min es are not over a quarter o
n mile from the main street, and thev ex
tend over several miles Of territory, though
the paying mines are, | am told, all nea
Leadyille. The big run Of metal is silver
though there's snms gold. Most Of the min
eral is low grade ore. There's no room
there for neu unacqusinted with mining
The foreman ei the Little Pittsburgh min
exclaimed to me the other day;
"'What do people mean by coming here
green men, 10 work in these mines? w,
don't want 'em. II takes the best bridgnl
h keep these mines from tumbling in nov
when worked with experienced hands, olC
miners, as the mineral is chiefly in tn,
form Of carbonate, and crumbles like rotter
Cheese
"rhe paving mining interests are monop
oiiEed by capital. IL takes capital 10 rur
these mines, and great deal of il to get anN
profit out Of them. They are already tillec
with old miners who have poured in from
DeadwoOd, Georgetown, aud a hundred
other paints ~ you see there is no show
RhstsVe. FOR amateur talent"