The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-03-27

mountain, 81 We rode up, snd
would have riden down,
but as We started down the
wagon, horses and all come near going
over an embankment seYerI huadred
feet high, so we got out and walked
about seven miles before the outfit
overlook US. About 9 o'clock that
evening LeadvIlle was sighted, and YOU
bet that Frank Cotton and / was glad
of it Nothing that has been wrIten, so
far as | can judge, is any ex4ggeratiop.
The mines around this place must be
the richest ever before discovered; that
is what all the old California miners
and gamblers cay about them, and they
are investing their all in prospecting
and developing mines they discover. 1t
is impossible for me to describe this
City fully. Il is q City Of ten or fifteen
thousand inhabitants, of which about
twenty-five hundred are ladies'. Lead
vile has water works and is soon to
have gass and street railroad.
Several churches aud schools are al.
ready IN operation; also two
variety establishments and
theatre. Ole variety man pays for
hls house seventeen hundred dollars
per month rent and at least two thou.
sand week for performers. He takes
in about six or seven hundred night
for drinks at five dollars bottle in the
conversational parlors, where the visit
ors are entertained by the lady per-
formers. OF gambling houses 1t il
useless, to speak as there is So many
and ali so crowded you cannot pass
through them from uornirg till morn
ing as they never close. Houses fer
sporoing and saloon business rent for
FIVE to ten hundred per month, which
shuts out all chSuceS for legitimate busi;
ness, as most anything you wants near
ly ascheap here as Ia any frontier town
Texas. Drinks are twenty-five cents,
twenty i've cents for y shave, water Is
fifty cents barrel. Bed rooms, ten by
twelve in size, scantiiy furnished, rent
readily for sixty dollars a month.
There is here al present several thou
sand broken men that cannot find
work, nor will there be anything fol
them TO do until the snow Is off tie
ground, then there will be work for all.
The trouble now Is that the mines al.
ready discovered, all but few, are not
sufficiently developed to be worked
in the winter. Men vi b money or ma
chinery can come here and make al
the money they want in SIX months,
and not take many chances, sill Others
had better stay away until some time
| about the last OF May or the first o
June. People are coming at the rate
of one hundred day, so you see how
it will be If things continue tbs way
| Building is going on rs fast as luInbe
can be had, which, at present, is very
scarce and selling a: one. hundred dol
laIs per thousands. Mr.. Pink BinfOrC
formerly of Austin, and nephew o.
Mrs. Mccall, is here aud has fine pros
poets for soon becoming a millionaire
Mr.. Binford OWES one fourth inter
est sn mine tha5 they have been offer
ed 500, 000 for one-half interest
which they refused. Mr. BlHford tell
me that he aud his partners have sen
to Chicago for an engine to work thei
mine. At the present il is not being
worked, on account Of the inclemcncy
of the weather. The Galveston gentle
men who have been here for scvera
| days prospecting don't ee6m t0 Ike
Leadville on account Of the high price
at which raglaesfate is held, and it be.
ing msttsr OF impossibihty to rent il
good location, they speak of going
down to Denver to open up business.
Captain Ovens will leave here in few
days for Dvxagtto- bring out his. stock
for freighting, as the opening for that
business is good. Freights from the
end of the tract seventy-fVe miles is
three cents per pound, and the trip il
made in three days. 1t has been snow
ing all day, and in fact 1t has showed
every few hours since our arrival, still
the sun shines nearly sll the time and
we don't suffer any from the cold, in
fact I never felt better in my life than
since my stay here. There is no sickness
here except pneumonia and diptheria,
caused from Exposure. l am told by
experienced. miners that If all the
force that could be worked in the
mines now operated was put on that
the ore now IN eight nnrld not be
taken ont in three years. Frank Cot
ton and l will stick it out with them
for few months any way. We do not
advise any Of our friends to come out
here under six weeks except those who
have plenty of means TO go into busI-
ness. You can tell George Pendex-
ter / believe he could do we'll here and
I would like tn see him come out.
Yours respectfully,
BEN THOMPSON.