The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-06-26
THE BIG BoNANzAs.

THE LATEST JEWS FROM LEADvILLE-
HOW, MINING TOWNS HAVE COME INTO
BEING-sILvER, EVERYWHERE, AND A
NEW THEORY TO ACCOUNT FOR IT
RAILROADS AT WAR, WITH ARMIES,
FROTS, REPEATING RIFLES AND CANNON.
Correspondence OF the N. Y. Evening Post.]
LEADvILLE June 2, 1879.
My last letter was dated April 30th, Since
then Leadville has been depressed. Supply
has overtaken demand in every branch.
High rates of transportation have caused
large arrivals of carriers, and freights from
the railway termini have fallen from 5 to 4
cents per pound. Staple articles of merchan-
disc have poured in by the ton, and are now
in many instances as cheap as at Denver.
Houses have sprung up on every vacant lot,
and rents have fallen from one half to TWO
thirds. Houses and lands are not easily sold.
Food and labor are largely in excess of the
public wants. Merchants. who month ago
scorned SO day can now be hired almost
for their board and lodging. Five new first
class eating houses have been established
within three weeks, and, as might be expect
ed, are not making expenses. In a word,
the wild excitement OF March has been fol-
lowed by Its natural reaction, and though
the mines are as productive as ever, and new
discoveries are made daily, everybody is COM
planning of dizziness, and wondering who TIL
err the sun OF Leadville has not set forever.
LEADvILLEs RIVALS.
One leading cause of the decline of trade
is the emigration which has taken place
within the last month to Gunnison and other
new camps. Miners are proverbially rolling
stones. No matter how promising their
present camp may be, they are always ready
to leave it for another further off which
they are told promises still better. Thus in
March thousands of newcomers abandoned
Leadville for the almost inaccessible heights
OF Ten Mile, on the Pacific slope-a region
where, owing to the difficulties Of trasporta-
ton, it would scarcely pay to mine eighty
ounce ere; and yet such was the prevailing
craze, though only two paying mines had
ever discovered in the county, no less than
five new towns were laid out, municipal Of
flcers elected and taxes levied. In May the
charms of Ten Mile were supplanted by those
OF Gunnison, which, being comparatively
unknown, was universally pronounced mag
nificent.
Gunnison is one of the largest counties in
Colorado. 1t lies on the Pacific slope, and
while three-fourths Of its surface are occupied
by the main range of the Rocky Mon ntains,
and countless spurs running in every direc-
ton, it embraces long triangle of fertile
land with the apex toward the north. Four
rivers, the Taylor, the East River, the Gun
nison and the Teemeche, irrigate this trian-
gle and supply it with perennial grass for
cattle. Late in 1873 some fine specimens OF
ore were brought thence, and asssyed very
high indeed. Early in May Of this year ad-
venturers abandoned excellent prospects
around Leadville for the newer and more
exciting region. 1t is difficult of access.
There is a pass at Cottonwood, through which
there is tunnel, two hundred yards long,
through forty feet of snow, lands travellers
on an elevated PLATEAU on the Pacific slope.
Here a scientific arrangement OF derricks
and pulleys enables the explorers to lower
their wagons and horses to level from which
they can drive to the Gunnisou plains. Fur
ther south, at Alpine, there is fair trail for
mules or pedestrians, but no road for wag-
ons. Still further south the South Arkansas
opens road to the Sywatch Pass, which
leads, by detour of some one hundred and
nison. These impedim snts have not stood
in the way OF prospectors. Several thousand
have flowed into Gunnison from Leadville.
from Canyon and from Denver. Some few
have been rewarded. Two boys, cousins
working together, have found rich carbon
ates, and have realized between them $780, 0'
by a few weeks work, still retaining one
half of their mines. Six other good mine
are said to have been found. Three town
have been established-two of them, Virgin
ia City and Hillerton. within two miles
each other. and the speculation in corne
lots In both is said TO be furious. 1t is moth
ing to buy lot for $40 at S O'Clock A. NJ
to sell it out for $50 at noon, and to see
sell for 800 before dark. Nor is this so won
derful when the possibilities of the countr
and the crazy temper Of the people are con
sidered. If the Lineup Valley ION whic
Virginia and Hillerton depend fultils il
promise, rival to Leadville is inevitable
and the speculation which has enriched S
many here, may be repeated. If Gunniso
continues to deylop high grade carbonates
: will prove that the carbonate belt is niue
more extensive than has hitherto been in
agined. Professor Weirer estimated the ficl
at thirty miles long by five miles wide. b
lineup is more than fifty miles from Fry
Hill, and there are coed deposits miles norl
Of Fryer Hill.
A NEW THEORY OF THE ORIGIN OF THE OF
Since last wrote more good prospec
have been found on the west side of the A
kansas River, both assure veins and depo
its. The formation on that side consistiI
: largely Of granite, miners had not deem
If the country worthy of prospecting. But
seems there Is ore there too. Indeed, mil
n eral deposits appears to be so uniformly d
tributed over this region Of country that t
aqueous theory is gaining converts dali
: You are probably aware that miners OF t
j old school will not admit that mineral C
proceed from any other source than fissu
vein. In their opinion deposits or pock'
have always been washed or swept or scra
cd from some vein BY the action d water