The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-10
THE SILVER CITY.
A Description of Trip 20 LeadyiIle-
The Town md fts ADnAaRnnee

by way OF Cincinnati, st. Louis and Kan
sas City, and when l arrived in Denye
the Leadville excitement was booming, &
l Joined the great army OF pilgrims to til,
Mecca Of the State. Eight enthusiast,
pilgrims made up our party, taking passag,
in IA covered wagon drawn by a pair o.
stalwart mules. The distance from Den
yer is 1870 miles, mostly through the noun
tains The first day out we arrived a
the little town Of Morrison, just wlthlr
the foot hills, and fourteen miles from
Denver. climbed up mountain two
thousand feet high, from which had {
grand view Of the plains. Inside the first
hills was beautiful valley in which herdl
OF cattle were grazing. Bear Creek runl
down this valley to the Platte river, about
ten miles distant, and is settled along Ia
whole length. The low land Is irrigated
and mostly sowed in wheat, tho bright
green Of which presents a striking contrast
with the browner color OF the grass. Next
morning our way lay up through Turkey
Greek Canon. The road here runs along
the side OF q mountain, only lust
wide enough for one wagon, while
one Thousand feet below the cree rushes
along It's rocky bed, and the mountains
tower two thousand feet above on each
side, the strata lying at every conceivable
angle, sometimes twisted and gnarled and
bent like the knots in tree. In two or
: h Fun FnilaS tho road InsnnnJ, a. A.. L. 4
Of the stream, and for ten or twelve miles
runs alternately through little valleys and
between high mountains, but always as
When ever there is valley Of a
few hundred acres some settler has built
his cabin and is engaged in raising cattle,
potatoes and oats, and lives happily and
contentedly, and with far less labor
than his brother farmer in the East,
The mining towns furnish him a
market for his produce at yery
prices. Butter is sold at 50
cents, eggs at 35 cents and SO on, feeding
Of cattle costing nothing. There Is a pro-
fusion Of wild flowers on this part OF the
having counted twenty differ
ent varieties. About 3 o'clock OF the sec
ond day out we turned south across the
toward the head waters Of the
Platte, We camped for the night at Bells
rancho, situated in one OF those charming
little valleys surrounded by mountain
peaks. The next day we struck the Platte
river, which here is only strong noun
.ain brook, along whose banks narrow
gauge railroad to Leadville is in process
II construction.
On the third night out we camped on
he Platte river, in grove OF spruce
.rees, about three miles from Webster, the
hen terminus OF the railroad. Next morn
ing we left the river and took our way
over the Kenosha mountain toward the
South Park. 1t is a steep ascent here for
our mileS. At almost noon we had a
snow storm, and the peaks around were
covered with snow. We camped for the
night in the South Park, the elevation be.
ng about 10000 feet. This park is a
plateau with spurs OF mountains running
through it, and containing u number Of
streams. 1t is about 20 to so miles long
md surrounded by snow.covered
There is frost here the
rear round. Our road lay through
his park for forty miles. On
sunday morning about II o'clock, We ar
rived at Playiair, an old mining town OF
he days Of 20, that this Leadville excite
nent has galvanized into life again. On
sunday night we camped away up on the
side OF the range above the snow line.
We had grand fire OF pine logs and were
made quite comfortable. The following
lay we made an early start. We passen.
gers walked ahead and arrived at tho sum.
nit at $ a. NJ. On the other side OF the
the road runs down rocky
gorge for ten or twelve miles to the Ar
kansas river, then up the Arkansas river
70 Leadville, in the suburbs OF which we
arrived about 4r.M. Every description
81 conveyance was met on the road, from
Ok and mule wagons to buggies
and horsemen, every person appar-
emily in q hurry and every body
covered with dust. Along tho road are
10y huts OF every kind and style OF archi.
lecture. One large tent with a portico Of
pine boughs in front, had large sign with
the legend palace Dining Pavilion" Op-
posite newly laid out grave yard, on a
vacant lot strewn with the blackened
trunks Of pine trees that had succumbed 10
q recent fire, we pitChedour tent, just out
side the town proper, and were for the
time being, inhabitants OF Leadville. Half
q mile farther up the street, past houses no
better than the ones described, brought lis
into Chestnut street, the street OF the city.
The street contained one brick house, all
the rest being frame. On one large
frame shed was the sign Mammoth
Sleeping Palace. Accommodation for
500 persons" was told that at night it
was often full. The gambling houses on
this street are numerous and are open day
and night. All OF them have string bands.
Above the town, or rather in the upper
end oft, is Freyer hill where the richest
mines are located. The silver ore to the
novice looks something like rusty iron
ore. An ordinary wagon load OF II out OF
many OF the mines on this hill Is worth
$1,000, The method OF mining adopted Is
TO sink ashaft until they strike it rich, !" or
the water comes in and.drives them out, or
the money gives out.
When either OF the latter casualties take
place the hole is abandoned and the digger
goes nobody knows where. Many Who
came here early last year made fortun es.
while on the other hand many found
graves, and were buried side by side in
the newly made graveyard, just opposite
where We camped on our arrival. The
cemetery Is thickly populated, though the
town Is little over year old. A plain
board giving the name and the date Of The
death Of the sleeper, is at the head d
most Of the graves.
All the country for ten miles around
Leadyille, is staked out into mining claims
which contain about ten acres each. The
claimant has 70 sink a hole on his claim
within sixty days after he stakes Il out, ol
or in western parlance, anybody NAV
Jump II, and the first claimant loses III
title to 1t. Five days stay in Leadyille sat
isGed me. Owing to the high attitude /,
is not pleasant place to live In. The
days are unpleasant and warm at this sea
son, and at night ice freezes one-quarter o
an inch thick. S. ". Il