New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-04-05
c0L0RlDUS GREAT MINING CAMP
IEADVILLE.

IyADvITIF Col, March 2J.-COiOradO Is now
swept BY q mining excitement almost unparalleled
IN it, history. The wonderful discoveries at this
place, which are jast becoming thoroughly adj
vcrtised have set the whole State almost Wild To
the old timer it recalls the palmy days Of 1859,
when the first tide Of immigration rolled in.
and the placer furore of 1o63@64, when
the Territory took such stride forward IN
population that the attempt to be admitted rs a
State, t. which Andrew johnson put his executive
veto was made J say that the Leadyllle dis
covcries are Just becoming thoroughly advertised.
They have been wei known III Colorado and
Wyoming for year or more. and Prospeet"rs,
miners ami spectators have crowded IN from every
mining camp from the San Juan country 10 the
Black Hills. Within the past two on three months,
however, people have been noching in from " the
States" and the Pacific coast Whole colonies have
come from Missouri and Iowa, and large amounts
If capital have been sent IN from Chicago. People
are coming into the State az the rate of 800 day,
aud most Of them have LeadyiIle as their objective
point. It is harvest time for the railroads and
Denver feels the stimulus in a renewed and inspir-
ing bus. loss activity. Leadvillc is the centre to
which all attention is directed, however and the
theme of conversation everywhere. The enormous
fortunes 50 suddenly made here the widespread
nature of the deposits the ease with which claims
can be WOrkcd-all unite 10 make this most !nVlt-
ing field for the pTOspcctOr. Lac example OF STU
gle man like Tabor, who, year ago poor man, Is
now a millionaire aud LeuteHant-GoyernOr OF the
State or ike Rschc, the shoemaker, who has now
more money than he knows how TO spend, is pro-
ductvc Of course, of the widest and most extraya-
CANT dreams among tho adventurous class
who swarm this whole Western country
Nor is dazzling success confined to men
Of that stamp The hard-headed Stevens
A., nj xpl,n tlN
acquired so many valuable claims and the present
site of this city" before the of it was noised
abroad, was already Iich man when he looked 50
carefully through the abandoned placer gold-dig-
cling of California Gulch. Letter and Farwei, the
Chicago dry goods men, have also been very sue
cessful, the former being Stcvcnss partner. Senator
Chaifee was known as one of the best practical
mining experts in the state, and had made a great
deal of money through his excellent Judgment Of
mining property long before Lcadyille was heard
of. But tho Aladdin-lihe tales told Of these men
and many others have had The effect Of raising an
od-fashioued excitement such as Colorado had al
most dcspaired Of ever seeing again.
Leadyille is accomplished and startling fact
Lying beyond ,hc range and seventy miles from
the nearest railroad, which Is pushing toward it day
and night, it yet contains over 10000 people-and
they keep coming ut the rate of from fifty TO 100
day. Three raIlI is are reaching cut for the nch
prizo Of its carrying traffic The Denver. south
Park and Pacific has tho nearest station now
landing its passengers at LeadyIll after day ana
n half of staging. The Atchison. Topeka and Santa
FG is working up the Grand Canon Of the Arkansas
as fast as men can build the road. The Colorado
Central IS considering the PROJECT of high line
from Georgetown, and the decision Of the Union
Pacific directory, who control it is anXiously
awaited. Freight is now carried in by wagon from
Il. .rft4ittp pf fIp Ngr
Sonth Park, and from points on the other roads,
making business which IS perfectly enormous IN
its proportions. The freghtcrs are now charging
cents per pound fl the end of the track, though
they assert that this rate does not pay IN the
present condition of tho roads, Thousands OF
horses and mules are used in the work, and large
amounts of money are invested in an occupation
which viii be gone with the coming of the rail
road. Every business is ovcrstocked here. The
professions are crowded, and merchants Of every
grade and description are daily opening new stocks
of goods. Even miners DO not find tho amount Of
work expected as the lead carbonates are very easy
To get out ard fewer men are required than where
Ill, hard quartz lies in iissurc veins. oulI, gentle
man here who Is interested in numerous claims says
that il is very hard TO get the right kind Of men To
work them, and that any man willing to work can
find employment.
The chief characteristics of Lcadvle just now
arc mud and snow-the first of simply awful nastl-
ness aud the latter deep IN the guchcs rs to scr
ously impede prospecting. still the town goes on,
and buildings are usng on every side. Lots run all
the way from $50 to $1,000 each, and real estate,
to use a Western phrase, Is "hOomiug.' All along
the mountain side aud in the valley a!c hundreds
Of log huts aud slab cabins Wood is the prevailing
banding material, and il not n cheap one
when green lumber sells for 800 a Thousand aud
Chicago lumber for $3.50. The streets, despite
their pasty condition, are as busy as Broadway.
Great enterprises are talked of on every side,
and big figures arc banded about with
freedom astonishing TO person Of conservative
disposition There is no doubt that the mines
about here are very nch and that new strikes are
still being made, but it sometimes seems 10 an ont
slider that Liberal discounts could he made from
many of the stories told and the interests Of trdth
not at all suder thereby. For the present though,
nearly every body IS making money the miners be-
cause good tang, are being constantly discovered.
and everybody else because the miners are. Not
the least successful among the businesses oi the
camp is that of smelling, and those who took time
by the forclock and brought IN their reduction
works early have been coming money.
The social aspects Of the place are what might he
expected IN a mining camp. There are three daily
newspapers, a schOOl-hOusc two churches-thouSh
there are ycichurch ACKNOWLEDGMENT branch OF
the Young Mems Christian Association. Ga the
other hand, there are large gamblng-hou5es, whose
doors stand wide ODcn in which every KIND oil
skin game is being played openly. There are
two or three low variety theatres doing driving
trade. The income OF one of them ~ saIi TO DC pc
ter tnan that of any mine, save lew OF the lhvst
succes.ful ones. There Is a largo element OF the