Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-03-27
THE NEW Ell DORADO.
Leadville and Its Mineral wealtI

LeadviIle and Its Mineral Wealth.
Correspondent Cleveland Herald.
LEADvLLE, Col, March 6, 1879.
X
THE MAGIC CITY.
Little over year old, and now Lead
vile is the second city of the State in
population, and the first in life and
growth. 1t is a real beehive; the prin-
cipal street is Broadway. The narrow
sidewalks here are overrun with people,
and the pedestrians contest with vehicles
and horsemen for the freedom of the
streets, while the latter are so encumbered
with building material and workmen that
the town seems entirely too small for its
industry and population. 1t is estimated
that there are now from 10000 to 1000
people here, and from 100 to 200 arriving
daily. The town site, and indeed the
whole country thereabouts, slopes gently
aud it is admirably adapted for building
purposes. Farther up the valley toward
the big mines the beautiful groves are
studded with miners cabins, some of them
neat and romantic and others as crude as
Western cabins. Leadvflle is a beautiful
place and its surroundings are romantic.
SnOw-capped mountains rise on every
side, and above and below the beautiful
valley of the Arkansas opens to view
vision of surprising loveliness. In the
summer time new beauties will be added,
as new verdure will clothe mountain and
valley with fitting garments of loveliness
Leadville is not only lively but pros
| porous. All industries are in flourish
ing condition. Money is plenty. It comes
easy and goes easy. New men with new
money are coming in every day. Capt.
talists from many foreign countries are
pouring in. The stage lines are crowded
| with people. Men come, look around,
| buy lots, and then rush off to make ar
rangements for the removal of their bus
| mess to the new town. Neither cold nor
smoke interferes with the progress of
| business. The reduction works are not
only running night and day, but are
doubling their capacities by additional
furnaces, and new works are going up as
fast as money and men can push them.
REDUCTION WORKS.
A tour of inspection shows five smelt-
ing furnaces and two sampling works.
The st. Louis Smelter or Harrison Reduc-
ton Works are located near the city lin
its. Just below town the extensive
works of J. B. Grant & Co. are located,
who run three smelters and are putting
up a fourth. Here immense quantities
of ore are waiting treatment, and the
manager says that it is impossible to han
die half of the ore offered. Lower down
the gulch are the works of Berdell and
Witherell, and still farther down are the
Malta Smelling Works. A. R. Meyer &
Co. and Eddy & James have crushing and
sampling works, and are buyers and ship
pers of ores. In addition to the ore treat
ed at the various smelling works some
; 5000 teams are employed in hauling ore
to the two nearest railroad stations, some
several miles distant. The necessity o
securing direct communication with
Leadville is felt by all parties, and three
railroads expect to be here sometime dur
ing the present season.
= THE MINES.
: There are too many valuable propertie:
t here to allow even mention of each.
, description of all the mines would fl
/ volumes. The most famous, so far as de
e veloped, is the Little Pittsburg, thougl
e opinions differ as to its being the richest
e The mine is situated about mile from
i the city, good road leading up to tn
d shaft-hOuse, which is situated on Frye
It Hill. The surface is smooth and bare {
d trees. The main shaft, forty feet deep,
IS entered by perpendicular ladder; climi
It ing down, the visitor lands in a 1ittl
chamber whose walls are rich carbonate
t. of silver, and from the bottom of tn
it shafts the drifts radiate in every direction
= Every step leads along the same walls
" hard carbonates, some of them 1ftee
feet high, and glistening with miner
o wherever light is turned on them. IT
d, extent and value of the ore in sight ca
a. scarcely be estimated. 1t is reported tn
ed So, 900, 900 has been refused for the min
e- Other famous mines on the hill are Il
lie Little Chief, New Discovery, etc. The
Dis are all worked in about the same manne
no the expense of mining being but lit
ly more than the removing of as many wa
n on loads of dirt. Hon. Joseph Wilso
a general manager of the Little Pittsbu
a Consolidated Mining Company, estlmat
Ids the expense of mining at six per cent.
nd the value of the ore handled.
itv EXTENT OF THE CARBONATE MINES.
The Ten Mile district, eighteen mil
vi northwest of Leadville, is mining car
rot that promises to equal LeadYille in
short time in the number and richness
the mining properties. Carbonatevil
sti- the name of the town, has already so
lv 5000 inhabitants. All along from I
on Mile to Leadville valuable discover
80 have been made, and in the early sunni
"O after the snow passes off and the pr
ma pectors can get at the earth, no doubt
ly. whole country will be thoroughly exa
lad ined, and many rich strikes made. WI
NV, Leadville and this section is tempting
1 old and the young to it's rich mineral
ing pOsits, it will be we'll for all to remem
d it that the spring is the winter on the 8
vide" where LeadVille is situated;
+ho Quent and deep SHOWS will fall wit
o'0 the next two months. If you are bot
ear to try your luck wait till May and
en- will have a better chance to spread
ova into the surrounding country. HoweV
to those who contemplate the erection
WIN smelling works, we would say one q
, to is as good as another, and the sooner