The daily gazette., 1879-09-25
COLORADO TREASURE.

OF LEADvILLE AND
IT'S sINHABITANTs-AC CAMP OF WOk-
KERs-sTATIsTICs OF THE PRECIOUS
METALS ALREADY SENT TO MARKET.
From the N. Y. Herald.
LEADvILLE, Sept. IL, 1879.
Corral the men Of shis camp and e say
them and you will surely get bigger re-
turn of activity, shrewdness, intelligence
and common sense than from any 2O,OOO
men who happen to live together any
where. No one can appreciate the char
acter of the wealth, the life and the peo-
ple of thi. iev ion till he comes here and
sees for himself. TO get an idea Of the
place imagine yourself two miles straight
up in the air above New York city, in
valley surrounded by mountains, some
of which are three-qualters OF mile
higher. The air Is SO light and pure that
at first the visitor experiences great trou-
BILE iu brs athing. There is sort vf op-
preston ab, ut the chest and gasping
for bi cath, especially with the exertion
of mounting one fiignt of stairs or walk
ing block. 1t affects some stout people
so that they bleed at the nose as they
register heir names at the hotel. Thin
people get along very well, unless their
lungs are weak. The place is temper
auce lecture, because the drunkard is
sure to meet an untimcly death from
pneumonia. There is enOugh stimulaut
In the atmosphere to d spel every taste
for LIQUOR. Yet there is good deal OF
drunke ness, especially on Saturday
nights, when the miners come into camp.
You wear all the heavy winter clothing
you have and have fire in the stove morn-
ing, noon and night every lay ofthe year.
1t showed last week. All around on the
mountain sides is never disappearing
snow, and as you climb the Mosquito
Pass, to yet here you come through snow
and ice in one p ace, where it was cut
thirty feet to make the r0ad. The frisid
substance OIL either side of the wagon is
very suggestive when you consider the
di,tress from hot weather and fever at
Memphis and the violent heat at st.
Louis and all over the East.
Competition IS so great In The stores
that nearly everything here is sold at
New Yoik prices, with freight which OF
course, is verv heavy, added. speak of
text lie fabrics, hardware, mining imple-
ments ahd every thing but food and lux
uries. For instance, champagne is 50
per bottle, beer, Is cents and 30 cents,
boot blacking 70 cents, even by the boys
on the street hair cutting Is cents, shaw
ing rs cents, drink of brandy 81 cents,
whiskey, &C., 70 cents. Vegetables have
been brought here. The altitude is too
great to raise anything except human be-
ings and animals. Hay is 8 cents per
pound, uats cents, corn 8 cents.
The people here are nearly all dressed
in the toughest of clothing, but you can
8 on believe that underneath their car
Donate soiled coats, hats and pantaloons
they wear clean bodies, cool heads and
determined energy of purpose. There
are no loafors around except the gam
blers, ard they are generally known by
their good clothing and big diamonds
There is no need of any body TO be out Of
work here. Anybody who can and will
work can get So per day at mining, wood
chopping, team driving and other sucll
work. The skilled miner espec ally Is
itr demand right along at So per day, and
he can get board for 80 cents per day, or
SO 50 per week.
Some of the miners who have been
very successful have staked out Grains
and worked them as long as their money
held out, then worked ny the day I'll
they got "grub stake" and kept on Till
they struck the mineral. Miners general
ly 20 in couples. They get what they
call burro, or jack, little animal like
donkey. They put pack saddle on the
little fellow and lie truiges up and down
the mountain with the tents, covering,
picks and shovels aud all supplies for a
week, weighing, perhaps, perhaps, 2oO
pour.ds. These animals are funny little
fellows, very docile and faithful. Even
now o,e is passing my window with
three small children on it, and the chill
dren vainly kick HIM to make him &c
faster. saw this morning len Of these
jacks, each with POO pounds of ore on his
back, taking it from away up the noun
tain where wagon could not go, to the
snyelters.