Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-29
[COrrespondence of The Star.l

Correspondence Of The Stdr.1
NEW MEXICO, August 10, 1879.
You can hardly pick up paper without find-
ing some account Of Leadville, the great mining
camp Of this country. So cannot expect to
furnish much that is new concerning it. we'll
remember the great excitement which followed
the discovery OF "gold at Pixies Peak" in 1859.
Thousands OF experienced miners from Cali,
foInia and other states, and tens Of thousands
Of adyenturers rushed to the new "diggins." l
had always supposed the glittering ore was
scoored up at the base of the Peak; but find
the "gold at Pixies Peak" or 1.-THE California
Gulch," when the gold was found. is IS miles,
on bee line, from the Mont Blanc OF America.
Within pistol shot Of the city OF Leadville is
"CALIFORNIA GULCH,"
and the deserted city OF Arc, which boasted In
tige of Arc remains to-day: the gulch is there
and is still worked; it Is in the hands of a mo-
nopoly, and yields, so was told, several hundred
gentleman told me over seventeen millions of
dollars In gold had been taken from the gulch;
another equally well posted assured me over
seventy millions had been taken from it.. am
sorry l am unable to give you the exact figures.
All around on the sides OF the hills the min
ers kicked aside as worthless the carbonates,
which In the last year or two have dazzled the
world.
EVERYBODY AT LEADvILLE.
found almost everybody at Leadville-Sen:
meerS o aaa
and other states; people good, bad and indif-
ferent, whom had known somewhere. am
Indebted to MI Miller Of your city; Halett Kll-
for many kind attentions. 1t was Sunday and
such Sunday; every saloon and dance house
was in full blast; the sounds OF the piano and
fiddle, clipk of faro chips, exultant cry OF
'keno!" with the usual accompaniment "Oh!
hip were not comm1ngled to any great extent
with chimes OF church bells. / visited many of
the mines and sInelters and saw many piles of
silver brick ready to ship to the mint. There
are
SEVERAL WAYS OF MAKING FORTUNE
In the mining business at Leadville. One way
is to buy you pick and shovel, drill, hammer
and powder, some rope, w1ndlass and
bucket; get partner, or hire man, and go to
digging well anywhere where a mine has not
mine covers tract of land 800 feet wide by 1890
feet long. Dig away anywhere but there. You
may ''strike It big' in so, 100, or 900 feet, and
or you may not, and the chances are better that
you will not, strike it at ALL but that's one way,
and for me the hardest and least inviting. An
GtneG way Il to watch ten couple Of devils
~ what kind OF stuff they are excavating; then,
II 1t looks fair, buy their lole for few hun
dd,u dIed dollars, ana employ them to go on
holel; perhaps they will ''strike it big" and you
Will be instantly rich. Another way Is to en-
ploy two or three good well dtggers by the day,
or by the foot Still another Is the 'grub-
stakes" That's the most economical and the
safest. Furnish two or three men with the
necessary tools, and supply them with grub
while they are digging; II they strike IL, they
will have half and you the other, and you all
get rich In minute; II they don't strike it, you
lose the value OF the grub, and they their time
and labor. OF course l am presumIng you are
not millionaire already; II you are there Is
still an easier and more certain way, and that
Is to buy out mine already developed for
100000, organize company, consolidate other
adjacent mines, and sell out for ten millions.
NOW II any OF your readers get rich In follow
Ing my suggestions they Will not be so mean
to refuse fair divide.
THE LEADvILLE SHELTERS
There are about 80 Smelters in Leadvilie, and
more building. Some attribute the 1900 graves
In the cemetery In great measure to the pois-
onous exhalations Of these smelters. watched
man dipping with ladle liquid silver and
pouring It into mOulds, where it cooled into
bricks. They told me it was certain death for
that man to drink intoxicating liquors or even
tea or co1ee, or to use tobacco and that at night
all his clothes must be washed and fresh suit
worn the next day. Even with all these pre-
cautions these dippers-I don't know what they
call them-often get "leaded" and die.
pneumonia Is the prevalent disease and is
sure death. Should the silver mines give out
Leadville would disappear as Arc has disap-
peaIe0: N0tnlng In the way OF agricultural
products can be raised In that vicinity. Every
pound. The stages leave Leadville at five O'Clock
In the morning rnd connect with the train at
two O'Clock p. m. for Denver. Leadville is
good place to make money but as a steady res
idence should prefer Washington city.
r. T. n