Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-06-27
veuIf IEADyILLE.
a Dark Picture OF the City of Mushroom
Growth.

844l'sL l'lLII 7 =. l-l
A Dark Picture OF the City OF Mushroom
Growth.
A letter from Leadville, Col, gives
this unpleasant picture of the great
mining camp: In some respects Lead
willie is the most wonderful placein tlIe
world. Never beloie did city so soon
spring up. Very few of its 5000 houses
are ear old Its population is about
$4,000. 1t has three daily papers, three
banks, two theaters. hundreds ofsaloons,
apaid police, volunteer fire depart
ment, a municipal form of government,
and local po'itics-and, as an almost
natural consequence, its jobberies and
rings. Leadviile is of dollhouse, mush-
room growth, and careful observers say
that its end will be as sudden as its be-
ginning. Already it has reached its full
growth, and, if anything, it is on the
down grade. Nobody lives there who
can get away; unless he is working for
fortune. The health of the place is bad.
Those accustomed to country like the
Mississippi valley find 1000 feet too
high an altitude. All new corners suf-
fer from sore throat and sore chest. 1t
is very difficult to breathe up there.
Pneumonia is very frequent, causing
many deaths. OF course, the Leadville
papers will say this is lie. Everybody,
according to those disinterested sheets,
tells malicious lie and is an ignorant
jackass who says a word against Lead
vile. Before peopleRo to Leadville they
should have talk with those who have
been there. No matter what the papers
say,g Leadville is not fit place Tor
- -. a. -, ha fc--
"piling in the shekels.n At the very
moment when the editor of the Lead
vile Chronicle was pouring out the
walls of his wrath upon the head of an
Eastern Journalist, who had been out
there, for saying Leadville was an un-
healthy place, that individual could
hardly talk on account of his throat
and chest. Anybody having an affec-
ton of the lungs can commit suicide by
simply going to Leadville, Those hav,
ing an old time rheumatic spot will have
it brought to their notice in an unmis-
taxable manner. No estimate can be
formed of the weekly deaths in and
around Leadville, as the formality of a
regular funeral to the cemetery is often
dispensed with. Undertakers do a thirty
ing business. A great pile of pine collins
were seen outside of store. Glow
many people die here in a week, on an
averaged" was asked. Tie workman
stopped his hammer for a moment and
said he did not know; but one day last
week he had fitted up eighteen collins.
Whisky and exposure undoubtedly
cause large number of the deaths,
but it is nevertheless true that it is
dangerous for anybody not acclimated
to live there; to those with consump-
tion or other lung diseases it is certain
death stt
In view of the great and ill-advised
rush which is being made to Leadville,
these truths should be told. 1t should
also be told that business is overdone
in every branch. Hundreds ofmen have
nothing to do. To the writer's per-
sonal knowledge carpenter walked all
over the place for two days without
getting q job. Wages are going down.
There is no social or home-life in Lead
vile, though there might be fifty de-
cent women in camp. Men go there
to make money and not to settle. Lead
vile has two great foes approaching
her. One is fire; insurance companies
will not take the risk, for all of the
buildings are Of light lumber and can
vas with two exceptions. 1t was heard
GudJ one pOllcy WIS cl6CUeu WIFI great
difficulty at twelve per cent. premium.
On Saturday week forest fires ragged all
round the camp. The mayor was fright
ened into issuing proclamation. Dur
ing that night, men, armed with Win
chester rifles, kept watch in the settle
ments around the main camp. Any
body found applying the torch would
justly meet with instant death. I'm
probable as it may seem, many of the
fires in the vicinity are incendiary,
prompted by the hope of plumber. An
other danger TO Leadville is pestilence,
although the bare suggestion of it will
drive all the editors, saloon men, hotel
proprietors and store-keepers tearing
mad" All the alleys and the yards are
reeking with the filth, Stops and garbage
of the winter. There is no system oil
sewerage. At the present time there are
seventy medical men in Leadville, and
three-fourths of them are quacks, pos.
sessing no professional diplomas. They
reap rich harvest but nothing to what
they will in. the summer. A young St
Louis doctor was there for month He
went there without knowing anybody
paid $50 month for his office, was sicl
for two weeks, and had to return home
Yet he made enough money to pay ex
penses. Looking at it in mere business
light, he would like to be able to remain
in Leadville he said, "for there wer
millions in it :" during the summer.