Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-17
YOUNG NAN, GO WEST.
Opinions Of a Millionaire Miner Of Lead.
Vile and the Prospect for
P~rospectors.

Col, formerly of New Providence,
Clark county, Ind, is now in New
Albany, visiting friends, having just
returned from that town, toward
which the tide Of emigration from all
parts of the country is now steadily
flowing. A reporter of the Courier
journal being acquainted with Prof,
Borden, and knowing that whatever
he said about the new country could
be relied upon as strictly true, had a
talk with him yesterday, and the
points gathered may be of interest to
those persons contemplating a location
in the now far-famed town of Lead
vile. Prof. Borden was formerly
deputy State geologist of Indiana, and
is experienced in mining and the for
nation of mineral deposits. he went
to Leadville about a year ago with his
brother and Immediately commenced
prospecting, and his success has been
wonderful. Young men who are
struck with the Leadville fever, upon
reading the following from the Chi
cage Times report of the streaks of
luck at Leadville, need not imagine
that they can 90 out there with six
bits in their pockets and make a mil
lion in a month. Prof Borden had a
couple of thousand dollars when he
left Indiana, and invested it and
worked in mining hard. Of one of
his investments the Times says:
For some years previous to the
discovery of the carbonate beds there
has been living at the crossroads,
hatween California and Evans gulches,
and keeping a kind of corner grocery
and provision store, a man named
Tabor. He didn't have much money
to spare from his business, but the
fever struck him, and he took an in
terest in several claims that were being
worked by different miners. Last
summer he went to Denver to replen-
ISL his stock of groceries. He called
on the firm Of Hurd & Son and offered
to trade a mine, called the Carbonifer-
Gus, for $1,000 worth of sugar, soap
and other articles. His offer was
declined by that firm, and also by
another house, whom he visited on the
same errand. A few days ago this
same mine, the CarboniferOus, was
bonded for over one million dollars.
The crossroads grocer is now lieuten-
ant-governor of Colorado, and his
estimated income is about two dollars
a minute. The firm of Borden, Tabor
& Co. owns mining property worth
over five million dollars at the present
writing, which is constantly increasing
in value"
Professor Borden remarked to the
Courier Journal reporter as he read
the above, THE reporter has probably
exaggerated as to the wealth Of the
latter firm, but he could not say posi-
lively that he had, because he did not
know the value of the mine himself.
Ore was now being taken from it
which yielded one hundred ounces to
the ton. Professor Borden is inter
ested in six mines altogether. all of
which are being worked and yield
from seventy-fye to one hundred
ounces of silver to the ton.
In answer to a question Mr.. Borden
said he regarded Leadville as the
greatest and richest mining country in
the world. The supply Of ore will
never fail, as there is no doubt as to
its richness. The California gulch is
destined to be the seat Of a great city.
The whole country within a radius of
fifty miles of Leadyille abounds in
rich mineral deposits Of silver, gold
galena, lead, etc.
As to the prospects for emigrants to
go to hat country at present, Mr..
Borden said he did not advise people
to 60 there. Only one in ten succeeds.
When he left, the town of Leadyille
was increasing its population at the
rate Of three hundred a day, and from
parties along the route he learned that
hundreds Of thousands of men from
all over the West had intentions of
going there. While he would not ad-
wise any person to go to that country,
he said there was a chance for all.
Mechanics would stand a good chance,
particularly blacksmiths, Wagonmakers
and carpenters. Farmers who 20
there from Missouri, Michigan and
Iowa make a good living by hewing
timber, which is used in the mines.
In the spring the prospects will be ex-
cellent, because all the young men
now clerking in the stores and doing
other work to keep up expenses vii
go out prospecting, as" remarked
the professor, IF they can make
100000 a month they will not be con.
tent with clerking in a grocery or drug
store for 500 a month"
The wages paid in Leadville are a!
follows Miners, $3.50 per day car.
penters, 50 in the mines and 81 in tn,
city blacksmiths, 81 laborers, $3.50
Carpenters willing to work are mos
needed.
Leadyille is a town of unknown
population, the houses being bull
principally Of wood. 1t is beautifully
situated, being 11,4O0 feet abovl
the level of the sea. On account o
this great altitude, the air is rarifed
and persons with weak lungs, VIII,
once become sick, die very soon. /
is impossible to heat water TO a create
temperature than $50 degrees, and tn
cooks who get breakfast oommenc
boiling potatoes at four o'clock in tn
morning, and get them only about hal
done at o'clock. BY the way. a thou
sand good cooks in Leadville ooul
find constant employment. The coun
try is considered unhealthy, mountai
fever prevailing to a great extent, an
a bottle of q%uiniue would not be amis
: in a prospoctor's pocket, Prof. Borde
\ brought with him numerous valuabl
specimens of silver ore taken from h
mines. Some of this orc yields on
{ hundred and fifty ounces to the tor
IL III Ill M.AA- Ill 800 Il