Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-05-22
THE GREAT MINING CAMP.
The Unprecedented ItuAh for LeadviiIe,
Coi.-Precious Metals in Abundance
Strange Scenes of Miners, Life

| n year ago leauSllle, Col, was n de
serted mining camp. To-dayit contains
several churches and three theaters, and
Is the most bustling, exciting spot in
America. Although distant twenty
miles from any railroad, hundreds are
| pouring into the place daily. and the sur
rounding country Is filled with eager
searchcrs for the precious metals which
are found everywhere In abundance.
Writing from Leadville. correspondent
OF the Louisville COHrlcr-J0uTndi says:
" think am fully justified in saying
that new strikes are being made daily.
Prospect holes on the mountain sides for
miles around are as thick rs cherries
upon tree in full fruit. Daily there
comes to town some happy individual
whose pick has struck into the precious
stuff. The streets are full of men who
are ready 10 buy claims and prospects,
yet there is so great risk in buying that
all are cautious and wary. Hourly,
aye, constantly, the ripple of talk goes
from center To circumference and back
again-talk of mines. claims, prospects.
| strikes, prices paid and received. Every
one nearly is Interested, or seeking To
! become so, in claims. The demure-
looking individual that looks mt you
over his gold spectacles, seeming calm
and unconccrned, is anxiously waiting
news from his claim up Big Evans,
| Little Evans or Stray Horse gulch. The
| clerk who is yonder measuring n rod Of
ribbon is in his thoughts measuring the
! distance from the surface 10 the deposit
on his claim. That man reeling in
! drunkenness along the streets has just
come in from his claim. So it goes.
| Everybody is Interested, and hence
everybody is excited over the news to
| be gathered. Nor is the mining excite
ment confined to this district. Car
! bonatevillc or Tcn-mle. Kokomo,
| Granite, Eagle River. the Gunneson and
many other places within radius Of
| forty miles of Leadville come in for their
share of the excitement. Reports ARE
constantly coming in of rich strikes at
each of the places. But Lcadville Is the
center. From this place 20 the pros
| pectors; To this place come those who
| have prospcred. This makes Leadvillc
! the wonder. and puts it far ahead of any
camp known in the past or present. II
| Is impossible to give a correct or definite
/ idea of the camp. IL must he seen Ia be
/ known. Though thousands of letters
/ 60 from here daily, both To the press and
I individuals. and each writer strives To
1 tell those behind whit il is and what
I il is like, yet every newcomer is sur
/ prised, and in no instance that has come
under my observation has the camp
1 failed tn far exceed expectations
Take out the ringing Of the church.
| bells and the small percentage Of the
| population which attend church, and
| there Is no Sabbath in Lcadyille The
{ saw-mills turn out Just rs much lumber.
| the blacksmith fires are just as hot. as
much and more money is won and lost
at gaming, as many goods are sold on
/ the Sabbath as on week day. In truth.
/ in passing through the town on the Sab
bath. II the street leading by the churches
/ is not taken no imagination could tor
/ ture il into Sabbath day. There is the
| same whirr and buzz as on other days;
| or If there be- difference. 1t Is on the in.
| crease. for Sunday is the day that many
miners come in from the mountains to
| do their trading. In justice to the car
/ penters, | should mention that ! have
noticed that not n great many Of them
[ thus deseCrate the Lords day; but IL
/ does really look NJ if nearly all who have
come here have neglected To bring the
| fourth commandment with them.
" The universal inquiry Is, will
| this rush continue, and. If SO. how
long9 Shrcwd men hold their bus
| ineSs well in hand. so that II the
/ crash should come their lamps will
| BE- burning. One thing Is beyond doubt.
/ and that is that the mountains are full
| Of carbonates. and now do not doubt
| that the richest discoveries are vet 10 be
made. and that the half has not yet been
| dreamed Of. In addition to the silver
| discoveries, gold has bern found in its
very richness mp to the California gulch
| (the memorable gulch Of the ls6O excite
| men). Capitalists have taken hold of
| 1t. and the Indications now are that dur
/ ing the coming summer many gold
| leads will be found. As long as these
| discoveries are made Ieadvillc will
thrive; beyond this will not attempt to
/ prophesy. for the longer | stay here the
more bcwildercd and puzzled am | The
/ enterprise here Is astonishing. New
houses are going up. "a with magician's
| wand, in all parts Of the camp. 4 street
| that was familiar yesterday presents n
| wholly different appearance to-day, and
/ yet there Is n cry for more houses, more
| room. etc, etc. succeeded in getting
an Office on Chestnut street, after wait
| ing and watching two weeks II was
| rented before the house was built, hut
| the party failed to take it, and ! hap
pened to apply Mt the nick Of time
much To the discontinue Of two or three
| applicants, who came hour later than
/. My room Is i0xl2. and am consid-
/
| pay only forty dollars per month for IL.
| / am still in receipt Of letters asking ad-
vice about coming here. can only say
what have said before. There Is an
abundance of mineral. and strikes are
constantly being made. One coming
here may become rich in week. and he
may fail IL depends upon his fortune
in striking mineral. There Is absolutely
no room for clerks. bookkeepers, etc.
Men ofenergy and will who are willing
10 work in the earth, can find work 20
do In hunting for mineral. though it Is
proper to say that the stoutest men have
to become INJURED to the climatc before
they can do much labor. On account of
the rarifed air. walk of one hundred
yards exhausts the BREATH so tender
foot On name for new-comers) is lily
prepared for labor until he Is acclf-
mated.
"Mortalityis not 80 great here as ex-
/ paetad Ia find A Wait In ono oF thn sa-