The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-07
WHEELING TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN

WHEELING TO TIE PACIFIC OCEAN.
THE, Recent Trip of wheeling Man 10
LcndVIIIe and San Francisco and Re
turn.
We had an interesting conversation yes.
terday with Robert B. Woods, ESQ, late
Clerk Of this county, who in March last
left Wheeling for a trip to the far West,
aud who during his absence visited Lead.
vile and other parts Of Colorado, and
finally wound up in California. Mr..
Woods was one Of the "Argonauts OF 49,"
as Bret IIarte call them, who went out to
California when the never.to. .be.forgotten
gold fever broke out all over the country,
and when the journey was made across
theplains on foot through hostile Indian
country, and at the rate Of twenty miles
or less per day, and when the means Of
transportation were mule and OK teams.
OF course he found that q great change
hal occurred in thirty years. This time
he journcyed on the swiftly moving cars
and passed through well settled country
much Of the way, and the route presented
astrOng contrast to the terra incognita Of
his former experience.
Mr.. Woods, ever since his first trip, has
hal more or less Of the spirit OF adventure
in him, and it was to gratiiy this feeling as
well as to sec what openings there were
in the mining regions for man of his All.
ieccdents that he undertook the journey.
Rewcnt first to Denver, and thence by rail
and stage, some l3O miles, to Leadville,
where he remained two wceks-long
enough, MS he says, to satisfy himself that
there was not much Of show at this late
day for man who did not care to go be-
yond the confines Of occupied and develop
edtcrri,ory in quest OF fresh and very i'm.
probable bonanzas.
lIewas not charmed with the climate
in and around Leadville. Snow is too
much the order OF the day in that region.
l. 'snows all the year round, except in the
summer months, and many persons who
work in the mines die from pneumonia
brought on by exposure. Leadville had
about reached its zenith when he was
there, and since that has bean rather on
the wane. Itis situated on small Gulch
stream that flows into the heaGwaters OF
IAN Arkansas river near that point, and
although very rude and primitive sort
MalOgcabin town, boasted then OF about
lOm inhabitants, nearly one half Of
whom had no legitimate employment, but
Srfe there just like Mr.. Woods himself, to
As"taint chances for going into mining
Operations in some shape. II
Mr. Woods says that the business Of the
developed and paying mines under wayin
and around LeadvilIo can support popu.
Ation OF five to six thousand, but beyond
this number the rest have no show except
as mere Adventures. And there are plen.
ty Of adventures coming and going, repu,
table and disreputabIc. Gambling -four
shcs in open day on every hand, and yoes
hand in hand with the drinking saloons
and dance houses. AS for Sunday, ther,
lsnone in Leadville. Work goes on on tha
day the same as on every other day, al
though there arc two or three churches Ii
the place.
The ore found in the mines is silve
mixed with lead. Hence the name Lead
Wlle. About 20 per cent Of the mixture /
silver. 1t is smelted into ingots Of thi
mixed metal and shipped to Denver an,
Chicago to DO refined. There are alread,
large smelling works, to which the miner
send their diggIngs, The best payin
nines the Little Pittsburgh, the net earn
inSs Of which for March were about 125,
w. and supposed to be still greater 70