Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-10-24
LEADVILLE.
What a Former Resident of Pittsburgh
Pa, Thinks OF This Colorado Mining

What a Former Resident of Pittsburgh,
Pa, Thinks of This Colorado Mining
T. B. Wilcus, who emigrated from
Pittsburgh, Pa, to Leadville last
March, and who was consequently one
of the earliest settlers of the great car
Donate camp, and who recently sold his
interest in the Matchless mine to Gov
ernor Tabor, thus writes in response to
series of questions from a friend: Now
as to your questions-Question: How
are youp" "Well, I'm troubled some
with the rheumatism. Sometimes tits
located in one place, and in an hour it
flies 20 another. This is an excellent
country for rheumatism. Question:
What am l doinge" 81 am mining;
have interests in about dozen claims,
in different localities; indications are
good. There is not a man of my ac-
quaintance but thinks he is within ten
feet of pay mineral. The business re-
minds me very much of boring for oil,
in this respect. That you are on the
lookout for certain strata OF rock, as
indication, etc., and you watch the
changes in formation as carefully as a
doctor will for changes in patient"
Question: "Are you satisfied with So
ciety, business prospects, etc., sufficiently
to make Colorado your homer" "Not
if the court retains its balance. The
society consists of $40 hoodlums, 10
plug-uglies, and an infinitessimal frac-
tion of decent folks. There are repre-
sented to be about 200 women here,
classed as follows: One hundred wise,
200 unwise and 900 otherwise. The
country is principally straight up and
down. Persons that have lived here
over six months are invariably top
sided from walking on the hillside SO
much. Business prospects are not first
class, the place being, generally speak
ing, overdone." Question: "What eff
feet has the rarified atmosphere on your
respirationp" "Clear days l have no
difficulty in breathing when not work
ing, but on cloudy days tits about all one
wants to do to wrestle for his oxygen"
Question: What has been the general
health of the peopleP" "Well, not good
by any means. Too much exposure and
privation, added to cold winds and thin
airs, brings us to your next question.
The prevailing diseases are pneumonia,
Quinsey, rheumatism and hemorrhage
OF the lungs" Question: "How would
the atmosphere affect consumptive or
a case of pulmonary hemorrhageP" "It
would kill thtm good deal quicker
than an Eastern doctor, and not half
try. There is an excellent crop of sage
bush here, and tits about the only thing
that seems to stand the climate. This
is a nice place to live if a man could
only train himself to think so, but l
would not live here for S4OO day the
year round, and l know l wouldn't like
to be found dead here" Question:
"Have you made anything yetP" "I've
made $4,000 off nv mines, and other
shares look favorable. But It's all luck,
and know of severa: dozen persons
who have lost all they had. An up. and
down life, fraught with much care and
anxiety, ranging from abje3t poverty
to affiuence in few hours. One day
you may be dead broke and the next
not have a cent; one day you lose. and
the next can't win. In fact, I've known
persons here to have distressingly bad
streak of luck for months-and then it
would get worse Such is life."