The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-03-21
q Crazy Csty-The wealth a"d
she Misery Of q Mining Town.
From the Denver Trihune.] Z

The crowd Is simply enormous, and
increases every dsy. | have talked
with more than fr,y men in the last
tvo DAYS who had not n cent OF money
and 40 means for obtaining il. The
Nc,cs talks about the Tribune attack
ing Leadville in i,s Issue cf the 18th.
but its beet citizens indorse oil that
YOU ssid. Hundreds OF idle men line
rhe streets every day because they can
Go, obtain work.
Unless the rush Of such men stops.
there will be trouble Of = serious char
acier Men cannot siarve, aud Will
rob IL they can't get bread in any other
way.
Most of those who como here With
ouf means are men brought our oy TOE
Afcbi.oD. Topeka and SAINTS Fe Rail-
road Company TO work on tina, road.
They get the fever rs soon as they
reach Canon Gig, and of they post 10
hi. camp without dollar in their
pockets.
As the deuirens Of this remarkable
city say, so cay /, the "caDp fairly
looms Tho Truth about the excite
meu, 10 regard to LeadtilIe has not
been, and cannot be told 90 paper
The cry is s,iIl they come. Neither
snow nor cold seems 10 uffer any obsia
Gle 20 the anxious crowd Of crazy for
tune hunters who are rushieg TO THE
famous carbonate camp. While it Is
strictly true that the mines are con
nsn,ly developing richer deposits Of
precious ore. il il equally as true thsi
not one in Eve hundred who fock here
70 make their fortunes by digging for
minerals succeed in making any more
than precarions living. The temp
iaticn held out By prospects OF sudden
wealth overcomes all obstacles. and
thousands upon thousands Of persons
who were making their wages at home
come here to 6nd disappointment of
the most bitter and perplexing kind
Unable 20 make discoveries that will
warrant capitalists in investing their
means, failing in their Efforts TO obtain
employ mont at rates that promise im.
mediate wealth, they become dispirited
and detected, resort TO the cup, and in
n few weeks the story is told
scquel This is by DO means o fancy
sketch, as any one not misled by the
present craze will Inform sou.
/ have covered freely with the
best citizens OF Leadville upon ;hi-
question. and have yet to 6ud one
whose.x-,anlimen,s are not fairly re-
heound, De the foregoing statement
Jwp1nw regi.ifpdant room for men O.
- s.o,;a, or for capitalists. All
bntsiRs the mineral l.
trs,sss rich a. any yet
"a End only awaits capital to
Itis difficult 10 furnish employment
20 q hundred men when there il only
sufhcicnt for one fifth of that number
This is tho status Of the care in this
city TO day. The streets are filed with
men aDxious 10 obtain employment,
food. and lodgings, and they cau 6nd
neither. Food is plenty, but these
persons have no means TO purchase.
The hammer Of The mechanic can be
heard in all quarters Of the city, and
at tcarly all hours of the day and
night; but there is limit to the cm
ploynsnt Of skilled labor, and that
limit is row reached Large numb ers
of men are engaged in preparing for
the new Water Works, bat not one
hundredih part Of the number who
need such work.
Lodging can scarcely be obtained
anywhere. for the reason thar every
svsiIsblc foot of space is already taken.
aud while huudreds Of new buildings
are going up ia every quarter Of the
city, there will be as many moro
hundreds Of anxious dodgers TO occupy
every hot that can be put in here for
weeks 10 come All that said 10 u
former letter relative to the sleeping
accommodations Of this town was
strictly truo. | know tina, there are
scores OF men who sleep at night
wherever they can get so opportunity
20 lie down 90 the floor, for I have
seen them, and | have also seen them
under tho houses aad barns uopro.
fected from the weather except by y
thin WOODEN blanket These are the
persons who I'LL the mortality list
Fifty cents per night is the common
price for bunk, and twenty 6vc cents
is charged Tor the privilege Of lying in
IA tent. where the party furnishes his
own blan kets OF coysrinx Fifty cent? |
ia the ordinary price per meal at the
common restaurants.
Building lots that cold .hree weeks
ego fer $500 each, sell now Just as
readily for $1,000 The craze has
even reached as far as Ten. Mile, aud
scores OF buildings are going up there.
although the ground is covered with
snow from six to eight feet deep. The
enthusiastic prospector clears sufficient
space for his claim, and ia the shortest
possible space up goes the shelter. aud
mining begins. Lots are held at tsbu
lous prices even at that remote camp
The prospects now arc that rich die
coverics will DO made there as ssos a.
prospecting can DO safeIy commenced
In some places the snow is from fifteen
40 tweaty feet deep
These facts | have learned from
gsstienaa who has just returned from
. too days sour to- that camp. and il
IL csrroborated by scores of men who
have also spec. n day or two at Ten
Mile.
&ssther has besn warm and pleas
ant during the past few days, and
saos hss pearly ali disappeared from
che streets.
Nearly every stage brings in Den
ssrits. bent upon prospecting on bu.i-
uees In the present rs,h confinnos
thero will be twenty Eve thousand
people in and about Lsadyille BY the
time spriag opens. The little Pitts
burg develops richer and richer eyery
day, while other mines give promise Of
yielding rich treasures during the rex,
month