New-York tribune., 1880-06-20
THE GUNNISON COUNTRY.
A VIEW OF THE LAND OF PROMISE.

A
sTORMs-tXCITEMKNTA AMONG THE PRosPECToK9.
trpov AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE.I
PITKIN, Col, May 27.-Ever since the great eA-
citement at i IeadVe began to subsidc, miners nave
cast longing eyes across the range into the uhknoWh
Gunnson country and tho Ute Reservation 10 the
West, and have looked upon the region as one lui
of undevelOped resources and great mineral Weaitn
Earlv in the Spring of 1870 few hardy prospectoTs
Drawing the hardships and dangers OF cold ana deep
SHOWS in the mountain passes, shoVeled pdIh
through the drifts in Alpine Pass and crossed the
continental divide into Gunnison County, ana De-
gan to prospect The result was that some rich de-
nosits were discovered in the Gold Cup, Silver Cup
and Tin Cup districts in the vicinity of Virginia
City and Hillerton, resulting IN the building OF
those camps and in the development of consider
able richness in the Gold Cup mine. which WAS sold
TO Leadville capitalists believe, for 100000 dur
ing the Autumn.
The news Of sale, Of course, added new interest
to the region, and few prOspectors were securing
the region until driven out by snow late in the rail-
In the meantime few of these prOspectors had
pushed their way into the Elk Mountains ana the
Ute Reservation and had made discoveries, ana
started the towns of Ruby and Gothic. and lew
locations were also made in the vicinity of the
present town of Pitkin. Two OF three smelters
were taken into the region, one at IIilerton and
alton before an unusually severe Winter shut down
upon the region, and deep snow cut of communities
ton with the outside world.
A few miners stayed in the region during tho
Winter but were unable to work their claims, ana
for months their only means Of exit to the outside
world was by means of snow shoes over long diS-
tanccs in a drcary wilderness, packing Their pro-
visions upon their backs or hauling them upon
slcds by hand. Very naturally the reports became
exaggerated, and Spring found thousands OF pros
pcctors ready to rush into the country aS soon ~
the deep snow should sufficiently disappear to allow
them to enter the mountains !, like MANY others,
had heard of this wonderland on the Pacific Slope,
and after waiting several weeks in Denver for the
passes to open and tie snow to disappear started
about the middle of Nav via the Denver and South
Park Railway TO Bucna Vista and Alpine over Alt
man Pass where the South Park Company 5 tun-
mel is TO mcrce the range. 10 PItkin and Gunnlsoh
Cities
Buena Vista, the present terminus of the Denver
and south Park Railway has tine location III an
open park between high mountains, near the Ar
kansas RIVER, and its elevation above sea level Is
about S, 900 feet. Ii is fair sample OF Western
railway town of mushroom growth, and contains
bet wecn three and four hundred houses. tents
and shantics where five months ago therc were
but three buildings.
TOWN TO BE KILLED BY RAILWAY.
However Buena Vista will be doomed as soon as
the Leadylle extension of the Denver and Rio
Grande Railroad is completed during the present
Summer The rush 20 Lcadvillo seems stlll I'M
abated. though hundreds arc coming back almost
daily Seven stages, packed full tOovcIh7wing with
passengers pulled out of Buena Vista bound for that
| place the morning after our arrival The stage
| fare to Lcadyile is 80, ana TO Alpine eighteen
miles from Buena VIstal the route we chose to take
| for PItkin the fare is - by stage. aud by private
| carriage To Forest CITY, four miles beyond Alpine,
il is 81 Forest City IS the end of the wagon road
at present Bucna Vista has some mines or prospect
holes IN the surrounding mountains n few miles
away. but none sufficiently developed to create
| any excitement in the camp rs yet.
Early in the morning engaged Forest CITY
"hack" which was lumber wagon with spring
seat and started across the Park toward the south
west on our way to Alpine and Forest city. About
| eight miles out the road approaches the base OF
! Mount Princeton and Chalk Clih. aud desccnds by
narrow aud PERCEPTIONS route into Chalk Creek
| Caion. For q short distance tho road was 80 steep
| that we preferred walking. Chalk Creek Canon
| is n narrow gulch between high. chaky looking
mountains on either side whose PERCEPTIONS rocky
sides arc scanned and iissured into most fantastic
sbaoes The stream is rapid and full OF little falls
| and the ascent 10 a higher elevation Is rapid
| though the road as far rs Alpine is fairly good
The Denver and South Park Railway Company N
! grading everywhere along the mountainous side In
| this gnlch as far up rs Forest CITY
Alpine has every appearance OF being
new. and contains perhaps 100 houses and
tents most of which have been built this Spring.
There are MANY prospect holes in this vicinity, nnd
the Tilden mine which il situated here near the top
of the mountain, nearly thousand feet above the
town. clear above timber line. has some reputation
| as TO richness aud was sold for large sum- l. am
| told to New York capitalists last ycAr. had no
time to visit the mine, and learned that the SNOW
| had prevented any work during tho WINTER until a
couple Of days previous to my arrival, when work
| was resumed. The elevation OF Alpine ~ about
s. 200 feet and il is IN the midst of high ana rugged
mountains aud the most genuine Alpine ncchcry III
| America. The road TO Forest City Is not good. l
| found excellent table board Mt the lttle loH hOtcl
for So. though had To sleep IN an open GiIitt where
| could see the stars through the roof Ia the NOR
| ming there was IA white tI0st.
CLIMBING TIE DIVIDE.
About one-fourth of Il mile above Forest City the
gulch divides aud two streams unite to form Chalk
Creek. Tho trail which leads up the north fork oI
right hand gulch goes to Virginia City and llies
ton over Alpine Pass, Virginia City being twelve
miles aw4y. Tho south fork, or the trail taken by
us. led to the Tunnel aud over Altman Pass to Pit
kim eighteen miles away. During the Winter and
early Spring while the passes were blOckaded with
snow, provisions became very scarce and high. and
n man who took flour and potatoes into Virginia
on snow shoes got 1Il2 cents pound for flour and
16Io cents ponnd for potatoes. On our way TO the
Tunnel the trail led marshes and streams
through forests and drfts of snow five OF siA
feet deep We passed many pilgrims carrying thel
| nocLs and hlankcts bound for Piikn aud the Gun
nison When in sight ot the pass we could sec mel
creeping slowly up the trail to the summit. at th'
Tunnel they have an open cut In tho mountain
abont sixty feet and drift in about sixty feet fur
ther There is q camp Of log hnts nearly covered
with snow near the opening of the IuBnel. some
of them evidently having been built tins Spring by
Temoyinp SIX or seven feet of snow before ayinl
the foundation logs. We left our horses here aud
shOuldering our blankets trudged up tho trail OF
foot over snow apparently ten to twelve feet deep
hr slinncrY trail so stccp that III this thin nLmOs