Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-03-18
WONDERFUL LEADVILLE.
Further Facts OF Interest About the Fa-
nous silver City of Colorado.

Further Facts OF Interest About the Fa-
nous silver City of Colorado.
Colonel Elisha w. Davis, a member
OF the Pennsylvania legislature, said to
a Philadelphia Times reporter, on re-
turning from trip to Leadville, Col. !:
Two years ago little tumble-down
shanty or two stood on the site now oc-
cupied by Leadville, city containing
to-day nearly forty thousand inhabi-
tants, and which do not hesitate to
predict will have one hundred thousand
people before the end of another year.''
Talk about the wonderful rise of
San Francisco and other places, "seon-
tinued Colonel Davis, "but think of
Leadville in comparison with any of
them and you'll acknowledge that it
must get the palm. With its fine
banking concerns occupying elegant
buildings and doing very large busi-
ness; four daily newspapers-three Re-
publican and one Democratie-not ex-
celled in enterprise and general features
by any other papers outside of Phila-
delphia and New York; several -four
ishing weekly journals; three tirst-class
theaters; numerous fine churches, in
Guiding Episcopal, Methodist and Ro-
man Catholic; whole streets full OF busi-
ness structures that are the architec.
tural equals of those in many of the
large Eastern cities, and a fine post
office building now being erected of
brick and stone-it is already city of
no little Importance. Except in the
outskirts, it is not scattered like many
other mining towns, but is compactly
built up-more so than Harrisburg, of
which, think, it is the equal, if it does
not 60 beyond that city in population.
Nearly all the temporary wooden struc-
lures have already given place to sub
stantial buildings of stone and brick.
Any quantity of good bricks can be
made there, suitable clay being found
in the immediate vicinity. Leadville
looks just as much like an Eastern city
as does Harrisburg.
The city is IA 900 feet above the level
of the sea, and all around it in the dis
tance loom up snow-capped peaks.
During my stay of three weeks there,
however, have perceived little, if any,
difference between its climate and that
of Philadelphia. Nevertheless, the soil
thereabouts is not suitable for farming
to any considerable extent, and the per-
manency of the settlement must de7end
upon the supply of the surrounding sill
yer mines, which for many generations
will be inexhaustible. The location of
the city on gradually sloping mountain
is such that during thunderstorm the
people can see the lightning fash below
them. Snow remains all the year on
the surrounding peaks. 1t is amusing
to see how strangers in the city are de-
| ceived by the apparent distance of these
mountains. | started one morning to
take stroll to the base of one of them,
supposing that it was about two or not
more than three miles off. Judge of my
astonishment upon being told that it
was not less tnan twenty miles away
The journey was postponed Another
day, as a waggish friend and myself
were out walking, we came upon little
spring, run or brook, fess-than yard
wide. My friend stopped at its edge,
and. after appearing to measure ii with
his eye, proceeded to divest himself of
his garments.
What are you doing?" I asked, in
surprise.
"Going to swim across. of course, y
was the reply. tive been fooled enough
on Leadville distances; but alter this
I'll try to make due allowance in my
calculations"
.'Take il all in all, the cost of living
in Leadyille is no more than in Phila
delphia, while the remuneration for Ia
Dor is from two to three times as large
as it is here Beef is cheaper and better
there than here. The only supplies that
command higher price there are vege-
tables. Day laborers earn from 50 to S4
day; carpenters, 81; miners, from 81
to S4 so, and other workmen in like pro-
portion. Any plucky man going there
with little capital ought to get rich If
he minds his business. The entire sur
rounding country abounds in mineral
wealth, chiefly silver and iron. The
fact that lead is found in large quantities.
combined with these ores, gave the city
its name. Silver, however, is the most
abundant, and, of course, the chief
treasure sought for. Anthracite coal
was recently struck. and the supply
promises to be very great. Every trade
and profession hourishes. Undoubted-
ly Leadville will be tae center of the sill
yer mining business for the next twenty
five years 1t is now, by tar the largest
town in the State.
1.-The population is not so heterogeneous
as Philadelphians might suppose. The
majority OF the people are of American
birth. recruited largely from New York
State and the oil regions of Pennsyl-
vania. New Workers are getting hold Of
all the big mines. Several mines, in
Guiding the Robert E. Lee, Pittsburg
and Crysolite, have been paying at the
rate of 100000 year for the last six
months. If Leadvilleh has done so much
with no railroad nearer than thirty-two
miles, what may be expected when the
road now running from Denver to Buena
Vista will be finished as far as Leadville?
Indeed. it is probable that the Denver
and Rio Grande road also will soon be
extended to Leadville, opening up traf-
fic along the Arkansas river. At pres
ent passenger travel and hauling must
be done by means of stages and wagons
between Leadville and Buena Vista
There has been no robbing done, how
ever, since Judge Lynch hanged two
fellows last fall. Indians are not feared
as there are none nearer than the Gunni-
son country, thirty miles distant, and
they are fast disappearing from there. y