Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-13
SILVER CLIFF, COL.
Experiences and Pen Pictures Of
Wandering Memphian.
A New, wild and Attractive
Country.
lpesIaI Corrs.p0ndsnos Of ths Lsdssr.l

with the Rocky Mountain range al
most encircling, and towering 5000
feet still above it. stands the mining
camp of Silver Cliff, with its nominal
population of some 1000 souls. 1t
owes at once its name and existence to
projecting iron-stained cliff almost
within the town, where, about three
years ago, three miners, in passing
from one mountain range across the
valley to another, few miles distant.
stopped under the shadow of the cliff
to rest and partake Of their bread and
bacon. Having done SO, one of them,
more from force of habit than aught
else, Clipped piece from the over
hanging rock, and the prospecting
party proceeded on their journey to
the range. Independent Of the iron
stain the rock seemed to be pure and
simple, and when some time afterWard.
at his convenience, the prospector had
this piece of rock assayed, he was sur
prised to find that it yielded no great
percentage Of silver, but any at all.
Having met with i'll success elsewhere,
the party mentioned, several months
afterward, returned to the cliff. and
having several other samples tested,
were both surprised and gratifed to
find the rock yielded away up among
the hundreds of dollars. They imme-
diately staked off the Racine Boy and
Silver Cliff claims, and as the report
soon spread, almost by magic the val.
ley and hills we're covered with pros.
pectors, who staked off the whole
country for miles around, the town
was laid of, a municipal government
inaugurated, and with that spirit of
progress peculiar to a live people.
they proceeded at once to acquire the
dignity and importance attaching to a
considerable city debt, mainly owing
to their Holly water works, supplied
from Grape creek, which meanders
along the border of the town. The
acquisition Of the waterworks is gen.
orally condemned as job, the party
OF the other part holding that the
water could have been more cheaply
con Keyed from any of the adjacent
mountain streams of better quantity
and quality by means of line of pipe.
few dams and reservoir on one of
the hills almost within the city. But
OF all this your correspondent writes
from lhearsay only. Ga brief visit
to Rosita, the county seat of this
Custer county, few days since, l
met the first Mayor Of Silver Cliff, who
is quite character. He is tamiliarly
called Frank by almost every one (sur-
name Rolf and when elected brought
his ox-team and pillow over from his
rancho, some six miles distant, and
trudged behind in his bare feet, liter
ally put his hand to the plow, marked
out the treet lines, aud plowed out
the cutters. He was Major ola Tex
as regiment during the late dispute.
and judging from his appearance I
have no doubt found it convenient to
be present wherever any disturbance
might be going on, This is Of course
wooden town, having, as far as /
have seen, only one brick block (of
three houses but for its age it is
remarkably we'll grown aud we'll built.
The streets we're neither made by man
nor by contract, but by nature, and
the job was remarkably we'll done (be.
ing compact sand and gravel, solid,
smooth and permanently Thu people
are from all parts of our country, from
Maine to Texas, and the Atlantic
shore to the Golden Gate. Taken to-
gether, they form type admirable at
once for their simplicity, by which [
mean lack Of pretense, their courage,
energy and endurance. There are
many ladies here of refinement and Gull
ture, and almost without exception
they perform all of the household
duties without assistance, and uni
formly without complaint, from
which you may reasonably
conclude, however, that house,
servants are not to be had; comps.o-
ions may be acquired for SIS to $50
per month, provided they are treated
in all respects as members of the
family, otherwise the paltry monetary
consideration is utterly disregarded.
| Wap Lee, Wong HO and John Sing
washee, washee, muchee, mucnee
here; in fact, do all OF the household
and general washing not done 1y the
ladies' as mentioned. There Is one
Chinese woman here, aud she is no
doubt belle among the Celestial
brethren, but were an artist seeking
a model for my ideal beauty, in my
present state of mind, it occurs to me
! would seek farther. As | have seen
her, ! may be permitted to say a great
deal farther. In fact, their dress and
general appearance is so much alike.
| when sitting DOWN that to an outside.
barbarian the difference between a
young Ohinee woman and a young
| Chinee man is not very apparent,
although, actually, no doubt there
does exist some distinction.
| The mountain range, seemingly but
an aRte.breakfast walk from my door
step, is about twelve miles distant
across the emerald-elad valley. It is
sight of which the vision never
wearies. From their tree clad base to
their bare or snOw-olad SUBMITS, now
in sunshine, now in shade, as the
floating clouds chase each other about
or above them, they are a constant
study and delight. Although the
very symbol of permaueIce and limit
less dy tion, their ASPECT is as change.
iul as De sea, and IAany of their most
beautiful effects are called into ex-
lGtence and tad.e away forever, almost
before one Can say, Behold
| am located very pleasantly and
comfortably at No. 5O6 Broadway,
within a square OF two churches, and
; a third scarce farther Sc you see, my
. surroundings are highly moral and