The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-03-15
sILyER clIFE.


NP !" GupNf III III 6Dull4SIl
Colorado, is franght with more unpleas-
antness just now than it will be in a
few months hence. Then the weather
win become pleasant and the Rio
Grande railroad will have entered the
Cliff with one of its numerous feeders.
The man who goes travelling now
isn't moved by motives of pleasure. but
by absolute pressure of business. 1t is
pleasant enough going rs far as Canon
City, on the Leadville branch of the
Denver & Rio Grande road. Here We
leave the railroad and take the stage
coach for Silver Cliff, which is located
81 miles southwest. The road winds
along barren plains, over rough and
precipitous hills, and through gorges
and caions. In summer time the
scenery is evidently enchanting. But
not so now. One hasn't much time to
devote to scenery, because of preoceu-
patton in carrying out the first law of
nature-self preservation. Rough roads
characterize the route from Canon
City, and it isn't at all difficult to i'm
agine that each stage driver imagined
himself to be Hank Monk and driving
Horace Greeley to the Cliff on time TO
fill an engagement to lecture. The
coach bounded, rolled, pitched and
jerked along, according to the varying
condition of the road, and passengers
were busily engaged in holding them
selves on their seats. There was a
species of wild delight animating the
drivers when descending the narrow
road that skirted steep hills. They ran
their teams down at a gait that would
be called furious even on the plains.
Winding around sudden and short
curves, the passengers would be hurled
from side to side, while the female
portion would Involuntary shrek in
alarm.
It's a tedious ride from Canon to the
Cliff, occupying the day from s O'Clock
in the morning to nearly 8 O'Clock in
the evening.
Silver Cliff is located on the slope in
front of the Racine Boy and Silver
Cliff mines. There is plenty of room
for a town, and if eve it should grow
to inordinate proportions buildings can
be built on a continuous plain for miles
and miles, until the vast Wet Mountain
valley is covered. There is room for
several Londons.
Being yet young there are few brick
buildings in the town. but those that
are of brick are very substantially
built and handsome in appearance.
Like all mining towns the first resi-
dences are built small and cheaply.
But the newer residences are of a more
liberal character. Cabins and tents
thickly stud the ground outside the
business portion of the city, while all
over the plains, as far as eye can reach,
cabins can be seen.
Business is pronounced dull at pres
ent, but to our unsophisticated gaze it
seemed to be pretty good. However,
it is plain that the business houses can
supply a larger population than at pres
ent resides in Silver Cliff. Still, the min
ing camps in the various mountain
ranges are good patrons of the Cliff, |
and when the weather opens, immense
mounts of supplies will be purchased
by them.
There are many idle worknen in the
CvtA Cor fha raoopn That oil .f fI,a
stamping mills are stopped. The Ra.
cine Boy mill, which stopped to change
from dry to wet process, is about 10
resume operations. The Plata Verde
mill is also stopped, and will discard its
dry process If the works of the Racine
Boy are successful. The Bull Domingo
folks have a concentrating mill; they |
concentrate their ore three to one and
then ship it east. The Bassick mine
does the same. One or two custom
mills and smelters are in operation, but
they are not working to their full ca
pacity for want of ore.
Silver Cliff takes its name from the
mine which is located on a cliff of sill
yer beside the Racine Boy. These
mines car scarcely be termed mines.
They resemble stone quarries; and so
they are. The ''pay ore'' is simply an
immense deposit, the edge of which
protrudes by reason of the earth having
been washed away. So the miners
quarry out the rock and this is sent to
the stamp mill.
The country round about has been
well ~prospected. Everywhere prospect
holes are sunk. Small dumps, sur
mounted by the inevitable windlass,
greet the eye everywhere. But few of
them are being worked.
Socially, the people of Silver Cliff are
a splendid set. They are very hospit-
able and make a stranger feel perfectly
at home. They are proud of their
young and growing city and have album
dant faith in its future. Being people
of enterprise and grit, they are always
on the lookout for everything to adj
vance their material welfare. The COM
pletion of the Rio Grande railroad to
Silver Cliff will prove an immense ben
eft to the city. 1t will increase the
arrivals, lower the cost of necessaries,
and make the Cliff a w~holesaling point
for all the surrounding mining camps.
There are many old Cheyenneites To-
Gated at the Cliff, and all are doing
wall We saw tho antarnrisino and