The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-10-08
ORR WESTERN EMPIRE.

The Chiefs Correspondent il, Colorado
Lines from Leadvil1e-The Saratoga ol
the West, Pixies Peak and Other Points
of Interest.
LEADyrLLE. Col, July IS, 1881.
EDITOR CHIEF:
This is the srangest town in America.
An infant of four years as a city, it is old
tion Of $1,000, at least 5000 have tloated
off to other bonanza fields, and there are
other thousands waiting, like Micawber,
for something to turn mp. There are dis
appointed hopes and stranded cxpecta-
tons enough in this city to answer for the
entire country. Gambling houses with
all their seductive appliances are open in
great numbers on either side of the prin-
cpal avenue, day and night, seven days
F! in the week Rum, riot and gin have
swept to perdition thousands who came
here with aspirations for wealth. A bet
ter day is coming eyon to this Sodom.
A few months since proposition to en-
act an ordinance closing all business
places on the Sabbath was defeated by Il
vote of the city council. This action called
the attention of the better class of citi-
zens to the matter and now all respect
able business places arc closed on the
Sabbath. Tie school houses, churches,
and Y. M. G. A. are already making
their influence felt through tho entire
community. The gnsh and boom of tho
early excitement has given place to a
settled business-liko purpose in the
mining interests. The day for stocking
mine covering 10000 square feet at Il
cool S10,000,0o0 and two openings III tho
sbusl, (" in tho East has;r gone by, and
honest hard working miners arc digging
.out of these siver-ribbed mountains an
annual product of $l2 ,oo0 700. The sam
ping mills and smclters in tho city are
points Of interest to the visitor.
Through the politcness of Mr.. James,
one of tho proprietors Of the Grant Smolt-
ing Works, we were shown tho process Of
tho reduction Of orc in it's various stages.
The ore in the Leadvillc district carries
about ninety-ninc per cent of pure lead.
This establishment reduces aboutaad5, 900
tons Of ore per month, their furnaces run
ming night and day the year around,
smelling one-tenth of all tho lead pro
duced in the United States. The ore
used by them is purchased from different
mines; is weighed and piled ready for
smelling. Large beds are made by spread
ing layer upon layer of tho different
kinds of ore after it has gone through the
crushcr, and is then taken, weighed and
put in the furnaces, which are charged
"ith charcoal and limestone az Il ilux
and tho whole is melted, the lead and
silver, running into basins Or rotorts, is
dipped out and poured into ,noults for
bullion bars, each Of which weighs 100
lbs. The Stag, composed oi melted lime
stouo and nonmetalljc portions Of the
orc, is drawn from tho furnaces il !. mol
ten state, is cooled and cast aside as
waste, or reused again as tlux. This
firm has shipped since the first Of Janua-
ry G21 car loads Of bullion to Omaha,
where the silver and load arc separated,
the silver being sent to tho mint and tho
lead shipped to eastern markets.
The altitude of Leadvillc is 1O,25O feet,
and " tonderfcct" find their lusgs work
ing like Il pair of bellows and their ears
turned into a factory with Il buzz saw
500 revolutions to the minute,
while their knees smitc each other like
Belshazzar's Of old With snow capped |
in full Wow, and chilly mortals |
lowering over good fire in the hotel on
5he goth Of July, canlor com pcls me to
;ay that this must have been tic very
spot the fellow was signing for when in
agony he cried p" Oh , for /, lodge in some
vast Wilderness" etc.
Manitou Springs, tho Saratoga of the |
lhc mountains of tho mil-contincnt. |
Five express trains run each day between !
t and Colorado Springs, six milos die
amt and lying 100 feet below and being |
,hc gateway or plateau to the great !
plains, connected by tho Denver d Rio
5randc on tho North, with Denver and |
Now Mexico on the South. Few water
ng places arc better supplied with hotels
Let the traveller before starting from |
home order his mail sent to the Bccbcc |
House, under the management Of Mrs.
Bcobcc, who knows just how to keep Il
A hotel. This is the most homcliko and |
enjoyable place to stop West of the Mis-
Sissippi. Tho gcntlcnanly clerks, Mcssrs.
Camden and Bailey, make tho traveller
feel at home the moment the threshold is
crossed. The waters of Manitou are both !
healing and pleasant to the taste.
Manitou is most beautiful in moon
light. 1t is hcmmed in on all sides by !
except one narrow "via"
Down the gn}ch A short walk brings
The tourist 70 canon, grand and gnr-
,eous. Mountains loom into mid heav-
Ems but 4 short distance away, while
Pixies Peak, snow capped and hoary,
1880 feet high, is reached by trail
up long mountains in the fore
ground to reach unseen platcans in the
ar beyond, under a calm, clear sky with
he shadow Of the moon playing hide and