The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-12-15
COLORADO.
Eighteen Months in this PrOmis-
ing Western State.
The Experience Of German Mining En-
glneer In the Rocky Mountalns-His
Opinion of What He Saw.

1t has always been my desire to see
the beauties Of nature, and after having
| sotOurned among the snOw-crOwned
Alps and the lofty Pyrenees, could not
help but be tempted to visit the Rocky
Mountains. With this desire l left the
eastern shore to stay in the mountain
regions of Colorado and New Mexico,
not for the sake Of pleasure only, but
for the earnest desire to study the cOun-
try and its people, the nature of its
rocks and minerals, its geological feat
uFes in general, as well as to enjoy that
peculiarly independent life Of the
frontier. These lines, therefore, differ
essentially from description by an en-
thusiastic traveller, who visited this re-
giOn during the lovely summer months,
under the most favorable circumstances,
but are written by man who enjoyed
the summer breeze and beautiful skies
equally as well as he braved all the
haTdships of Rocky Mountain winter.
After short trip through the agri-
cultural and stock raising regions of
Colorado, we directed our course to the
lofty crest of the Rocky Mountains, the
| very backbone of the American conti-
nent. Buena Vista forming our pre-
liminary terminus, we decided to make
| a series of excursions into the surround
| ing country. Buena Vista was Just be-
coming a town (1880) and exhibited all
the characteristics of a new frontier
settlement. Large rows of tents Occu-
pied the space now taken up by stately
buildings. Immense trains of freight
wagons with six and eight mules, chiefly
bound for Leadville, blOckaded the
streets. Innumerable saloons, the in
dispensable (O gambling and dance hall
(by the way, kept by the Mayor of the
city, and pretty rough set formed the
chief characteristics of Buena Vista at
this time. We added an assay Office
to the institutions of the town,
and few weeks later another enterpri
sing spirit started a bakery; so far we
had to do with crackers only and Occa-
siOnally stale piece of bread. We ate
lots of ham and bacon, and could hardly
see pig without blushing. But these
things were the only sources of subsist-
ence until several weeks later, when a
charitable newcomer, for the benefit of
his own pocket and that of his fellow
men, opened a butcher shop. He sold
beef at 30 cts. a pound. 1t was frequent
ly as tough as piece of gum hose, and
sometimes tougher; yet 1T tasted right
good. 1t was pretty rough living those
days, but now, only one year after, cir
cumstances have greatly changed. Rail-
road communication with Denver, Pue-
bio, Leaville and other points east and
| west, have put a stop to the labOrlOuS
wagon freighting. Fine hotels now oc-
cupy the place of boarding tents, and
cOmely frame dwellings have substitu-
ted the dugOuts of year ago. Buena
Vista is now town of several thousand
Inhabitants, with gas and water works,
an organized police force, and all the
the accOmpaniments of civilization.
From there in two hours Leadville can
be reached by rail; Pueblo in five hours
and Denver in twelve. These places
form the principal markets for ore,
being provided with large and numer-
GUS smelling and reduction works
Buena Vista is about seven thousand
feet above the sea level, in the very heart
; of cottonwood park, surrounded by
beautiful mountain chains and in close
proximity to number of hot springs
!, | Previous to railroad communication the
: chief fuel was piniOn, small tree be
;; | longing to the species cOnifera, thu
n wood of which is extremely rich IL
| resin, and therefore ignites very easily
This tree grows in great abundance il
the surroundings of Buena Vista, bu
disappears in higher attitudes, giving
Q way to spruce and pine. The presen
y fuel is coke and coal, the latter mineC
8 at Trinidan, Southern Colorado. AbOu
" three miles from Buena Vista are situa
! ted the Cottonwood Hot Springs, on th
banks of Cottonwood creek, whose waite
70 is constantly ice-cOld. The water il
IS about 125 degs. Fah., when it leaves
=, the ground, and almost chemically pure
e It's high temperature must therefore bt
,: attributed to the great depth from whicl
u the water rises, and not to chemica
= changes, which il might probably un
i. deTgO on its subterranean journey. AT
l. ter few weeks stay at Buena Vista W
:, directed our course toward that i'm
% mense mountain chain west of Cotton
y wood park, from which the snow wa
now May rapidly disappearing.
dafggjSnrnay a1gyiaS, nine brought tgRousand US fee
above sea level, situated in
narrow gulch and shaded by immens
= peaks that seem to support the skies. !
thousand feet higher climbing and tn
town site of St. Elmo was reached
Here, amid ice and snow, we concludes
to remain and wait for the approach o
spring, which generally reaches thi
10 place by the first of June. st. Elmo |
u now town of seven hundred inhabit
ants, due to the rapid development o
mines in its vicinity. A year and hal
ago there was only our tent to mark tn
present town site. St. Elmo is goo
= starting point to cross the COntinenta
Divide. Eight miles travel will brin
you to the top of the same, and by mex
spring railroad will cross 1T, being a
present finished five miles beyond s.
V hlIllO. lnlS pldC6 W6 llduV Jul hOuO
quarters, and from here we undertOO
numerous excursions into the surround
ing country, as we'll as longer journey
into other parts of Colorado; for instance
I; the GunnisOn country, the Elk Noun
Q tains and the Indian reservation. Gu
ie main object was to become thorough
ts acquainted with the mining interests G
Ii the country, and for this purpose W
ID visited nearly all the claims of tn
W neighbOrhOOd, from which we PERSONAL
II lOok specimens and carefully assaye
r them, made mine surveys and determ
lie nations of altitude, so as to becOm
e. thoroughly familiar with the geOlogica
11ee features of the country.
c The only occurrence of minerals l
Id place, east of the Continental Divide
" within radius of nearly twenty mile
T from st. Elmo, are assure veins. Il
sures are crevices in the granite file
a with lead matter, quartz, tale and spa
differing essentially from the surrounC
I'd ing country rock. They are the prOdut
as of volcanic action and must be suppose
Is Is to extend into the eternal depths of til
earth. The width of these veins is frol
Ill two to twenty feet. The walls of trU
,t- fissure, consisting invariably of grant
re- are parallel; the course is from 80 d
grees to 40 degrees east of north. III
as dip of these veins assumes a more welt