The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-08-25
From Colorado.
FREE GOLD, COLORADO,
August 10. 1881

AuSuoO 10 1OOA'J
DEAR DEMocRAT-I am seated at the
above place, a few days travel from
White Pine, to drop you a few lines. A
small party of US left White Pine, Aug.
4th, on a cherry expedition" and camp
our starting point. Early the next morn
our tents and stole away" to cross the
en- miles to the top, and slow and toll
some to the horses but delightful to at
least one of the occupants of the party,
because this slow mode oftraveling gives
an opportunity to enjoy the grand scene
ry. Our route is what is called the Mon
arch Pass. When I crossed it in the
spring, for the first time, great banks of
snow lined the way, but these have all
melted, though at no great distance plen-
ty of the ''beautiful" can yet be SEEM
The road winds in and out, up and down
the mountains, andi is very rough. Some
times it is visible a great distance offand
then close but deep down below. Our
party jokingly attributed the jolting of
the ride to the driver, but he assured US
it was due to the recent heavy rains
which had washed the rocks to the ur-
face. We reached Maysville in the af-
ternoon of the same day. This city is
the terminus of the Rio Grande railway.
1t is a new and thriving town and to all
appearances a very lively one. Every
thing in the way of eatables is high
Green apples 5 cents apiece. A sack of
grain that you might purchase for $1.00
in the East will cost $500 here. We did
not tarry in Maysville any time, but pass
ed on to Poncha Springs through a very
large and handsome Park, and camped
for the night in pleasant grove OF Pecon
trees. After a night of refreshing sleep
we started the next morning and travel
ed all day through the Park, passing
gurgling waters, sparkling streams, green
meadows and valleys and glens, to the
village of Free Gold, from which place is
the finest country and most extended
view yet seen. We stopped with Mrs.
Quick, wife of Arthur Quick, old Eatoni-
ans, who is here at the Springs for her
health. Just back of this point Is the
Arkansas river and a long, broad valley
looking like a nicely kept lawn, and be-
yond is MI. Princeton, while in full view
are Mts. Harvard and Yale. All the
mountains on this side of the valley look
at a distance as if they had been swept,
so bare and smooth are their sides patch
es of snow are visible on them, their tops
reaching seemingly to the sky. On the
other side is more variety. Low round
ed hills standing out alone, green noun
tains dark with massive foliage and rocky
cliffs are to be seen all around. Free
Gold consists of about a dozen frame
houses. On Sunday morning, after three
days journey, we reached Buena Vista.
The place is about four years old, and APP
pears to be about the size of Eaton. All
the dwelling houses are new, are frame
structures, and the same kind OF build
ing seems to be going on rapidly. Trade
looks brisk, especially among those who
keep saloons, and about every other
house seems to be one. Sunday is not
very much observed. Although there
are several churches in the place, bust
ness was going IN as usual, trains run all
day and the town puts on quite a city air.
On Sunday eI ening we reached our des-
tination, the cherry PATCH" at a Lake
about ten miles southwest of Buena Wis
ia, and on Monday morning began to pick
berries. Several families were camping
and picking when we arrived. The ber-
ries are very plenty and large-grow high
up and the way is steep to them, making
it laborious work as well as a pleasure to
gather them. The scenery from these
mountains is grand. Below is a smooth
valley and lovely lake. The calm waters
mirror the rugged mountains which rise
from its sides abrupt and steep to its very
depth, and beyond is mountain upon
mountains and peaks upon peak, max
ing a most perfect picture for pen or PEN
Gil. To descend these cherry patches"
safely with your bucket of fruit is feat,
and the person who Toes 50 is considered
fortunate, but the appearances OF the
"pickers" is the amusing part of it
After Old Sol has taken particular pains
to redden and blister your features until
they resemble berry itself, and a fire.
quent application of the blackened hands
to wipe the preparation, which adds to
the picture, you may have an idea how a
mountain girl in search of berries looks!
We remained four days, picked about 20
gallons of the berries and returned to
Free Gold.
Horace Greeley's advice to young men
is somewhat c~ontradicted by a gentle
man here, who advises them to stay
away unless they come for pleasure or
health. Wages are better here than in
the east, but expenses are in about the
same proportion, and aside from the
mining and saloon business, | see but
one other that pays, and that is a good
hay or cattle rancho neal some substan-
tial mining belt, which is a sure and GER
tain road to prosperity. As to profess
ional men, there are a large number of
all classes here, but they are either very
inferior or very dissipated and make poor
Roadway in useful life.
Mining matters~a at White Pine are still
prospering. In the Tomichi district,
three miles above White Pine, there has
been a rich strike in one of the mines, in
what the assayers term ''tellurium." 1t
is the first discovery of the kind and the
vein is very rich. Tellurium is princi-
pally gold bearing. "Tomich" yet prom
ises, if it is not already, to be one of the
richest mining districts in Colorado.
E.