, 1881-07-30
CHIHUAHUA.
A New Colorado Mining Camp,
Peopled by Chicagoans. :.
Where It Is Situated, and 1ts~ Hin.
eral Developments. ~
The District Written Up as d Chicago
Hoy Sees It.
10 tAs Editor a. Tas Chteaso Tribune.


%, 10 tAs Edtto, u TAs Chicago Tribune.
CHIHUAHUA. Colo, July .a-Thres years ago
left the Garden City and crossed the great
plains, headed for tho Centennial Htato. On ar
rivlnk heard 10 tnuch exciting talk about tho
mining. camps that divod into tho tnountainA,
eager FOR the lrst impressions. tnado Pill.
krlmage 10 Lualvitfe. tiian In It's lnfnneys
watched It Rrow md bccomn great: rambled
hn0ng the mtllcs and saw tho workings thereof;
went With tho prospootor Ii hls senrol, for tho
"9olden tieecc,' sat BY bis camp-1rc and par
took Of his cotfco aud biscuit; listened 10 tales
Of neutrality-suspicious. moro. enchanting than
"Tho Arabian Nights to boyhood; And the do
sire to pluuge deeper and deepur Into the unsr-
ptored Fastened upon mo, and.RradualIy dropping
into tho situation, my lot became cast among
tho nlnos and miners Of Colorado; snco whom,
have been with tho proprietor. going frou,
camp TO camp, following up now "strikcs."
sharing With him the visoisattldcs peculiar to
that class Of people who discover and establish
tho mining camps. =
THE rnosrEcron
Is n kind Of a "bnrnaclo" /" Ia his wny,--his solo
ambition being to deivo In tho secret haunts OF
tho mountalns,-nnd ho IL tlnGttcd. by tho free.
irresponsible uature Of his work, for Rt,y other
vocation. lie usually starts out with q "Grub-
stRkc"-.parttes furnishing him with camp
outll, "grub," and PACK anlp,al for an interest,
usually onu-lalf, Of what be hnds; 80 he has his
food and tobacco, and Is perfectly independent.
II ia bis nature TO keep ahead Of tho human
tide. As cntnps sprlng up around him and
civilization draws its mnntlca tao o1osoly, be-
pncks bis buvro, Shoulders his ritl0, and pushes
further on. Hc ID tho advnucc-guard OF
civilization and the cyo-opouor Of sconcc. No
sttidics the rock, and tcarns 10 road 1t.
Scientific men follow closely OH his heels, anA-
lyZc Ills developments, and write about tho dis
covoFlcs of aconce and tho Entneral.bcnring for
tnutons. It Ia tho prospoutur who has opened
up Colorado and nadc what th0ro IL Of 1t to-
day.. He IS hardy and rugged. With plenty OF
coffee. tollr, and tobacco hls ardcr 10 complets.
prospeotors usually travel IN pairs. cach en-
1oying the sobrlauut Of "patd." Generosity is
virtuo With thcm.-tho lntchstring Of the cabin
being always on tho outside, aud brother-pros-
pcc.ors always welcoma to their CAMPS. They
aro fearless and unconcerned regarding danger
and insensibto to vlcIsstudo, ready for md equal
to any emergency: will fuce any obstacle, and
are always natural enemy to the lousy wards
Of tic Nation. As regards tho proBpootor's ex-
puricncc, ho Is
AN 1NvETE1sATE LIAR,
ond holds tho tnquaitive ip royal contempt.
Give him an opportunity, however. to unwind
himself, and he will gorge yon with tnlcs nf uu-
told wealth he has discovered, III his
mind. lie knows overy available pass
In tho mountains, Gun stFike any
trail desired, 1lc will ;0uIde you whore
trout and gaIno arc plenty, and he1ps
to mako up featuro Of life in the Rockies.
When he makes "striko." caring but little
Tor money he sells out at u moderate figure,
goes tn somo camp where hurdy.Gurdcs" amt
whisky nru plenty, has roundup" until bis
money IA gone, md, getting another "grtb-
stake" starts out again. We SEQ old men,
rough. bearded aud gray, still trnvelln9 tho
mountains, following up now strikes.
80 1t WIS with mu. was driving tunnel
over on tue Park Nauge, with an old 4oer, when
an old fellow cAno alnnx ono tlay, and informed
us that Il now camp had boon struck over on
tho snake lslros. a day or two afterwards,
feeling little biua ovcr our prospects,, wo
packcdup and started for Chihuahua: and judge
OF my surnrsa, III arriving hero, to Ind 4
rEor1.ED WITH MANY CJilCAGO.tNs1
sor,o of whom wcr0 among the dlsooverete and
locators. Charlos u. NEIl, Will known In, Chi
cagu, WIS one Of tho iirst III the district, and
through his Influence many moro hAyo beon In
ducsd to come Ia, and arc ct,glgel In lninlng,-
Of which will write after describing tho camp.
Chihnahua pronounced she-wuh- wah) "a
Spanish name moaning Rich Of tho AcheBt,''-
is sItu4,etl OIL tho wcst sIdo OF tho Main llunge,
nm tho Middle Fork OF tho Snuke River, fourteen
miles from Georgetown ty, way Of Argentine
FMss, and three miles from Grsy's Peak, In n
broad-tottomcd Ruich lying botweon two spiirsof
mountains branching out from the Continental
Divide. II Ia at IN altitude Of 10,;i0 fUot, and
has population Of upwards Ut :, ,01 rooplc at tho
pUciing. in tllo spring Of ls7y i party Of iros-
ptctcrs. en- route 10 nllukhor cnmr, passing this
way, canpod for fow days, and found some
few days work and test established the fNct.
A few friends wcro notified tanning whom was
sspa d @ Wis aa a ana sns c4 W St
nlly the nuIubcr swolled. chihuahua wns the