The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-09-16
Our Colorado Letter.
Special Correspondence.

ing tUrtuous course through the famous
Clear Creek Canon, is the mining city
of Georgetown, one of the oldest in the
State. Passing through the canon which
takes its name rom the creek along which
the track has been laid, is almost like 60
ing into an immense cave. Its towering
peaks and overhangIng rocks are high
above you on either side, sometimes shoot
ing straight up with walls as perpendic-
ular as those of cavern and almost
shutting out the light Of day. To stand
on the rear platform of the train affords
a grand sight, and to see the painting
little iron horse twisting around in the
crevices of the rocks, as it were, often ar
parently turning around 10 come back at
Won, is most novel and exhilarating rail-
road experience. Between Denver and
Georgetown we pass Golden City, which
is quite town, and Idaho Springs, one
of the healthiest places in all Colorado.
At Black Hawk, just at the terminus Of
the canon, the road branches off to Cen
trail City, another of the old mining towns
end the home OF Secretary of the Interior
Teller, who has just pail it visit.
Tourists usually come this way and then
cross the mountain through Virginia
Canon to Idaho Springs by team, thence
again taking the train to Georgetown.
Both Central City and Georgetown are
thriving business towns of perhaps 5 900
to 000 inhabitants. "Central" is the
most substantial looking of the two, hav-
ing better class of buildings in the busi-
ness section. But it is an oddly-located
city, being built on the side of two moru-
tains, or in a narrow gulch-like depression
at their conjunction, its ore principal
street winding down the ravine distance
of two miles or more. Here Mr.. Teller
before he was either Secretary or Senator,
made his ample fortune, and here he still
has large interests and is held in high es-
teem. His ent rprise and sagacity were
largly instrumental in making the place
what it is and in securing railway facili
ties for it. As President of the Central
National Bank he is credited with having
substantially aided the POOR miners in
getting a ready market for their ores
Senator Hill also has smelling works here
but of late years he has taken his most
extensive interests to Denver. Still more
than Central, Georgetown is in appear
ance and characteristics unlike any city
of 5000 Inhabitants to be found any
where east of Colorado. Yet the very con-
trast gives it charm, and one walks
through its streets looking with strange
interest upon its plain, unique structures
and peculiar location. Here, as at Cen
tral, the mountains aud hillsides on every
hand are honey -combed with prospect
ing holes" tunnels and mining shafts.
Tue ore found here is almost exclusively
silver, with considerable commingling
OF iron pyrites, lead and zinc
1t would naturally be supposed that
mining localities as old as these were we'll
nigh exhausted, but they are not. There
are, it is true, no big strikes like those Of
Lesdville or the Gnnnison country, but
from the old mines still being worked
there is steady yield of ore and even now
a new mine is occasionally found. went
into the tunnel of the "Terrible" mine,
three miles up the mountain from here,
which has been one of the largest in this
whole section Its owners spent a fortune
in developing it before dollar of return
was realized. Bnt about five years ago
it began to pay largely and since then
thousands of tons of ore have been taken
out of it, assaying from 5000 to $500 per
ton. Yet all around this mine and in fact
everywhere here may be seen played out
and abandoned claims which have never
paid for the labor bestowed upon them.
Aud this is the history of every mining
camp. There is no telling where a vein
or lode may be ',struck" without a trial,
and many become discouraged and Civ.
up too soon, while others by bad judg-
ment and bad management exhaust theiI
means without achieving success. 1t is
good deal like buying lottery tickets.
Que man fails utterly after tedious effort.
) and another fluids "paying dirt" from tbe
very grass roots. Thousands of dollars
are sunk by Eastern companies and in.
3 disiduals iu holes which they have never
: seen and which never yield pei ny; yet
= for all this the precious metal IS here II
t every hand all over these miles and mile
f of mountains. and in such quanlitie,
e that the supply will not be exhausted il
thousand years. Whenever q gooc
D strike is made, prospectors flock to th,
a spot in thousands and turn up the dir
5 for hundreds OF yards around. An ol,
, operator pointed out spot sixteen mile
. below Georgetown where pocket" o
" gold WAS discovered several years ago
e land said he, 'in less than week tire,
: thousand men were al work within call
J. ing distance"
: 1t is stated that no geologist ever ye
j found valuable nine-the humble pros
g pector being always to the front-anC
}, even then owing much to accident. Will
u his burro laden with a little bacon an,
If fl )ur, perhaps a little coffee and sugar.
d frying'pan and coffee pot, and with hi
It pick and shovel. this hard working pic
It neer traverses the length and breadth O
Q the mineral region, undergoing many an,
It great hardships, often facing danger OF
z ten, indeed ying his bones on some des
l. olate hill side or in some lonely canon
e and thep-obly to think of it one in fiv
e hundred finds fortune We hear of lat
y years that mining has become as regula
" and legitimate AN occupation as manu-
p fac uliug; ari it is undoubtedly true tina
II method aud system have been largely in
l. troduced. and that the strong owners c
r. paying mines and successful smelling