Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-08-25
LErrE, FROM COLORADO.

over tue mOuntNlHS Dy tne iOTmef TOUlc "
certainly MS exhilarating MS could I've wish
A few miles from Denver the railroad
strikes into the cauon Of the Platte, which
ii follows mp through narrow gorge bc-
tween the mountains for about fifty miles,
gaining an altitude at the summit OF 10,-
0I0 feet, or about 3 900 feet above Denver
The scenery through this canon is grand
beyond description. At no place is ii much
more than n stones throw in width, and
most Of the way the railroad bed has been
excavated out of the solid rock. As we ns-
cended the mountain cool breeLes swept
through the canon ms through funnel;
yet in spite of this little discomfort passen-
gers cannot resist the temptation to ride on
the platform oil the cars in order TO enjoy
the grand and impressive scenery. On one
side of the track the Platte River, here
wi1d.mountains tream, ,dasles down through
the canon over an almost unbroken success
sion of rapids and cutaracts. Here and
there deep pool of clear water was pro-
vokingly suggestive of trout fishing, and
the disciples of Isaac Walton will involun-
tarily divide their attention between these
tempting spots and the rocks that rose hun
dreds OF feet on either side, worn by the
river into all sorts of fantastic shapes, and
sometimes appearing almost TO close over
the river and railroad.
1t is not an easy task 10 adequately tles-
cribe this the most wonderful Of al mining
towns. There is nothing like il in Colora-
do or anywhere else, aud will, all that has
been written concerning it only those who
have been here to zee for themselves have
| n very correct idea of the place. Though
the rnpidity of it's growth is not such as il
was three and four years ngo, when the
Leudville excitement swept the entire land,
yet ii is n wonder, growing aud constantly
changing. IL has from the first been like
Kaleidoscope in the suddenness OF ills
transformations, though its colors were OF
the simplest kind, and of the most sombre,
toe. In the ear days entire streets were
opened mp, bnilt upon and settled within II
| week aud even now st ores, houses, logcab
ins, and hotels spring up suddenly, side by
side. There is an Opera house constructed
ont OF rough pine boards, with it's dress cir
Gle and gallery, and looking for nll the
world like un unfinished livery stable.
There are also variety theatres where the
il.gitimnte drama numrishes to the delight
of sturdy miners. Two years ago there
was but one church aud one school house
here and The principal hotel was two sto-
ry frame building with neat gables and AN
imitation mansard roof. The Office OF lliir
hostlery is about six feet wide by sixteen
long, and was evidently NJ t planned for the
accommodation of lonfers. That large class
OF the population are given room in the bar
and billiard hall opening from the office.
A solitary barber plies his occupation nj
one end uf the same apartment, charging
25 cents for shave and so for hair cut.
The Grand has in its day turned away from
20 to 100 people day over and above all
it could accommodate with lodgings
Ieadvile hrs never been particularly re
ligious place, and even in the days when
there was only one church to 10000 inhnb.
itants an audience of so worshippers wa,
about the average. | have been told about
the following notice posted IN the ole
church, but have not seen 1t "Plense dc
not shoot the organisi; he does his best"
In the general character Of the plac,
} there has not been much change from wha
, IL was from the first, except that the eviden
ces of haste are not so plentiful and th'
buildings are better and mere substantial,
(. built and there is a little more OF the ut
: musphere Of permanency. But all the de
I. tails | might give would after all afford thu
4 reader little idea of LeadvlIe as it is, or is
surroundings as they appear to the actua
: observer. Let one imagine himself penne,
I up in the widest businesses OF the Rock
/. Mountains at an altitude OF 10000 fee
above the sea. He is literal y on the moui
tain tops. Yet far above Leadville o
e eveey hand rise the bald crowns Of lhesnow
8 range .desolate, bleak, and absolutely with
: out vegitation of any kind. Here in th
O gulches are forests of pine and evergree,
which extend far up the sides of the adja
!, cent peaks. But the timber line is as strong
', y marked and ms clearly cut on every sid
y as il human hands had been at work cleal
u ing away every trace Of tree or shrub alon
e the line of a survey, and as if the sam
y hands had planned off the mountain sun
= nit to the smootliness and barrenness {
B. country school-yard. TO the strange
coming from the luxuries and comforts ,
civilization, Leadville presents AN aspe'
of unulterable desolation. Approachin
IN by the old stage road, one of the first il
,f dications which the stranger has that i
g is IN the vicinity of city is the rut
cemetery which lie passes at the lower Ell
OF Chestnut street. 1t is gloomy, chez
less place, especially when seen in the tw
light, and is suggestive of many a TRACED
y. in real life Of the several hundreds vii
be have been buried here, scores died anon
strangers, leaving nothing by which the
friends in the East might be found or ii
formed of their fate. The lille moun'
arranged in rows beneath the few trees til
" have been left standing are bare Of graz
n and some of them are covered with the dl
IL brown needles hat fel! from the pines
w the early Spring. Plain board slabs stai
IT, for head stones and tell the brief story til
ke will be forgotten when they crumble NJ
AZ disappear. The graveyard ofa new TOW
=. il generally chilling, desolate spot lh
oil Leadville IL superlatively sO.
u' 1t was about the middle Of the SUNNI
in 1878 that the value OF Leadville M
It. ''caib Donate camp" was discovered. Ca
IN. fornia Gnlch on which the press mt tov
a. stands was an old mining camp, hnvi
"a. been worked Tor gold from 1859 to 1867, 4
yield running down from $4,000 900 in 8
., To about $l50,000 in 1866, when The di
gings were abandoned. In those days il
'' said the gold miners calked their log cnbi
''e with what they supposed was mud, bnt "
raelly carbonate, worth S400 n ton. WI
discovered the carbonates is disput
question, but there is no doubt that w.
lie Stevens, of Lake Superior mining fame,
MS resident OF Detroit, was one OF the first,
ri. not the first, to undertake systematic mi
ing Operations for silver in this cam
vi Old Nevada and California miners scoff
lr. at the idea of finding anything OF value
nd the carbonates. They were soft, not hai
of They were " pancake deposits" not veil
hs The Oldest and wisest among them |,
Ne never seen any metal extracted from su
~ stuff. Still, Stevens had his adherentr, I,
r, Numbers of men swarmed upon the hi
he and hogan TO sink shafts. They we
va speedily rewarded. OF the results viii
N followed the fabulous fortunes that ha
'' been mnde and the vast interests that ha
been developed, shall have to tell you
another letter. SPoT.
&C. The purity aud elegant perfume OF Parke