Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-09-01
BETTER rnoM COLORADO.


spotin, Correspondence,
LEApviLi.E, Con-, Auy'mt is, 1882.
Tin in'rression prevailing 10 sowe ex
tent in tlre East that Iendvilte Is "pluyed
cut" and soon to be numbered with tho
things OF the past is an enornious one. IL
is true that the fcverish excitement OF the
early discoveries, aud the enormous specu.
lative tendencies following thercupon,
have mostly pissed away, but the yield OF
ore here is still on the increase and new
mines are being opened up almost daily.
More than one.half the total product OF
bullion in the State for 1881, which was
nenrly S24,000000, came out of these hills
and holes round about Loadville, and IL is
estimated that nearly Sl5,000,000 have
been taken out during the first six months
Of this year. II is not surprising that the
wonderful wealth and extent of the silver
deposits that have been found in this re-
glon; the new field that has been opened
to mining industry wherever the carbon.
ates may hereafter be found; the novel
character of the ore the ease with which
it is reduced the sudden wealth acquired
by some OF those who first came here and
invested little money; the Aladdin-like
growth of the camp into city, and the
intense excitement in the midst of which
every one here lived, should have turned
the heads of people and caused them to
give currency TO reports concerning the
prospects of Leadvilc which were exag-
geraied and have not been realized. Yet
the truth about it reads like a novel. Ev-
cry one here at one time had ",hc fever,'
and there is good deal Of il still left. TO
mingle for few days with the crowds
that throng the corridors Of the Clarendon
Hotel and other lonling places; to hear
the fabulous tales OF "rich strikes" mud of
prospect holes which could have been
bought yesterday foe 500 and are held to-
day for $40 600; to he introduced to men
who year or two ago were perniess and
looking about for sanebody to furnish
them coarse food and set of tools with
which 10 dig u hole in the mountain Nfor
luck, but who to day are rcputed to he
mi ilionnircs; To hear the cnrelcss way in
which men in blue flannel shirts nnd COW
hide boots tnlk OF hundreds of thousands
or million Of dollars, is enough 10 vel
any one crazy who is not perfectly SELF
possessed or did not come here determined
not to get excited no matter what hap.
pened.
The gambling houses are fentuce Of
! Leadville, M they nre OF every other min.
ing camp. Although there are State laws
| ,pl ,,it 10, T., ,l;n.x
no effort is made to enforce either. The
doors of these places stand wide open day
and night, and everything is done to at-
trnc, the notice of passers by just Ms if the
business was legitimate one, protected by
law. There is no pretense Of elegance in
any OF the gambling houses which have
yisited, as there is in those Of Eastern
watering places and in large cities. The
inside Of most of them is destitute of pain
or plnster. The tables nre plain pine one.
and are surrounded by wooden chairs
The floors are covered with tobacco juice
and mud, and the patrons nre most rough
ly clad miners, who play small or lnrg
game ms money is plenty or scarce will
them. In prominent place in each 81
loon there is II bar which ia always wei
: patronized in the larger places there ar
two bars. One half or one-third of eac
8 gambling house is separated from the re
= niaiuder by low railing and is set apnl
4 for keno. Around the sides of the remain
? der are tabes upon which are played far,
Z high bill poker, rouge ct noir, hazard, et'
i In the rear of ench place n private rooi
il partitioned off for the accommodation
A persons who wtsh to eight the tiger" j
private. In the public room the play
J, generally for comparatively small sums
chips are sold for from ten cents to ST eac
" and the bets rarely exceed s5. In the day
time the gambling saloons of Leadvil
= are almost deserted, bat at night and O
. Sundays they are constantly tl,ronged.
T. While the pioneers oi tie mining cam
have left their impress upon the charact'
of Leadvi lie, the refined, educated, la
abiding people who have come here fro
d the East have kept control of things, an
y made the city remarkable Tor the good o
Is der that is maintained and the gener
10 safety of life and property Of tho
is whose first experience in n mining can
II has been obtained in Leadvilie a larg
'3 proportion are men OF education or form
wealth than ever assembled in any tti
- mining centre in the early days Of its hi
"a tory. OF the yonng and most enterprisil
,o men who are in business, holding posito
- | "o'u' the ihi'eh VI prospecting on u
40 neighboring hills, not a few are fresh fro
i college or from professional studies, a,
4 lawyers, physicians aud teachers may
found here engaged in almost every bran,
of business. The influence of men of th
class Is seen in the organization of SUI
W institutions as the police force--a splend
~ ~ body of uniformed men who would II
1S disgrace the Broadway Squad, Of n,
1O York in the establishment of fire comp
20 mics, the Introduction of the Holly sys,e
lie of water-works, the organization of a e
e company and the establishment of schoo
Men pnss here for what they are, and II
ne for what they have, how they are dress
IN or where they were born. Nobody cal
ID who mans grandfather was, or Of wi
n. State he is a native. No one can afford
M treat another with contempt because he
m unfortunate; the wheel may turn over a
~ the poor man of to-day may become I
= millionaire Of Tomorrow. Such thin
n have been common in Leadville. In !
NJ next will give you something about I
mines in this vicinity. SPOT