South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-09-01
Letter From Colorado.


ofmons one. 1t IS true that the fc
verish excitement OF the early discoy
cries, and the enormous speculative
Tendencies following thercupon, have
mostly passed away, but the yield OF
ore here Is still on the increase and
new mines are being opened up all
most daily. More than one-half the
total product of bullion i'm the State
Tor 1851, which was nearly twenty
Tour million dollars, came out OF tbese
hilis and holes round about Leadville,
and 1t Is estimated that nearly fifteen
million dollars have been taken out
during the first six months of this year.
1t Is not surprising that the wonder,
iui wealth and extent of the silver de-.
posts that lave been found in this re-
gion; the new field that has been o.
pened to mining industry wherever
The carbonates may hereafter be found:
the novel character OF the ore; tho
ease with which it is reduced; the
sudden wealth acquired by some OF
those who first came here ard inves,
TED little money the Aladdin-l like
growth OF the camp into a city, and
the intense excitement in the midst Of
which every one here lived, shoul Id
have turned the heads of people and
cansed them to give currency to re-
ports concering the prospects of Lead.
vile which We're exaggerated and
have not been realized. Yet the
truth about it reads like a novel. -
Every one here ut one time had sthe
fever and there is a good deal of it
still lett. TO mingle for few days
With the crowds that throng the cor.
rldors of the Clarendon Hotel and 9th.
er loailng places TO hear the fabulous
tales OF rich strikes and of prospect
holes which could have been bought
yesterday for 500 and are held to.
day Tor $50 000 TO be introduced to
men who a year or two ago were
penni'ess and looking about for some
body to furnish them coarse food and
n set OF tools with which TO die a hole
in the mountain for luck but who
to day are reputed to DE millionaires.
to hear the careless way in which
men in blue flannel shirts and cow.
hide boots talk OF hundreds Of thou.
sands or million OF dollars, is enough
to set any one crazy who is not per-
lectly selfrpossessed or did not come
here determined not to get excited no
matter what happened.
The gambling houses are Il feature
OF Leadvillc, as they are of every 9th
er mining camp. Although there are
State laws and City ordinances forbid.
ding gambling, no effort i made to en-,
force either. The doors of these pla.
ces stand wide open day and night,
and everything is done TO attract the
notice OF passers By, just as ifthc bust
ness was legitimate one, protected
by law. There is no prctense of ele.
gance III any OF the gambling houses
which L have visited, as there is in
those of Eastern watering-places and
III large cities. The inside of most of
them is destitute OF paint or plaster.
Tire tables are plain pine ones and are
surrounded by wooden chairs. The
tloors are covered with tobaccoinice
and mud, and the patrons are mostly
roughly clad miners, who play a small
or large game as money is plenty or
scarce with them. In a prominent
place in each saloon there is bar
which is always well patronizcd in
the larger places there are two bars,
One-haIt or one-third of each gamb
ling house is separated from the re.
mainder by a low railing and is set
apart for keno. Around the sides of
the remainder are tables upon which
are played faro, high bill poker, rouge
ct nolr. hazard, etc. In the rear of
each place q private room is partition.
cd off for the accommodation of per-
sons who wish TO fight the tiger in
private. In the public room the play
is generally for comparatively small
sums chips are sold for from ten
cens TO ; each aud the bets rarely exceed IS
In the daytime the gambling saloons Of Lead
vile are almost deserted, bu, al night and on
Sundays they are considerable ihronged.
While the pioneers OF the mining camp
have left their impress upon tho char.
acter OF Lcadyille, the refined, educated.
law-abiding people who have come here
from the East have kept control of
things, and made the city remarkable
for the good order that is maintained
and the general safety OF life and prop
crty. OF those whose first experience
in mining camp has been obtained in
Leadyil'e larger proportion are men
Of education or former wealth than cy-
or assembled 10 any other mining cen
ire IN the early days OF its history. OF
the young AMI most en1erpnsng men
who arc in business, holding positions
about the mines OF prospecting on the
neighboring hills, not few are fresh
from college OF from professional stud
les, and lawyers, physicians and teach
ers may nc found here engaged in al.
most every branch OF business, The
influence Of men Of this class is seen in
tho organization Of such institutions as
The police force "a splendid body Of
uniformed men who would not disgrace
the BroadWav CuuaI pf N,cy X,rt, H.,