San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-05-10
A CITY OF TWENTY MILLIONS.

N
"Well, how do you like Texas, and
what are you doing over there?'
It seemed good indeed to come
upon an old schoolmate away out IN
New Mexico. John Coombs and l
had been in the same class and were
at one time room mates; but it had
been five or six years now since l had
seen or heard much from him. He
was located in Texas he told me.
"I'm working a mine said he.
ga mine-in Texas? Gold or sill
ver?"
"Neither."
''What, "copper""
"No."
"Oh, coal then"
"Wrong again; and it is not iron,
nor tin, nor quicksilver. -
"Well, well, some metaphorical
sort of mine, l suppose. Some bo-
nanza in stock, some sheep ranch,
some ostrich farm" 1 suggested.
"No, no, a bona fde mine. Fact!
I'm getting out a good five tons of
ore day. And it goes fifty dollars
to the ton, too"
/ began to wax curious. having a
light attack of the mining fever that
month myself.
One cannot travel in Colorado and
New Mexico without catching it. 1t
is in the air-this mining malaria.
But my friend Immediately shut his
mouth.
"Not a lisp about it, unless you'll
come and see me-" he said, and l
could get nothing further from him
concerning it, though we spent very
pleasant evening together.
This anomalous mine haunted my
curiosity for week, till determined
to look in on my old chum at his new
place, and see what it was he held
there-all to himself. So first send
ing him q telegram, | set off for
Texas.
At F., the station indicated by
my friend, 1 found him waiting with
a wagon and two mules; and ride
of ten or eleven miles up into the
.Nano estacado brought us to his place.
Il WAS getting dark when we ar
rived, but discerned the dim outline
of O derrick and windlass over what
n presumed to be the shaft of the
mine; and there was long shed
filled with barrels, near the new board
.bcuse in which we were soon COM
Yortably installed for the evening.
AS my friend did not breach the
subject of his mine, concluded that
he wished to reserve it all for the
next day; and after long chat with
him about old times in the East, l
turned into warm bunk in the cor
ner to sleep soundly.
Very early next morning, as early
as four o'clock, for it was still dark, a
singular noise aroused me, at first l
thought it was a heavy wind, and
that a "norther' had swept down ;
but | missed the bitter chill in the air.
The noise, too, was rather regular for
wind; more like some huge Touring
mill, or a .'smelter" at full blast.
John was up and moving about.
"What is that roaring? Is the CHM
ney afire?" 1 demanded.
ats my mine sucking IN, said he.
at commences to suck in at about
three o'clock every morning, and
makes Just such a noise as that TIL
after light. And at night it begins to
Ho,r o6 at somewheres from six to
seven, and goes till nine or ten.
"You must have droll engine" ]
said.
"Oh, it is not the engine at all,
said he. ats the mine.
"Look here, old fellowl l ex
claimed. what are you giving me;
What kind of a mine have you go
here anyway
"Come out and see it suck IN, h'
replied. ats really quite a sight.
/ hastily rose and followed him out
Just the faintest tinge Of dawn ha'
begun TO show in the far east, and
segment Of old moon hung very low
over the pOst-Oaks out back OF IN,
windlass and shed; but 1t was sal
dark. The moment We stepped out