Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-02-05
WESTERN RAMBlES.
An Old ClRim-Reminiseenee OF Horace
Greeley Mines and nining-Rsneh-

nNWlOLGSs
An Old Northumberland OF Horace
GreeIey Mines and nining-RsneI-
Ing.
Special Correspondence Of the Register.
CENTRAL CITY, Col, January 3d.
This place Is fOrty-twO miles from Dem
Yer by railroad, and in the center of one
Of the richest, though smallest mining
districts in the world. Here is where
Gregory, the Georgian, discovered the
Gregory lode, which opened up the
mines Of Colorado. Here, on the spot
where | now write, six of Us, West NIr-
ginia boys j. T.. PiersOn, ID. L. Atkin-
son, JOS. y. Browne, Jackson Porter,
John V. Brown, and the writer located
six claims, running 1000 feet, which
are now covered solid with brick build
ings fronting on Main street, which
would compare favUrably with any
block on Main street, WAeeiing. We
came here on June 5th, 1859, starting
into the mountains with four yoke of
cattle to the front wheels Of a wagon,
and about three hundred pounds OF pro-
visions, and baggage, We ascen1ed the
hill which Horace Greeley in his ascent
a few days afterward named the Hill of
Difficulty. Near here We had the pleas
IRE of taking the hand of the Tribune
philosopher just as he aud Richardson,
who accompanied him, were getting up
of the ground from partaking of a
miners breakfast of Saleratus bread and
bacon. Greeley handed me a copy Of
the T. DaWe, which | still keep as u re-
membrance of that visit. l remained
here and in the vicinity for nearly two
years. Great Improvements were made
in that time and greater have been
made since. Then Denver was compos.
ed of a few log and canvas houses.
The second year it had q brick dwelling
or two. | was prepared for q surprise,
hut was astOnisned when l stepped off
the b. 4 NJ. cars in front of the Union
depot, which far eXcels the Pittsburgh
or even the Philadelphia station houses.
One Of u party remarked that you
could take cut the business Of Wheel
ing and it would never be missed from
Denver.
Lock kimmins and l went out to
Boulder to see some friends. This is
his first visit to the extreme West. He
expected to find in Boulder a place like
West Alexander and Haneytown.
"Why," says he, as We walked along
the streets, this beats anything in
Wheeling" Even their county court
house, he allowed, was better than the
Capitol at Wheeling. The people here
do show an enterprise not seen in the
East. Lock is very enthusiastic over
his trip, and is the life of our party.
We rode out to Boulder on a branch
of the L. Il. railroad mot United Pres
byteria but Union Pacific then took a
avsa - r,4A 20 mr. Ef
teen miles into the mountains, stopping
while there at Theodore Clemmens', an
Ohio county boy. jamestown is Just
now having a boom on account Of
striking the same kiuk of ore which
made Leadville rich, and visitors,
among them many capitalists, are
fiocking in every day. CIemmens has
q claim in which they are making a
big find. Some Leadvillians are there
looking around, and pronounce the ore
very rich. The only difference is there
is no lime-nO carbOnates, as in Lead
vile. jamestown, or "Jimtown," as
outsiders term it, il 300 feet above the
sea-Central is $3.50 by the barometer.
Denver is 800 feet, or about q mile
above the sea.
/ rode down from jamestown to Boul-
der with Mrs. Sue Clemens. L was
given a brOnchO to ride which they
said would buck l did not know
what that was. 1t did not "buck" with
me so | do not know yet. l mounted
very cautiously. Mrs. G. put whip to
her brOnchO and started on a canter. i
followed as best l could, was soon by
ner side, and two hours found US in
Boulder, fifteen miles away. Tue
mountain ride was magnificent, down
one of the finest canOns in the Rockies.
My bronchO was little rough, but |
was none the worse Of it next morning.
Not a sore spot on me. although | was
told when / started Oh the ride that L
would not sit down for a week. After
remaining in Boulder over night with
Ewing Atkinson, another Ohio county
boy, | left the next morning for Den
Yer and took the afternoon train forthis
place.
The ride out here was very interesting
TO me-, passing, as | did, many points of
miliar as the road from Wheeling to
West Alexander. The valley between
Denver and Golden, fifteen miles wide,
is now settled up and land is worth from
500 to 81 900 per acre. Your CORE
SlOlOtul wv lieu u Tdutu HClC III lou VI
SIX hundred and forty acres, on the best
part of RalstOn creek, ten miles from
Denver, which is q valuable property
to-day. But | do not own il now.
Below Golden we pass a ditch which
worked on to mine a placer claim In
the winter OF SO and 80. Right in the
town OF Golden our company crossed
Clear creek-then well named-as clear
as crystal from the melting nov OF
the mountains, now 50 impure
from the smelling and refining works
above, that We dare not wash our hands
In il for fear Of being poisoned.
The ride up Clear Creek canon on the
little narrow gauge train was immense.
Ray allowed that the man who named
the Rocky Mountains deserved no
credit-he could not have named them
anything else. Around, among and be-
tween immense rocks, one of which
would cover Ohio county, our little
train found its way. The scream OF the
steam whistle is a fit successor to the
Indian warwhOOp, which only q short
time ago was head on the peaks above
Us.
Ofcourse, it was very interesting to
me TO look over the old mining camp,
but would not likely be to your readers.
L found the spot where Joseph
a: Brown and / spent the
fall OF 1859 in a cabin after
all the rest Of the boys had left for the