The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-04-12

% snsas then irsvel dovn hill. They viii n
u u their osn accord II yen give them hal
b ehance started down this particular
!. bill In sracsial shape: hat Alas ! vA'
y desiiseS 10 come 10 grief, all 81 once my
sno.shoos so, 10 terrible hurry. AID y
I. I could not keep up with them. ] sci my
self down 10 rest Ia The snow. ss usual
!. could End 10 other place ! had plcniy
81 time 10 ge. rested before saw my sno~
shoes stop, for watched them 10 the bit
Ter end. and Was ready 10 res, again by
the tine caught up with them. Indeed
. there VAS more resting doas than anything
: else will Tell you whs, III Rocky
! Mountain snowshos is one Of the most de.
. PRAYED Of all insnimaie objects. They are
always fighting When one goes up ball
the other is sure to 60 down; they will
run across each other and stick as II GOV.
cred with fresh coat Of Spauldinss glue,
and they are As contrary ~ an old setting
hen. have head Of people who wanted
something 10 do. something TO kill tims.
II you see any one Of that mind you can
send them out here and let them travel ov-
o. these mountains on snovshoos. A man
can kill more time at this BUSINESS than
AT anything ever heard tell Of He must
start GU. early in the morning aud be sure
OF long day, or he won't get anywhere
by night: he must possess muscles Of iron
aud heart OF flint; he must be yeryImeek
and must have moro patience than job ey-
ar thought Of having Such man can
fod steady employment the year round,
for We have about nine months Of winter,
and the other three months are quite late
in the fall. A man with big feet would
get along some better. for when he loses
his snow shoes he can walk in the snow
with some degree Of comfort. II ! only
had big feet would be fixed. but 1t is
Just as a man is brought mp, you know.
went up to Bear Basin last week to
look at our Cherokee Lode, and find out
how oh snow there was. found ont
about how much snow there was several
time 8. but did not get far enough down to
find the mine. TIE snow is about forty
feet deep, more or less. This is con.
tact mineral vein, 1900 feet above timber
line, or about IL. 900 feet above sen level.
In this Basin the timber line runs from
10000 to 1900 feet above sea level.
and when you get up that high,
you will conclude you have gone high
enough. and il you come down to the val
ley on snowshoes you will conclude that
you went altogether too high to get much
sport out OF the home stretch. A snow
shoe ride from Treasure Mountain, the
head Of Bear Basin, TO Crystal City must
be tested to be appreciated, but watch out
that your suowshoes don't get home be-
fore you do; they always get in panic
when they start down hill, and it don't do
any good to talk 10 them But we will
not speak too i'll Of them. for it is possible
that we are quite as much to blame about
these little things as the snowshoes are
Another spring is coming, and with it
better times for this mining camp. Three
years ago thousands Of prospectors. whose
hopes were the foundation Of their faith,
yentured the prediction that . greater than
Leadville would be found in the Elk Noun
tain. The tales Of the Arabian Nights
present no more extravagant pictures OF
hidden wealth than haunted the dreams
Of the host which waited for the eakss Of
spring to open to let them in to the prom
ised land. When it came the food pushed
IN and overspread the mountains and val
legs like cloud. A year later it had dir
appeared. leaving only . few subshsAiA |
fragments here and there, and il is to tasese
that we owe the discovery and devebOpe'
ment OF whatever good there is in this old
Indian hunting ground. Notwithstanding
the almost universal disappointment which
followed the surface exploration, there is
cause for congratulation in the fact that
several large and very promising tracts OF
IAN d have beea occupied and put under
profitable development. While the
Yields Of gold and silver have not amount.
d to millions, there is no doubt whatever
hat these results will be attained in the
rear future. The Gunnison has been but !
prospected as yet. and, in my l
Judgement. only small fraction Of its re- .
sources brought to light. Each succeed !,
ng year will add TO the number, and the
tarch will be continued long after the
present generation has passed away. The
mining industry at large is assuming de. =
ided importance with the advent Of rail :.
Ways and suitable reduction works. As a =
ule the ores are OF medium or low grade. a :.
mt the quantity is unlimited, and there =
re instances in hearty oil the districts :.
rhere one or more mines have produced "
res Of extraordinary richness. The Elk
fountain District includes Copper, Rock, IN
Brush and several other creeks where the h'
BUSINESS OF mining is carried on Scofeld, &C
be principal town and center Of supplies, te
las several productive mines and number
ess prospects. From the celebrated Syl-
ante or Virginia mines large consign. u
ients OF rich ore have been marketed, OF
nth, from the former, large amount Of u
ative silver in rare and beautiful forms. ~
he Eureka, Buffalo. Lake View. Leona, "
vhopper aud many others have acquired u
ubstsntial value through Development, p
ut further exploration is necessary to the W
xposure Of the best reserves. Those who
re inclined to believe the reports circu- "
tied by stock brokers concerning the ex- g
austion OF the mines Of Colorado and the II