, 1884-01-23
COLORADO MINERS.
How They Pass the Winter In Snow
Bound Localities.
Danger from snow-SIIdes 80 The
Menu OF n Snow-Bound Cabin
Norwegian Shoes for
Travel.


Hundreds of miners are snow-bound in the
mountains of Colorado, and must remain so
for several months. 1t Is interesting to
glance at the condition Of these Isolated
jewellers on the sides and near the summit OF
the ranges which constitute the backbone of
this continent. Their cabins are commodi-
Gus, warm and comfortable, and are gener-
ally situated at or near tunnel workings,
which afford them easy and safe access to the
scenes of their day and night shifts OF toll.
These drifts are used as storehouses for pro-
visions of all kinds, and while some are
natural ice-houses others are temperate
enough for articles that would be injured by
freezing.
The experienced, prudent miner locates his
claim in the timber, which tempers the furi-
Gus windstorms and also protects him from
the dangers OF the dreaded snow-slides. II
the situation is above timber line, he chooses
a hat spot, above which the mountains are
not high enough to hold snow-banks to break
away and sweep down upon him, or plants
his stout cabin beneath IA sheltering ridge OF
solid rock in place or upon a "hog-back,'
which is the sharp divide between two
gulches, and upon which both the winds and
the contour Of the ground prevent snow from
accommodating. Granting that he has safety
secured TO him, what are the remaining con-
ditions of his months of Imprisonment The
natural tastes and domestic instincts of the
individual are the gauges OF his prepara-
tion for thorough enjoyment or mere tolera-
ton OF his voluntary exile, and hence the
habits and customs, the pleasures and amuse-
ments, and the modes OF living are as varia-
bic as among the same class of individuals
wintering in towns and cities.
But, as "A rule, the menu Is excellent, thanks
to the canning OF fruits, vegetables, meats,
and all kinds of preserves and relishes.
Intellectual %pabulum can be made as diver
siied as In lower attitudes, with the one ex-
ception of daily newspapers, Those possess
ing musical tastes and accomplishments
provide generously for enlivening the hours
between labor and rest. The conviyinl soul
takes good care that the flowing BOW does
not become exhausted ere the snow melts
from the trails, or that the tobacco plug and
pouch are ample for himself and all chance
visitors. Water Is obtained by melting the
snow, and supplies of wood are previously
prepared.
The miners, from their coy cabins are the
observers of the terrific battles of the elements,
and not infrequently witness natures most
awe-inspiring throes, commonly termed snow
slides. The snowfall amounts TO from three
TO ten feet in depth on the level, and this
is banked by the winds in drifts hundreds OF
feet in height, covering hundreds and
- ~ W
the lay Of the land, and when they become
top-heavy, or the lower supports give way by
melting or settling, the whole mass plunges
down the steep sides, uprooting,
overturning, and ~crumbling all obstacles
In its pathway, until its force is spent in the
valley below or agaiust the opposite side. It
Is impossible to conceive the enormity of the
power OF a huge snow-slide until one follows
in its wake down "a mountain, where IL has cut
II hugh swath through a heavy forest, hurled
from their base gigantic powders, scooped
out the channel of a frozen river, and de-
posted the entire debris in solid mass far up
upon the opposite bank OF the canyon.
Miners have become expert in detecting
the location and direction of impending slides,
and AIRS thus enable to avoid them. They,
however, become reckless or careless in esti.
mating the time of their occurrence, and, by
passing over the field they expect 10 see
move later on, they arc engulfed in Its sud.
den breaking away, and are hurried to a
death they might nave escaped by the exer.
else Of more patience. The web and Nor
wegian shoes enable the practiced operator To
climb the mountains and swiftly descend
them to the settlementsfor mail or any neces-
saries of life which have not been previously
supplied The writer has often been sur
prised most agreeably at the preparation
for comfortable and even luxurious living by
men thus snow-bound in the mountains in
different parts of the state, and in only d
few instances has noticed any scarcity OF
lack of variety in the essentials of either
comfort or rational enjoyment