The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-03-04
How Miners Pass the Winter.

How Miners Pass the Winter.
Hundreds OF miners are snow bound
in the mountain, OF Colo ado, and mus
remain so for several iionths. 1t i:
interesting to glance at he condition
of the majority OF these isolated dwell.
ers on the sides an near the SUBMITS
Of the ranges which constitute the
backbone OF this contin nt Their
cabins are cOmmodioUs, warm and
comfortable, and are genera situated
at or near tunnel work ms, which af-
ford them easy and fe access to the
seen OF their day and night shifts OF
toll. These drifts are utilized as store
| houses ior provisions of all kinds, and
while some are natural irc-Aouses, o. h
| ers are temperate enough for articles
that would be injured by freezing. The
experienced prudent miner locates his
cabin in the timber. which tempers the
furious wind-storms and also protects
HIN from the dangers OF the dreaded
snow-slides. Ii the situation is above
| timber line. he chooses fiat spot,
| above which the mountains are not
| high enough TO hold ,now-banks to
break away and sweep down upon aim.
| or plants his stout cabin beneath a
sheltering ridge of soil rock in place
or upon 'nOg-hack, which Is the
sharp divide between two gu .chcs. and
upon which both the winds IN the
contour of the ground prevent snow
from accumu.ating. G. ming that ne
has safety secured to him, wha, ire the
remaining conditions OF his months of
Imprisonment? The natural tastes and
domestic instincts Of the individual are
the Luage Of his preparation FOR thor
ugh enjoyment or mere liberation OF
his voluntary exile, and hence the hab-
its and customs, the pleasures and
anus ments, and the modes OF living
are a ya!iIb!e a among the same class
of ind yidua!s win;ering in towns and
cities.
But, as a rule, the menu is excellent,
thanks to the canning Of fruits, vege-
tables, meats AMI al kinds of pre-
serves and rel shes. Intellectual pabu-
lum can be made as diversified as in
lower attitudes. with the one exception
Of daily newspapers. Those possess
Ing music, tastes and accomplishment
provide gcnerous'y for enlivening the
hours between labor and rest The
conyiyial soul takes good care that the
| flowing bowl does not become exhaust
ed ere the snow melts from the trails,
or hat the tobacco plug and pouch are
ample for himself and all chance visit
ors. Water is obtained by melting the
SHOWS, and supplies Of wood are pre-
yiously prepared.
The miners, from their coy cabins,
are the observers of the terrific battles
of the elements, and not infrcquently
witness natures most awc-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 into drifts hun
dreds of feet in height and covering
hundreds and thousands of acres in ex-
tent, according 10 The lay OF the land,
and when they become top-heavy, or
the lower supports give way by melt
ing or settling, the whole mass plunges
down the steep mountain sides, up
roofing, overturning and crumbling all
obstacles in its pathway, until its force
is spent in the valley below or against
the opposite mountain side. 1t is i'm
possible to conceive the enormitv of
the destructive power Of n huge snow
Slide until one follows in its wake
down mountain where it has cut q
huge swath through a heavy forest,
hurled from their base gigantic bolders,
scooped out the channel of frozen
river, and deposited the entire debris in
solid mass far up upon the opposite
bank of the canon Miners have be-
come expert in detecting the location
and direction Of impending slides, and
are thus enabled to avoid them. They.
however, become reckless or careless
in estimating the time of their occur
renee, and, by passing over the field
they expect TO see move later on, are
engulled in its sudden breaking away.
and arc hurried to death they might
have escaped by the exercise of more
patience. The web and Norwegian
shoes enable the practiccd operator to
climb the mountains and swiftly de-
scend them to the settlements, for m all
or any necessaries of life which have
not been previously supplied. The
writer has often been surprised most
aagreeably at the preparations for COM
portable and even luxurious living by
men thus snow-bound in the noun
, .mns IN different parts of the State,
, anu IN only few instances has MOTTO
Q ca any scarcity or lack of variety in
' the essentials of either comfort or ra.
: 'ohai ehloymcnt-Denrer Republican.
Q UemocTdt, OF Leadville, Col,
prints the names of 100 persons who
nave died by violence in and near that
city since It's ex,sten as n MINING