Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-27
LEADVILLE ODDITIES.
Town without 4 Cnt-"eap" Wymans's
Fiace-sights and Scenes OF the Great
alinine City-Impresnons Il a Tourist.

EiniDg tity-tinpressiOns ~ Tourist.
4 Lesdyille, Col, letter says: One OF
tie qucercst Of the many queer things
about this here mining camp" as most
OF the natives still call it. is that in all the
length and breadth thereof there lives not
= single cat. Cats have been imported here
by the hundreds, and in all varieties OF
color, breeding, and size, but not one has
ever survived the second week OF resi-
dence. The midnight serenade, the back
yard clawing-cOntest, and the boOt-iack act
are slihe unknown to the Lea!yillian.
and his nightly slumber j. sound and
sveot-a calm and undisturbed repose.
No one seems 10 understand why
il Is that the eats all die, but they
do. The healthieSt, sleekest cat in st.
Louis, if brought to Leadyllle, would lose
all interest in life the moment it reached
here, snd. after mOping around in a sickly
end discOnsOlate way for few days, would
rcsigncdly have a fit and give up the ghost.
A salOOp-keepcr on State street brought
biz. s.rong Maltese from Denver few
weeks ago. hoping the animal would sur
vive the its long enough to become accli-
mated: but ii was no use. The cat had q
fit The frst day. two or three the second,
and then the number Of attacks increased
in geOmcirical progression until, as the
saloon-man sid, There were more fits
than cat, and the cat had to give in"
However, rs tIerc are no rats or mice in
Ieadyille. there is no real need OF eats, and
/, makes little difference whether they live
or die. The thin atmosphere At this altitude
10000 feet Is Is fatal to the yermin as to
their zoe. and the inhabitants are thus
mcrciiuly spared the nhictionS OF both.
"PIPv UTytNs
To one who visits Leadyile and really
wishes to see all sides Of life in mining
eamp be should not leave without paying
visi, 10 Pap" Wymans's. pap IS one
Of the peculiar institutions OF Colorado,
and Is known throughout the entire West.
lie is a dOwn-Eist Yankee, fat, Jolly. and
Shrewd. Look at him square in the face,
rnG lie reminds you iCrcibly OF Henry
Ward Beecher. A side view, especially
whom he laughs, is Just rs forcible re-
mindcr OF Bob lngersoll. His "phco"
il. and has been ever since the Leldyille
boom began, the headquarters for all the
miners. A great cluster OF incandes-
cent electric lights marks the entrance
on Harrison aycnLe. and q constant
stream Of humanity, collected from the
four corners OF the earth. passes in and
ont OF the doors day and night. 1t is
..Pap'sr boast that his door has never
been closed for six years. To the left, ~
YOU pass in. is an enormous iron weight,
which runs the standard-time clock hang
ing over the street. This weight broke
the neck Of the first man ever hanged in
Colorado. On the right stands reading
desk. such as is used in Episcopal churches,
bearing Bible. II is estimated that
over 100000 men have stood at that
desk ard read. The original Bible, placed
there in 1873, was worn out years
ago, and the present one, printed
in Philadelphia in 1892. il the third
edition. II il badly dilapdated and
every page is worn yellow and thumb
stained. Some queer experiences have oc-
CURED around this desk. One day stout,
muscular miner was labOriously porting
over 4 chapter, when fellow-miner stroll
cd up and began abusing ;he book and lis
brawny reader IN the most blasphemous
manner. The latter stood the TRADE for
some time, but finally turned and said
" See here, stranger, my mother taught me |
10 believe in that thar book, aud ! viii not |
stand here and bear il abused"
"Uh, - you and your mother, too
Was the sneering response. But he never |
got shy farther, Tor SIX inches OF cold steel |
passed through him quicker n lightnin',' |
said Pap" N telling tie story, "and no.
tody ever gotfooled with for readln' that |
Billie afterward."
The TIGEE ~ HIS DEN.
4 little further down the room is the faro |
layout where the IainGrs blow In Their |
SUI" At the always fascinating game. To |
give Pap" his due. it must be sad that |
be runs what gamblers term square
csme." and such q thing rs 9" brace was
never heard OF in bis place. This cannot
BE- aid OF other resorts in Leadvllle. where |
p ners and "teader feet" are alike ileeced |
lor ~ that Is in them. There have, never
tlale.s, been frequent disputes and several
over Pap's" table. On one Oc-
cIsion, II Is stated, hali-drunken miner, |
through a run OF bad luck, lost his last |
nickel. Getting up from the table, he said
90 the dealer: "You think you've got my
pile. but you havn't. Pye got two
Oh nceS here you havn't seen yet,
Int I'll give 'em to you" and,
drawing his six-shootcr, he put two
bullets into the dealers BRAN aud another
into his own. This episode east tempo
rury gloom over the spectators, but ~
few moments The bodies were removed, the
blood mopped up, aud the game went ON
o. usual. This all happened IN the early
days. II must be remembered. and to-day
" Pap's" place Is as safe and peaceable as
any saloon in 81. Louis, IN fact more so
than some. Besides the attractions already
described, there are billiard. and pool-l,-
blcs. d bar, and all ihe,other aecompanl-
ments. Upstairs "Pap" has a spare
room" fitted up in New England style, in
which he has entertained many OF the great
men OF the day. He mentioned among his
guests Messrs. John l.. Sullivan. Jem Nice
ard Paddy Ryan, Rev, De VIII Z, TAI