Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-10-19
LIFE IN IEAOyIlLE.
Facts Concerning the Greatest Mining
Camp in the World.

!Spsciui Correspondence.
LEADYILLg COL, October 1.-The Lead
vile Of 1881 numbers fifteen thousand in
habitants and cantains seven churches, hive
school houses three OF the latter being as
handsome and complete as those of Phla-
delphia-a free reading room and library
and numerous saloons aud. gambling dens.
In proportion to its population, there are
probably more college-bred men in Lead
Vile than IN the city of Boston In 1878 a
young lady from the East was overwhelmed
with attentions, and although her admirers
invariably wore blue.hannel shirts, she
could boast of their being graduates OF
German universities. In that year Eastern
bellies attended parties clinging to the arms
oi escorts who deem it wise to hold cooked
revolyers in their hands A girl who al
home was the veriest wall flower OF them all
nad gay time in I.eadvil.e One Young
gentleman, wishing TO have an uninter'
rupted chat with a rather attractive girl
called early Sunday afternoon, but he found
i've others there before him.
In rs the phrase "lve made my pie
meant you were worth about a million
Millions are made here now, but there is
little said about them. People have learned
be satisfied with fifty thousand. The,
used to laugh at pockets but if the
pocket holds comfortable fortune they
axe it thankfully, and do not waste regrets
hat it is not a assure vein. Mining ha>
become legitimate business that, besides
large amount of unskilled labor, requires
engineers. chemists and metallurgists. A
notable example of the latter class is tn,
present Governor, }. B. Grant, who can't
here six years ago without capital, ezccp'
'haracter, brains and good education
Now he is at the head of the largest smelt
ng works in the world.
Lead~iIle'S Wealthy Wa>hcrwOman.
i.esdville waSherwOmen can no longe;
ook forward to retiring with a competency
It the end OF few years. Mrs. Tabor has
.eased to do up flannel shirts for tn,
miners. There was a time when the land
ady of popular lodging house made the
eds herself every morning attired in u
.alico dress and long sealSkin sacQue
he began With small cabin, but soor
quilt an addition, and her income was SAID
be S. 900 a year
There is a widow in I.eadville who former.
lived on the frontier where the Indian
we're so thick that she instnctively put he
hands to her head when she woke in the
morning to see it her scalp was still on
Her husband was a generous, kind hearted
man, who was always helping the boys
One day man came to their cabin door
he asked for something to eat saving the
yoman's husband had sent him. She eyed
him moment. She was tired Of feeding
'eggars. VINO are you, anyhow Shc
lsked sharply.
Who am !, said the man, drawing him.
self up proud, while his ewes flashed. I'm
Comstock. ! am nobody. But the great
romstock was glad Of good sqaure meal
Mackey, the bonanza king, visited thi,
camp in 80. While at the Robinson min,
he met some of his old friends, brothc,
miners, with whom he had worked in the
Comstock mines. He was apparently as
glad to meet these poor, hardwOrking men
as though he himself were still a poor
miner. 81 haven't forgotten those days
boys, said Mr.. Mackey. I'VE worked to
gether and l cooked nv own TODD, and
mended my own clothes Mr.. Mackey is
very popular among the miners wherever
he is known. One Christmas time when in
Virginia City, he stood watching some
children slide down hill A little girl with
out sled passed him and he called out to
her, Where's your sled?'
81 haven't got any" she answered sadly
Didn't Santa Clause bring you any?
asked Mackey.
No" was the reply, land the other girl,
won't let me ride.
Never mind, said the big hearted boanzs
king. you come with me. | know where
Santa Claus keeps his sleds."
Very soon the child returned to the hill
dragging after her the handSomest sled that
money could buy.
Played ont Leadville produced in 'S3 SIS,
j3S,4iO The total product of the camp
since gold was discovered in 60 exceeds
seyenty-one millions. AS General Sherman
said when he was here recently, Leadville is
still the greatest mining camp in the world,
and there is no doubt but it will maintain
its supremacy for many years to come.
More mines have been opened and brought
into production during the past year than
in any previous year, and there still remains
a wide expanse Of territory to be developed.
Leadyille is city of contrasts, where
men jostle each other with democratic
familiarity, surprising to the Philadelphia
who can boast Of his ancestors The repre-.
sentative mining man is not an aristocrat.
He knows how uncertain is the future since
the wheel Of fortune revolves rapidly in
mining camps. 1t was only yesterday he
struck it rich, hence his days of poverty
and hardship are not forgotten, and he has
sympathy and fellowship for the Door pros.