Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-10-03
Letter from Aspen.
ASPEN. Col. Sent 16 1ss

ASPEN, Col, Sept. l6, 1885.
 As old prospector has come down from the higher attitudes to spend a few weeks in the more genial cline. the city of Aspen. will note a few of the changes that have taken place dur f ing the past three months. There have been but few local improvements, the electric lights, and some addition to the buiidlpgs. don't hear much con- plaint among the business men. but I know every line Is crowded 60 its ut- most. Saloons and gambling houses Seem to be holding their own. For amusements there IS large theater building, with a skating rink in the same, but the town does not support first class theater al! the time: one va riety thester every night, also one dance house. Aspen contains a good many tirst-class families and for peace and quietness IL will compare quite favora- bly with a New Engiand town. and to See the large gardens of vegetables Of all kinds m front of utmost every dwell ling, one lmagines himself back east, until be casts hls eye up Aspen mUun- tain and Views the countless mines, Then he begins to realize that he is far away up m the Rockies. mines aud mining.
 The clouds of litigation have no. alto gether disappeared yer, making it of course something of drawback Gs yet. but the hundred and one developments being pushed ahead strengthens the be- lief of the aimust Inexhaustibleness of this great mineral belt, but tine same old drawback Is here with us yet, and II IS enough to make the old prOspecior's heart sink far away down below Zero, nothing less than SlO0 ore pays to work yet; but as hope springs eternal in the human breast, the prOspector never does, but always Is going to, fill his pOck- cts, so there IS great talk of putting in concentration works here that will work the lower grade ores and that too before the winter sets ID. When that time comes we shall see better times and not until then. l suppose q great many ask, ''is there any show for he to do any thing there :" Yes, if You are a practical, commonsense live man, and got money; but don't come here to hunt work
 The placer mines in Pitkin and Gun nlson counties are attracting a good bIt of attention and before another year rolls by Colorado will be surprised at her almost unlimited amount of placers, us they have turned their attention for the past twenty years almost entirely to lode mining, and not one Tn a hundred lode miners know placeTs when they see them.
 The miners have a union here which IS splendidly conducted, holding tue wages at S3.j in Aspen. Nearly every miner belongs, and theIr hall cost them $3,000.
 I see quite a number of rombstOners in here. Wyatt Earp Is running sa- loon here. Thomas Weloh Is foreman of the Late Acquisition. Stump who left the QuilotOas July 4in with hIs team, landed here on August 27tb. lie reports the striking of big gold plaeers on the Navajo Reservation. He banned out S7.5O in a few hours. The Indians told him to go and he ''gOed." Miller, of Tucson, has what he thinks big gold placers on COnuLdrum Gnlch. l. k located from one end to the other, and some are making prepGratlOns to work on an extensive scale.
 We were in a coid-wintef's scene on the 7th of Sepember. We were mp near ll,O0O feet and ID genuine clustering snow stoIm. The mountains were load ed with snow far below the timber line, at which point the clouds disappeared.
 Mautled lu her white wraps cf winter, the old Continental Divide stool tower tug far away towards heaven, while the stars glitte7ed and sparkled Ike So 4 fsapnnnfz tp fb.. sky FarUS2ntfWFr a cold, cold scene as you would ever wish tn behold m tbe faT-Gwgy north.
 My next look was for the flash of the aurora borealis. On the first IL showed in Aspen; ii came down in flakes as big as sheep sklns, but ii soon di,appearei.
 As the moon Is now sinking to its golden rest, too vIil bid yUu good night.