The Labor enquirer., 1885-02-21
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IA anCthsf plare in this issue vim Is
found the opening chapter Of the edi-
tors ~ tnp in the interest Of orRanisa-
ton I win here briefly relate the rest of
the journey.
Arrived at Canon City, took the Sill
yer CHI bob-tail express, and for nearly
three hours We were dragged up Gape
Creek canon, on the sides Of mountains
whose SUBMITS seemed to recede farther
and farther the higher We climbed. At
last the iron-horse pulled us out into an
open space somewhere up in the locality
where the stars hang out. and the con-
ductor said We were in Wet Mountain
valley district.
As We pulled into Silver Cliff was
surprised at seeing the hills and valley
on each side of the track literally dug
inside out with prospect holes. 1t was
like what used to imagine, when .
boy, the big grsye-yards would be on.
resurrection day. / could not help but
think, and feel sad as ! thought, Of the
many bright hopes which were buried
in those thousands Of uncovered graves.
II seemed like the awful rebuke of God
toithe greed of man. The conductor
told me that it was estimated that up
wards Of million dollars had been
sunk in those holes, which had never
yielded one grain of comfort or pleasure
to one Of the human family. NV God,
| thought, what lesson in useless labor,
wasted energy is here taught. There
can be no comfort for the true economist
in the sophlstry of capitalism that, the
money expended in those barren holes
was put into circulation and went to
benefit the community at large. The
labor expended was not fruitful, was
wasted and was. therefore, completely
lost to society.
But / was to tell you of my journey; !;
let US get on; we've another string of
enormous hills to get up and down be-
fore we reach Rosita. We pass through
the field Of fruitless holes in the ground,
which / have christened "Mammon's
burial ground" and we are at "the
Cliff" depot.
After waiting an hour for the Rosita
stage to pull up, I find myself, about Z
O'Clock p-m., tucked away with quilts
and blankets IN an old rattle-trap con-
yeyance, which enjoys the proud titleof
"Rosita mail COACH" NV only inside
companion is dudish-l looking mining
engineer, who has won the drivers life
long displeasure because he delayed the
starting of the coach something like a
quarter of an hour by hunting for his
ear-muffs at the hotel. The curtains of
our conveyance fit just tight enough to
shut out a view of the country, and just
loose enough to let in every frigid noun
tain zephyr which arises anywhere in
the range.
We rattle along over the road of snow
and frozen ground; creeping up hill and
plunging down, clipping ever and anon
within frightful reach of the brink of
some bottomless gulch, and at last pull
up in front of the postoffice at Querida,
where the journey of my travelling COM
Danion ends. While the driver is un.
loading mail and express / step into a
grocery store to warm my nose and toes.
A blackseyed Jewess, who seems to be
the youthful pr oprietor's wife, offers me
an empty candle box to repose upon
while / thaw out my frozen bones, and
in conversation learned that was in
the camp where Is located the celebrated /
Bassick mine. Several hundred men
are employed on this property, and the
town of Querida is supported entirely by
the business which grows out of the
Bassick.
In half an hour more the stage rattles
into Rosita, and l am greeted by an
eager committee who are waiting for the
We gather in the parlor of
the Windsor hotel, and after short
consultation decide that it is too late to
attempt to do an y business that night
but we chat toget her until late hour,
and when retire feel like have been
spending an evening with old friends
and am agreeably surprised to learn
hat away out in this obscure mountain
town there are men who understand that
here is such thing as 'fhe labor ques.
ION" and that are prepared to grapple
With it just the same as tine "metropoli-
IAN laborers."
The next morning is passed in the
.estful quietude of the hotel parlor,
where / grind out few columns Of copy
or this weeks paper !; but right after
1inner Charlie Barrett pulls up at the
ioor with a spanking team and light
onggy, and says, @Come, let's have spin
over the hills !" and it was a spin. We
visited every point of interest in the
,eighborhood, and the saucy mountain
air, which sought out every point where
t might pinch me, braced me up and
me that was an old noun
alneer, just like my friend who was en-
me with ordinations of all we