Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-10-01
IN 4 PROSPECT CAMP.
Peculiarities and Whims of the Wild
Western Mountaineers-Fast Be-
coming Civilized.

\
Western Mountaineers-Fast Be-
coming Civilized.
By James Newton Basket, Of Mexico, Mo. ),
in the Detroit Free Press.
There is yet a much undeveloped
literary field in those portions Of the
Rocky Mountains that are not min
ing, but purely prospecting regions
communities that live on hope
and bank ON accident places where
capital is wary and labor is fitful,
where business is makeshift and
stock in trade is the patience of
waiting.
It was the writer's lot to spend a
summer outing in a region like
this. The railroad had recently run
through and punctuated a station,
and the government had established
a post-office. The supply store and
the saloon were there also and from
rich mining peighborhood flood
of prospectors had poured in till
claim stakes and prospect holes
marked every hillside and hollow.
Yet there was not mine for miles
around that had "pay dirt or "con-
tact,'' not shaft or drift deep
enough to be dark, not wagon
road into camp, no. church or
school or paper. The deer and bears
were on the mountains above, the
grouse were in the scrub around
and the trout were leaping in the
brook below. All these with the
game laws mere tradition and Dor.
der justice her own interpreter.
Surely one could get away from the
world here.
But in the world it is hard to get
away from the world. Every little
community is a cosmos. Touring
and business travel so prevade every
nook that to-day one can scarcely
flee the busy hum unless he lives
the life of a hermit. Ont of the
world we sigh for its blessings and
forget its cares so that the evening
trains found a motley crowd to greet
their hurried passing. New incon-
grous elements came unto US daily.
From the Pullman sleeper stepped
the tourist from other towns, rang
ing from Leadville to London, bur-
dened with all the paraphernalia of
travel, buoyant with pleasant expee-
tation and the dark depths of the
box car gave up its tramp, the slow
creep Of the donkey train upon the
narrow trail, or the steady tread oi
the hob-nailed heel upon the cross
tie, brought us the nomad miner
laden only with his blanket or his
pick, but none the less hopeful.
Soon the tents of the merchant
out for pastime, of the journalist
out for pleasure, Of the pastor ou'
for rest, of the capitalist out fol
business, and the hunter out fol
game glisten against the greer
slope, and anon the surveyor come:
with transit, lot stake and town pla
and makes us cosmopolitan. Herr
will stand the city hall here ant
over there the school house. Already
the capitalist has given the minister
a church site, and the narrow stril
upon the hill there is the ditch fo
water power to the smelter that vii
be built when these mines shall
ssstrike it rich"
| Up there lives the spiritnalist ant
Ijust across, the atheist, and tn
Christian scientist has come to town
Down at the depot the new tele
graph operator has just arrived ant
the very young wife so recent,
married to the very old husban'
fiirts foolishly with the new conques
while we await the coming train. S
the rude joke, the gentler gossip an,
1.-THE slanderous insinuation find foo
land lodging. 1t was interesting t
watch the baby village grow an
Iput on airs and snake believe an,
initiate its grown-up brothers as an
baby will.
i Still the little community had ii
lpeeuliarities, much as any face
like all faces, yet so unlike.
| Out OF all this chaos we can dill
ferentiate the characteristics of tn
mountaineer. He is always here i
essence or influence, often before yo
in person, constantly around You i
type. The distinguishing element
of his character had become crysta'
lized before these traces of remote
civilization had come. 1t stood OF
as an ineongrous conglomerate (
Iall times and places. Almost Roma
in its austerity, stole in its endul
ance. continental in its sympath,