The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-08-04
EXCITING EXPERIENCE.
waying In a Bucket -Four Hun
dred Feet Above the Earth

In Denver !; WAS recently reported
bat the Smuggler mine, Of Telluride.
|ol, would close down, owing 10 the low
|rice Of silver. This being one of the
lrHest producing mines Of the state,
be natural inference was that many
the men employed therein would
ave the country. In behalf Of my
Pmpany (the Rock Island started
Sr Telluride, on the Rio Granie South
IN railway, and arrived q, my des;ina-
pn Wednesday evening Mr.. n. T.
ansfield, manager Of the SmuSeler.
his cosy little Office that night, told
the company had decided upon q re-
hction Of wages instead OF closing
bwn, and that word had been sent 10
e mine that day, but the mems answer
ID not yet been received He further
Id me that st this season 81 the year
ere was but one way 10 sc, to the
ine, and that was by taking the buck
tramwsy, as the trail was covered
IN snow and ice and practically i'm
|ssible. The bucket tram, he si6ed
y itself far from desirable method
transportation and liable to try a
ms nerve pretty well. but il would
dertake the trip he would accompany
What could q man say 10 proposition
that kind bu; "Yesy" Accordingly,
ght and early the mex; morning.
hich was one Of the fAires; and beau.i-
have ever seen in the mountains
Ses were in readiness ami. sccompa-
ID by Mr.. W. {. Green, who is con-
tted with the San Miguel Mining
npany Of Telluride, we started out.
ride Of two miles to Pandora was
st enjoyable, by reason O! the ford
Of innumersble streams which
ssed the rosd Our horses displayed
nderful sacscity in picking their way
fough many trescherous spot
Er-ivins at the foot Of the tram and
ting faint idea Of what was ahead
ne, seeing the buckets coming down
hdreds Of feet above as and diScharc-
their ca-coes Of ore into the i'm
ase shute. my courage almost failed
but il required more nerve than I
Ia muster to back out. ! tried to
ear as little disconnected as possible,
lie Mr., Mansfield. who was to start
crried up in his little bucket.
oh was only large enough to hold
aas0exy sized man in most uncou-
~ and esauaqed position The
Ess cable wss then Pot il motion
oes swung the manager on h.s per
srey. ] cannot help thinking
mach nore nerve he displsy ss
either Mr.. Green or l, but he had
s~er it sefore, and knew what was
q al him Three hundred feet be
4y. Aansneld's bucket came an
,, and into this climbed Mr. Green
- bucket started up that inclipe /
tAsd ! had Loaf my last TREND. rs
wa< absolutely nothing left then
zen me and comfort bat disgrace.
e men In attendance ] saw were
hing me- - wss the Arss TENDER
who had ever undertaken tAe
oDce more assuming . eorrlee
hot i awaited my bncret smiling
When II cane aioas ] vas OBLIGED
move my overcoes n order % set
csescAiAe down IN . ssssiny poe
tAi1or fssAion. there Vas Au.t
- stay IN and that wss al. and
. parting injunction to Keep nv
p" The nan IN charge switched me
the main line and swunr out Of
corwAy 6fsy feet above the ground
rate of speed wss ssoni two and
miles Per boar, and the total
Of The tram Eve thousand tou.
red feet--s ftsle over . nla In
nile, however, we had 10 rise one
Aod eight hundred add twenty
. little more than one foot IN
The endless cable - which the
- are attached passes over rumer-
Al wooden trestleS varying in
from ffty feet to one hundred
|x,y, and placed at irregular in
wherever the formations % the
tain viii permit The height O.
ble above the ground Increased
VERY turn ot the wheel, and as
PIT Win eyes sIoeo upon The two
hing buckets and not particularly
, in the Ars; few minutes 20 look
cr around or anywhere else ex-
bore me, ] began to realize that
|eaty minutes necessary for the
y were going 70 he mighty long
pc on we went and mp ana up until
anne IN sight yswnine under me
bic gorge crossed by single
the cable over !. 400 feet i.
ana so0 feet above the ground
|his would not be 50 had were j,
ht the next tower II front 81 me
feet higher than the SPOT from
was getting my first view.
K ahead of me were the two
containing Mansfield and
and IS pulled myself together,
med 10 take every advantage o.
prsous view which now opened