Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-03
AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE
swaying in an Ore Bucket Pour Hundred
Feet Above the Earth


From New York Railroad Men.
In Denver ii was recently reported that the
Smuggler mine of Telluride, Co.. would clo..
down, owing to the low price of silver. Thu.
being one OF tie largest producing mines OF
the state the natural inference that MANY
OF the men employed therein would leave the
country. In behalf Of nv company Cthe Rock
island / started for Telluride. on tic Rio
Grande Southern railway, and arrived at nv
destination Wednesday evening Mr.. y. T
Mansfield, manager OF the Smuggler, in his
coy little Office that night told me the COM
Pany had decided upon a reduction of wages
instead OF closing down. and that word had
oeen sent to the mine that day. but the mcnls
answer had not yet been received. He further
'oio me that at this season of the wear there
was but one way TO get into the mine and that
was by linking the bucket tramwav. as the trail
was covered with snow and ice and prac ticaIlv
impossible. The bucket tram. he added WAS
Itself lar from a desirable method of traaspor-
tation and Liable 10 try mans nerve pretty
well, out II L would undertake the trim he
would accompany me.
what coula a man say 10 proposition OF
that kind but YES" Acc,rli,,5.l,- ~.
and early the next morning. which ras o.. ~
the fairest and most beautiful have ever See, N
the mountains, horses were in READINGS. ~
accompanied by Mr.. W. c. Gr,~n. who is Con-
nected with the San Miguel Mining go,npapy
of Telluride, we started out. The ride of two
miles TO Pandora was most enjoyable bv reason
of the fording OF innumerable streaIns which
crossed the road. Our horses displayed Won
derful sagacity in picking their way through
many q treacherous spot
Arriving at the foot OF the tram and GETTING
a faint idea of what ahead of me- seein,
the buckets coming down hundreds of feet
above us and discharglng their cargoes Of
ore into the immense shute, my courage al
most failed me, but il required more nerve
than 1 could muster to back out. / tried TO
appear as little Disconnected possible
while Mr. Mansfield, who was to start
first curled up in his little bucket, which
was only large enough to hold an
dipary-sized man in most uncomfort-
able and cramped position. The endless cable
was then put in motion and out swung The
manager on his perilous journey. lcannot help
thinking how much more nerve he displayed
than either Mr. Green or 1. but he had been
over 1t before and knew what was ahead OF him.
Three hundred feet behind Mr.. Mansieid's
bu cket came another. and into this climbed Mr..
Green As his bucket started up that incline L
felt that had lost my last friend. a. there
absolutely nothing left then between me and
comfort but disgrace.
The men in attendance saw were watching
me, as / was the first 'tenderfoot" who had
ever undertaken the trip. Once more sssum-
ing courage | felt not, awaited my bucket
smilingly. When it came along was obliged
to remove my overcoat IN order to get In.
Crouching down In a sitting posture, tailor
fashion, there was just room TO stay in and that
was all. and with parting injunction TO keep
nv tail up" the man in charge switched me on
to the main line and L swung out OF the door
way fifty feet above the ground.
The rate OF speed was about two and one
half miles per hour. and the total length of the
tram |. 400 feet-a little over n mile. In that
mile. however we had to rise l,s20 feet-a little
more than one foo; In three. The endless cable
TO which the buckets are attached passes over
numerous tall wooden trestles. varying in height
from so TO 160 feet and placed al rregu inter-
walls wherever the formations OF the mountain
will permit. The height OF the cable above the
ground increased with every turn Of the wheel,
and as / sat there with eyes glued upon the two
preceding buckets, ami not particularly snx-
ious in tho first few minutes TO look down. or
around or anywhere else except above me, L
began to realize that the twenty minutes nee
essary for the Journey were going 10 be mighty
long ones.
On and on we went and up and up until there
came in sight yawning under me a terrific
gorge. crossed by single span of the cable
over j, 400 feet in length and 400 feet above the
ground. Even this would not be so bad were il
not that the next tower in front Of me was $50
feet higher than the spot from which was get
ting my first view.
There ahead OF me were the two buckets con-
tanning Mansfield and Green, and, as pulled
myself together. determined TO take every nd-
vantage of the glorious view which now opened
up. the thought came to me that never had
been in a position of such utter heiplessness
and dependence. Lest the figures given above
should fail TO convey the exact idea. let me sUs-
gest a comparison, which occurred to me while
crossing this span.
The Pulitzer building in New York Is Just
about one mile from the Battery. and the height
from the ground to the foot of the flagstaff is.
if my memory serves me, $50 feet. Now pile
six Pulitzer buildings on atop the other and
start from the Battery in a little bucket. smaller
than an ordinary clothes hamper and go 10 the
top of that mass suspended a single rope.
and if YOU as a man will not recognize your in
significance iothing will ever bring you TO that
realizing sense.
Bv this time had entered into The full gram
deur of the scene and all nervousness diSap-
peared. strange to say. right at the most dam
gerous point of the journey. Fo1r hundred
feet below me could a train Of those most
abused and yet invaluable little burros slowly
and painfully climbing the narrow trail laden
with supple and timbers for a neisEborlng
mine Two poles down the valley lay Telluride.
looking like child's plsything. and still further
away miles .nd miles Of dazzling nOun tain
peaks again g, the blue sky OF ColOrado-biuer
than Italy e. sr dreamed os-and all about me
the most Uf2que and picturesque colO:ins
peeping out .Aom the uncovered patches q tas
mountains.
The day has absolutely perfect the sun
warm. and despite the constant danger of
loaded buckets breaking away and dashing all
OF Us TO the @byss below. and Needless OF the
possibility c. many things which might hap
pen. l thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful
view. / am free 20 confess. however, to a feel
ing as though an intense strain had been re-
moved when finally crossed that gigantic
tower and fofsnd myself only hundred feet or
SO from terra frma. and only then did dis
cover that M hands had been clutched on that
bucket with Z. deathiike grip and were wet with
Precipitation, while with my feet hsd been ex-
erting a tremendous pressure against the front
end
We soon cane in sight OF the upper ter
minal and Upon arrival there [ found the lnen
had decided 20 remain, accepting the slight
reduction. and there would be no party to
reward me for my trip-if. indeed. any reward
other than the trip itself were necessary Let
me add. however. that the mouth of the mine
was still a mile and half further up the
mountain, and that the ore is brought from
the mine TO the top of the tram by burros.
each carrying two sacks weighing LIS pounds
each. Well. my mission being fruitless, we re-
entered our buckets on the down trip. feel
perfectly sure that had the order been reversed
and the down trip come first 1 would have
backed out at any cost bu; my up journey gave
me conf and it with considerable
equanimity that gazed down to tine tiny ter
4 Il a nan e. -