Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-03-14
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
How Tate Drl@ dago Frustrated
O Murdorous Scheme.

The traveller by rail in Colorado sect
here and there upon the steep slopes
barren strcals reaching from afar uE
the mountain down through rocks
ferns and belts of evergreen timber tc
the level valley along the stream al
the bottom of the deilc These barren
streaks nevcrcxtend up to "snow-linc,
but start among forests of fir and
spruce that fringe the hills. They are
the slides" down which the mighty
trcc.truuks have been tmnblcd from
lumber camps to the shipping points
below
The old "Ilonham slide, on the south
side Of the Clear creek canyon, Is one
of these 1t stretches up the mountain
side for nearly fifteen hundred feet, q
perfect and uniform incline, except for
two breaks One is where an irrigating
ditch crosses II near the stream. Here
II wide wooden trough Is set into tho
earth to carry the waters.
The other break Is where the toll
road to silver mine back In the noun
tains intcrsccts 1t two hundred feet
above the level Of the valley.
This road iscut ont OF 'he sue o.
the mountain for ten miles down the
\ L. IL.
canyon 1t keeps nearly lcvei' whllo
the bottom OF the valley lalis CONSTANT
", until finally the road Is overa thou
sand feet above the railroad track ana
looks from below Ike mere iurrow'
But al the ionliilm siiuc lnc foaa IN
only about two hundred iec' up una
the tcamsters hauling supplies Gan AZ
most distinguish The faces OF inc pas
sengcrs in the trainspasslnS below IN
the valley When the wagon road
crosses the old slide heavy WAL pro-
tects the roads upper sac from sne
danger that pebbles Or ollier small on
.ects may roll down lhc 'hci'he' 'h'S
wall has never EivehwAy p"' ohee,
Work on the Maiden nine hau peen
III progress u nioh'h III 'ic 'Vi'.e y,
1854, when the supcrllltehooh' louno
himself without money 70 pay OH inc
two hundred hands' lhcy c'aihoreu
for their wages w ~ promise" Pay'
lnent on the saturday N'Ch' io'io"ing'
He trlegraphca 10 inc company hc"o'
quarters IN Denver All" received q ~
ply that the money wou'u pc scn' IA
time for nm 70 Keep MS Ple'se
SO he sent ms assistant nS'h Drum
dage, TO town Win U ioauo' Vte' "raW''
by the only available horseS anou' We
mine, l'rundage Ind irnSgn'..ons to
bring the money bach nth him,
About poor that day the supcrn.
tendcnt heard IN uproar ut n heavy
windlass ut the mouth Of the mine.
Running up, he found that thcre had
been break In ono Of the braces, and
that tho windluss was usclcss The
nearest place OF supply was the toll.
house, where few mining neccssarci
were kept
Tate" said he to Seth lIrundngc's
iourteen-year.old son, do you think
you could climb over the mountain In
time TO catch your father on his way
homees"
late's eyes frightened. II there
was one thing he liked better than an
other, II was Notwithstanding
n think so" he answered.
well, want him to bring Inc
windlass iron from the dollhouse us HI
comes by lie will understand what
mean, Ills bringing II Will save oil
sending back for it. We must have u
by Monday morning"
"Shall start now"
"Yes; he can't get away from thu
station before three O'Clock, and II yos
can climb well, You ought to get dowr
tn the road before he Is halfway to thu
dollhouse"
Tate kissed his mother ind startc,
~ the mountain. II wHa fully twenty
FIVE hundred feet to The top, and th'
oath was rough and broiscn BY The