The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-20
BY HAMLIN GARLAND.


OURAY, Colo, Aug. This is wild
land. A land Of precipitous unSscala-
bic domes, some of them nearly fifteen
thousand feet above tide water. On
every side peaks naked as the neck OF
an eagle rise two thousand feet above
timber line. Some are blue-grey in
color, others orange and blood-red-
Others have wide stains of saffron, like
bleeding wounds.
Canyons OF enormous depth filled
with magnificent pines and loud with
the rush of glorious streams, lead up
ward to the peaks. On the north SldeS
Of the mountains big sullen drifts OF
snow still remain slowly melting away
It is land plainly of enormous vol
canic action and Of animal raVage, OF
fire and of devastation by snow and
foods. Most of it is accessible only by
means Of bu1Tos-and yet every acre
of it has been scrutinized by prospect
oCs. Slender trails lead over every d.
vide, up every side canyon and round
every promising cliff. In every hagh
peaks are dumps Of rock to mark the
infrepidity of some man who has bur
rowed into the shelving cliff.
The other day / walked eight miles
up one of these trails. The foot of the
trail was ten thousand feet above the
sea and my highest resting place was
nearly thirteen Thousand feet. The
trail was built for burrOs and was as
steep at the start as John Hance's trail
inlo the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
It was hewn for distance out of solid
rock and seen across the awful gulf
the line of ore-laden buVros seemed
walking a tight wire across the face
If a1sf n fao+ a., CT
sheer
After two miles of this, however, the
trail grew less hard. 1t came TO pass
under superb frs and spruces and to
cross beautiful streams of water. On
the edges Of these canyons were perch
ed mines and boarding houses for the
Uen. Nailed to the caves and back
under the bank dark low tunnels had
been driven in search of ore. High in
the forests other cabins glittered.
/ passed these company miners
then syndicates' and groups" ON
up into the nobler heights above where
the hardest Drospectors are.
II is a splendid and dramatic thing
TO rise from the barren rocks and sand
of the lower attitudes of Colorado UP
into the splendid timber and f1owery
slopes and green swazd of the upper
heights. Vegetation thickens and in
came upon wild astesS and geraniums.
daisies. columbine, blue bells. paunctus,
brush and other vivid and glowing
blooms. The streams of water were
beautifully clear and cool and delicious
~ sweet Giant pines appeared l saw
them twelve feet in circumference,
splendid groves OF aspens ar ten thous-
and feet, spread a shianmery veil of
lighs over TIRE vivid flowers and shrubs.
r1r -
several silent miners cabins. and on
every side 1 saw tunnels and dumps.
but ali We're silent. Not a sound of
pick or shovel There was no smoke
coming from the casmneys The whole
land was radiant with sunshine and
vivid color. but wondrously silent, save
for the splendid song of the streams.
Just below timber line in a small cab
In on the bank of the creek l came
upon q, man sitting in the doorway.
He looked peaceful and slumberous as
one who sits at close of day, down. far
down. in some small garden.
L stopped to talk with him, and while
he talked I studied him. That man
showed toll. He was lean and brown.
The muscles of his face seemed firm as
Leather and his hands were hard.
hoaked and calloused. His, clothes
were patched and covered with a. whit
I1
smiled in a. fieeting way and then the
muscles Of his face drew down again
rigid and dark. sat down on a bench
to talk with him.
I've been here since u.s. he said.
I've got an interest in two or three
mines. One right over there. where
You see that dump I'm working in
now. Have We been to dinner? I'm
Just taking my half-hour incoming. The
coffee amt cold vet"
% no, thank you. 1 just ate my
lunch down by the creek. What are
you fellows doing here-I mean as a
rule? Just about holding your
clajms?'
Yes, most of those right here are
veloping. Mostly things are at a
standstill. The price of lead and silver
won't pay us. It costs US So per ton
TO get the ore to Ouray and IS to get it
to Pueblo to the public sampler He
charges 81 for sampling. and for smelt-
ing dry ore we pay from 81 to S14
per ton. 1t costs us IS per ton to move
the ore" He rose and got bill of sale
for a carload of ore. Now here is
car of ore which brought me only s17
per ton. 1t didn't pay me wages
Sometimes it runs a little better-S2O or
$50 a ton-and costs me about $19 to
realize on it. Some ore has little gold
IN it and that helps TO pay. AS things
are now there is no money in it for
as"
what constitutes an assessments"
"One hundred dollars worth of work
per year"
How is it computed?"
by the foot generally. Say it costs
IS to drive tunnel a foot A man is
supposed to work about twenty feet
4. year for five years. then he can-get
q patent-provided some Teller don't
contest him. He can do it all in one
year if he wants to-that is. he can
do $500 worth of work all at once
Are there many small miners like
you2'
Thousands of 'em scattered all
through these hills. I've been here
eighteen years, Some few have been
here longer, but most have not been
here so long.
DO you stay here winters?''
Not generally I have to go down
in the valley somewhere and work
during winter am a blacksmith by
trade-to earn enough to keep me go
ing through the summer while 1 am
developing. A good many have had to
quit; couldn't hold up.
'sThe snow fails deep here. doesn't
it?"
''Ive seen it higher than that cabin. 8"
he replied, with a descriptive gesture
How do you get out down to Ouray
for food and mail?"
''Oh. watch your chance, and when
they amt no danger O snow-slides.
then put on your snow-shoes and take
right down the gulch. The snow packs
in hard there and you can go down a
flynn It's tedious gettin' back