The Republican journal., 1896-04-02

can be said the Speaker will not take up
any work of this kind until after the ST.
Louis Convention. II. T. HOPKINS.
Visit to a New Hampshire Lead Mine.
To TIE EDITOR OF THE JoURNAL: Re-
cent reviews of mining affairs in Maine,
their rise and fall in recent years, revive
pleasant "reminiscences of an excursion to
an abandoned lead mine in northern New
Hampshire in 1859. In 1875 or SO there
was discovered what was thought to be a
rich deposit of lead in Shelbulue, Coos
county. Soon after company OF Port
land, Maine, men began operations on a
large scale to develop the mine; but late
in 1857, as the deposit did not prove suf-
ticiently rich to make the operations prof.
table, the works were abandoned In 1859
the writer was employed in numbering on
the highlands situated two or three miles
though it looked much less-north from
the White Mountains proper, or ''Presi-
dental range" and about four miles west
from Gorham village, one of the most i'm
portant stations on the Grand Trunk rail
road. The writer having keen appre-
citation of the grand mountain scenery in
that enchanting region, and wishing to
visit the lead mine, as that was counted
one of the points of interest arranged with
two friends for an excursion to that place,
which was about nine miles distant, east
To add to the novelty of the excursion it
was to be taken on foot. The members of
our party were all boys or young men,
whose ages ranged from twenty to year OF
two past that period. The day fixed for the
excursion, August 9th, proved fine. To
the writel the vividness of that mornings
walk amid the surrounding scenery, as re-
produced by memory, is that of piano.
ramic view. With light steps, an air of
freedom and anticipatons of adventure
which belong to youth, we came down the
Gorham highlands, across the plain along
the left bank of the Moose river to the
bank of the Androscoggin river, distance
three miles, at a point where the river
sweeps past the west base of Mt. Hayes.
to Gorham village, beyond which we took
the Grand Trunk railroad track. We were
prepared for a picnic dinner, and one of
our party had taken along a revolver, one
of the earliest paterns-sometimes called
the pepper box" The Colts revolver,
then one of the latest improvements, was
little used when compared with the num-
Der of improved revolvers in use to day.
Probably the boys of to-day would prize
the first mentioned revolver more as an
object of curiosity than as a safe, useful
party as much for amusement as a means of
defense, though in that region the appear
ance of bear, panther or other animals
was not an uncommon occurrence, and
sometimes they we're the cause of I'M
pleasantness. Our walk continued down
the track, which stretched along the right
bank Of the Androscoggn to point
where a bridge spanned the river at right
angles with the railroad This led to
road little travelled and which traversed
wild country among the mountains. From
this road branched the mine road, which
led over bluffs through ravines and across
small streams. After going more than
mile, and while ascending the mountain
slope and catching glimpses of buildings
1,,1, Il 1,x,+ l
that we were nearing the mining camp or
village. Passing along its one street we
were impressed with the cutter leftness''
of the place. Upon the whole the effect
was quite novel, to see so large collection
of buildings-sixteen or twenty in num-
ber-of various sizes and for different pur-
poses, wholly deserted and showing to
great degree the effects Of neglect. The
sombre quietness was quite striking. !
Among the buildings that attracted our
particular attention was a large two
stored structure supposed to have been a |
boarding house. The buildings were gen
orally substantially built and suitable in
style and arrangement for the purposes
for which they were intended. There
were cottages, storehouses, stables and
shops; one or two of the latter were built |
of logs.
A few steps farther on and at the bot
tom of the ravine huge mass of iron
wheels, shafts, timbers, etc., showed all
that remained of the crushing works. A
few yards farther up, at the head of the
ravina and mar tho ahrunt moupto;n |