New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-10
A NINE-TON CABLE on MuLEBACK.
SIXTY -FOUR BUERoS CARRY 1T Up THE NOUN
TAIN FROM TELI.;RiDE.
From The Chicago Tribune.


TAIN FROM TELLURIDE.
From The Chicago Tribune.
Any person who has seen long strings OF
horses dragging immense spoos Of cable to tho
several cable lines in Chicago may appreciate
the magnitude Of undertaking that has been
successfully accomplished in the mountains Of
Colorado. a line OF steel rope weighing 1900
pounds and 13.2OO feet in length was safely
transported from the town of r. lluride. situated
at an altitude OF S.IiG feet above sea level. to
the Nellie mine 300 feet higher The mine
was accessible only by narrow trail that fire.
qucrtly dwiniled 10 a width of fifteen inches.
ana over which only sure-footcd little burros
could travel in safety with any weight at apched.
An aerial tranIway had been built from tho
min" t. the valley where the town is located. for
the purpose ~ chrapcning the cost Of handling
orcs. ana u dispens. with the pack trains which
h.gi been The only means Of conveying freight
ana Passengers To- H., lofty cmincrce where tho
shtfthousc was planted. Everything Wa ready
Tor start. and all that remained for the en-
gir'cri was TO devise way To deliver tho
great steel cable from the railway depot al
Teiluritr. The first suggestion was to haul II
up ~ hand ny strngnS ii over the trail with
pu!I"yS at convenient distances to reduce the
fri, tipn but owing to the tOrtuUus nature Of the
country. which Is one OF the toughest in the
West. the idea had 10 be abandoned. Then it
occurred 10 ono OF the company Of contractors
that the entire difficulty could be overcome by
simple cxpcdient He concluded to impress
into service the patient buIro. or diminuiive
mule Il took som" time To perfect the plan.
and when all was ready II resolved itself into a
liN-s4fU mat was 40 Sifllile tl.ri the miners
were astuushcJ that none had ever thought Of
Il =, fore.
~" huge rope unwound from thu spool
N 'hc clrs and divided into rolls - $50 pounds
Zach. Tier. Ntr. is OF these rolls and. Wlth
tH0 for each iacl the whole thing could 10
placed on sixiy-f, cr hUrros. The llttlo animals
~,rr algn"! IN the street - Of Telluride, and the
pros = packing then. began. Tn Nirc
s'r'.r"'" j. hei L. ~ pack saddles. and all was
r'l9y irr start. The efficacy ~ tn" ORIGINAL
'.rm 90 transportation had many advantages
~ 'l.I II the burr0s ~ anchored safely 20
fs I.'r and Ia" i'.k that followed. This
facilitated IN" operation. Cor n there is trait
n. 30 fr,.uc'iv" - swearing than any other N
;Es iaIt ~ = irairmaster it 81 ia" noradic in
s'inct IN e t"u.pts the buryp u wander away
z ,u It's ma'e Will" the loads are being made
NJ. when IN" last roll ted 10 the back "
is bearer the proc ssion took its way out Of
toan and boran the climb to thu Nrllic There
VAS Mt h.tch In -" programme. and before
dark the rope vas coming Il syn over the shcavcs
that pierced the clouds and established rcGulir
cDfl;luu.. alton with the valley.
Thore ~ no record of any similar attempt and
tn Telluride men claim the credit for simplify
Ina. Job that has Away boon rockorci ono "
th" most tedious ~ Startiur a irlmway. The
~ min: Z ihis route viii throw out Of employ
mont nv" hundred hurros and tin cost II opcr-
l'Ing wiz scarcely 49, -c"d tho iit 'rcSt On tho
plant AM ihr cost - hrak man to boz stationed
AZ tn summit - control The ore bu -tets The
weight Of the dr-CD aiding ore returns ia. empty
buckets and also hr.i q to IT, mines whatever
ssi plies may br nod 4.