The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16

| 1t will no doubt exceed 1000 by Septem-
| Der. Tho town 10 growing at the rate
| OF $50 fixed residents q weok. while twice az
many come and 70 week after week In four
months Chloride has progressed from droary,
remorselesS desert waste to as lively and hum
ming mining town as there 10 anywhere. II
has thus far grown faster than even Tomb
stone In 1870. for in those days there was no
railroad communication TO aid the rapid
growth OF the mining towns Whether Chic
ride will grow 10 thu Importance OF Tomb
stone. Cripple Crock, Leadville or any famous
Western mining town depends upon the con-
tlnued success ~ the newly found prospects.
Up to this writing Chloride has four rude
buildings OF canvas VALE and shake roofs that
answer for hotels. four storos that car?r largo
stocks Of provisions aud miners cothin. aud
utensils; fourteen saloons and s9ven restau-
rants where meals costing 80 and rs cents zach
arc served on tall pine counters. while tho
customers stand up and feed themselves like
men stocking furnaces. The population OF the
town lives largely In tents and canvas houses
scattered on the brown. sandy waste amid tho
sage brush. Tho Atchison. Topeka ard Santa
Fe Railroad COMPANY IL building branch
from It's kingman station to Chloride. md the
contract calls for the completion OF the work
by Aux |. KinEman itself has grown from
population Of 800 last winter to 2.5OO at this
time. The miners who have poured through
that town on their way to the new silver and
gold camp. the forwarding Of freight from
there to Chloride and the making Of Kingman
a general depot for supplies at Chloride have
built UP thriving railroad community from
struggling hamlet within a few months.
The seeker after the picturesque in mining
camp life may find It in plenty in Chloride.
White haired. tAttsred soldiers Of fortune who
have followed the dehlsivo beck OF luck
over mountain and across desert. from the
tropics Of Guatemala to tho snowbanks OF
British Columbia. are in Chloride. Men who
have been mliionAires in other boom mining
towns. and men even who wore once princes
in Cripple Greek. Creole. Virginia City and
Leadville, arc hsre-brokcn down. discour-
aged hoping against hope that in Chloride
thoy may ind somsthinE that will some
how lead them on to another fortune.
There are clerks, railroad men. salesmen.
lawyers. clergyman. mining kings and all
the depraved characters that one sees in camp
life. All the Institutions that accompany rush
to rsw gold or silver held are already in
Chloride. For two weoks men hammered and
sawed and nailed by day and night until tho
imperial" tho finest dance hall in northwest
ern Arizona. was ready Tor tho opening. Every
night, no matter IL the mercury is up among
the ntnetes. tho rough wooden floor Of the
dance hall is thronged with miners. old and
young. and with women and girls from every
city In Colorado Arizona and California Tho
bartenders behind a great pine bar stretching
across the rear Of the barn-ike apartment do
land-otIlce business at the end OF each dance.
while the master OF ceremonies. known in
the mining camp phrascoogy as the herder.
shouts in ear-splitttnG accents. Form on for
the next dance. Git yer pardners. Git yer
partners, and let's make niSht 81 II boys"
Gamblers and sharpers Of all degrees OF pro-
fciency have flock to Chloride. few months
ago tho only gaming there was cardplaying by
the Indians. Now hundreds OF dollars are
staked every night on the roulette tables. craps
Is played in peveral places, and stud and round
table poker 10 going on In the back rooms OF
nsnIly every saloon in town. while continuous
games Of faro are dealt In eght-hour shifts.
One night last week there was a faro gamo in
which $4,000 changed hand within a few hours.
Some OF the most expert gam biors from san
Francisco and Denver are now operating ia
Chloride.
Seven nights q week the saloons are crowded
with mon. II one wants to see any ono in
Chloride he makes the rounds Of the saloons
and gambling places. for every one visits at
least ono OF the resorts every evening. In
some there Ia the music OF an accordion a
music box or n piano TO please the patron. In
two saloons women from tho Denver and Los
Angeles concert halls are hired 70 sing Be-
meath the yellow light Of huge kerosene lamps
and q cloud Of tobacco smoke men gamble.
drink. sink shafts ir imaginary mines. talG
over the money they are making or ara gong
to make in the new camp. Occasionally, when
some one in the camp makes few thousand
dollars on a mining deal or from tho lie OF real
estate. every ono 10 expected to come and
drink his Ill at tho expense OF the lucky
man. A fortnight ago. when George Hamilton
sold the Chicago for $4,000 cash, $1,000 was
spent In drinks. and the camp rang with song
and cheers for Hamilton from early evening
until daybreak. The celebration over tho sale
would probably have continued n day or two
longer. but for the fact that Mrs. Hamilton
hired a conveyance and drove out like mad to
Chloride. where Hamilton was seized bodily
with his remaining money and carried back to
his family at Bingman.
The rise in the value OF real estate in Chic
ride in an interesting CHAPTER In the story OF
the spriuginG up Of this town in tho arid plain.
year ago the site Of the business aud resi-
dence part OF Chloride might have been bought
from Mexican sheep hsrdor for $50 or 5000.
possibly less. Tho owner tried to trade It in
1926 for several steors. Last February one
might have bought an acrs hero and there
among tho rocks for $50 or S7J. To-day al 4 "a
lots cut from these same rock acres are bought
for $500 and $500 each. dozen lots on what
ia now the main street OF Chloride. have sold
for 81. POO. and two corner business lots sold
last week for $1,000.
"Ifthc mines continue as profitable a. they
are now" said John Swiggart. who has made
and lost three fortunes in town lots IN other
mining camp booms. "we'll DO selling sixty
foot front business lots In Chloride at 81. 900
before Sent q m Der and no One knows how hiR