The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-08-26
FLORA BULLoCK.]

FLORA BULLoCK.1
GILT.EDGED TOWNS AND OTHERS.
Lead and Deadwood, or az those who
travel by the main road and those Who
are wisely polite would say. Desdwood
and Lead, are the twin mining camps Of
the Hills. To he sure, they have grown
entirely out Of camp proportions and
may claim the title Of cities on the
strength OF their size and good looks.
But camps they still seem to be, with
the camp atmosphere Of genial rough.
ness, the camp lingo, and the camp
character-there is about half Of com.
pliment and half Of derogation in that
statement. To compare the cities lie
hazardous, for I imagine they are about
az kindly affectioned one to the other
as twin cities commonly are. Dead.
wood Is the terminus Of the main line
Lead is side tracked on q little narrow.
guage line up canyon. The hobby
baby engine goes putting with its ONE
light car up to Lead and down to Dead.
wood about every hour. It is a grade
Of five hundred feet in the four miles
Also the wagon road which follows the
track too closely most Of the way for the
c9uiort Of q skittish horse is travelled con.
stsphy and is as dusty az Fair time road
fe1iucoln. 1t is safer to leave any state.
dent as to the relative sizes OF the two
cities to the coming census. for the Lead
people say Lead has a greater popula.
ton, and Deadwood also claims su-
premacy in sisterly fashion. just from
appearances one would take Lead to be
the larger town. because you can see it
all in bird's.eye view, with the business
houses cramped along one narrow street
in the bottom Of the canyon and the
residence portions climbing the hills
around. Desdwood seems to have
more room in the hollow of the canyon
and it strings out interminably to the
shelters two miles or 90 below. Many
fine residences are half hidden up
among the pines. You would imagine \
that wealthy man would build some
sort Of elevator 60 that he might reach
his Lares and penates at night with
strength and ambition enough to enjoy
them. Deadwood is really q very pretty
city, though it would be more attractive
II 1t could escape from the ugly trick
Lead plays that awful gray water
which comes down from the roaring
stamps Of the Homestake mills! Spear
fish river would make Oeadwood all
that could be wished. but instead Il has
that hideous gray stream-good for
nothing and plague on the sight, II
can not be used 10 put out fires, and
seriously doubt IL it would make an end
OF even the ninth life of superfluous
kitten. All the way down the canyon
from Lead it comes. stopped in its
course occasionally by men searching
for the last dregs Of gold. run through a
straining process in one place 60 that
the clear water may be used In the mill
again-despite the Dutchman's
Der mill II viii not grind some more.
Nit der water dot Is bast." y
1t is not a filthy stream. the color
comes from the ground ore which the
water washes in the mill. But il not
ugliness sometimes as oppressive &c
hith' even IL it is not 80 deadly nor 20
wickedy Deadwood surely has good
deal OF a score against Lead. Yet A
everything in this whole land is willing.
~ sacrificed for gold. gold, I suppose
Inc good people leave faulthnding to