Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-01-11
A the Rockies.
Fifth of series Of letters written
by the editor while on his trip in the

SOy Tue eulJOrS Wnlle Oh MS Irtp ESlu ti1e
West.l Us. s5.s 81 @s*@= :.. &
% ASPEN, Col jan '99.
Today I haye visited some of the
silver and lead mines which honey
comb the mountains of this district.
1t is worth mans time to experience
such trip. One may read descrip-
tions and see illustrations on the sub
jet, but it can never supply the know
ledge one obtains in actually riding
down the shafts and going into the
narrow drifts where the miners are at
work. Our cousin, Mr.. Frank Co.'S
ton, a miner and one of the earliest
prospectors in the district, piloted US
about and during >the day gave us
more information about mining. than
we were able to retain in our memory.
It would fill volume to enumerate it
all, but we will be briet in this letter,
not expecting to do justice to the SUBJ
ject.
We started by walking into the
Cowenhoven tunnel, which begins at
the foot of Smuggler mountain and
connects with a half dozen or more
mines in its path. 1t extends about
two miles into the bowels of the noun
tain. This tunnel enterprise was uu-
dertaken in order to establish easy
communication to the miner and also
to supply drainage. The item of
drainage alone through this tunnel
costs some of the mining properties in
the mountain some $780, annually.
A flume is built between the tracks in
the tunnel, into which Is pumped the
water from each mine. Horses are
used in this tunnel for pulling the ore
car trains in and out. At the opening
of the tunnel are built a number of
bins, into which the ore pulled out
from the tunnel is dumped according
to the directions written upon a small
piece Of board stuck into the top of
each load. These bins slope to a
spout at the bottom of each, from
which railroad cars below may be
loaded.
We were given candles and tin
box to serve as light on our journeys
underground. After leaving the
strong sunlight, it took some time to
become accustomed to the feeble light
of candles and I bumped my head
against the roof of the tunnel once or
twice before my eyes would aid me to
become humble at the proper occa-
sions. Before left the mines I be-
came convinced that tall and stout
man is at a decided disadvantage in
delving underground.
The tunnel is timbered to support
the ground except in places where the
rock is hard enough to support itself.
Heavy wires, hung along the sides,
supply electrical energy toathe motors
used in the different mines. Incandes-
cent lights placed at long intervals
helped to light up the tunnels. Near
each light is red globe into which
the light is turned in case Of danger.
After having walked some distance we
came to where the first switch in the
tracks led off to a mine, the "Della
S." We followed it, and it led US to
the top of the shaft. The shaft ap-
peared as distressing]y narrow open
ing which led down at an angle of
about Is degrees. An electric motor
propelled the, drum upon which the
wire cable which pulled the lifts was
wound. The metor-man operated the
motor and assisted in running off and
on the ore cars from the lift. We we're
granted permission to 20 down with
the next empty car. Our guide said
we wanted to stop at the 18th level, on
which he is leasing block Of ground.
Your humble servant was told to get
into the car and sit down flat on the
bottom. The lift going down at an
angle, to have raised ones head very
much over the top of the car would
have crushed ones skull against the
timbers, above. Down we went, pass
ing the openings of the tunnels in each
level, much the same as the stories in
the elevator of a sky -scraper, only the
"levels'' were much farther apart.
When we arrived at "thirteen'' we
stopped off and began to explore the
tunnel on this level. This part of
the mine is leased to miners, who. pay
d royalty on each ton of ore taken out
according to it's richness. Seventy
FIVE feet along the tunnel is called a
block for the purposes of leasing. On
each side of the tunnel extend the pro-
speeding drifts, from some of which
one could hear the pick of the drill.
The patent machine drill, run by com
pressed air, is not used by these les
sees. They hold the hand drill in
their left hands and drive them into
the rock with the blows of a sledge
with the right. They drill q number
Of holes. load them with sticks of