The Monte Vista journal., 1899-06-03
GOSSIP FROM DENVER
AND THE STATE CAPITOL.

now being employed 1t is feared that It
will be some time before the usual ship
ments Of ore will be made. The present
supply Of lead ores at the several smell
tiers Of this state In sufficient to last
several weeks yet. and the anxiety of
the managers is not on account OF
present shortage, but because Of the
uncertainty Of production for the i'm
mediate future. Steps have been taken
to secure all the ore possible from the
other lead producing districts, and
with the extra supply that may be thus
obtained. and care In the use OF that
on hand 1t IL believed the critical pc
riod may be tided over without a gen.
eral closing down Of the smelters.
"Hc Is after you.'' is the word passed
along the line when the coal mine in
spector or his deputy start out on a
tour. "They keep track OF us. can
tell you," said Deputy Inspector Hop
kins. and the railroad men In partic-
ular tip on our coming TO the mine
owners and superintcndents." When
any one from the inspectors Office
goes on a trip his destination is readily
learned by the railroad men and
timely word OF warning IL rushed over
the wires. when I arrived at Crest
ed Butte the other day the fans which
ventilate the mine We're going at
terrific rate-much higher than Is usu-
al In mines" The men Mt the head Of
the coal mines OF the state are nat.
urally desirous that the inspectors.
when they arrive. shall find everything
in the best Of order. Word of their
approach Is quickly followed by n hur-
ry and hustle. rapid rearranging of
anything out OF order and n lightning
change In many cases which would as
tonish the working miners did they
not know from long experience ex.
actly what 1t meant THE coal mine
inspector must be coming" il what
the old.timc miners are sure to remark
nowadays when any hurried Improve
ments are made. Then the miners.
who In most cases are thorough sports.
make pools as TO the train on which
the inspectors will arrive. When the
. dreaded visitor comes lie sees things,
not as they always are In some OF the
: mines, but rs they speedily become
when. ms Mr.. Hopkins says. "thc rail
road men have tipped them on" "In
admirable condition Is the only re-
port that can be made after n visit to
, these mipes which have company
manners"
who has just returned from Twin
Lakes, expresses the fear that there Is
danger from the dam ut that place. He
!, says: THE result will be- simply aw-
4 ful II the Twin Lakes dam gives way.
e ! WAS there TO look into some troubles
but l cannot refrain from thinking OF
what u fearful catastrophe 1t would
bc for all that portion OF the state II
: the weak and insufiiciently supported
, dam Of the Twin Lakes Reservoir
: Company should he swept AWAY by
!, the great body OF water behind H.
Granite and other settlements In the
track Of the flood would certainly bc
swept away. cannot conceive Of
;, anything that would save them.
Bucnn Vista In Its practical entirety
would bc flooded. and II would bc safe
to say the state rcforniatory would
not bc saved. That such IA calamity.
I sacrificing hundreds OF lives and thou
= sands upon thousands OF dollars
worth OF property. Is among the uu-
: comfortable possibilities. IL the belief Of
the railroads passing through the con-
. stantly threatened district. They have
= At length succeeded In urging Special
Engineer Schuyler to make hurried
:. plans 10 strengthen the dam. Private
adylces received ut the stale engineers y
!; offices will result In State Engineer Nc
- cun.'s visit to the scene as soon ms
possible. He Is In constant touch with
l. the special engineer M to plans for
p strengthening the dam. The latest com
q plants received are based on the allie.
q CATION that the dam. which has been
d previously complained Of as being
r wcnk, Is day by day growing less Sc.
). cure. Thos. living near the dam are
nNfn al hat .s.t. 4
l. taken the only alternative for them
@ VIII be 10 gather up what OF their pos.
X sessions they can and find safer places
& OF Residence. Even II left ms 1t l.. the
y dam might hold almost indefinitely.
but the people ON the sloping country
below do not care Ia take the chance.
|, As the special engineer. whose work OF
!, Strengthening the dam is sanciion,-i
:, and aided by the Twin Lakes Nescr.
i, yoir Company. Is said to br Morkin.
n rapidly ON his plans. the dam may bc
n sufficiently strengthened la the course
]. OF possibly Two MONTHS
y As the tim" for the Inauguration of
|. tn" eight. hour law approaches, says
= the Republican. there IL considerable.
x anxiety among miners and mining men
- regarding IN. possible effect upon the
~ mineral industry OF the state. The
r question, as TAR as II Affects the mines
n is practically settled. In nearly every
4. one Of the leading districts the plan
|. has been adopted 10 call time nt the
/, breast OF III. drift instead OF at the
n collar OF the shaft. ns nt present, and
;. demand u full eight hours work for tho
!. present rate Of pay. The men concssi.
!, the fairness of ihi. proposition, and
leading members OF the miners unions
have already taken the position that
there Is no reason why any man should
u 20 and com" from his work Mt his EN-.
ploycr's expense. There will be no
! ironhl. from this source therefore.
= and IN NIL probability the enforcement,
. Of the law Will affect little change In
y the mining situation. and Will affect
r hut very few Of the low. .grndr mines.
though som" OF them may hr com.
" Irllcd 10 close down. II IL conceded
y that the matter now rests entirely with
;. the smelt.r.. which have been consid.
: cring ia" question carefully for III.
u past month. The American Smelling
!; and Refining Company. while II has
;. not definitely announced Its decision
e has practically arrived ut n conclusion
q nnd In NIL probability the matter will
= In brought Ia n head during the com.
= Ing week. very soon after th. l.i OF
e June. by the announcement that the
q men viii lr paid by the hour. with
q tho privilege ~ working more thnu
!. eight hour. II they choose. This will
q bring the question to n dir.c, Issue.