Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-27

letter to the Courier:
editor Courier:-I have just rel
turned from trip to Denver, Colora
do Springs and Cripple Creek. The
latter place is very interesting; it is
near Pixies Peak and II 900 feet above
the level of the sea. The production
of gold at the camp for the past year
was $20,000,00O and will be $4O,000,00Ol
next year if the shelters can handle
the ore. The business is in its infan-
cy as yet and there are many eXcel-I
lent chances to buy low priced stocks
at from 10, Is and 90 cents on the dol
lar that will go TO par and be dividend
payers in one or two years. Or one
can buy high priced stocks, par value
ST. at 80 cents, $1.25 to $1.40 that pay
to 2 per cent per month in diyi-l
dends; but one must be sure that they
are in with the right kind of people
and buy into mine instead of 4 hole
in the ground. 1 have two friends
that are on the inside and have made
some nice deals during the past year
and there are plenty of opportunities
left; it is the country for a young
man to go TO.
II was down in gold mine. The
sensation of being dropped 500 feet
down dark hole isn't so pleasant as
it might be. One thinks of many
things. What if the cable should
break? Wonder if this is the way to
Hades and how far is it? etc. Attic it is
gold mine, nothing suggests heaven
| with it's streets paved with gold, but
| in muddy looking streaks and has
/ inf IN, fra
Some people that are so valuable in
their own minds may be melted into a
streak of gold in rock seam some
| time.
''After reaching the 500 foot level we
lighted candles and prowled along the
tunnels, drifts and slopes and one had
to be careful for there We're drifts
reading off to the right and left as
well as slopes and chasms to fall into,
that are from 400 10 500 feet deep.
| Sometimes we We're in a rocky cham
Der. then drift where we could walk
upright, then in one so small that we
would have to stoop and almost crawl
on our hands and knees.
"Our little party looked like ghosts
vending their way along thru George
| has adopted tile new style of spelling)
the bowels of the earth. 1t was late
in the evening when we returned to
| the hotel so that we had our dinner
about p. m. This had its effect, for
l retired to spend the nighr dreaming
of ghosts, internal regions, gold
mines, etc. / thought 1 had got off
the earth and suspected that my
| journey had been downward instead
of upward. The atmosphere was
balmy, and then some-resembled Ari-
zopa, only more so. | felt thirsty and
the attendant, 'Humpty Dumpty,'
handed me skull with the top knock
ed off for a drinking cup. l thought
/ l would show them that we have all
4 the latest improvements in Iowa and
/ that l had seen that Kind before. So
4 took drink out of the skull, which
proved 10 be filled with ice water; me-
thinks it was the skull of banker.
Old 'Humpty Dumpty' then produced
his book of record-it was of the bur-
glar proof, fire proof kind with ashes
tos leaves. He used stlographic and
fountain pens, which We're appropriate
to his business, as they make men
swear who use them. He then pro-
4 ceeded to examine me as to my quail
fieasions for admission to his smelter;
asked me where | was from. l an
l SWeTeQ OUluulWd. lie saul. ou, yes,
good town---for my business-we have
lots of people here from that town
and expect more. The town needs a
4 number of first class funerals judi
ciously distributed and appropriately
conducted agreed with him that it
was long felt want He began to
question me about the Carnagie libra
~ The roasting match between the
crockery man and the hardware man,
but just then awoke and found that
l was in a cool place, 10000 feet higher
than | expected to be.
Il will close by recommending you
to go 10 Colorado and see 4 good state
:, ut will not always be popocratic.)
''Yours in haste,
i. Geo. II. Wheelock."