The Florence tribune., 1901-09-21
A Model Mining Camp.
From the Denver Nevs.l


 denuded of it's timber. The country now looks like one vast billowy prairie except that it is more hilly than prairie country usually Is. An undergrowth bids fair to rehabilitate it. The tim Der for thirty miles square went to satisfy the greedy nav of the great Homestake mine. Over half million acres stripped of it's timber that the Homestake might fill the eoffers of it's owners which are already overflowing ut the expense of over 5000 American families. This is only small portion of the timber consumed as the Home stake has owned until recently forty miles of railroad which delivers daily twelve carloads of timbers to this monster mine.
 One might wonder if the destruction of this vast forest is justifable or if compensation has been rendered to the said 5000. You have only to visit Lead, where this, the greatest dividend paying mine in America is located, in order that the question might be fairly answered. Lead is beautiful little city of 5000 population, three miles south of Dead wood, ut m elevation of about 5,500 feet. It is perhaps the most independent city in the world. l. asks DO favors and grants none. The mine furnishes employment for 5000 men at about an average of $4 per day each or $12,00O per day total. The people live well and dress better, and finer lot of men, physically and mentally above the average, were never congregated together in so small 8 compass. They have no grievance, never had strike, and there has never been but two or three de aths by acei- dent in the history of the mine. No wonder then that no complaint is ever heard. l was told that if l wanted to get drrmmed out of town, or coat of tar and feathers, just to try to abuse the Homestake mine. The manage ment IS very considerate of all the in terests of it's employees, and in fact for the whole population. It makes no charges for lease of ground for homes and if it needs the ground it buys out the leaser, paying him for the improve ments. Itmaintains fine bath for its men free, and Mrs. Hearst, the prin. 1 cipal stockholder, has built and main tains free Kindergarten, with beauti- ful and attractive grounds surround ing, for the little folks, and also a l $2O.000 library building, equipped with sl0,090 collection from the best authors, for the city. Everything is 1 systematized and goes Like cie5s~ k work. It's thousand stamps, soon to be augmented by the addition of 200 more, never cease to drop. It has it's own machine shop and foundry, its carpen- ter and paint shop, all buildings are kept painted, everything bespeaks 1 permaneney. If a battery should be- come disabled, only two hours are necessary to replace it with new one, us the company keeps sto.k on hand continually. Tie same aiertness is manifested in keeping every stamp dropping that a trunk line railroad does to clear wreck.
 i Recently there has been some lively skirmishing between the Burlington and the rthwestern railroad for supremacy in Lead. Until month ago both roads had access via the Home stake's narrow gauge road, but the Bur lington scooped the road outright, and securing the Homesake's entire busi- ness for ninety nine years, thus shut l. ing out the Northwestern, but the latter seems equal to the emergency as 1t has surveyed a line and begun condemna- tion proceedings for right of way. It has branch road within two miles of Lead, but it is 500 feet below, and in order to gain the elevation some eight or ten miles of road must be built. The 1 Burlington will make standard gauge of their new purchase and 1t will be race between the two giants as to which will be first to occupy Lead with standard gauge. h the meantime contractors and laborers will be busy.
 Taking it altogether, it would seeal that the community at large is very much better of without the timber re- fered to a boye than with It. There are men with the company who started with it in middle life, and have grown old in it's service. They stil. hold their job and draw tneir ply the same as when they were younger, being pro vided with some fight empl oyment
 The Homestake Is blessing to this whole community. It has produced I s100 ,000, ,0o0 iu twenty-four years, and the stock is worth $100 per share.
 The output from now on will perhaps double what the average has been for the past twenty-sour years, for it is claimed there is ore enough to last 100 years. The dividends are to be doubled
 
 thus making the stock worth $209 per share. It is an i'll wind that blows n ( good to somebody. The Northwestern