Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-08-11
EUREKA AND THE
SUNNYSIDE MINE.

years as the home of the Sunnyside
mine. The trip from Silverton to
Eureka is pleasant one. A large
part OF the way the roads wind around
the mountains. with the valley of the
Amin as its sides rising high and pre-
cipitnls in places. on the right The
seen e!y as in all this fair mountain
region. is sublime Vast heights.
cove red with pines and spruce that
rise straight and green toward the
sky. border the valley on both sides.
will acre and there a barren blum
or peak noticeable among its fell
lows by its red and copper-colored
soil the popularity of the Red Noun
tain stem. The river flows quietly
all the way. its banks covered with
wild Lushes. hardy flowers, grass and
clumps OF sage brush.
We pass the offices and buildings of
the S lyer Lake mill about two miles
out oi Silverton, several deserted
houses and prospectors' cabins along
the moGntain eide. Still farther along
the boarding house and mill con
nected with the great North Star
mine on King Solomon mountain. re-
| lieve the loneliness of the way
A dash across the broad level val
ley and we come to Howardsville,
with its stores, its log cottages and
the postoftice little group dotting
the plain. Here in the village which
took his name. Mr. Howard still lives.
the sole survivor in those parts of the
Baker party, who. in 81 discovered
the pretty park which is now Silver
ton. among the mountains, and gave it
the name of Bakers Park Before
| Silverton or Durango or any of the
large towns We're thought of, Howards-
vile fourished as the county seat of
the great San Juan, most of which
was then known as La Plata county.
But Howardsville was not destined to
be the great mining camp of the south
west, although the Big Five tunnel To-
Gated in the western mountains of the
town, has sent out rich ore.
The plain is broad and the county is
rough between Howardsville and Eu-
reka. The only means of ingress to
the latter place is by walking through
the river which spreads itself across
the highway, saying mutely but most
effectively. No admittance to bicy-
clists or pedestrians OF course the
horse stops to drink ere he cools his
ankles in the flood
Eureka seems to be fourishing lit
tie town with goodly number of
stores. dwelling houses. offices and
stables. But the busiest part of the
nllra and narhanc ha
to the visitor is the mill, the never
ending whirr of whose machinery
grinds the ore and lifts out the pre-
cious metal that comes down from the
famous Sunnyside mine. four miles
away over the mountain road
The rumor has been circulated and
printed and talked threadbare that Mr.
| Terry has sold or is about to sell the
Sunnyside but the genial old man still
lives in his tworoomed log cabin un-
der the shadow of his great mill, and
inviting his visitors through the little
bedroom to the larger office beyond,
tells them that the front door is in
the wrong end. AS to Mr. Terry's in
tentions regarding his property, we
cannot say, but that he is there in
body, owner and manager still of the
mill and mine, Is plainly visible
| He took us through the mill ex-
planning its varied workings from en-
gne room to tram terminal. and then
we left him for the steep climb into
the mine A wagon road zig-zags up
the mountain, and at first looks very
unpromising in its roughness. but as it
winds away from the town into the
lolely regions, the grade becomes cas-
ier. and deep, wild glens and lofty
crags make the scenery beautiful, un-
til we pass timber line and arrive in
that wonderful region where thous-
ands of peaks stretch on all sides as
far as the eye can see. streaked with
snow and almost touching the clouds.
While on the way up the mount
ain we saw the tram break, and the
bucket come crashing down into the
road Just at the end of the long span
between the mountains. Had the
freight been human one more soul
might have gone rushing into eternity
without a moments preparation.
These scenes give rise to thoughts
that fill the human heart with awe and
bring home the words of the Gospel:
BE ye also ready, for ye know not
the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of Man cometh."
There is busy little colony of
workers at the Sunnyside mine. The
men had just finished dinner when we
arrived and We're lounging about in
the sun, smoking their pipes and talk
ing until the time came for them to
take their places once more in the
dreary sepulchres of the earth. Truly
the miner deserved the comforts and
the luXuries of life. the cheeriest home
and the tepderest love during the
hours that he is released from the
dark. damp chambers of his daily toll.
The Sunnyside has long been one of
the foremost among the great gold
producers of San Juan county. Dur
ing the past few months. a very large
body of ore has been struck, composed
of galena zinc. copper and iron, and
richly streaked with gold. An i'm
mense amount of ore has been
shipped from this mine since it was
opened. many years ago. and it stands