The Western news. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1890-1977, 1902-04-02
state latter Colorado) in all this wide,

state (a1ter COlOraQO) IN all THIS WiuC,
| woody west.
And the people are just like our folks
bright, cheerful, energetic, hospita-
BILE and able to lie about miles as glibly
as if they had all been born and
brought up in Colorado.
| I don't dislike them for that, OF
course; it makes me feel as though
am right at home, but it is safer to
take those big stories with grain OF
salt.
Not that doubt the gold mines re-
Gently opened up in that Thunder
mountain region are great. l don't.
Pm sure they are 0. K. and feel
certain that we shall hear of hundreds
more big bonanzas, too, before the
summer is over. But don't believe
the mountains are all solid gold.
You'll have to work for living up
there just the same as you do in Lead
vile, and you can't have pie for break
fast until you have made the money
to pay for the pie.
The advantage is that you'll have
better chance to catch on and make
the money.
don't want to be held responsible
for any mans luck going in there.
TIM only talking because the Herald
Democrat invited me to come to the
foot lights and give you little song
and dance.
Iknow that Thunder mountain coun-
try-a little. l spent most of last sum-
mer up there and was there again in
February-but wasn't clear up into
the heart of the country.
See, know few little things about
mining myself-not enough to hurt
anything-not as much as you do, of
course-but enough to know what
things you'd like to know.
And some Of them l can tell you and
some can't.
know for one thing that only an
idiot would try to prospect country
buried under three feet of snow, and
that's why Pm warning all prospectors
at the top of my voice not to go into
that Thunder mountain country before
the FIRST of May.
You can go to the edge of it in a
barouche today as easily as you can
drive from Leadville to Salida. But
the edge of it is not where you want tc
go If you're out for the real thing, ane
it will Just break your heart to do the
last fifty miles on snowshoes-and yot
can't make red by it, either.
=! Have sense and wait until the frs
q of May. Let the sure thing fellows &c
z ahead and tramp the snow down il
Z the fool sooners.
You and I are honest miners ant
k prospectors and we're for a straigh
game and earnest work. That's grea
& big country and rich country, ant
full of great chances, and you and
Z want to take care of ourselves ant
: play our cards for all they are worth
J. You probably haven't got any mon
= ey to burn any more than have, an
you want to freeze to your little wa
E and make it go as far as possible.
you start in now you will have fort
& or fifty days on your hands that yo
s can do nothing, and you will go
81 bucking some sure thing game an
& will have no funds for grub when til
{ snow goes and you can't get out
3 prospect-better wait.
A big company of fool "sooners
started out from Cripple Creek la
week. heard Of them last crossin
81 the range to Salmon City, which pu
3. them still 100 miles from Thunde
Now You can bet your bottom doll
that every galoot in that crowd will
3 back home, busted, before the snow
off at Thunder, and giving the count
p the black eye.
It's great big region-as big
p Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and Co
- necticut toyether-aoout 1000 squa
T. miles. 1t extends from the main s;
~ mon river north to the Clearwater
- beyond-about $50 niles-and fr'
~ the Bitter Root range on the east
the Sawtooth range on the west-le
~ at your map.
The heart of it is very remote a
-. difficult 10 penetrate. and for that r
~ son it has remained unprospected, u