Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-11
WRITESOF COLORADO
j. s. McClung, Tells of visit in
Mining Town.
DESCRIBES TRIP DOWN In COLD NINE
WapeIlo County Resident Pens De-
scriptive Letter of Sight Seeing Tour
in West-Meets Old Iowa Friends
at Vulcan.

/
| in West-Meets Old Iowa Friends
at Vulcan.
| j. S. McClung, who resides northeast
of the city, has written letter to the
Courier from Vulcan, Col, where he
and Mrs McClung are making visit.
Mr.. MeClung writes very interesting
letter descriptive of the country in
which he is sightseeing. and tells
among other things of trip down into
gold mine. The letter is given in
full herewith:
Vulcan, Colo, September s, 1902.
Editor Ottumwa Courier:
will you allow me few brief lines
from this mountainous country?
Mrs. McClung and l are spending
a few weeks here enjoying the wonder
full scenery of Colorado and visiting
our daughter and her husband, Mr. and
Mrs. Rufus Knopp, at this place. Vul-
can is mining camp located in Camp
Creek Gulch on the western slope of
the Rocky mountains, some 200 miles
southwest of Denver and fourteen
miles from lola, the nearest railroad
station. The mail is carried by stage
each day, which also accommodates
passengers coming and going. The
camp is surrounded on all sides by
lofty mountains, some Of which are
covered with pine trees, while others
have only rude rocks and sand, COW
cred with liberal supply of sage
brush to attract the sight-seer. Only
seven years ago the first tent was
pitched here and prospecting and de-
veloping began. Now there are 200
inhabitants, the major portion being
men. great number of whom came
west when young and have grown gray
4 in mining camps.
Have an AK to Grind.
almost every state in the Union is
represented here in this little noun
4 tain town, and find very intelligent
class of people who read the daily
papers, magazines, late books and suchl
i literature as is read by the people
1 Iowa.
4 The one great striking difference
being they all are in favor of free sill
yer, but in conversing with them
find they have an az to grind and
am willing they should grind it. The
buildings are of pine logs brought
down from the mountains and present
very rough exterior with their dirt
roofs, but the interior is usually very
: neat and cosy. all together they remind
me of the cabins which were built by
the early settlers in Wapello county.
Meet Old Residents.
l have met Mark Swope, formerly
of Chilicothe, Iowa, who is mining
here also is Mrs. W. G.. Winick, nee
4 Clara NJ Miller, who was raised In
and near Ottumwa. and is cousin to
: John Miller, who now lives in Bellnap.
:, Mr. Winick is conducting the company
store.
THE business portion of the camp
is composed of two stores, two saloons.
one meat market, one livery stable and
one barber shop, the proprietor of the
latter being the only colored person
in camp and is one of those jolly good
natured fellows, and is always ready
to give one shave for twenty-five
cents.
Down in the Mine.
"There are two paying mines. the
l Vulcan, which is closed for repairs,
and the Good Hope, which employs
more than fifty men.
81 visited the latter and through the
kindness Of F. D. Harvey. formerly OF
!. Bloomfield. Iowa. now shift boss here,
| ] was allowed to visit the various parts
of the mine and see the actual mining
: done. An elevator carried us down a
shaft 500 feet and after being initiated
into the mysteries there. we passed up
r through the slopes to the 400 foot
level. In these slopes they are now
Y working, and as we walked or crawled
e upward we passed the men busy at
t work with hammer and drill taking out
g the valuable minerals. The miners are
/. never too busy to stop and pass afew
n words with visitors or sight-seers.
e This work is very different from any
/ thing one can imagine. l know OF
9 only one way to get an idea of how
S gold mining is done and that is to visit
/ the Mines This alone is worth most
Y anyone's time for few weeks. In
: my daily rankings over the mountains
t and through the valleys, find much,of
:, interest which no pen OR artist can
e describe.
t A Wonderful Work.
" Dame nature has certainly done
+ some wonderful work in Colorado, CHS
S cling out great cliffs and piling the
9 rocks in such unthought of manner.
l.. making them grand beyond anything
# conceived by the mind of man. We
e see the Elk range of mountains fifty
h miles in the distance whose peaks
r tower above timber line and seem to
:. pierce the sky. Deer are often seen
Il roaming near the camp and jackrab-
Is bits are plentiful.
o I'VE will visit Gunnison and Pitkin
: and probably other places of interest
!. before returning home in October. We
+ would be very much lost without the
# semi-weekly Courier which makes its
regular appearance at our cabin.
!. Respectfully. ]. S. McClung.7
Il "
n RolEs TO FACE HENDERSON.