Year: 1879

1t ls estimated that there are at least
100000 men prospecting in Colorado this
summer. These men do not waste their
time, but work hard from carly morn until
late at night, climbing and tramping over
the rouglcst Of country, and digging in the
hardest of ground. Led on and on by the
widest of enthusiasm from one place to
another, now in one country where rich
strike is rcportcd--thcn over the noun
talns to the next place, where fortune is
sure for any one that comcs-but it turns
out about the same in each case; it is
disappointment everywhere. Come with
us along the Chicago creek near Idaho,
with your trout rod; fishing has been
good, and rs black and stormy evening
approaches we will go back to good
shelter and comfortable night. But as
we struggle along over the rough ways of
the canon, let us stop moment to view
but one of the many .prospectors scattered
over the Rockys lie is setting on rock
beside the prospect hole, that hole in the
hard ground which has cost him days of
exhausting work to hollow out, his head
slightly turned to one side, is resting up-
on the hand, which in turn is supported by
the handle Of his pick. The long, white
beard, flowing over the rough miners coat,
belongs to face with discouraged and
tircd-out look, while the eyes with their
far-away expression, as if til, J were gaz-
ing into the distant past, show plainly
enough that he has not struck ''pay dirt !"
This lone man as he sits there in the ap-
preaching darkness appears TO be in every
way in sympathy with surrounding nature.
The black and ragged rocks rise thousands
of feet, upon eithsr side, while, scattered
over them, the scrub pines hanging from
every crevice give out their mournful wall
in chorus with the rushing waters of the
creek In the background, up the canon,
is an impenctrable blackness, while over
head from ridge to ridge the threatening
clouds arc arched. With one exception the
scene is one which Ruskin aptly calls noun
tain gloom. This exception is a cloud at
one side of the gorge brilliantly Illuminated
by the setting sun, and from which is
thrown single stream of light across the
valley, touching the hair and the forehead
of the miner, and bringing out his features
in strong relief. Let us hope the miners
gloom has al invisible stream of light across
its dark track in the shape of some pleasant
memory of the past. The old man proba-
bly, knows there is but one bonanza for ten
thousand prospectors. Still, with 4 Q fasci-
nation that leads on the gambler, and
against far moro fearful odds, he will try it
again. Tomorrow he will perhaps cross
over the mountains to Leadvillo and as
the chances are ninety nine to one that he
will not strike: he will either get out of
the mountains, add onemorc to the $50 silent
slccpers, not covered by the sod, resting in
the carbonate camps city of the dead, or,
If he has friends, be one of the scores ship
ped East for final resting place. One
hundred thousand prospectors in the noun
tains, onc-quarter Of them in and around
Leadville and Ten Mile; thousands upon
thousands of prospect holes, and less than
fifty paying mines in this locality; thous-
ands around Silver Cliff, aud half dozen
paying mines-theso arc facts the -prospec-
tors does not appreciate until it is too late


In the first place the vein Is to be found.
That may be comparatively easy; but will
1t pay to work it? is the important c.lestion.
II it will pay, has the miner the capital to
develop it2 Suppose vein few inches
thick running through solid rock; it cost
from $25 to $50 per foot to run a shaft or
tunnel to take out tho ore. This ore, after
shipment, milling and other expenses, will
ordinarily just about clear the cost. There
are scores of mines that are considered good
strikes that turn out just this way or much