70

below, and the mountains town above;
also for school children, the railroad
company running extra trains for their
accommodation.

The scenery at this point is grand; the
mountains are full 1,000 feet above the
road, on either hand, and covered in places
with a dense growth of young pine and
spruce trees, presenting as wild, pictur-
esque and romantic appearance as one
could wish.

Leaving the station, our road makes a
80 degree curve to the right, up a grade of
272 feet to the mile, wnder a projecting
spur of the mountain, which rises 1,500
feet above our train (see ANNEX No. 12),
with the creek close on our right.

Soon we cross the creek, and, one mile
ftom Beaver Brook, pass

EK COrEEK—a_ side-track—and con-
tinue our climbing between towering
mountains on each side, 3 410 miles
further to

Bia Hrriz—Here the old Mt. Vernon
wagon road comes down the mountain
from the left, the grade of which, in places,
is 34 feet to the 100. This road leaves the
valley about two miles south of Golden,
and after climbing the mountains via Mt.
Vernon Canyon, to an altitude of 8,000
feet, descends this “hill”? and runs up the
north branch of Clear Creek to Black
Hawk. Many of the mills and the ma-
chinery used in these mountains, in early
days, before the railroad, were hauled over
this road; and where the grades were the
steepest, the wagons were eased down by
ropes secured by a turn or two around
huge pine trees beside the road, and at
this time, the marks of the ropes are to be
seen where they have peeled the bark, so
taut were the lines. We know—of our
own personal knowledge—where it took
ten men, besides their teams, néne days to
lower down this “hill” one boiler, the
weight of which was alittle over seven
tons. Those who grumble at railroad
charges, please take notice; the wagon
road is still there—try zt. But we must
ar 1 1-10 miles further and we are at

©

Junction—of North and South Clear
Creek. Here the route for Georgetown
turns to the left, across the bridge, while
that for Black Hawk and Central keeps to
the right. As we have always had a
desire to do right, we will keep to the
right awhile longer, and note the result.

rom this point to Black Hawk, seven

CROFUTT’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST

miles—and we might include that portion
from Floyd Hill to Georgetown, on the
south fork—nearly every foot of the
creek bed has been dug over, time and
again, by miners, in search of the yellow
metal—gold. Dams, in many places, have
turned the waters of the creek, through
flumes, first on one side of the creek bed,
then on the other, and the greater portion
of the earth, from surface to bed-rock, and
one side the gulch to the other, have been
dug and washed over by white men, and
when given up by them, have been
“jumped” by the Chinese, many of whom
can be seen daily, washing and working
these old “placer diggings” over again.
Leaving the junction—the road is on the
east side of the creek—we proceed 2 1-10
miles to

Corronwoop—a milk ranche, aside-track,
27-10 miles from

Smita Hrri—where the old wagon road,
built by Mr. E. B. Smith, of Golden, in
1862, comes down from a narrow ravine
on the east. The mountains on each side
are steep and high, moreso than for the
last two miles below the station.

Nearly opposite this station, comes
down Russell Gulch, up which. are located
the old placer mines, so noted in 1859.

Proceeding upward and onward, about
one mile above the station, we pass, on the
left, the old Excelsior and the Whipple
Mills, now abandoned, except as a shelter
for a few Chinese miners, who work along
the creek or’ “washee, washee’”’ for a
living.

By looking away up the mountains on
the left, westward, can be seen the railroad
grade, where it runs along first to the
south then back to the north, gaining al-
titude at each turn, which will, when com-
pieces enable our train to run into Cen-
tral.

Rolling along, we pass several quartz
mills; across the creek to the west bank,
and along the road on the right, are located
the Reduction Works, conducted by Prof.
Hill. These works are said to be the
largestin America, and the most successful.
The weekly average value of gold, silver,
copper and lead, amounts to $200,000; most
of the ores treated are purchased from
parties working mines in the vicinjty, or
on South Clear Creek.

From Smith Hill, it is 2 3-10 miles to

Buack Hawk—a city of about 3,000 in-
habitants, all of whom are engaged in
mining, directly or indirectly. The build-