Snoopy Visits Colorado 9.2.00

Travels of Snoopy

Missouri – Kansas – Colorado

September 2nd through 10th, 2000
PageFive

“Modesty Is The Art Of Drawing Attention To
Whatever It Is You Are Being Humble About.”
~ Anonymous ~

One of the thousands of mines in this part of Colorado.

People ask “should you do this” ? Well, maybe not
just depends on what you *fear factor* is and how careful
you are. Can one get hurt, yes !

Would I suggest that you do so? … that is you *call*.

I am taking a chance by doing so, yep…but I enjoying it.
Sure beats watching TV…I enjoying the venture of exploring the
mines, country side and the history of such.

* * *

Reference Link:
Colorado Mines History – by city – Photos

* * *

Some times you have to *make your* own road.

Not much room on the sides…what happens if you
get to close to either side?

You and Snoopy end up on his top…
Has that happen to Snoopy, yep sure has.

What do you do then…roll Snoopy back over on his paws
and keep on going. If you don’t break something then
you are not four wheeling!

We must be four wheeling, since we broke something !

This the reason that one carries a good supply of spare
parts. A bad day four wheeling is a better day than working !

Clark is repairing the transmission cooler…nice to have a working
transmission on these trips.

Oh, your AAA membership is of no value here…fix it
yourself or leave it !

Clark trying to figure out the *workings* of a steam driven
water pump. We are like two kids climbing around the old
mines…better said we are two kids !

Water was a *must* in mining…although there is an
excellent supply of water in the mountains. The hard rock miners
had two problems.

To get the water were they need it…and to pump out the ground
water that was in the mine. On on side of the coin water was their
friend, on the other side of the coin water was the enemy.

To me one of the most interesting *stories* of the mining history
is the roll water played both to help and the problems that
such created.

Due to the needs of mines through out history, the lessons learned. Prove to
be of great value to help solve the problems and needs of supplying water
to villages, towns and cities.

Well above the *tree line*, one of the larger mines. When one knows
that the building materials were hauled by mule, wagon and the lumber
was cut near by. Then one understands the hard labor that was necessary
to build even a modest building.

What is left…not much, most of the equipment was removed years ago
for use in other mines, sold or scraped.

The memories and history remain in tack…to me this is the most
valuable remains anyway.

I find it most enjoyable to set back in the warm mountain sun
with a cup of coffee and lunch. Just day dream about all the long
hours that the miners spent looking for that *pot of gold*.

The life of a mine was anywhere from a day to years…most gave out
with in five to ten years.

The life of a mine was in many cases longer that the miners that worked
the mines. This was not a job for the weak or those that had concern
for their life or safety. Many lives were lost, at this time in our history
human life simply did not have the value that is does today.

Some my find such distasteful…but, one must remember during this time
in the history of our country. Nothing was safe, be it farming, or living
in the mountains.

For those that want the *good old days*…I doubt that they have spent little
if any time reading about those days. Those days were not all good.
You are living in the *good days*, that is if you take the time to make
the day *good*.

A hard rock miner had to produce 18 tons of ore a day…six days a week, or
he lost his job.

Certainly not my idea of *good old days*…it does appear that with the
help of computers that many people can equal the 18 tons of ore; today
with paper work ! Hum, thought I hear another tree hit the ground.

Hundreds of these are what holds the mine buildings
together. No doubt about they work and are still
doing the job they were design to do.

The years and weather have been kind to the wood timbers
and metal parts…created a special beauty of it’s own.

Early morning – Leadville, Colorado. The Tabor Opera House was
constructed byH. A. W. Tabor, for “Baby Doe” to perform in.

click on photo for large view

His profits from the Matchless Silver Mine supplied his wealth. During
the prime production of the Matchless mine in the late 1890’s. Tabor’s income
was $8,000.00 a day…not bad, and no taxes either.

* * *

Reference Link:
H.A.W. Tabor

Matchless Silver Mine
This is a very interesting history of the Tabor’s

* * *

Silver mining king, H.A. W. Tabor second wife, Baby Doe
the subject of several books, an opera, a Hollywood film star.

The song “She Will Be Coming Around the Mountain When She Comes” was
written in reference to Baby Doe.

Baby Doe, die broke in a small house near the Matchless mine. This is a story of
wealth made and lost that was repeated MANY times during the silver and
gold mining era. It seems that all that made the big strike, lost all in the end.

Baby Doe went from wealth to poverty, with no one to take care of her. She tried desperately the rest of her life
to make the Matchless Silver Mine Pay Off, but failed for the price of silver never came back again.

Baby Doe lived her last years in a shack that was on the property of the Matchless Silver Mine, in Leadville.
She was considered an eccentric by her neighbors in Leadville. She could not afford warm clothes
and used newspapers under her clothes to keep warm in the long cold winters in the mountain
town of Leadville. I read that in order to survive, she would go to the local grocery store
in Leadville, order the very cheapest meat in the counter and tell the store owner to put it on her bill.

Until her dying day, she never gave up on winning once more, and making the Matchless Silver Mine Pay Off. She devoted many
years to trying to make the Matchless Mine once more make her into a winner.

But she never hit that lucky streak again.

Fairplay, Colorado…Snoopy *runs over* Jim.

Now it is time to find a doctor or clinic 🙁

London Mine, on the northeast side of London Mountain
east of Mosquito Pass.

Big mountains, big mine, big equipment !

As George Jones…says “Choices”

Choice one: Two days in bed…
Choice two: Two days of four wheelin’

Right choice enjoying life…nothing on TV anyway!

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