EARLIEST EXPLORATIONS. 7 



The northern route starts from Golden, near Denver, and, following up 

 the canon of Clear Creek, crosses the Colorado Range at an altitude of 

 12,000 feet, either by the Argentine or by Loveland's pass It then crosses 

 the southern edge of Middle Park along the valley of Snake River and 

 bends southward up the valley of Ten-Mile Creek, having thus gone around 

 the northern end of the Mosquito Range. After crossing the relatively low 

 divide of Fremont's pass (11,300 feet), it reaches Leadville by descending 

 the east fork of the Arkansas. At either end of this route railroads are 

 already built, namely, up the valley of Clear Creek to Georgetown, and 

 from Leadville across Fremont's pass down Ten-Mile Valley to its junction 

 with the Blue. But the advisability of completing the connecting link at 

 such an altitude, in practical competition with the two already existing lines, 

 seems, under present conditions of development to be somewhat doubtful. 



Discovery of the precious metals. The discovery of the Leadville deposits 

 presents so striking a picture of the life of the pioneer miner in the West, 

 and of the large element of chance connected with it, that it seems proper 

 to give its history with all the fullness of detail which the somewhat imper- 

 fect data obtainable will allow. 



The earliest known exploration of the valley of the Upper Arkansas 

 was that made by the expedition of Fremont in 1845. In his second expe- 

 dition, in 1842, he had aimed at tracing the Arkansas River to its source, 

 but, unwittingly leaving the main stream, had followed up the Fontaine qui 

 bouille, now called Fountain Creek, probably passing near the present site 

 of Denver, and struck into the mountains at some point nearly opposite 

 that place. In 1845, however, as indicated by General Warren, he prob- 

 ably entered the mountains near where Canon City now stands, and crossed 

 the southern end of South Park, reaching the Upper Arkansas Valley 

 through the valley of Trout Creek. Thence, following the Arkansas to its 

 head, he crossed what was then called Utah pass and descended Eagle or 

 Piney River to its confluence with the Grand or Blue. It seems proba- 

 ble, therefore, that the name of Fremont's pass, which is given to that of 

 Ten-Mile Creek, would have been more appropriately applied to the Ten- 

 nessee pass, which divides the Eagle River from the head of the Arkansas. 



