The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-15
THE COURSE OF EMPIRE.

If7E COOhSE OF EMC lNE.
->~~---------~>>~~---->--
Gold and Silver Mines Of Empire City-Vniu.
able Veins Rem aiming Undevelopcd-- IL
| OF Activity and CapitnI-Three Towns Sluns
Together In u Guich-Business, Education
! and Society-Iinipg Prospects in Southern
| Colorado.
| DENVER, Colorado Territory, Dec. 4, 1860.
Some Of the gold and silver mines OF Empire City
have yielded large returns but there Is less activity
| among the mines and mills at present than there
promises to be next summer. Silver Mountain mas
already yielded more than ST. 900 900 worth not OF
silver but Of gold. The Silver Mountain lode which
has been opened distance OF 400 feet temporarily
abandoned. The Peck lode. on Silver Mountain, is
furnishing SUFFICIENT quantity OF quartz to keep the
mill OF twelve stamps running day and ntght, with
profitable results. The famous Conqueror lode, which
has attained depth Of 900 feet continues to supply
from eight to tons OF per day. The con
tam both gold and silver, and specimens line
assays but some OF them are so refractory that they
cannot be made to render reasonable profits under
any OF the systems OF reduction now in vogue. The
Roaecrans mine has SIX shafts and several levels,
giving an aggregate distance OF i've hundred feet
The are similar 10 those OF the Conquerer lode
Large OUTLAWS for machinery which is compare
lively useless and iniudlcious management are
heavy Offsets to the natural richness OF the
lodes are valuable claims, and are many
Others In the Union district. Most OF them could
be made quite profitable, even under the present
methods OF manipulating ores, tf properly de-
veoped In the adjoining district there number
Of inviting veins which have been examined suii-
cienty 10 show that they contain rich deposits OF
the precious metals. Energy aud capital would soon
turn them into paying properties. Selected spect
mems or the Blue jacket silver lode show an assay
value OF 5000 per ton. The average yield OF the
whole crevce material is estimated s125 per ton.
The Comstock ore contains nearly fifty per cent Of
| lead. The silver assay gives value Of 1850 per
| ton in the selected specimens. rne Blue Wing
America, Whale and Wonder lOdes among the
many III that region which practical MINERS are well
aware would return handsome pronts n carefully
During the past summer there has been more &C
t1vity in tine gold mines and reduction WORKS VI
Gi,Din county than during some previous seasons
l visited twenty-nine stamp minis. al Of winch are
IN operation in Central City and vicinity. Half
dozen others are closed at present. SIX hundred
and twcntyf0u stamps are OF work In the mllls in
operation, and they are crushing an aggregate OF $40
tons OF ore per week. Professor hIs smelling
mines, hitherto at large and certain pronts
These, however. are not 80 great a. some
by company, and the operations are
superintendent oy professor Hli, who receives
great convenience to many miners. They sell
their at good prices the value being settled by
assays and have no further trouble OF responsibility
with them. Tho professor says tnlt the fall IN tue
price OF gold VIII more than swallow up the profits
that were expected to accrue from large quantity
OF ore already purchased.
or the Gilpin gold mines the Gregory lode was the
rst discovered. IL has continued 10 yield satlsac
tory profit. The gold IS found IN microscopic par
ucles mechanically dinused or chemically combined
with sulphur The assay from three ~ six
or gold per ton. Most Of them SOLD Professor
Hill for treatment in his smelling works. The smith
and paiueIee mine IL being worked wltn energy and
success Some OF the ores are very rich, bu5
the average assay vane OF the who.e Is about
SIPS per ton. The adjoining cla,m OF the Briggs
Brothers has already yielucd them comfortable
competence. Several companies are working Hepa-
rate claims on the famous BoOtaii mine, ana others
have suspended operations Tor time. IL is remark
ane to see IN many cases so mauy separate claims
while q consolidation OF interests and combination
OF operations would Increase tue Yield and lessel
the expenses. On the Bobtdu SIX companies are
working within space OF 500 feet. IL costs nifty dol
iars 3 day 10 pump the water out OF single shaft,
whereas by q system OF consolidation the same
pump could be used for several mines. Indeed. oac
or the chief considerations that forces itscl upon
tue attention Of the visitor to most o. these mines
the greas expense or working them. 1t seems TO
me that II some OF tho companies would combine
connect several of tho shafts and employ none OUT
Practical mining men 10 superiptend the operations
they could not fail TO reap much larger prolt
taan they do at present. The Prize and Cope
land lodcs come together nj depth OF 40 ieet,
ana give daily yield OF about twenty lone tons OF
ore valued at nearly 500 per ton. Inc Perrin lode
promises 10 prove one OF The most valuable In the
region. The ore assays we'll and the company have
recently erected null In Russell guch, near the
mine, with cayacity sufficient TO the estimated pro-
duct OF the lode At the North star lode there Is
convenient arrangement (Which 1 noticed IN some
otner piaccs) by winch tue snaft month and the
d Blessing works are under one roof.
The undeveloped mineral wealth Of tho surround
Ing country wil mako Central City permanent and
Important mining centre Inc town has two otacr
towns adjoining one on the right hand and the other
on the lett. They are all IN the same gulCu,
aud each Is but continuation OF the other.
let they nave separate corporations separate
scnoois, separate churches aud separate
stlics stranger sees al once tBas their intese sts
are essentially the same, and naturally wonders
why they are not consolidated. Local prejudice IS
the prevailing causc-an element winch 10 active
every wnere 10 the West They are slow TO see that
| consolidauon would add 70 their Importance and
operate 70 their advantage. Their location In mar
row gulch ~ unlnytng. None OF tncm have any At
are msteriai-gold and sIlver-ousiness. business.
Money aud merchandise are quite aDundant and
business - conparitlvey brisk. The number OF in-
pr0ycnens IN progress foreshadow Drght prospects
| IN the future, Among them are new and Imposing
scnooiaouse3 IN Central and Black Hawk. There Is
already IN Central Mechanics Inst tole
ana large co uucsas Of nata9s s @acT
als. Tne population y principally composed
Of minioy ead business men, Some OF
tnese from the east have their families with then
and In those rugged regions there Is some society
that shines IA brightly tue gold aud silver which
are dug out OF the mountains.
A number OF rich lDde5 nave been recently dis
covered In tho southern section Color ado; con-
siderable prospecting" is now being done, ana pre-
paratons are beng made for increased activity dur
lug next spring ana summer. Governor Ac00ok
LACEY returned 10 Denver from trip TO California
Wnie there ne mad come conversation with experi
enced mining men about the refractory ores OF
Colorado Some OF tho Caiolnians believe they can
them successfully as 10 secure nearly all tne
| assay value. HIS ExcelencY ~ sending them some
TO experiment upon. lf the Caliiornians sue
coed. Colorado mining Will receive new aud
| powerful impetus.
Mrs. Elizabeth Harrington, born Ia Darnwel dis
trict, :. G., IN lii7, deu in Pierce county, Ca, on
the 2otn ult. she enjoyed good healtl,, aud walked
Without any hcp TO within few days OIL her ueast.