The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-02-09
GEORGETOWN, COLORADO.
Some Interesting Mining Statistics,

IS the approach to and from them 10 made
more convenient and transportation iaci,'.
ated. It is at this point that the great
southwestern rivers Of the American cont |
nent mostly take their rise, and the agnc'i'
tural resources, where the lond Is arabic, |
are most ample. Widespread coal fields
underle the territory, and ti'in this respect
superior to California. Il staple neceSs''
ties are all internally supplied, aud 1t seems
destined to become the grea! tre"sure'bo&
of our national economy. The locality
whose mineral resources are detailed in this
accoun, is Georgetown, region the most
recently opened and developed, and one
which promises TO be the most important
and wealthy section Of the territory:
Rock IsLAsn, Jan. 18th, 1869,
WV. II. RrssElh EsQp-DEAR Sm'-
Having spent the last summer at George.
town, Clear Creek county Colorado, anu
knowing you to be on old citizen OF mat
county, and still feeling an interest IN that
country, thought would send you 'e"
items in reference to the gold and SILVER
mines of that country and in this letter /
shall confnc my remarks more particularly
IN the development Of the silver mines Of
Gsorpetown and its surroundings.
[ shall only mention few Of the leading
lodes. and when | say leading do not mean
TO convey the idea that these are the best
lodes ia the district, only that they are the
best developed. For from my observation
and long experience in mining, have no
doubt that there are hundreds Of lOdes that
are but partially opened that are a. good,
or perhaps better, than those that have been
mined from the beginning. The lodes on
Brown mountain seem to be the richest, but
in this respect there seems TO be but little
d Inference.
Among the best lodes on this mountain
are the Brown, Terrible, Coin, Cashier
Bush, Wyoming, ST. 10 and Combs. The
Terrible and Brown are the only lodes on
this mountain that have been mined to any
extent. will give a short description Of
the Terrible.
The main shaft on this load is down 100
feet, drift west $50 feet, and one east l2O
| feet. The crevice OF the surface was only a
streak Of few inches; now il IL over five
feet between walls, with solid pay streak
of 10 inches, which pays from $3.50 to 81,
40 per ton. A majority Of the ore taken
from this lode mas been treated at Newark
n. J. One ton sent in the summer yielded
sl,l4O, and ten tons sent this fall yielded
g. 900 per ton. The ore Rssayed in George.
town has Welded from $3.50 to $1,000 per
ton. This ia from selected ore. All second
class ore is still on hand, and by assay will
yield from 500 to $3.50 per ton. The
Brown lode is near the Terrible, with q little
greater Development but yielding about the
same amount Of bullion. The bullion is
extracted from these ores by the smelling
process. The owners Of the Terrible lode
are now running a tunnel which will DO 2SO
feet in length, and will tap the lode $50 feet
| from the surface, the angle being - degrees
In this tunnel the Burleigh drill il now in
| successful operation. This drill have no.
space to describe, but its perfect suitable
ness 10 those mountains is confirmed.
is destined to be Of great utility, rs tunnel
ing is bound to be the process Of mining i
this region, as the ascent OF these mountain
is seldom less than an angle Of - degrees
and their height from Georgetown from tw
to FIVE thousand feet and the lodes ethe
cut them at long angles or run with the fac
Of the mountain Several tunnels are nov
in progress and many will be commence,
next spring, for which eleven more of tn,
Burleigh drills have been ordered.
One very important item has been dem
onstrated in the partial development of TIA,
| lodcs in this district, and that is that al
veins get larger. and mostly richer as the
90 down. This believe has proved true il
almost every instance. There are many
other lodes which promise just as well at
those have mentioned, but | car
only enumerate few of them, such AS the
Equator, Comet, Magnet Snowdrjft, Astor
Buchu, New Boston, Anglo Saxon, Griffith
Keith, Arizona, Capitalist Herkimer anC
Cliff
A large mill has been put up at the
Brown lode for crushing, sorting and anal
gamating, smelling and all the various pro
| cesses of extraction, and promises to be q
success. There are one large and three
small smelling furnaces and one desuIphur'
izer in Georgetown but | am unable to tell
how they are doing, as it is not reported
what the shipments have been S"@G" ~
=, n,,, =, lnrge amount Of bullion has beer
| shipped this season, and two Of them have
only been in operation but a short time, anc
are not sufficiently tested to know their sue
cess. One thing we doknow, improvement
are being made in oil the processes for say
ing either gold or silver, though none, q
yet, claim perfection.
The prices Of smelling ore vary accord
ing to the character of the ore, ranging iron
$2j to $50 per ton. Several Of the bes
developed lodes have shipped their selected
ore to Newark, n. j., receiving better re
turns from it than they can as yet in Colo
RADIO.
Wells, Fargo 4 Co. run daily coacI
from Denver to Georgetown, a distance o
GO miles.
A company is now formed and inten
putting up a separating machine next see
son. This will take the ore as 1t come
from the lode, crush, separate and reduc,
five tons to one. This is looked upon as
great advantage. As yet the ores have t,
be trimmed by hand. This process vii
place different kinds of ore in different par
cells.
As to the cost of mining ores in this dis
trict, it is impossible ss yet to form an est
mate. But few lodes are developed, an
those working differently. But one thing
sure, all lodes become softer as they &
down, and many can be worked withou
much blasting, and the indications are tina
mining can be done as cheap here as in an
other district. The water power of George
town is unsurpassed by any in the territory
Two fine creeks come dashing down fror
the mountains, forming q junction in tn
town, affording cheap and substantial powe
for all purposes. The mode of conveyin
provision and other material to the lodes o
these high mountains, and bringing the quart
from them is by zig gag trail, and on tn
backs Of donkeys. So far this is the mos
economical way, and perhaps will continu
to be so, although to some of the mine
i - -.o, ,,,, -oa1o 20 n bn huilt