Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-08-09
LETTER FROM COLORADO.
For the Register
BLACK Hawk PoNT, COLORADO,
July, 1873.

Friend Zittle-My dear Slr :-Agree-
able 10 promise embrace the present
time of giving you as fair description
uf Colorado as,I possibly can, in the
limits of letter-its resources, mlneral,
agricultural, manufacturing iuterests,Nc'
lst Our location us regards the resi-
of the earth, being bounded on the North
by Wyominc> esst 10y Kansas, south by
New Mexico, west by Utah, commenc-
inc ut thirty seven degrees north iati-
tude. and extending north to LATITUDE
Al decrees. commencing at loZ degrees
west and extending west to 10? de
,,roos from Washington, about hall oil
the Territory lies i'll the Naiiey' .ne
other half Western lies withih inc
Rocky Mountains, said mountains rang
mo from mere hills to peaks 1000 feet
hi"h. and these mountains are ncn III
the metaIs,-gold, silver, copper ica',
zinc, &c. Iron occurring ut the 1901
of the mountains, and also Ill most all
the veins or lodcs formed i'll all the mn
inc region More especially in gold
bearing loleS in the form of pyrltcs OF
iron. this not being the case in the Cal
itornia mines, nor so far rs | know Ill
ony mines on this continent. Some OF
them being very refractory, having ar
scnic and other substances TO such an
extent that the only successful way OF
treating them is by smelling, The Dos.
ton & Colorado Smelling Works, con
Quoted by Prof. Hill, as resident agent,
has been great benefit to Gilpin coun-
ty, in this respect. Their smelling
works are quite extensive, employing
many workmen, and consuming some
forty cords of pine wood every day.
One to two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars worth Of ore on hand at all times.
By smelling all the most valuable met
ais are saved, gold, silver and copper. 1t
comes from the furnaces i'll what is call
ed mote. this is sent to Luanzy for sep
aration, the copper paying the expense
of transportation and separation. The
lead by smelling is entirely destroyed
Separation is generally done by stamp
inc process which consists III crushing
the ores to q powder and running 1t,
mixed with water, over plates charged
with quicksilver, with which the gold
readily amalgamates, the tailngS after
leaving the tables running over blank
cts and then into tubs, where it Is Scour-
cd bv grinders until there is not much
left, then these tailings bucklcd, that is
MI the sand is washed out, leaving only
the iron and gold to the smelters, used
in smelling the raw ores which bring
various prices, according to the rch-
ness, (the tailings.)
Gold ores occur generally at altitude
of ; to 5000 feet above the Sea level
The arcentifcrous ores occurring at
higher attitudes, in fact some OF the
richest and latest discoveries being from
to miles above vegetation, for IN
stance the Moose, the Baker, and many
others in Colorado. the White Zine
Mines. in Nevada. the mines in Utah
Among the best producing mines III
this country are the Leavct, the net pro
fit of the month of January beng sZi,-
900. Tinnell has been run into the
hobtail. striking about four hundred feet
which will tend to facilitate the work,
inc of that mine, WHICH has produced
more cold than any other Vein that has
ever been worked, the Gregory second,
the veins running nearly parallel, these
two lodes have been lying idle for tour
wears. and are considered the best III
the Territory. So far as discovered
("old lodes) amongst the silver lodes,
may mention the Canlbo, owned 10y
Breed & Cutter. in Boulder county, ly-
mo lust below the range, they have a
snpcrior mill Tor reducing the orcs,thelr
products of silver is about from . to y
600 ounces per week. The Idaho Is the
next best developed, in same district,
has yielded some ten to fifteen thousand
ounces at depth of one hundred iGe''
and improving as depth is attained Inc
NO name" the ''Seven thirty, the Us
abel" the Il. y. L., all paying MINES
most all discovered since 1870. The
silver lodcs, therein,in Clear Creek coun-
tv. are some very rich silver mines, the
Pelican. McNiff and Luter, owners.
This mine has yielded a large amount
of very rich ore. one million has been
offered, two millions asked, the ''lenia,
lie" the "Brown," and many others al
very valuable on the opposite side OF the
mountain, situated the Equator, the
John Bull" the ''Laco, the latter
Welding thirty five thousand ounces IN
roinc down a distance OF 10 feet from
the surface. AS before said the non
ore occurs at the base Of the mountains,
the base metals, little higher mp I'M
Ill we arrive at Black Hawk and Cen
trail CITY in the centre Of Gilpin county
ut an altitude of seven thousand eight
hundred feet to nine thousand feet above
the sea level When YOU arc in the
amidst of the gold bearing viens most
of the silver mines occurring from eight
70 fifteen thousand feet above the sea
Lowell all the ores are more orless mixed
with Galena. The principal cities or
towns in the Territory are Uhc distance
from Black Hawk City inGilpln county
quoted in igures,) Denver situated IN
the Valley at the Junction OF Cherry
Creek with the Platte, and the capital
Of Inc Territory is most beautiful city
40 miles from Black Hawk Point, altl-
,ude 5.3l7 feet above the sea level
Central City 1 mile, altitude $500 feet;
Nevada City miles, altitude 9'ooo lee';
Idaho miles, altitude 1900 feet; George-
Kan IL