, 1874-08-22
COLORADO: ..G0LD-MINEs.
The Rich Placer-Fields of
Summit County.
A Visit: TO Brcclsinridgc, tho County.
Scat,
Tho Most Famous Gulchcs.--Inci.
dcnts in Their History.

The Most Famous Gu1c1cs---Incf.
dcnts in Their History.
Special Correspondence Of The CHICAGO TRIBUNE.
bHEoK1Aa1paE, Col. Aug. TO- 1871.
A Tow days ago yonr correspondent descended
tho charming Bluo niyor, through y delightful
vista Of grassy partss and pino-iorosts. enrouto
TO Brocknridge. Tho afternoon was intensely
Lot. Not aloaf stirrod, not cloud was visible,
and tho vast anow-holda On tho monntain-sdea
only served reilcolora 10 pitch the rays Of tho
pamo Into Tho valley bolow. The Precipitation
rolled from my horse In Btrenms, md, ns II to
ngeravato the surcriuya OF tho poor brute, tho
1ios and mosquitoes swarmod about Ills oars
aud prc-cmptcd every suuaro iuch Of Ills carcass.
At q turn OF tho road md anbling along at d
sa,t which oonll be considered a cross hctwcou
llat OF cinnanlolt-hgar and q fashionable bollo,
30 overlook
riLuR1M AND STRANGER.
Ills expressive but Run-burnt countcnAuco was
Ka'lod III with nil unlorbrush Of struggling,
a0ry whiaker, mud covorod with all enormous
white felt Int. His feet were oncAsod in mocca-
snH, his legs In buekaktn, aud lo wore no shirt,
~-nothing but looHo army oyercoat 6luug
over hiB Shoulders waB roll Of army blankets,
Thich, in turn, woso folded around shovel,
pick, coffco-pot, frying-pan, aud 1oublo-tmrrelod
1hot-guu. A rovolvor and bowio-kniro glistoucl
1t his bolt. aud in his right 1anl I,o carried q
uoursack filled With brcnd, bacon, potatoes, aud
various other articles Of grub. llo wore con-
Tented, cheerful air; an1, whom VIC inquired,
"How far ia II to Drockiusidgo7" ho replied tint
"It mought DO 8 mlos, mud it mought
lie TO-" but guessed 1t wan't oyor 10. Tho dust,
limit and film Cf arnN11 H1nt. cntr.
bined, inspired confidence aud our now-found
acquaintance began to talk. He had travelled
through the mountains sinco 1860, and discov-
cred somo Of tho most valuable silver mines in
tho Mt. Lincoln tliatrlct. Weou 1o sold cut q
prospect md lnnde raiso, ho wout to Denver
hud spent It Z; md when bedrock WAS reached,
o shoulaored his Blankets nntl started out again.
Ho gavo rather 3 gloomy picture, however, of
mining proapeots under tho new regime Of smolt-
eYs anl Atamp.snillB, and declarGd TINT they woro
running him aud Its class out OF oxistoncc. t. Wo
left him at last. and cantorod on, only to eu-
counter ahont . Auadred moro Of tho eaTne spe-
cies, all bound for Breckenridge and the minus.
nnECR1NH1DaE,
tho county-seat Of Summit County, Is located nt
tho foot Of tho: Main nAnEp, on tho woatorn
SLOPE and stands about in tho centre Of ono Of
the principal and Eichess gosd-nininy districts
IN Colorado Tho town contains q lotol. gro
eory.storo, boot-and-Bhoo shop, baksry, bluck-
amith-Bhol,, saloon, and house OF prostitution.
All Of thoso placos aro loukod upon aa public
property By tho miners. sud all nre equally pa-
tered indi6crin1inately up and down the north
bank Of tho Blue Inyer. and lookB as though it
was dazing from tho effects of drunken sptoo.
Ali OF tho trading, specu'ating, visiting, tight
-tle reminder OF tho week being spent III
tho ninos. crazy, rielsoty fra,ae-builtling,
which stands on The outakirta, aud whose
foundation has bcau partly washed away by q
uAed fur church. courtroom, public l,all, and
all festive gatherings. Now md then d minis
ter-genorally OF tho Methodist pcrsnasion-
lands ID breckenridge, aud, nfter treating tho
family end gamel.ng, gocs away veil fseightcd
with gold.dust and nuggets. Tho very aoil unon
which tue town stauds il auriforous, aud u pau
ful Of earth Rhoyalod up Iaphazarl from tue
follow. while engaged III digging . collar for Iis
cabin, tutnod up 4 nugget TINT weighed
ounces. Encouraged by this, tho people COM
1nencea digging, essd kept y: it until tAe whole
town was undermined, mud tho streets filled up
with heaps Of rock and oartll.
A careful examination Of the placor-gold fields
OF Summit County conyincos mo TINT it will take
HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO wonK THEM OUT.
Tho bar-nines Of the, Blue 1sivor arc many
miles in extent; and. although but little occ,l-
pied at present, tho timo cnnnot bs far distant
whon moat Of tho ground drainod by the Blue
and it's trihutarica will 10 worked aud yield largo
profits, Tho country from tho lloadwators OF
the Blue to it's intersection with Grand River ii
tho Middle Eark, embracing mary miles in OK
tent, il known to DO rich in gold-grountl that
will pay. from penny woights to ! ounce por
day to tAc man. Nothing il required but men
and work tho mlnes in scientific nannor.-
Thus fnr tho county las only tonn skinned
over, and, with tho exception Of q few gulclles,
tho bod-rocl has mover boon ronclicd. Tho A.
lu7ial dopost in tho Valley Of tho Blue, Huake.
and Swan Niyors.-tho two lattor Joining the
Dluo y few miles below Drochinridgc,- from
soto 100 feet in dopth; but the bedrock, whom
reached, is of limestone, atld smooth Ill D floor
All oftho mountain rangoH bordering oil those
dowa by tho action Of tho olomonts. and the
gold was pIeelpitatod iuto tho valleys and
isulches, a1d settled to tho bottom. Tho frat
discoverorH. in 1859-'G0, worked ont Tic
gulchea, Or, at loaat the great majority Of tl,cm
but no Hyutomatized effort Ina over yat bear
Mado to roach tho bedrock in the valley, and
those rich fields stand to this day unclaimed.
tai, and q big dividend Tor a,,y company that wl
take hold oft. hundred yaArB hcnco tho very
1ocks now spn,ncd by tho miuora will bo worked
with profit, for they all contain gold Dnt tic
ns9s en- 9f srs'anS' sge na odp mining Sa has pasaqd
tho quart, and oiliy few mines
remain where once were hundreds. Tic
country presents an abandoned, deserted an
poasance; aud now the nttontion Of mnors IL
turned to working oyor ground regarded as
worthless during the iirat atalnpc4o and cxeite-
mont. Water Ii tho principal agent employed,
and the gold ia waslled OIL. i'll tic 1na,llior do.
scrlbed Ill d for1nor letter. Onoo tho " "oloan-
ups." as thoy nro callod, aseraged fro1a s2OU0
to ,ooo week.; HOW tho minor conalderB lim-
solflucky If llo can got as many hundreds.
THE MOST FAMOUS nuLultEs-
al e,tuatcd "tl,ila radius OF 10 nitos Of Drecli-
inrldga--aro Niggor dulclt, Lincoln, Iowa,
!loosicr boy, Gold Run. salna and Georga.
Niger dulch il owned by st Lonis compaily,
Which has constructed expensive fumes and
hydraulic works, and which nlallifoata 4 tosiro to
push things but the remainder OF the gulolog.
in tie great majority of caaes, ara owned by in
diVidual miners tuo poor to operato to aily atl,