The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-09-17

I have reached the hub OF the very
latest novelty In mining excitements,
and am very comfortably sheltered IN
Iog-cabin which stands within so feet OF
the roaring, foaming, dashing Anlmas
River: while all around, towering 2,OCO
feet in the air, are grand old mountains,
some with their snow-caps on, and all
scanned and furrowed with mineral lodes
and lodges. ''Timber-line'' is very dis
tinctIy defined less than 500 feet above,
on these mountaln-slopes.
Bakers Park is situated in southern
Colorado, between latitude 37:0 and
longitude 1918. 1t embraces small
portion of the Ute Indian Reservation
which was ceded to the Government by
a treaty made little over one year ago,
but not ratified by the Senate until
April q, of the present year. BY this
treaty the Government obtained title to
about 1000 square miles of mountains;
and nearly in the center OF this coded
section lie the
SAN JUAN SILVER MINES,
covering an area 10 miles east and west
by % north and south, and numbering
about 4, 900 well-defned VEINS of miner
al; at least, this number of Locations"
have been made up to date.
Bakers Park, as this valley is called,
derives its name from Capt. Baker,
not military man, but a pioneer and
gold hunter,-who came here in 1860,
at the head OF q party numbering 70
men, prospecting for placer-diggings.
1t would seem that Baker and his men
knew little or nothing of mineral-lodes,
for their efforts were solely directed to
finding gold, as the early CaiiforDlans
did. and their iabOrs were poorly re-
yarded. Pits and bitches excavated by
this party are found in several places,
and quite variety of relics left byBaker
and his men were discovered in Eureka
Guich last season. Bakers party soon
auarreled and separated, Baker, with
a few men, striking farther south, into
New Mexico. where he actually discov-
cred rich diggings on the San Juan
River. A few weeks later, the adventur
Gus Captain was killed by indians,
while undertaking trip back into this
valley in search of the main party, a
majority of whom had LETT the country,
while few remained, suffering untold
hardships, and actually dying of starva-
ton.
Following Baker, from year to year,
were small parties of trappers and trad
ers, and occasionally detachment OF
prospecters; but they were not allowed
to remain in the country. Enough,
however, was learned OF the mineral re-
sources here, by these parties, to lead
to the formation of company of from
tiersmen from New Mexico, who, In 1870
entered the Park from the south, and
remained during the summer prospect
ing the mountains, and
MAKING MANY VALUABLE DISCOVERIES
of gold and silver lodes. Efforts for
treaty OF cession with the Utes were inn
meditely COMMENCED; but, without
waiting for its consmmation, the ag-
gressive miner came in and went to
work. The treaty was not ratified until
A. FOL
the Little Giant gold mine in the winter
of '72-'3, and quite a number Of ''loca-
tions" were made and considerable work
done in TIP. The Indians growled a
good deal because of the white mans
haste to occupy their country; but the
Utes are not ''the worst among the bad, .
and vented their displeasure in harmless
complaints. They took scaips from the
miners.
In 1873 three mining districts were
organized, and white men held posses
sion of the country. About 400 miners
came in, and nearly 5000 mineral loca-
tions were made; but there was no de-
yelopment worth mentioning, and the
outside world heard but little of the
San Juan mines The present season
has witnessed some little development
and has proven the fact that these noun
tains and gulches contain very valuable
vulnerable, and
IN GREATER ABUNDANCE
than any other portion OF the world thu
far discovered. There are miners her,
from every mining-camp in the country
men who have grown gray in the ser
vice, and who, without exception, so IA
as / have conyersed with them, pro
nounce these mines unequaled, both i
richness and extent, by any section the
have visited. I cannot speak of othe
mining localities from experience. :.
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