The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-05
GOLD MINING I'M COLORADO.

But great loves, 10 the last, have pulses red
: GOLD MINING IN COLORADO.
NEW GOLD AND SILVER DISCOVERIES IN
SOUTHWESTERN CoLoRADo-THE- EXCITE
MENT PREvAILING-A PROPOSED SCIENu-
FIc OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SEEKERS
GOING FORWARD TO FORTUNE
A correspondent of the New York World,
writing from Denver, Col, thus speaks OF
the discovery and location of the new min
eral fields in that territory: The California
fever of 1s49, was succeeded by the Pixies
Peak excitement, 10 years later. Then hun
dreds and thousands crossed the great plains
for what is now Colorado. in the hope of &C
quiring speedy fortunes from the rich miner
ais that were said to lie encased in the beds
Of her streams and the sides OF her noun
tains. Placer mining, or the washing OF the
fine particles of gold that lay embedded in
amid the sand of running streams, paid the
emigrants largely for time, but ultimately
it ceased to be a profitable employment.
Then attention was directed to quartz min
ing, or the extraction of the precious metals
from solid rocks. This latter method in
wolves the employment of heavy and costly
machinery, and while in some instances
great deal of money has been sunk in
crushers and mills. yet in the aggregate vast
fortunes have been made by those who have
invested their money in mining enterprises
in Colorado Especially is this the case with
the projects in Clear Greek and Gilpen coun-
ties, where mining for gold and silver is now
carried on with as much system and nearly
as much certainty as coal mining is con-
Quoted in the anthracite regions of Pennsyl
vania. tt .t
Within the past year great furore has
been created regarding the San Juan dis
trict. which is located in Southwestern Col
orado. Not only our own miners, but old
and expert miners from California, Nevada
and Utah have recently examined the re-
gion and pronounced it the richest that ever
came under their notice. They speak in
glowing and almost marvellous terms of its
extensive deposits ofgold and silver. During
the present month several hundred miners
have passed through Denver on their way
| to these rich fields with the precious metals.
Parties from the east and others, who have
| no knowledge of mining whatever, are pre-
pairing to go to this FL Dorado, in the hope
of acquiring some of it's rich mineral lands
by presumption.
The country in which the San Juan dis
| trict is located was until recently a portion
| OF the Ute Indian reservation. By treaty
made with the tribe last year the United
States came into possession of the section.
The Utes, however, have some land adjoin-
! ing II, and to prevent any i'll feeling by rea-
SON of prsspectors and other enterprising
white men encroaching upon their property,
the secretary OF the interior has within the
past week asked that force of troops be
stationed there to prevent any trespasses
| being made upon their lands. when the
season fully opens, and when several new
roads are completed, thousands upon thou
sands will flock in, and this before the close
of the present summer. The interior depart
ment. anticipating this state of affairs, made
the request upon the secretary of war evil
IDENTIFY with the intention of having mill
tary force strong enough to secure good
order. In this connection may also be men-
| toned the fact that Professor Hayden and
his scientific coadjutators, who were engaged
in explorations and surveys of the northern
and central portions of this territory last
| year, will shortly arrive here and pursue
their Investigations in and around the San
Juan country.
The richer mines, or to speak more defin-
itely, those showing tie best outcroppings,
are located near what is termed the Park of
the Animas but in its wider sense the San
| Juan mining country comprises the districts
| OF Los Animas, Lake and Summit. 1t is
across the main range of the Rocky Noun
| tains, on the Pacific side, the altitude being
about 1900 feet above sea level. The en-
trance, as it IS termed, to the mining region
| is from Del Norte, and the nearest mines to
| il are in the Summit district, about thirty
! Anna" mine, which has caused considerable
( comment by reason of its prospective rich
ness. The country can be penetrated from
| so to 100 miles farther on, and rich out
Groupings may be noticed at points not very
remote from each other. The "Little
Giant" lode in the Animas district is
the one which has as yet been worked
10 the best advantage. From a rich gold
streak nearly in the center of its vein the
enormous yield of $3l, 115 per ton of ZOO
pounds was obtained, and the poorest selec-
ton from it brought 81 900 and upwards.
The lode is exposed its entire length or
nearly so, no shafts being necessary to its
working, which effects great saving. It is
owned By company of Chicago capitalists.
A general belief exists that in its vicinity are
lodes which are equally as rich and perhaps
! richer. The draw back hitherto existing has
been the trouble arising from opposition by
Indians and the difficulty in getting ma
chinery upon the ground Of a proper charac-
ter to free the gold and silver ores from the
quartz rock. But the Indians, owing to the
treaty Of 1873. will hereafter form no i'm
pediment, and substantial wagon roads are
fast being opened up, over which the ade.
quate machinery can readily be transported
The silver lodes of the country are also
quite feature though not near so rich as
the gold. Assays have been made from ores
taken near the surface, which indicate a
yield of from $500 to over $4,000 per ton.
The greatest and most favorable popularity
of the San Juan district is the ease and little
expense with which both the gold and silver
leads can be worked. Enthusiasts call it
The poor mans FL Dorado" 1t is certain
| that every man who wants to work here
can shortly find employment as common
mine laborer at from 81 to S. per day, and
his weekly expenses need not exceed the