The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-07
C0LORADOS SILVER CLIFF.
THE MIRTELLOUS DTSCOTERr or THO
room MINING PROSPECTORS.
Truduiug Wet Mountain Valley on ~ Hot
saturdny-The Black Manganese Rock
Scrnpina Horn silver with n JnckignIre.


Truduiug Wet Mountain Valley on - Hot
Saturday-The Black manganese Rock
Scrnpina Horn silver with n JnckknIre.
On Saturday, June %, Edwards and Powell,
two miners. were travelling through the Wet
Mountain Valley. Custer County. Colorado. on
thoir way TO Rosita. They were about twenty
five miles southwest of Pueblo. At certain
elevations the Spanish Peaks were in sight.
Their road ran nong the foot OF q low spur OF
preciptous rocks separated by q narrow gulch
from cone called Round Mountain. The
rocks were black with the stains Of man
ganesc. Hundreds OF tenmsters had passed
them without dreaming that they contained
untold wealth. They were black and vol
canic. and there was nothing that indicated
the presence Of precious metals. Tho after
noon wis very hot and the two men rested in
the shade OF the cliffs. Edwards casually re-
marked that the last time he passed them he
had broken or piece Of the overhanging rock.
aud had observed that it had a green tinge.
Powell became Interested. and proposed that
they should 20 und look Mt the rock before re-
suming their journey.
After short search Edwards found the spot
where he had found the green rock. Powell
broke off some pieces as high up as he could
reach. The grain seemed messy and Of n veg
etable growth. Powell pulled out his jack
knife. and began to scrape It. A grey metallic
CLEAN appeared. It was horn silver so called
because when rubbed down and compressed 1t
cuts like horn. Not knowing what 1t was.
but thinking il might prove valuable. the
two men made n careful examination Of the
cliffs. and staked out five mining Claims
posting the requisite notice. and giving the
name ami date ~ the discovery Each claim
entitled them to 500 feet across the lode 10y 500
specimens from these claims. and had them as
snyed in Rosita, six miles away. The silver
| buttons found in the bone crucibles gave avalue
Of 900 ounces 10 the ton.
The report spread like wlldllre. The inhab-
| itants " ROsita identified tho black mnngantic
| When Powell and Edwards returned to their
claims on Monday half the residents OF Rosta
were on the ground. But the black. rotten look
| ing rock WIS 50 unlike the usual ore deposits
| That they stakrd no claims. and laughed mt the
| disroverers They predicted that il the two men
| in three weeks Powell and Edwards. however.
were not discouraged; They took in one Hat
| ford as "A partner. and resolutrly went TO work
| with their picks. In four days they broke out
six tons OF rock. They spent nearly oil their
| ready money in hiring teams 70 draw the min
| rrn to the reduction works. The returns are
| said 10 have been 90 400
Thcre was no more laughter. The excite
rlent WINS unparalleled. Ia twenty-four hours
| the hillside the adjoining plain. and Round
| Mountain were covered with claims. Several
| other extremely valuable deposits were dis 'ov-
| cred There WIS u rush from every mining
district in the state. Denver and other cities
poured ont their hundreds OF eager seekers
Tents and shanties sprang up like mush-
| rooms and the Silver Cl IFS were crowned with
| u busy mining camp. Men. tAttered and tired
| r?amed the country with eager eyes. and spec
| ulaiion ran rampant An eyewitness says that
they would stick up stake in prairie dog
| hole and ask $4,000 for it, The first house
| WINS built on Sept. :. Now there are over a hun.
drel. Sixteen portable saw mills are buzzing
! night and day on the hills and in the gulches
| town within
pleted Of lumber. The plain below the cliffs il
white with the tents Of eager prospectors. The
roads are worn and dusty with the constant
grinding Of wheels, and the tramp tramp
ilampof the army Of occupation Is heard in al
Tho mines are located in what is known rs
the Hardscrabble District Six years ago Ro-itS
was the centre OF mining district 81 wonder
fu promise. hut u quickly petered out The
great Maine mine. which made very pool
mnn millionaire in one year, : four mile,
southeast OF the Silver Gins The region I.
volcanic. and II IL said that there are severa
distinct craters near ROsita. Volcanic up
heavas seem to have burst the primary granite,
and TO have forced through chimnsyed pas
sages masses Of eruption bearing molten pre-
cious metals. The silver has been cooled amid
sum. and other mineral substances more o.
lcss decomposed and entirely ,unstratied.
Thu mine first worked by Powell. Edwards
and Haford. IL known as tho Racine Boy
50 lar II hns turned out nothing but horn
silver. chloride carried in decomposcd por
phNry M! pi seams; In It's surroundings II re
sembss tn. mineral taken from the Comstocl
lode. Thus tar * Is the only mine In Colorado tina
does bear this resemblance. The ore is found II
deposits without any creyice veins or distinc
walls. The mine IL full 81 hard quartz boud
ers. which are coated with scales Of chloride %
silver. These scales contain the bulk Of IN,
silver. but tho prcclous metal permeates III,
whole ~ the mineral. The chloride IL broker
from the houldcrs ike egg shells. and the fines
ore IL sorted and put in sucks. II returns nbOu
s1j oun 'es 20 the ton. The, low grade pans GU
from 100 ounces upward. Like the metal OF Ia,
tomstoek lode /: II free milling ore very eas
reduced. and contains no base metals. The min
has been bonded 10 a California Company
who are working II in harmony with the owners
only a slight wall OF rock separating them.
Is asserted that. with a very small force Of men
they are taking out between 50 900 and 1000
day. The mine Is not over zen feet deep, ant
scarcely twenty five icet wide.
on sept 3. William Robinson was prospecting
in the eulch on Round Mountain. About nall
mile up the guleh he discovered a mine OF mar
Ve.lous richness. The ore is Of the Same char
meter. but q much higher grade than the one o
the Racine Boy ltseems almost ineXhaustibe
II Is said that much OF IL runs as high as .O1
ounces 10 the ton. Robinson SAYS be hos re
fused $3.50 900 Tor u. Aweil-known mininA \
pert says II is worth n million. And six weeks
ago Robinson had not money enough 10 buy