Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-11-29
ONCE LEADvILLE's OWNER
How Over FOur Hundred UndeveI-
Oped Mines Slipped Through
His Hands

J. P. Whitney, formerly of Colorado,
makes some explanations in regard to an
interview with him about Leadville and
its mines which appeared in the World OF
October 10th. Mr.. Whitney, wishes, in
the first place, to say that he is not DR.. j
p. Whitney, of California, W no is a well
known physician Of that State. To re-
porter of the World he good naturedly
said recently: 81 call myself simply j.
p. Whitney. though l was dubbed an
Honorable by the Territorial Legislature
of Colorado in a parchment emanating
| from that body in 1868 and recording an
unanimous vote upon a series Of resolu-
tions thanking me with the Governors
signature and the great seal of the Terri
tory for my personal efforts in securing
the first gold medal Of the worlds expo
sition at Paris in 1867 for Colorado ores.'
Mr.. Whitney said furthermore that in
| former years in Colorado he was very
much amused by being called "Profes-
sor," while since the late discovery oc the
great wealth Of the mines about Lead
Vile he had been designated by some of
his friends as "damphool !" for not
holding on to all the mines he once pos
sessed there. Neither Of these appella-
tons does ne think himself wholly entitled
| TO.
"Why did you not hold on to those rich
veins ?" asked the reporter.
81 did under the territorial laws, which
were also ratified by the action Of Con-
gress, which gave me undisputed title to
over four hundred continuous mines, none
OF which were less than sixteen hundred
feet in length. Them held by discovery
pre.emption and improvement as real es-
tate until the new mining law OF the
United States OF 1872 came into operation,
which required q continuous working of
the M ines or an expenditure Of one hun
dred dollars upon each one hundred feet in
linear measurement to secure a United
States patent, otherwise all mines were
open to new locators, and in 1876 and 1877
| InteG iHluCS WeIC IOtdtCu, anu Il uouDJ IL
any were left worth looking after, though
am going out fer the fun of the thing 10
look around"
81 suppose you feel a good deal Of re-
gret at allowing all this property to slip
through your hands ?"
"No, not much. Although life is full
of regrets, feel but little on this score for
myself, though for a company to which |
sold a portion of my property and which
lost its property as did, do feel sorry.
We must step aside and give others
chance. If had all these properties to-
day should have been worked to death,
and perhaps as uneasy and nervous as a
millionaire mine-owner from Leadville
whom | saw to-day. Colorado is too
largo to be controlled by few men, as
Nevada is."
"Do you think Colorado presents better
inducements for mining than Nevada ?"
"Yes, altogether. There are but few
great mines in Nevada. Take away The
Comstock- which, with all its bonanzas,
has cost more to work the whole vein than
has been produced from it-and you have
not got great deal left. Colorado has
dozens of mines which will approach, if
not surpass, the Comstock VEIN"
"Do you think the best mines In Colo
rado have already been discovered ?"
"By no means not but what great
many already discovered will pan out alto
gether in excess Of present developments
as they are sunk into. Still, there are lit
orally thousands of rich veins in Colorado
yet over which the pick has not yet been
swung"
"Ars not these mines visible on the sur
face ?"
les, almost always; yet, owing to their
exidized surface exhibits and the obitera-
ton of surface by rock and earth slides,
they are not always in sight, and, besides,
rich veins do not always show irwealth
at third surface groupings. Sometimes the
miner strikes at once chimney or pay
streak which opens into a bonanza, but
generally not"
"How did the mines appear TO you
about Leadyille whom you first saw
them ?"
'In the most prominent cases like roads
on the mountain sides, and the eye could
follow them for long distances. / was like
Aladdin in the garden without hardly res
a1i L 70 10, iK,f /, &.
with my band of employed prospectors.
When / returned into this region after the
assays | had made at Denver in 1865, l
helped myself TO three or four hundred
mines, besides taking up large quantities
OF water powers and tunnel sites under the
territorial laws"
"Did you take them all up in one local.
ity 2"
mo / went from mountain to noun
tam. Oh Fletcher mountain, few miles
from Leadvile, where thought the min,
eral veins most prominent of any, took
up over 100000 feet of mines in ten days.
| took up here some mines for two or
three miles in length, plainly visible on
the surface. IE some instances the par
italy oxidized ores with argentifercus ga
lena projected some feet above the surface
rocks, and amused myself in some in
stances in having the men detatch large
masses weighing many tons OF glittering
ore, and ro1 them down the steep noun
tain side to see their rapid flight and final
disintegration. In some instances few
feet of shalt sinking would develop solid
veins of argentiferous galena from four to
six feet in width. But it must be remem>
LonoI fiat 81 thot i;,,o tha.o ..... - .