The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-20
IN Ex-OwNER OF LEADvaLLE.
what DR.. J. p. whitney Knows of
the Past and Ihissiks Of the Future
of silver Mining in Colorado.

of silver Mining In Colorado.
New York Motld.l
Having learned that DR.. J. Whitney,
prominent viniculturist and wool
grower of California, formerly of Colo
RADIO, was at pr sent in town, reporter
of the World called upon him to learn
what he could of the great Colorado
mines, Mr.. Whitney having been one of
the earliest discoveries, if not the very
first discoverer, of these mines
$50, Mr.. Whitney, if my information
is correct, you once owned Leadville and
were potentially the richest man in the
world without knowing it?"
Hardly that; but /. was the first
owner of part of Leadville, and thor
oughly recognized the value of silver
ores, although ] was a prophet without
honor at the time"
perhaps you will be kind enough to
tell for the benefit of The World how it
happened that you hit upon Leadville
and what you know Of its past and think
of its future?
"With pleasure, for leaving aside the
value Of the discovery of mines to the
human race, which l doubt, still the
mines are there, they are and will be
worked, and / do not think that Eastern
people recognize or are even aware of the
immense value of the mining interests,
and l am pleased to see that The World
takes an interest in the subject. 1t was
in the spring of 1866 that | was first
there. ] had been hunting and fishing
throughout the Slate-a wild and very
sparsely settled territory it was then
After wandering through the parks and
the wonderful Valley Of the Gods we
came to where Leadville now is"
Had there been any one there be-
forew
"Oh, yes; miners, you know, are as
restless as the Wandering Jew and
ever seeking not 'green fields and pas
tures new,' but brown hills and bowldes
bare, and since 1S59-60 they had been
prospecting and placer mining but fol
gold and not silver, for it has not been
generally believed that the two minerals
are ever found together and, too, they
had been seeking and finding gold on the
eastern slope of the mountain ranges
although few stragglers had gone over
to the western side, but after having
worked the placers for gold, had aband
oned their claims, not seeing the untold
wealth that lay before their eyes, ol
dreaming what made the dirt that they
dug so unusually heavy.
"How did you become aware Of the ex
istence of silver?"
"In this way: Although I was not g
regular silver-miner I had been among
the mines of Arizona and California, and
knew what the indications were, so tha,
when | stood on the top of one of the
hills I could see indications everywhere
In one place / could follow the dip of the
lodes by the blossom for nearly three
miles.
"What is;the tblossom'2"
"The blossom or blossom rock is the
external Indication of various lead anG
silver ores and is made apparent through
the color caused by the oxidization o1
such ore as is contained in the surface
rock" "What happened after you sw
the 'silvery howers?" 81 went to work
and filled my saddle-bags with samples
of ore, carried themto Denver, had then
assayed, and the yield was so great that
engaged a force.o of men to 60 ard pros
pect for me, believing that the place
would be found rich in silver. l ran
tunnel into Fletcher Mountain and tht
result of it I'LL was that | took up 300 o.
400 loads from 1,500 to 5000 feet il
length and thus became the fire owner O
large part of Leadville. This was
the end of 1865 and early in 1866. Th'
result was that I WAS the worst laughed
at man in Colorado; no one believed tha
silver was to he found there, all havin.
their eyes dimmed with the glitterof gol(
alone, but ! determined to develop th'
field. l will read you from a pamphle
published in 1865, and | think you vii
say it sounds like prophecy" Here Mr.
Whitney read from pamphlet calle(
"Slver Mining Regions of Colorado,
which he pubtis ed in December, 1865:
"'The silver fields now discovered ant
opened on the western slope of the rang
are apparently in prominence and valu
beyond any known in the world, and tn
results that will he realized there in tn
next few wears will constitute an epoc1
in the history of silver-tnining. Were
i generally known to-day how rich and in
viting the silver fields of Colorado ar
. we should witness an attention and in
vestment there more conspicuous tina
any exhibited before during the presen
age. An excitement of magnitude is ir
evitable and will come"
"To continue my story, I endeayore
in every way to cause an interest in th
silver mines. I wrote and talked, and i
4 1867 ] got up an exhibit for the Pari
Exhibition on which I expended severa
thousands Of dollars, and which receive
first gold medal for excellence of ore
while the more celebrated and longel
worked mines of California and Nevad
only received silver medal. The En-
peror took personal interest in the e,
hibit. He sent for me and had PEI
sonal interview with him; he had rea
my theory, about which / will spea
further on, of the extent of silver ore
from Mexico through the Veta Madr
Range and New Mexico and Arizona an