New-York tribune., 1879-06-10
COLORADO'S NEW WEALTH.
THE MINES ABOUT LEADYILLE.

tFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBUSE.l
| LEADvuLE, Col, June 1.-The first question
which every prudent man will ask when advised,
| as many Eastern people now are, to invest his
money in Leadville silver mine. is what are
the character and extent of tho mineral deposit in
sight p and the second is: what assurance can
be given of the permanence of mines in this region
what evidence that they are not merely pockets
that may at any time be exhausted I" The first Of
these questions must be answered in the case of
every individual mine by athorough. panstakinR,
scientific investigation, and any one who buys
mine or purchases stock in mine before such
an examination has been made buys ticket in
lottery which may draw prize, but is very likely
to draw blank. The answer to the second Ques-
tion is TO be sought for in a clear comprehension of
the topography Of the country, its geological struc
ture, and careful study of the veins deposits of
| ore that have thus far been uncovered Believing
In the Importance of correct solution Of this prob
lem, not only to those who already have pecuniary
interests in this camp but to those also who contem-
plate making investments here. have spent several
| days in making personal inspection OF the entire
ground on which silver has thus far been found
IN the immediate vicinity of Leadvile, gone into
representative mine Of every group. and obtained
from mining engineers, experts and superntendents
such information on the subject as they have been
L
have been indebted to disinterested experts who
have explained to me matters which l should not
otherwise have understood.
The Arkansas River, at point about $50 miles
above Canon City, runs III southc1ly direction the
valley being bounded on the west by the foothills
and main range of the Rocky Mountains of which
| Mounts Ebert and Massive are the highest peaks
and on the east by the Mosquito Range. The height
of the latter varies from 10000 to 5000 or L. 600
feet above the sea level. Flowing into the Arkan-
sas from the east at this place is a small stream
which comes down through q canon in the Mosquito
| Range known as California Gulch. This stream has
been the scene of extensive placer gold mining,
which has been carried on with varying success
since its discovery, about 1859. caused the Pixies
Peak excitement. The gravel in the bed Of this
stream has all been washed out from its mouth
about five or six miles up into the mountains, and
now the firm of Stevens & Letter have constructed
hydraulic works, by means of which they are re-
ported to have taken out about $4,000 worth of
gold last year at expense of ZOO, exclusive of
| interest on investment. The entire amount of gold
taken out of this guch in the last twenty years is
estimated at SS S,000,000 or $1O,00000O.
The hill or mountain on the north of California
Guch, where it comes out of the range rises 600 or
700 feet above the bed of tho stream and is called
Iron Hill. Upon this is group Of mines, of which
the Iron Mine, owned by Messrs. Stevens & Letter.
is the largest and most developed. North of Iron
| Hill. across Timber Gulch is Carbonate Hill. On
its south slope number of openings, but as yet
no paying mines. On its western slope is the Lead
Vile Mining Company's property, comprising the
Carbonate and other mines. the Shamrock the Cres-
| cent, and lower down the hill the Pendery, which
has Just begun TO produce ore. Passing around the
hill to the north and northeast sides. there the
Argentine group, and the Adelaide Camp Bird, and
Pine Carbonate Hill is entirely covered with pros-
| pect holes,D some of which promise to make good
mines. North of Carbonate HILL across Stray Horse
Gulch is Fryer Hill, slso covered with mine OPEN
| inGs and prospect holes" The largest mines on
this hill are the Little Pittsburg group, com
prising tho New Discovery, Litto Pitts
burg Winnemuc & Dives Mines, and the
Vulture. Carbonifcrous, Crysolito and the
Little Chief. North of Fryer Hill, across
| Evans Gulch is Evans Hill, on which many shafts
| are being sunk and tunnels driven without import
| ant discoveries Evans Hill forms the northern
| boundary of the LeadyIlle region South of Cali
| fornia Guich there is only one hill on which valu-
| able mines have been opened. and that is Long d
Derry Hill, separated from Iron Hill by California
| Gulch. spur Of the mountains that has no name,
| and Iowa Gulch. This hill is the highest upon
which silver has been discovered, and near the top
| of it is the Long & Derry mine, from which con-
| siderable valuable ore mas Dcen taken.
| From this brief description it will be seen that
the Mosquito Range, in which the silver ores are
most abundantly found, extends north and south,
and that upon its western slope most of the mines
have been opened. These mountains rise quite
abruptly from the valley ofa the Arkansas, were
thckly wooded with pine timber before mining
operations began, and their surface is covered with
loose stones and broken rock left thereby the drift
Within the last few months the earth has been dug
up every direction, innumerable shafts and tun-
nels have been opened, and much of the timber has
been cut down for use In the mines. The City of
Leadylle lies at the foot OF Carbonate Hill, extend
ing parallel with California Gulch for about mile
The site OF the city slopes gently TO the west and
south, lnsuring good drainage and afording easy
grades for its streets.
No careful geological survey of the Leadyille re-
giOn has yet been made, so that very little is yet
known of the structure of the rock that underlies
| the silver deposits. An Outcrop on the Arkansas
River below Leadyie shows the following success
sion of rocks which geoOgiss believe will be found
continued IN the mountains have enumerated: !.
| Granite. q SchistOse rocks. 3. Quartzite. 4.
Lime. 8. Porphyrytic trachyte. 6. Drift. The
| mineral Is found between the fourth and fifth
strata, limestone forming the floor foot-wa upon
| which it rests and porphyry the roof or hanging
wall. The ore consists of the following Ingredients
| l. Various oxides of iron and manganese. 2. Car
! Donate of lead and galena. 3. Chloride
of silver. The chloride of silver occurs
| in very small particles and Is mixed
mechanically, not chemically with the other miner
| ais mentioned. The proportion of SILVER found IN
! the OF different mines and III different ores of
the same mine varies from simple trace to two or
three thousand ounces per ton. The average yield
| is probably from 100 to 100 ounces to "A ton, al
though large proportion of the ore taken out OF the
Carbonate and other mines has assayed from 300 to
400 ounces per tom As general rule the carbonate
ores. that IT, those which contain the largest proper
ton of carbonate of lead, the richest IN silver
The miners have given these carbonates different
names az they are hard tegrated col
ored by foreign substances Most OF the rich " hard
| carbonates" are heavy gray rocks with slightly
| metallic lustre when broken Their weight Is, Of
! course due to the lead which they con tain. The
sand caTbomates" are similar in composition, but
| are disintegTated, that when taken out of the