Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-03

The gold aboutDenver was followed up
to the gold mineral veins inGllpln and
Glenn Greek counties, forty miles from
the plains. But where did the gold
come from in California Gulct /! The
elevations along it and at the head
are comparatively moderate noun
tains, which do not show any gold
mineral veins, but seem to abound
almost wholly in argentlferous, IRON
and galena deposits, and compara-
lively free from gold. You cross
Bald Mountain at the head OF the
gulch and 60 down into valleys, and
find that few dominant peaks and
ridges separate you from the de-
scending grade of mountains to the
plains. Where the gold came from IS
a question not yet. determined.
But why the silver ores of great
value, now found cropping out OF the
ground III hundreds of places, were
so entirely overlooked, is very
singular thing. Now they are found
in veins and horizontal beds on every
side and at the head of California
Gulch as we'll as in hundreds of other
places. Perhaps good many of your
readers imagine, while surprised at
the results about Leadville, that the
tlas!s$in the pan has taken place and
that the blutlgeOn has been exploded,
| and that the Leadville country has
now settled down into the regular
condition of the startling discoveries
in various regions made during the
past few years, and that, although it
will be heard from, the explosions
are over. Perhaps SO, but in my
opinion it has hardly commenced.
Either silver must depreciate to the
condition of culinary utensils, or this
region will soon give greater yield
i'll value per annum than has ever yet
been taken from all the mines in the
United States in any one year. This
may seem a very extravagant state
mept but make it as prediction.
The yield OF tho few smelling
works about Leadville for the week
ending November I'd, were S433, 600,
and the monthly yield may be fairly
estimated at about 81, 100000. This
is $18,0O0,O0O per year. The smelling
works are of small capacity. Coke
is at famine prices. There is not yet
a connecting railroad from the plains.
The mines are producing compare.
lively nothing to what they eau.
They are simply getting ready by
running drifts into their ore beds,
and by this supplying more ore than
the smelters can run. In fact the
mine owners cannot get their ore
run, but the smelters will buy the
best at their own prices and make
more than they can by running on
ton rates ; SO thousands of tons are
:. being stacked up for the smelling
works to come. When you consider
that this ore is most easily smelted
aud will be done i'll another year at
from $40 to $12 per ton, and that this
ore averages from $25 per ton up to
half silver, and that its whole average
value may be safely estimated at $10C
| per ton, and that this ore is here in
sight literally by hundreds of thou.
sands Of tons, you may make your
own calculations as to the result.
have visited during my time good
many mining regions and l know
!, well the feverish excitement and eX.
,, aggeration which are their regular
attendants, and all this is here, and
have seen as much before in other
places, but never on so extended s
F., scale or when the results were a!
commensurate with the output.
b L saw dumps of ore OH the ground!
> of one mine few days ago estimated
> to be worth ST, 100000, raised from
) the different shafts of the mine il
: sixty days. Some of this ore is 81
rich, running from an assay value o
81 900 to $4,000 per ton, that 1t wa
being sacked .or iranspor ration east
~ where smelling facilities were better
Here is single mine producing or
y enough to run half the smeltin,
}, works about Leadville, but of whicl
!, scarcely any is being run. saw ali
y other shaft not far off, the owner O
|. which informed me that two men a
u the windlass had hoisted from it j.
n four weeks ore which had smelte
y out clear profit of $4,000. Ho,
's long will it take for Leadville
:. double and quadruple Its presen
II yield, and how far does this silvc
region extend? is the question no,
u being asked.
IL The country is not half or quartz
) explored over. and yet we have &C
Is counts of rich strikes from variou
n quarters within twenty miles {
q Lcadvillc, and making all alIowanc
Is for eXaggeration I am quite statistic
i'll from the ores have seen and the r,
ports of miners with whom l hav
converseG that next year will sc
some adjoining districts opened u
which will be astonishing in result
- Here is large country for explt
1t ration aud great opportunities, aud
ot poor man with few blows of b
Ill pick may open into fortune. A goo
st many have done it, but all cannt
II accomplish it. am glad, howeve
ID to see that some of the old pioneer
At OF Colorado have gained interests
ie as a general thing newcomers hay
u monopolized the country. Quite
H. number Of the old gulch anu plac,
e. secured something valuable, b,
some of the leading prospectors
as this region in early days are ju
of about where they were before-me
s. who never realize, who always wi
rs be, and who, unless regulated al
H. controlled, will always be havil
nc hard times and bad luck. The methC
g. of taking up mining property is vel
N simple. One chooses a locality whi,
in he has surveyed, which he marks o,
ce by six stakes, 1,500 feet long by 81
sc feet wide. This covers an area
o about ten acres and of course exten
p to any depth. A record of the clai
ct is made III the county office, with u
u survey, the extent of the claim, Il
he locator's name, with the name Of I'll
es claim.
cs This is all that is required to
lie done to hold the property for OIL
'd year, and ample leisure is given f
ed tHrthcr development. To hold TIL
X claim for another year at least 81
re worth of labor or improvements mu
ig be expended uponit, and tins amou
nd of yearly expenditure is required 81
III nuaily to hold it, and when 50
re worth of labor has been eNpend
en- upon it, the owner may apply for al
k receive a United States patent
r. having his application advertised f
oh sixty days and upon paying to t
IA government the sum of s. per &C
ne tor the specified area. After pate
he is secured, unless obtained by frau
II his title is perfect. The amount
bic labor to the extent OF $500 NAV
'er done the first year and the pate
od obtained, providing mineral is reac
he ed, as well as i'll succeeding yea
ia but the claim may be kept alive by
lie expenditure of $500 per year. pl
III vidin2 that mineral is reached, q