Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-04-14

LATEST FROM COLORADO.
THIRTY MILES OF GOLDEN GRAVEL
ALONG THE SAN MIGUEL RIVER


Five California miners passed the
winter Of 1874 in southeastern
Nevada. They were Jacob 0hlwiler
John A. Luce, Becker Folsom, and
Benson and Clark Disguised with
the prospects in Phoebe and Pahran-
egat, the glowing reports from the
San Juan country, in southwestern
Colorado, attracted their attention
They struck out for the new district
across the country. Friendly Indians
served as guides. By taking a north
east course they crossed the Territory
! of Utah, avoided the sterile country
bordering the Black Canon of the Col
orado, left the Dirty Devil district to
Z the south, and entered Colorado on
7 the line of the Grand River They
suffered many hardships. Placer gold
was found in the Grand River, close
| to the Utah line 1t was not there in
paying quantities. The prospectors de-
termined, if possible, to trace this
placer gold to the parent VEIN They
traced it up the southern fork through
Unaweep Canon, and turned up the
Uncompahgre They found fair sur
| face indications at the junction of the
San Miguel, and followed that stream
to its Lead waters in San Miguel Park
This park lies in the heart of the Un-
compahgre Mountains, and almost
equals the valley of the Yosemite in
natural beauty 1t is surrounded by
snow-capped mountains from twelve
to fourteen thousand feet above sea
| level
For thirty miles the party found
the San Miguel bordered by beds of
gravel, varying in depth from 80 to
500 feet These beds showed gold.
and the Californians began to prospect
in the mountains for the mother lodes.
They found several in what rs now
know as the San Miguel district, fif-
teen miles southwest of Ouray (pro-
nounced Eweray,) and the same dis
tance northwest of Silverton. The
country was then practically part of
| the Los Pinos reservation. There
were neither roads nor trails The
Indian title had been thrown open,
and the savages resented all intrusion.
The venturesome mines were driven
| down into the lower San Juan region,
which was then rapidly filling up.
Their reports caused considerable eX-
citement. In the spring of 1875 hun
dreds of prospectors poured into the
Los PiEos reservation. Many Were
killed, and to this day their skeletons
are found in the mountain gulches.
The shrewdest Of the prospectors
passed the lodes, and located placer
claims on the gravel bees along the
San Miguel. John A. Luce and
Becker Folsom, two OF the original
discoverers, were among the first TO
take up these claims BY 1875 the
thirty miles of gravel beds were all
located, although as yet no patents
have been granted.
The Indianas were removed by the
Government in 1876, but roads and
improvements were delayed through
dispute over a strip Of land four miles
square, within a few miles of Ouray.
The Indians claimed the land, and at
one time threatened open war. They
would not allow the building Of roads,
and in every way prevented the de-
veIopment of the country. Within
year past they have been driven to
the wall, and their country has been
thrown open to the miners. More
Indians skeletons than those of white
men can now be found in the Uncom-
pahgrc Mountains" observed an old
miner yesterday. with a cruel wink.
For three years the locaters of the
gravel beds did only the work required
by law to hold their claims With the
settlement of the Indian troubles roads
were built, mail routes established,
and mills and machinery are being
sent into the country. If one-tenth Of
what is told concerning the richness
Of these gravel beds is true, there is
gold enough in the San Miguel dis
trict TO counterbalance the production
production Of silver in Colorado for
years to come. IL is said that nearly
every cubic yard of gravel shows free
gold. The commonest sluices have
Welded from so to 800 day per
man Last season nuggets worth
from S25 TO s % were picked up in diff
| fcrent places, and strange as il may
seem, some were found near the sur
face of the ground Mr.. Robert Con-
nelly now at the Sturtevant House in
n. Y, says that the claims, If pro-
pcrly worked, will average 5000, 00J
cubic yards 10 the 100 acres. Good
experts - said he, "say that these
claims will turn but dollar per cubic
yard. That is their lowest estimate.
/ thing that probably fifty cents per
ward would come little nearer the
mark. At least 5000 acres along the
San Miguel will afford rich gravel
washing
The gravel beds were apparently
deposited along the river by glacial
action. Millions Of tons Of ice forced
their way through The deep mountain
canons. cutting away the face Of the
rocks and grinding up the quartz, be-
fore il was slniced through the canons
and deposited in the gravel beds Il
find the marks Of glacial action every
where,u said Mr.. Connolly ain
many places the surface Of the rocks is
worn smooth, and seams Of mineral
from twenty-five to fifty feet wide can
plainly be seen. In one place quartz
showing free gold has been traced for
a thousand feet up the side Of a noun
tain The gravel seems 10 be cc-
mented by decomposed porphyry, and
this cement appears 10 have held the
gold in the layers Of gravel deposited
by successive ages This cement IL
easily disintegrated by hydraulic min
ing, and the gold in il rougn condition
is really saved. The -four god is un-
like that Of California. IL il 80 rough