Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-06
CORRESPONDENCE.

! In the San Juan Mining Regfon-Lead- vile Tramps Make Vigilance Conn mittee Neeessary-The Camp at Min | ernI POint-SOmething About Some of the Mines.
 | MINERAL POINT, SAN JUAN COUNTY, COLORADO, Sept. 21. To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER In my previous letter promised to write of mines and mining in San Juan. I will fulfill that promise, but will first offer some
 statistics that will prove interesting to those
 interested in this country The State is 3sO l miles long by 28O miles wide, and has an area of 1O6, 300 square miles. The population is 195, 1G1. Ten years ago it was only 39, 864. San Juan covers an area of fully 14, 900 square miles of mountain country. Used in it's widest application the name covers all the counties of La Plata, San Juan, Hinsdale, Ouray and much of Correjos, Rio Grande and Saguache counties. Its history as mineral producing region may be said to date from 1876. From this time It has been in an ac- tive state of development.
 Mineral City, where your correspondent has located to prospect and make his stake" is the highest inhabited settlement in North America-just at timber line. II, 800 feet dDON0 Sed 10V61. It SlGS dG the h6aQ Of the Uncompaghre valley and is backed by range 13,000 feet high. To cross this, as one must to get out and go to Lake City and the United States Gas signboard reads on the trail from Ouray), is 8 tedious, tiresome trip, and at such an altitude taxes respiration se- verely. The ''climb-it'' here at this point I can't recommend for invalids I think that have spoken of the magnificent and exten- slve panorama that opens to the eye as the summit of this range is reached and as I leave this subject of scenery am impressed with the fact that in Colorado ''every pros- pect pleases and only man is vile" '" It is shocking, positively shocking, the associations that your decent prospector is subjected to, but underneath all this rough ness there beat warm, generous hearts, and the severe character of fairness and justice. Law and order prevail It is here that gam bling, drinking and dancing saloons abound, but these are incidents of frontier life and mining camps, and decent citizen need fear for his person and property. The pistol was not until this season, with the advent of Leadv1lle tramps necessary article to company the person in San Juan, for there does not exist better class of miners-more respectable, peaceable and law-abiding than in the San Juan mining field; but footpads, horse thieves, road agents and "hold-ups" have come down from Leadville and infested us. They are on the roads and in the towns Warned out of Lake City, the first town on the oorder or San Juan, by placard from the vigilantes, they over here; but not thinking prof ltable enough game, went on to Silverton, where they have commenced operations by stealing horses. which will result in hanging, as citizens have started in pursuit and escape is doubtful. Those remaining in town are spotted, and any overt act will bring sum- mary treatment. I doubt if the people will wait for that crisis, so aroused are they by this immigration. This camp at Mineral Point, believe, is destined to be one of if not the best in San Juan. The developed mines demonstrate it and the great number of prospects indicate it. The camp is young, but within the radius of a mile from this cabin there are six paying mines. The ores are high grade, running from sixty ounces at the surface to POO ounces in good develop ment. There are exceptionally higher runs into the thousands, but I speak of the aver age of the general experience of the camp. The average width of a good paying vein here is from four to eight feet. In such the mineral is compact and the walls of the vein firm and solid. In no other section do the veins crop above the surface as here. The ''pay strealz'' is from IS to 30 inches, the ore galena, gray copper, pyrites of iron and copper, some brittle and ruby silver. Veins of greater size have the mineral more scattering and at low CT grade. Properties are being more gener- ally worked this season than heretofore. The u ted the owners. If the doubting capitalist East would visit this country and this camp, he would be impressed with it's mineral wealth, it's splendid true Assure veins, con- pact with mineral, and acknowledge mining in the San Juan legitimate, promising terprise. And it is the voice of every true miner that they visit the ground and not de- pend upon representations, D or if they won't do that Gas they won't) then intrust the busi- ness to an honest man, who has their entire confidence, and help the honest miner out in helping develop his property adding to the wealth and glory of the country and enrich ing themselves. speak this word for this camp and it's miners, for it is deserved. The rich mineral is here and the men who pos sess it have endured great hardship and pri- vation, and are honest and worthy of atten- tion.
 Just now is an opportunity to get claims and interests very cheaply of miners who are casting about for funds to enable them to leave the country before snow falls. Some of these claims have been considerably de- veloped and show well. If your business man were here and shown several good leads, with the hundred dollars worth of work done on them as required by law, and told that he could have them for another hundred, would he buy or turn his back? He would buyl Why, the timber is worth that, is it not This is the situation now, and in more developed properties in the same ratio. It
 
 and capitalists should avail themselves of the opportunity The field is good. The first machinery introduced into this camp was this season-on the Red Cloud mine. The engine is 25-horse power. The development of this property consists of tunnel in 800 feet and two shafts 100 and 125 feet respectively on the vein, with ''pay streak' of from IS inches to 36. The company owning this mine has 27 other locations, 19 of which are patented It is the wealthiest in the San Juan; capital $1 100000 in shares of $25 each, and not share on the market. The ore runs 226 ounces to the ton. Two hun dred and fifty thousand dollars were offered for the Red Cloud mine last week, but de- clined, as it is the intention of the company to further develop. Steam and diamond drills have been introduced this season for prospecting machinery, and a sawmill has come into the camp recently, and this enterprise will soon be buzzing. The Maid of the Mist'' mine ranks with the Red Cloud, and is charmingly situated at the junction of the Uncompaghre and Pough- keepsie Its development is: Shaft, 105 feet, and tunnel to connect with it 80 feet. Levels have been run from the shaft, and the mineral taken out, steel galena and gray cop per, is very rich and very beautiful There are three feet of it. At both these mines are spacious buildings for the men, office and storehouse. Of the other mines will speak in another letter. The autumn is superb here in the mountains The days are warm and the nights cold. It is thought that we can remain in here until November l, but it is doubtful When the beautiful snow starts in for business it covers cabins and makes travel impossible except on snow sboes The mines that run all winter are be- ino stocked with food and fuel. It involves an immense supply in such mine as the Red Cloud to supply thirty men for six months.
 ZED.
 A Domestic BrOiI.
 From the Burlington Hawkeye.]