The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-04-01
THE Ell DORADO OF COLORADO.
The wonderful Development of the
Gunnison Country.

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A brief history of the earliest discov-
cries of the Gunnison country must
prove of interest. Eight years ago
George and Lewis Waite, unsephisti-
Gated Yankees, began prospecting for
minerals in the Rocky mountain region
of Colorado. They sloped over the
around the divide in Lake county. fifty
miles southwest of Fairplay. In the
rough country near the head of the
Gunnison river they found abandoned
surface diggings, evidently made in
1860, during the craze caused by reported
rich discoveries at the head of the Ar
kansas. Near these surface diggings
they found vein OF silver that cropped
to the surface above the bed of small
creek. 1t ran directly through the
mountain. The brothers returned to
Denver with specimens of the ore, which
were analysed by Prof. Hill, then of
Black Hawk. They contained both
silver and gold in good paying quanti-
ties. Satisfied that they had struck a
fortune the Yankees laid in fresh sup
plies and returned to The Gunnison
country. They located themselves on
the Saguache and Cottonwood sours. in
the heart OF the Rocky mountains
Snowman's peak, Crystal mountain, So
per's peak, Galena, Treasure, and Gothic
mountain, and the Crested buffers reared
their snowy heads above them, and nu-
merous mountain torrents scanned the
country below with rocky deliles. The
best of timber covered the mountains,
and grass in profusion grew in the little
valleys.
The Yankees began to work on tun-
mel near the top OF an elevation called
Whopper mountain. The hill was cut
off from a similar elevation by creek.
and the vein was afterward discovered
in the opposite hill. 1t was staked Off
under the name of the Index. A third
location called the Teller was afterward
made on Maroon creek, three miles
away.
For six years these Yankees tunneled
Whopper mountain, tumbliDg the ore
on dumps, and awaiting the develop
ment of the country. Occasionally n
pack mule, laden with ore for assays
was driven to Denver, returning with
much needed supplies. Supplies were
also got from Alamosa and Canyon City.
1t would not, however, pay to pack the
ore to the Denver reduction works by
mule. and at times the brothers were
forced to abandon their claims through
10y Vi uotVhuhSe. uey Iluu SldTleu III
with little capital, but it had melted
away before the end of the second win
ter. That spring George and Lewis went
to Fairplay and worked in the mines at
that place. scrupulously saving their
wages. Before winter they invested
their surplus earnings in supplies, and
returned to their labor on the Whopper.
They made no secret Of their discoveries.
but old prospectors called them two
tender feet" and laughed them to scoln.
The brothers worked manfully at their
tunnel, leaving it for other work when
ever necessity compelled them so to
do. The Leadville excitement sprang
up about fifty miles east of them, but
they remained at the Whopper, regard
less of the wonderful stories that reached
them. Adventures poured into Lead
vile like water into n cistern. The els.
tern was overlooked, and in the fall of
l67Sa very little of the overflow reached
the two Yankees. Surprising discov-
cries were made, and with the opening
OF the summer of 1879 the country was
Hooded with prospectors. The noun
talns were pitted before fall like men
who had suffered from smallpox. 1t is
estimated that ne lrly 5000 prospectors
visited the Gunnison country before the
first fall OF snow. Their marvellous ta,es
intensified the excitement to an unusal
degree. Men are penetrating tile coun-
try on snow shoes at the present time,
and several persons have lost their lives
in an effort to locate claims before the
season opens.-DenUer Republican,.