New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-28
LEADVILLE AND ITS MINES
THE IRON SILVER PROPERTIES.

LEADvILLE Co.. Sept. 22.-The Iron Silver mine
win always be invested with peculiar interest be-
cause though not the first of the carbonate deposits
to be discovered near Leadvle tfor the Rock nine,
on the other side OF California Gulch, and owned
by the same company, was located long before II
was it was the fist to attract attention to this dis
trict. and, to use phrase which, although origi-
mating in the West. has lately become naturalzed
in the East started the remarkable mining boom in
this part of the State. When / visited the Iron Sill
yer mine, sixteen months ago. old blr. Stevens, the
founder Of Leadville was still managing the prop
erty, which then belonged to himself and Mr..
Letter of Chicago. lie lived and had his office in
one log cabin and boarded in another,where a camp
cook served up a variety OF vlands without much
regard TO elegance OF style. wh1m turned by
horse was used for hauling the cars loaded with ore
and waste from the mine, and in the absence OF
many buildings and with the primitive ways OF
living and working the mine Iron Hill had the ar
of new camp.
PRESENT MANAGEMENT or IRON SILVER
Since that time o great company has been formed
in New-York to which the property has been trans
ferred although Messrs. Stevens and Letter still re-
tain enough of the stock to enable them to control
the organization; the mines have been for several
months under the management of distinguished
mining engineers, who. apparently without regard
to expense, equipped the property in the most ap-
proved style. New buildings. some OF them OF a
pretentious character, have been erected
machinery has been purchased and set up. q new
incline has been sunk into the hill, the finest ore
bins and arrangements for disposng of waste rock
in the district have been put up. a comfortable,
convenient and finely furnished Office has been
built and the officials and heads of departments
about the mines dine as elegantly as tley would at
their homes in the East.
But all these great improvements, though made IN
o substantial and workmanlIke manner, were very
expensive and absorbed the income of the mines 10
such an extent that. for the first time. they were
not only i'll danger of paying no profits to the stock
holders, but actually of getting into debt Under
these circumstances, 1t was thought best for Mr.
Stevens to return and resume tine management OF
the property himself, and he arrived in Leadville
about two weeks ago. / never met man who
seemed to me moro competent to take great enter
prise like the Iron Silver mine upon his shoulders
than Mr.. Stevens. He has the reputation among
those who do not know him or whom he does not
care TO know of being gruff, disagreeable man,
with whom it is difficult to be friendly terms. 1t
IS true that lie puts Oh no airs" and has ID his
manner some of the rough bluntness of the mining
camps in which he has spent forty years Of his life;
but to those who have any claim upon him, and to
many who have none, he is hOspitable and polite.
No mine manager in Leadville has taken greater
pains to explain to me everything Of interest con-
nected with his mine, and have found no one more
capable of doing than Mr.. Stevens. Dressed III
his coarse suit of clothes carrying long oak cane,
with spike in the end of it, be went into every
part of the mines with me and all over the surface
improvements. and afterward spent an hour with
me in explaining the maps.
1t may be interesting TO the stockholders Of the
Iron Silver mine 10 knOwt at since Mt. Stevenss ar
rival there has been an enormous reduction in the
expense of operating the property. In August the
number of men employed about l30O, but
he has already discharged between 500 and 900, and
with the remainder. less than 800 men, he Is max
Ing the mine produce and ship the same quantity o.
ore as when the cost of labor was nearly $1,000 O
day greater than it now is.
EXTENT or TIE PROPERTY.
The Iron Silver Mining Company owns line Of
claims which were located on the Outcrop for dis
lance of two miles extending almost the whole
length Of Iron Hill and across California Guch, on
the further side of which are the Rock Dome, and
other mines all owned by the same corporation.
The line of contact between the porphyry and lime
stone runs nearly north and south the west side
of the hill, and lies about half way up from the
gulch TO the summit, and the plane of the contact
dips into the hill toward the east at angle of II
or 1872 The ore shutes. Of which there several,
as shall explain further on, lie in this plane Of
contact but extend across diagonally their strike
beng In a northeasterly and southwesterly diroc-
ton.
OF the several ore shutes, that on which the Iron
mine proper, that is, the claim that was located
under that name. is situated, has been most ex-
pored and upon II the important operations of
the company have taken place. The mines on tins
shute were laid out as those Of the Leadvllc Com
pauy on Carbonate Hill were, along the line of con-
tact instead of at right angles TO IT, but the Iron
Silver Mining Company now holds an undisDutcd
title to three parallel cnms at this point that the
main incline was driven INTO the hill 600 feet before
# passed beyond the comDany's surface boundaries.
From the face OF this Incline prospecting drift has,
by permission Of the court been driven the con-
tact 400 feet further where five small holes have
been bored through into the workings Of the Tucson
mine. with which a controversy now exists.
From the surface to the end of this drift 900
feet, the ore IS continuous The limestone foot wall
Is full OF waves which cause the ore TO be thicker
in some places than in others sometimes il pinches
down 10 4 streak only few inches across.aud some
times il opens out large chambers but nowhere
does it entirely disappear. 1t Is, indeed, one Of
the best defined contact in this entire district
The strike of this shute in the contact, like that
Of those on Carbonate Hill, is north, 2Co east,
that the dip OF the body itself is east Of north
From the surface TO the bottom OF the main incline
geo feet, the Iron mine has been very thoroughly
developed. Levels have been cut at intervals Of
100 feet and these have been connected by wiD2es
SO that large masses Of have been exposed all
four sides. From the surface 20 depth Of 200 feet
the greater part Of the ore has been removed, but
for 400 feet below the second level very little stop
ing has been done, SO that without any further eX
poratons tie Iron mine could continue its present
output Of 100 tons day for long time to come.
The average product Of the ore is forty ounces Of
silver and 40 per cent lead, and Its market value
about so ton.
Mr. stevens, since his return, has caused a very
ca reful survey OF the mines belonging 10 his com
o,1, 10 he Innde which has not vet boon comple tod