The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-06-25
MAJOR TOM NORTON
writes an Interesting Letter Prom the
Far west-A Intelligent and
Graphic sketch OF the
Mining Business.
SILVER CL1Yv, Coz, June %.


sa In the performance Of this task hope I
a. convey such information as may serve :
o. guide the Judgement Of persons longin
le to seek their fortunes in this new Eide
!, RADIO.
r. The history Of Colorado begins with tn
ID year 1858, when the discovery Of preclou
y metals at Pixies Peake electrified th
Y country, and produced wild, tumultu
h Gus torrent OF emigration, which, viii
/. occasional lulls, has continued ever since
The breaking out Of the civil war nj
= doubt retarded the developments Of th,
State many years, by absorbing into III,
n armies the thousands Of adventurous
I spirits, who would otherwise have beer
q lured here by viSionsot gold. Daring thai
a unhappy period OF our country's history
\ men were 70 iniiRmed by partisan passion
that had Il been known the Rocky Noun.
= talns were mass OF solid silver, It would
: not have diverted the minds oil men from
, the dreadful work Of war. Our American
/ blood was up, and we had TO fight L out,
!. II Il took dozen summers. But with the
I return Of peace. and the practice Of health.
/ full economy, We soon repaired the devas.
! tatiOn OF war, aud In no great time the
supply began TO exceed the demand, and
Colorado again became the refuge Of men
OF shattered fortunes, and the idle and IN.
emnIoyed llocked thither. Some were sus.
tanned amid all their perils and priyations
by the sAnguine hope OF realizing riches,
and others battling In the grimace Of
despair, but all alike contributing TO the
rapid development OF a Territory that has
already assumed 4 unique place 10 the
history Of the Republic, audSEo laying the
foundation OF State which, while differ.
Ing SO widely from all Others, Is destined,
In my opinion, 10 add countless millions
to the aggregate wealth Of the Nation.
In his first inaugural address President
Grant secuted the idea OF the American
people being unable to meet their dnan.
cial obligations by the payment Of The
public debt, and alter referring 10 our
vast commercial, manufacturing aud agri.
cultural resources, said that We possessed
q treasure box In the West from which
alone we could extract enough gold and
silver to pay II ten times over. That Is
not an exaggerated observation. The
mineral wealth oil this region Is simply
fabulous. II dumbiounds the Imagination
and far exceeds the widest dreams OF the
widest enthusiast.
Yesterday there died at Washington a
man named Col. Suffer. Well authenti.
Gated facts point ~ him rs the original
discoverer OF gold In California In 1878 or
40, and this distinction will be attached TO
his name In history; butt would be quite
US easy 10 ascertain who fired the trst
shot at the battle OF Waterloo, as 10 tell
who first discovered gold and silver in
Colorado. Everything relating TO the
earlier mining history Of the State pos
sesses peculiar interest. For example, It
Is said that the pioneer prospeotors con.
fined themselves 10 the search OF gold
alone, aud knew nothing about the exist
ence Of silver, discarling many Of the
most valuable sulphurets Of silver rs en-.
tirely worthless, aud that 1t was only by
an accidental comparison OF these ores
with specimens from the COmstock lodes
OF Nevada, that their value became estab.
liShed.
However that may be, 1t Is certain that
worry complete knowledge has now been
acquired, not only OF the intrinsic value
Of the minerals, but also oil their peculiar
formations In carbonates, chl0ndes, sui.
phurites, &C., and at the same time cor
responding advance has been made In the
various method Of mining them. l. Is no
longer possible for men TO come TO Color
ado and acquire wealth by mining with.
out capital. '0ne might as well set up 4
nail machine In Gow.shed and call him.
self manufacturer, MS 10 dig prospect
hole In q mountain side and call himself
miner. L
The business Of mining Is good and grad.
u8l.ly assuming phase Of legitimacy, and
capital embATkJ in IL on most extensive {
scale, aud with fair prospects OF finding In
It safe and profitable investment. To
illustrate my meaning: Here ut Silver :
Gill Is located the celebrated chloride
bluff, known as the Racine Bay mine,
nov the property VI tho Silver Cllg Com. i
pany, Joseph Keent, OF Sew York, presi-
dent; capital $l0,p0O,0O0, To get q fair idea i
OF this immense mIneraliIet rock, take
stroll out Wheeling creek and look at |
some OF the numerous lime stone Quarries .
that have been opened there.
Then suppose this same stone 10 be per- q
meated with chloride OF silver, which re- :
qulred machinery worth 500 00n % trea, /.
it, Of what value womb the ownership OF |.
u be 70 man entirely destitute Of capital 2 i
Thus y is everywhere. At l9adyiie we I
find tue Little Pittsburgh, ChrySolite, /
Robert Z. Lee, and hundredS OF other /
mines with capital ranging from FIVE 10
ten millions Of dollars, operated with gi-
gRntic and costly machinery, rendering It
ALMOST impossible for q miner, no matter
how rich d claim he may have, to operate
1t to any advantage In competition with
these bloated corporations. At this place i
the same condition OF things exist. Here
IA the BAssick, Plata Viede, Bull Domingo,
and Silver Chi, all operated with expen. :
sive machinery, and organized with cap
itAl OF ten millions each.
Right adjoining the Silver Gilt pro.
perry there Is claim owned by two men
who were the original losators, They
have no capital TO erect stamp mills, and
rather than sell their properly below It's
real value, they obstinately hang on
hoping that fresh capital may som0 day !
come TO their assistance. These men take 1
ton Of ore to q custom mill or smelter, i
Gssaylng say l25 ounces, aud get for II
about sl5. These figures show the dlsad.
vantage Of mining without the requisite
machinery. Thus It Is, that while this
whole region Of country seems 10 be one
vast mineral deposit, and while in the very
clay, and the rocks on mountain tops, or
even under the roots OF grass In the
meadows, or by sinking Ihal,s anywhere
on the upIanda or lowlauds, precious
metals may be found, yet II requires not
only LABOR 10 get them out oil the ground
but money 10 extract tho mineral from
these low grade ores,
The wealth Of the country consists In
the immense size and extent Of ores
that are easily reduced In mills or smelt-
ers. But he whe comes here expecting
TO lind gold nuggets or silver bricks scat
tered around loose, will be badly dIsap-
pointed. You might as reasonably ex-
peCt to find three.penny, tine-blued nails
and watch springs In the iron ore pile At
the Belmont Blast Furnace, Erom what
has been gaid you will infer that this is no
place for the poor man. That Is exactly
the meaning wish 10 convey. Capital Is
required here, more than labor, and the
natural timidity Of the former will, for
some time 10 come, rotard the propsr de.
velopment oil the great aud alI.ab5orbiDg
industry o! the Centennial State. Ill
should not be understood that enc must
control million or morp in order 70 aGV.
coed in milling operations, butthe investor
in silver lolea must 10 laden BY enough
to carefully and properly develop his prop.
erty, and must, above oil things, limit and
restrict his investments TO q point nicely
adjusted to his ability to accomplish the
object have stated.
before closing this letter, wish 10 re.
move mistaken impression largely pre-.
vailing in the east concerning the char.
acler Of society in this vicinity. Many
persons believe 1t TO be a wild end desc.
late country, WHERE ths laws are imper-
ieetly executed, aud lie and properly are
insecure. This Is altogether erroneous.
Silver CHI now contains q population Of
aVoor SIX thousand sogls and Is as well