The Portland daily press., 1881-02-10
Colorado Silver Mines.

We clip from the New York World the fol-
lowing interesting account of some remark
able silver mines recently discovered in Gun
nison county Colorado. 1t will be seen that
these mines are owned chiefly by two Maine
men, Senator Blaine and VIM. T. Holt; Esq
of this city. After describing the surrounding
country and mentioning some mines Of less
note, the Worlds correspondent says
But the most famous mine of all Gunnison
is the Forest Queen, and you cannot tarry In
Irwin an hour without being asked, "Have
you seen the Forest Queen?" Well, it is
as Irwin when properly developed, and its his
tsry is worth repeating. A ''tenderfoot,"
named w. A. Fisher, who had driven all the
way froW Maryland with an OK team, and who
had never seen mine, arrived at the lower
end OF Ruby Gulch on the evening of July 7,
1873. The grade was very steep and the mud
almost bottomless at his point of entry, and his
wagon became almost hopelessly mired A
spectator, .. 2. Mace, succeeded in pulling
him out with strong pair of mules, and Fish
or gratefully told him he would give him a
half interest in the first mine he found Mace
little thought the kindness, small as it was,
would net him 100000; but next morning
Fisher started up the nearest gulch, which
happened to be that leading to the head of
Coal Creek Not more than 200 Yards above
the town he found tremendous dyke or vein
OF quartz crossing the gulch and laid plainly
bare by the constant action of the stream.
Verdant as he was he could not help seeing
ruby, native and brittle silver. The claim on
the north side of the creek he named the For
est Queen and that on the south side the Ruby
King. He gave Mace his choice, which settled
upon the Ruby King, and thus were located
the two great mines which have since created
such Juror in the mining world. Strangely
enough, Mace sold his portion, with less than
while Fisher, who made about the same devel-
opments on what has generally been conceded
the better mine, sold for $4,000.
The Forest Queen vein is from 100 to 125 #.
wide, IT'S course northeast and southwest, and
It's dip from tire vertical IL degrees to the
east Ii protrudes from the surface in man.
moth lodges of hard, hinty quartz for nearly
1OOO feet. The pay-streak, running from to
leet in width, is composed Of just such ma
terial as referred to in notes concerning the
Old Shiek and other Ruby mines, with this
difference, that throughout the 1000 feet OF
groupings ore worth anywhere from IS 900 to
$4,000 per ton is found in respectable quanti-
ties. Near the deepest shaft the vein has been
cut down some 20 feet and graded to make
room for extensive hoisting works, a surface
some 100 feet square being thus exposed. Not
only In the main pay-streak, here plainly dis
cernible, but dozen smaller stree ks of ruby,
brittle silver, native silver and chlorides, as
saying high up Ill the thousands, are ditfused
throughout the 100 feet of vein matter. Last
fall $4,000 worth of ore was taken out of
cut some TO feet long and 10 feet deep. Over
$4,000 worth OF ore was taken out during the
summer at a total expense for mining of 800.
This ran uD to $1,000 per ton. A shaft 4x12 #.
is down 10 feet, having passed through solid
shipping ore all the way, and tunnel is now
in lOO feet from the point of discovery at the
creek bed, also disclosing immense bodies Of
high-grade minerals. The ore taken from the
shaft alone-which is always considered dead
work"-has paid for all developments, for the
employ OF thirty mon, for timbering, grading
and expensive hoisting works and 500 per
foot net profit besides. The ore has not been
assorted, but shipped to Denver and other
points just as it came from the vein. / have
before me statements from Senator Hills
smelling works at Denver showing that ore av-
eraged 619 ounces of silver to the ton in car
load lots, and another shipment taken from
within four feet Of the surface that returned
S1S3 per ton, small percentage being gold.
The ore can undoubtedly be assorted so as to
run anywhere from 5000 to $4,000, for / saw
at the mines a dozen racks-part of one or two
tons of specimens selected each month-and
these lots have averaged 5000 ounces silver per
ton descended into the shaft Just after two
blasts were fired, and found nearly two tons of
rich ore strewn over the bottom, fragments Of
ruby silver as richly colored as the name
would indicate, and masses weighing two hun
dred to three hundred pounds, full Of brittle,
native and ruby silver
The Forest Queen is indeed royal find, :"
with its capital Of S1,000,000 in sight twice
over There are 10000 shares Of stock of par
value of 500, and the confidence Of some
holders in the future OF the property can be