The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-11-03
SILVER MINING IN COLORADO.
The Pptean Forms in Which The Queer
Metal" Hides Mining as a Busi-
ness.--Why Eastern Capitalists
Ase 50 Often Bitten in
Mine Investments.

| MluV luNVStlutUN.
If :here be aught in a name, Ruby
Camp merits we'll its title-not from
the dark-red mountain peaks, colored
deep with iron stain, which encircle
it like the walls of an ampitheater; bu,
from that rare variety Of silver ore,
most beautiful of all forms in
which the Queen metal occurs,
known to the mineraloglst as "pyr-
argyrite," but to the miner only as
"ruby silver" Formed of "a combi-
nation Of silver, sulpher and antimony,
its dark, dull-colored crystals carry
some 10 per cent. of pure silver, and
when broken open flash with an ex-
quisite carmine.
Leadville may boast of her carbon
ates and chlorides, and the Ssn Juan
of her rich gray copper. The glory
of the Gunnison is her ruby ore.
Elsewhere rare, it occurs here in all
the richest mines in abundance. The
ore of the Venango" is pink with
it. The famous Forest Queen" is
just shipping some magnificent specl-
mems of solid ruby silver some two
inches in thinkness to the Atlanta ex-
hlbition. While up at the "Ruby
Chief" I have watched the sorters"
breaking open huge pieces of mineral
when every blow of the hammer left
its impress in blood-red stain the
size of my hand. The case of a
miner at Kokomo who "struck it "
while digging the grave Of 4 deceased
comrade was rivall here the other
day, when some laborers engaged in
leveling the steep streets Of Irwin un.
earthed some rich bolders of ruby
silver i" float"' from neighborine
nine, which netted them handsome
sum.
Before l visited the camp l thought
| knew silver when l saw it. In point
of fact, however, a tender-toot +" is
about as good a judge of mineral as a
street Arab is of brussels and honiton.
Silver hides from the vulgar gaze
under protean forms and an endless
variety Of color. 1t occurs in this
camp in at least half a dozen different
combinations, widely differing in
appearance and characteristics. l,
may be green as in chlorides, black as
In sulphurets, pink as in ruby, or
wholly invisible, glittering and bril-
liant, or dull and lusterless, and indis-
tlngulshable from worthless loan OF
sand. Besides ruby silver there is
brittle silver" otherwise known as
stephanite, carrying 80 per cent. Of
pure metal; argentite or "silvel
glance" still richer with the allied
black sulphuret the occasionally
native" }" the pure article, white with
a molten luster, and sometimes in
delicate curled filaments, which vari-
ETY. is styled wlre," and is greatly
priced by that dread of mine owners,
the specimen fend" Then, too,
the vein matter is usually prevailed
by zinc-blende, galena, black iron;
pyrites of iron or copper, and SO on
ad-infnitum. The result of weeks
practice is usually to enable the new
conner to call zinc-blende brittle sill
yer with great readiness, to confuse
galena with ruby on every occasion
and to distinguish balck sulphuret
with unfailing inaccuracy.
! have spent a whole morning in
the laboratory Of the Gunnison samp-
ling works in Irwin, with the courte-
Gus and expert manager, G. N. Viii.
Hanson, and old member of the New
York 9TH, only to issue from the ex-
hlbltlon and explanation of some
dozen or more varieties of the pre-
cious metals with the impression left on
my confused mind that silver was 4
substance closely resembling coal, red
like watermelon when broken open,
and to be detected only by scra:; ,e
with penknife, as diamonds are de-
termined by the file. But it is Esci.
mating to watch the ore as it comes
under the hammer of the +" softer I"
a Is fed into the iron jaws Of he
" crusher, stained and discolored BY