Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-14
BETTER FROM COLORADO.
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LEADvnLz, pDLoR4D0l Sept. q. 1852.
Probably the bsst khhEa And mos
famous of all the groupes Of mines
around Leadville is thet one which
gave Governor Tabor his big strike
theL Little Pittsbufg. sThe'mAhne OF
its discovery has oflen been told. Mr..
Tabor, who then kept store on Cali
foruia Gulch. was induced to "grub
stake George Hook and August
Rische, both without means. BY this
it is meant that he was to furnish
these men provisions and tools for
prospecting for certain length OF
time for a half interest in whatever
they discovered. The men went up
on what is now called Fryer Hill and
commsnced digging. Mr.. Fryer had
already begun operations at this point,
and the men located their claim Just
above his shaft. MI, Tabor has often
said since that ifshe.had known where
the men, were going to begin. he never
would have risked anything OH their
success, and more than once before
the ore was struck he thought OF WITH
drawing his GRUB stake, But in a
few days Mr.. Fryer struck a vein and
opened up what is called the "New
Discovery mine, while shortly after
Mr.. Tabor's partners found the same
vein and named their mine the Little
Pittsburg. In these two mines have
been uncovered the most remarkable
bodies Of ore yet discovered In this
whole region. Mr.. Tabor bought out
his two grub stake partners for $50,
900, after which he took out of the
mine three orfohr hundred thousand
dollars worth OF ore IN i've -or six
months and then sold his claim to
Ceaffee and Moffstt for 81, 900, 900.
The first discovery here, a short
time previous to the two just men
toned, was the Iron mine. The his
tory Of this discovery isy the history of
the beginning Of the great excitement
here, and has already been referred to
in a foamer letter. It is nav owned
by Mr.. Stevens, one Of the original
discoyerers, and Mr. Letter. apgFners J
chant prince Of Chicago, I'D 1873
MI Letter was travelling IN SCS Colorado
for his health and while at Leadville
early. in the seasonMr. Stevens offered
to sell him q half interest in the hole
he, had dug for $4,000. Leitert
thought he could afford to lose that.
amount, being a very !.wealthy s man,
and he took the offer. In that trans
action,he bought,at least a$5QQ,a0o, as
the mine has realized more, than $l,y,
OO0, 900 alrebtiy.,I Til the yWinterI fol 4
lowing these hiscovsties, Judge Penn
dry, Of Leavenworth, Kansas, came to
Leadville and having selected spot
on what is now called Carbonate Hill
built fire to melt of the snow and
ice and began n sink a perpsndicuIar
shaft. = Everybody in Leadville
laughed at him. They told him the
top of his hole was far below the vein,
and thatif he went down .toi tina gran
ite he would find no ore. But in spite
Of these discouragements and in def
snce of popular judgement ana that Of
experts he went on until q depth Of SS
feet he struck a rich vein which caused
more excitement than any other dis
covery ever made here, except the
first one. These are few of the ear
liesS and most Important discoveries,
andsfromiwhat I have given soneidea
may be obtained Of the value of such
''fnd." But these embrace only q
small portion Of the mines now in op-
Grafton around Leadville, am told
that there are ip all oyer three hhqnd-
red different mines, besides many
small holes not dignifed with the
name. From where ] now write / can
count the steam pipes from twenty
five mines producing from ten to two
hundred tons per day, and it does not
look much as though Leadville was
'played out" when, besides all these
more are being discovered daily. The
prospector is still abroad.
The finding of carbonate ores made
great revolution in the y business. Of
prospecting. Previous to this the dis
covery Of mines was Vi profession OF
occupation with its well understood
and carefully followed rules iof pro
ceedure. The s'prospectors" of West
ern mining regions have themselves
rarely been miners. It has not beer
their business to deselop veins oflthe
precious metal, or to take out ore, but
they have simply been, the discoverers
and having struck apay rock they
have generally sold out and moved o.
to new fields. Nor does the profes
sional "prospecto-" go digging abou
on the mountain sides inan aimles
way hoping to make strike, but h,
proceeds systematically and in som,
degree scientifically He searches Vi
and down thegulches fot. a'foatp O
detached pieces Of ore that have beel
broken off and, washed, down TO th
stream. Having found "aoat' Of ap
parent richness, he takes careful not
Of the position inswhich titles and th
general contour Of the ground in .th
vicinity in order to determine the di
rection from which itsmust have come
Then he goes upon the hill to- find th
out-crop, and IL successful does n