The Elk Mountain pilot., 1882-07-27
As OTHERS SEE Us.
4 Very Instructive and Descriptive Letter
Written By On. Nbo Has Made
A Personal Examination.

around THIS country, closely examH-
! ing the mines, is at different times
contributing letters to the Denver
Republican. Below we republlsn
communication from HIM to that paper
IN the issue of the 18th. HIS sgb;ect
! is confined to one mine and the Pio-
neer mill, but 3, we trust that he will
speak further Of other interests in the
camp. 1t only goes oshow what dis
interested parties think of our camp:
Irwin is mining town, pleasantly
situated at an elevation of 10, 200 feet
above sea level, a place in which. if
there was little more attention paid
to the streets and their condition,
could be made handsome mountain
town. Comparatively speaking, 1t is
young yet, being wholly the outgrcwth
Of the discovery and output of the
Forest Queen in 1879, with many
subsequent rich discoveries in radius
OF five miles, helping to make up the
whole. 1t IS the supply point of as
rich a mining districtas is known any
where over the range, with popula-
tion at present of over 1000, and
which, in the next thirty days am
assured, will be doubled. Owing to
the ]ateness of the season this year,
very many who put in the season here
actively working have not returned
yet, but will put in an appearance
soon, besides bringing many new men
with them. so that a few weeks time
will make every difference in work
done, and III that time the surround
ing mountain basins will be resound-
ing with the explosions of powder
and rending rocks, while Irwin, as a
supply point for rich mining dis
trict, will show the hustle and activity
of business that it deserves.
There are two or three good hotels
here, chief among them being the
Windsor, kept by mine host Ayers.
There are school houses, a neat little
church, and more business houses by
far than Crested Butte, although that
is the shipping point that Irwin is
tributary to. My first visit was to the
mill built by the Good Enough mining
company. under the supervision OF
Professor (?) Jacobs, and like many
Of the Professors % experiments,
turned out to be an expensive one for
the men who furnished the money.
1t does seem too bad that such men
do (and always willy find men with
means who will advance money for
the most lmpTacticable operations in
connection with mining, the result of
which is failure and loss. If the whole
loss fell upon the men conducting
such enterprises, it would not be SO
bad !; but the worst part lies in the
fact that the failure acts disastrously
on the surrounding camp and other
investments. 1t is also used as means
Of ill to the locality by the very men
who have caused the failure, and
whose only claim to public notice is
their burden of conceit, ignorance,
and stupidity. Graduating with these
talents, they may rightly be styled
8" Professors"
This mill is now represented in
ownership by Mr.. Marshall Webb, of
New York City; and one must really
admire this gentleman pluck in try
ing to make the best of what has been
done. The mill has been remod-
eled SO that sa'npling can be done
and ores purchased, making a cash
market at home for ores produced in
this neighborhood. This is what all
mining camps need first, cash mar
ket at home, SO that aprospector with
only his labor and locations for cap
ital, can turn the results produced in
to cash, be it 500 or 5000 pounds of
ore, and with that money can hire
labor and so produce the larger
amounts afterwards, thus making q
steady, direct and beneficial result to
a mining section: The very money
that is often tied up in impracticable
reduction works, in partially developed
districts, will more than furnish the
capital for the business, and the chances