Delta chief., 1883-07-25
The national Belle cave.

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From the Red Mountain Review.
The mineral wealth and wonderful richness
of the Red Mountain district have been the
theme of many newspaper correspondent,
and if any doubters as to its real and perma-
nent value exist, their doubts must now have
an end for we can this week chronicle a dis
covery which has set the whole district,wild,
and cannot fail to excite the deepest interests
of the thousands who are interested here.
The National Belle mine has always borne
the reputation of being one Of the richest in
the district, ranking next to the Yankee Girl,
but now at one bound the Belle comes to the
the front, and the mine has yet to be found
which can even bear comparison with her.
About o'clock Wednesday afternoon, while
the owners of this valuable property were
prosecuting the vein in their lo0-foot tunnel
to ascertain its width, they broke through the
wall ON the east side, at u distance of some 10
or IA feet from the tunnel. Hollow echoes
came back from the cavity thus disclosed, and
rocks thrown in were heard to roll consider
able distance. Thaking candle in his hand
one of the men descended into the darkness,
and found himself in an immense natural
chamber, the .ilickerng rays of the light
showing him the yanlfcd roof far above
scanned with bright strcaks of galena and in
tcrspersed with masses of soft carbonates,
chlorides and pure white tale. On different
sides of this remarkable chamber were small
openings leading to other rooms or chambers,
showing the same wonderful rich formation
We were early on the ground, and through
the courtesy Of the lucky owners. were shown
through every paSt Of this mineral wonder
From the large chamber first discovered we
groped our way by the pickering light Of a
candle through the narrow opening which
barely afforded room for passage, up into an
immanss natural tunnel, running above and
across the route of the present working drift
q distance Of some 100 feet, clambering over
great boulders of pure galena, and mounds Of
soft gray carbonates, carefully inspecting the
walls and roof overhead. which we found to
be for the greater distance solid mass Of
chloridcs and carbonates. Returning to our
starting place we went down an incline of
some fifty feet, and made oar way through
another narrow opening, when we found our
selves in tunnel some forty feet in length,
similar to the first and showing the same
wonderful display Of mineral. Returning we
explored still another which shows for a con-
siderable distance a wall solid galcna, broken
here and there along its entire length. the
parts exposed glitteringin in the uncsrtnin light
like so many diamonds. IL would seem Us
though nature had gathered here choice treas
ures from her inexhnustible storehousc, and
wroAight these tunnels, natural Stopping places
and chambers studded with glittering crys-
tails and bright mineral to dazzle the eyes of
man in after ages and lure him TO other
treasure hidden deeper in the bowels of the
earth. To estimate the amount of mineral in
sight would be almost an impossibility, but
an estimate of the entire length of the cavities
which have been explored, is given as being
close to 800 feet. The owners, Mcssrs. Pye,
Abrams, Hovey, Wood, Journey and Real,
will proceed to more thoroughly develop the
different natural openings at once, and ex-
plore them more thoroughly, especially one
leading to chamber which they suppose to
be mach larger than any Of the others, as it
runs deeper into the hill. A large body of
soft mineral which fell during the night eff
fcctuaily seals up the entrance for the pres
cnt The news of the discovery spread like
wildfire and crowds came to see the sight,
|, and to many of them ii was one never to be
forgotten.
This mine alone can produce 100 tons day
of ore which will mill from 800 TO 400 per
ton. mill run of sixteen tons of the black
copper ore gave 45.9 per cent copper, 20 ozs.
silver and 81 in gold. Fifty tons Of what
looked like soft yellow dirt, and was at first
considered worthless, nettcd $50 per ton.
There are n hundred other properties in the
district which would show astonishing results
with fair amount of systematic develop
rnent work. The wonderful results of the
past few months have entirely upset the the.
ories of those old timers who have always
doubted the actual permancnt'Salue of Red
Mountain as mining district, and scattered
to the winds the doubts Of wise unbclievers.
There still a score Of National Bellies and
Yankee Girls undiscovered and trndcveloped,
and time will prove this statement to be n
cold fact. With more than score Of produc-
ing mines, some Of them the most wonderful
In tie history OF mining in Colorado, and a
hundred prospects showing pay mineral from
the grass-roots, can there be any doubt but
that the future Of Red Mountain will be a
brilliant one?
The natural increase Of Colorado cattle this