Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-27
LOOKING FOR GOLD.
Ben Butler Visits Colorado to Per.
SOnally Investigate the San
Miguel Placers.
WORKING TO BOOM his MINES.
Severe Snow Storms and Cold Weather
Play Havoc With Treasure Seekers
of Leadyille.
WORKING TO BOOM his MINES.
THE WONDERFUL SHERIDAN STRIKE
Leads Everything and is Said to be the Greatest Find
Made IN the West
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO TIE DISPATCH,

. NEW YORK, October 26.-The following
reports have been received from the leading
mining centers of the West:
DENvER.-On the authority of a prom
inent mining man it is stated that the
object of the visit of General B. f. But
Ter and his party to this State is the boom
ing of the San Miguel placers. The San
Miguel Gold Placer Mining Company was
organized in 1855, with Judge Decker at its
head and a number of prominent Eastern
and Western capitalists among its stock
holders. The capitalization was $40, 1000, 600.
Not much was done, however, to-
ward developing the pIacers. Experts
visited the plaeers and made their
usual reports, and occasionally a
party OF capitalists would speculate
on the outlook. Subsequently the head
quarters passed to New York, with New
York man at the head of the enterprise.
Last summer still another change was
made. General Butler was made Presi-
dent; ex-United States Treasurer Gilfllan,
Secretary, and the offices were removed to
Boston. The present visit of the Generals
party is brought about solely for the pur-
pose of examining into the company's pos
sessions and bringing the enterprise before
Eastern capitalists. The property OF the
company consists OF IL bars on the San
Miguel river, between Placerville and Tel
luride and experts have estimated that
there are Il, 100000 cubic wards of earth in
the property, which will average Al cents
yard.
The cold weather is already playing havoc
with miners around Leadville. Last Friday
c. J. Ladd and John McMare lett Leadville
for the London mine by wagon. When they
got to the summit of Mosquito Pass they en-
countered a severe snow storm an0 were lost.
Ladd played out, and McMare went
down to the mine for assistance The relief
party carried Ladd down to a cabin on the
outskirts of Evansville, about three miles
from the base of Mosquito Pass and about
seven miles from Leadville. The relief
party, six in all, were completely exhausted
and could carry Ladd no further & few
hours afterward Ladd died. This will serve
around Leadville.
The great Sheridan strike at Telluride is
the chief topic discussed by mining men IN
Colorado at present The Sheridan mine
was discovered in 1876 and consists of three
claims. Out of each claim perhaps $780, 900
TO $50, 900 was taken. In 1885 an English
syndicate, which is operating exclusively at
Hong Kong, became interested and pur-
chased the Sheridan. In 1887 they also
bought the Mendotta, and two years later
the Smuggler. A little over two years ago
they started the great cross-cut tunnel. 1t
taps the south end of the Sheridan vein, but
develops all three claims, which are now re-
garded as practically one. The
price paid for the three claims
aggregated between S600,0OO and $780,
600. 1t was very expensive matter
10 work these claims, the lowest OF any of
them being about timber line. The Men
dotta is the farthest up the mountain, the
altitude OF its highest point being over 49,
600 ieet In 1887 there was a big snow
slide, in which Is miners were killed. Such
drawbacks have been frequent occurrences.
Pack burros and jacks have been killed by
the hundreds every season owing to the
severity OF the weather Since the cross
cut tunnel has been built these dangers are
done away with, The ore body in sight,
and estimated at $4,000, 600, lies between
The two tunnels. State Mine Inspector
Hutchinson wires from Telluride as follows:
1.-The wonderful strike in the Sheridan will
prove the greatest ever found in the West"
Big Copper Development.
SILVER CITY-Extensive development
work has been done in the Santa Fe Copper
Company's mine at San Pedro during the
summer and fall, and now there is an i'm
mense body of ore exposed. The company's
big stack will be started in few DAYS, and
when this has been done the production will
be second to no copper company in the
Southwest. Some work is being done in
other mines at San Pedro, but the produc-
tion is small.
The placers near Dolores are being worked
by few Mexicans who make fair wages
Occasionally nugget OF considerable size
is found, but most OF the particles of gold
found in the placers there are smaller than
pin head. About 100 men are at work in
the Cash Entry mine at Cerillos, and the
development of the property is going ahead
very rapidly. There is but one mine in
New Mexico which has deeper workings
than the Cash Entry. Coal mining at Ceril-
los is in a healthy condition, and shipments
from that point average about IA carloads a
day. Rogers & Jones mine has been on
FIRE for several days, ana the flames now APP
pear to be beyond control. 1t is impossible
to estimate the damage which may result.
Mining matters in the Mogollon district and
Northern Sierra county are not quite so
lively as they were some time ago, on ac-
count of Indian depredations within the
past three or four weeks
The ore vein in the Mountain Kew at Pinos
Altos is considerably wider than it has been
heretofore, and the mill is kept running
with about one-third as many men in the
mine as 1t was necessary to employ formerly.
The Mountain Key is the largest gold pro-
ducer in the Territory, and the ore seems to
be continually improving with depth. The
shaft is being put down to the 600-foot level,
and ore is now being taken from the 500 foot
level. All the working mines at Pinos Al
tos are showing up well, and the outlook for
the camp is very encouraging. The placers
there have been worked to better advantage
this season than for many years on account
of the plentiful water supply since the rainy
season began. More rain has fallen in
Southwestern New Mexico this year than
during any previous season Tor nine years,
and water enough for mining operations is
now assured, at least until the middle of
next year.
English Syndicate Again.