The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1894-05-04
Ia PLATA GOLD MINES.
A New District Suddenly spri nss Into
Ffoninence which Promises to Sur
prise tho World With Its Output.

What bids fair to be one Of the big.
gest mining booms ever seen in Colo
RADIO has set in at this place. The
town is situated in the heart Of tho
La Plata mountains, on the La Plata
river, twenty-five miles from Durango,
twenty-five miles from Mancos, twelve
miles from Fort Lewis, and nine miles
from Hesperus on the Rio Grandc
Southern road. 1t is an admirabls
site, free from snow slides, and is in
close proximity to timber aud coal in
abundance. The river furnishes an
excellent water supply for domestic
purposes, and ample power for mills
and electric light works. The ore de-
posits are immense and extend to .
distance Of fifteen miles north and
south and ten miles east aud west.
Throughout this immense extent .
contact is to be found that carries free
gold. In some places the contact
shows . thickness Of 600 feet. In ad-
dition to this contact which will mill
on the plate from % to el2 . ton there
arc immense assure veins carrying tel
lurium orc running into the thousands
Of dollars per ton. Although this 10
country Of deep SHOWS and prospecting
has not been possible until within Z
few days, there arc now about 300
people 10 camp and their number 10
bel ng added to daily. Two lines Of
four.horsc stages meet all trains at
Hespcrus.
Senator Jones, Of Nevada, who has
invested largely here, says:
while was in Denver first heard
Of this new district. A man named
Baker told me about it. The gold
fields arc about twenty miles north Of
Durango IN the La Plata mountains, at
an altitude Of 10000 feet When /
heard Of the quantity Of low grade
quartz there l wired my brother and
he went down, and while there bond
cd number OF claims. Baker report
cd to me that tho ledge was from 200
to 300 feet thick, fat and cut clear
through the mountain. The~ore was
low grade but that WAS just what We
wanted. A few years ago nobody would
touch any low grade ore unless il was
rich, and tho Colorado people are not
yet accustomed to working low grade
orc. But here 10 California We got
over that long ago. We found that
the most valuable kind Of mine was
one with orc Of low grade, and the
lower the better, for rs We experiment.
cd va found that the lower tho orc the
bigger the quantity and tho more apt
II was TO DO continuous and permanent.
The outcome OF II all was that an In.
spcction Of the ledge was made. We
found II a. mar rs we could Judge, a.
Baker had rel Presented II TO be. II Ii
Of hard quartz and has gold apparently
all through Il. We located about half
= mile Of tho face Of il. From ap.
pearancc the ledge extends TO the
other side Of tho mountain. Besides
this, gold has been found all along the
La Plata river, and. from what can be
learned Il must have como from this
ledge. Tho pieces OF quartz float when
tested were found to run % per ton in
gold, and none Of tho ledge went less
than this. Should tho ledge prove,
when the snow goes on, TO DO as rep.
bigger mills will DO required
than have ever been put up before,
and they can run for an endless period
for the supply Of quartz Is enormous"
Rich strikes src being made daily.
Only yesterday was reported disoov-
cry by VIM. X. Marmadukc and Joe
fleacrnan Of Durango. Tho vein In
about four feet and a streak Of quarts
from four to six inches IL filed with
wire and shoct gold, Of a purely FREQ
milling character. From 100 pounds
Of this quartz Mr. Msrmadukc with a
hammer pounded out six and one.half
ounces Of gold, and the proof Of this
lies In the fact that the yellow metal
Is on exhibition at the First Nationsl
bank In Durango. and also = sample Of
quartz which shows the gold. II IL
said tho vein matter outside OF tho
rich streak will run from two 10 three
ounces In gold 10 tho ton.
Practically speaking, there Is but
very little mining work going on In
tho district a. yot, but " the present
lovely weather continues another week
cr 40 tho cannopadc will DO inaugural.
cd. We know Of many companies aud
individuals who arc anxious TO resume
activc mining. but the uncertainty 81
the weather al this season Of tho ycsr
dctcrs them. IN this vicinity II mum.
bcr Of now finds have been made In
tho past few days, some Of which are
crrellout and thu orc scrms IN he Of =