River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-22
A GOLDEN LINING.

- oS1OEN
Wonderful Revolution in Colorado's Min
Ing Developments and Prospects - To
Lead California In Its Gold Output in
1894
When the panic came, blue over the
prospects of silver, the Colorado man
sat down and eogitated for a couple of
weeks. He knew all about the mineral
belt in his backyard, and as he cogi-
tated he evolved an idea If silver was
to be at a price which would cause
many mines TO shut down, what was
the matter with gold? If gold was To
appreciate until it could buy mora than
ever before, the state that could dig up
millions of gold certainly should be the
last to complain. So the Colorado man
Ia good many thousand of him-took
his pick and pan and blankets and
started after gold.
The change since that time probably
never had and never will have a par
allel, for such conditions can scarcely
occur again. The output of gold dur
ing 1892 was little over $1,000, 600.
During 1898 it was 81, s02. 453, and the
increase, be it remembered, all came
during the last two or three months of
the year and in spite of the fact that
many silver mines, which also carry
gold, were closed and did not add THEN
quota to the total There is practically
no gold found below an altitude OF
5000 feet, yet on January of the good
new year. in the depth of winter, gold
was being produced in Colorado at the
rate of $12.001,0JJ 2 wear. The most
conservative estima Je of the produe-
ton for the year 1874 is $50, 900, 600,
while statisticians who base their fig
ures on returns from all the districts
place it at So 900 700, or nearly five
times as N .ch as the output for
1892. Colorado's production of gold.
silver lead and copper will this
year be larger than any previous
year. for the increase in gold will more
than balance any loss that might occur
in other metals. The aggregate will
certainly run over $50, 900, 600. Califor-
mia. the golden state, has for some
years produced about 100000 of
gold each year. Colorado has already
reached second place and will lead Cal
ifornia in it's gold output in 1894
Curiously enough. the gold discoveries
are helping out the silver mines. Sew
eral of the heaviest properties at Lead
vile are working full time on iron-sil-
yer ores needed to smeit the gold ores
Of Cripple Creek and other tellurium
districts. Again, there are hundreds of
silver properties which carry more or
less gold. Silver mining is very far
from dead; in fact the production of
silver last year, in spite of all the
scare. was SIT, 7g7, $50, and there was
only "a small decrease in lead. This
amount of silver may not be mined in
1894, but the gold output will far more
than make up the loss.
1t is almost impossible to grasp the
possibilities of gold production in this
state. Imagine many thousands of
square miles of mineral bearing coun-
try through which hundreds of gold
properties have been located within six
months, and under every foot of which
may be hidden bonanza. Over fifty
wholly new gold camps have been es-
tablished in twenty-one counties, and
by camp is meant not an isolated
mine or two, but district of miles in
extent with town for its center.
Lost Canon, Crooked Creek, Duncan,
Difficult Creek. Silver Heel, Sheep
Mountain, Buffalo Slough, Vermillion,
Mcclellan Mountain, Taylor Hill, Holy
Cross, Colony Creek, Eldorado, Ice Cake,
Elk Creek and Howbert are all new
camps with bright prospects. A full
list would nil a column. The gold
producing districts of Gilpin, Summit,
Park, Custer, Ouray, San Miguel, De-
lores, La Plata, Rio Grande and other
counties are doubling and trebling
their output under the impetus of the
rush of silver miners seeking gold.
Stamp and patent-process mills are be-
ing built everywhere. The receipts of
retorts at the Denver branch mint are
over 100 per cent. greater than year
ago.
Cripple Creek, thing of yesterday,
is shipping $4,000 a month of gold
right now without a railroad, and will
output 81, 900, 900 during 1894. 1t has 20
mills. Two railroads are being
built to it as fast as men and money
can rush them, and immense reduction
works are about to be started. These
three things alone will cost over 81, 600,
O0o Does anyone know of any other
place in. the United States for which
railroads are racing just now?
Leadville, the premier silver camp, is
turning its silver 70 gold. 1t has de-
Veloped an extensive gold belt which
Is shipping s11 900 day. That is rath
err good for silver district. Every body
has heard of the famous Treadwen
mine of Alaska. 1t is the synonym for
wealth. How many outside OF Colo
RADIO have heard of the Little Johnny
at Leadville? Yet it is producing
IS. 500 a day in gold-much more than
the Treadwell
At Creole the deep levels of the sill
yer mines have commenced to produce
ore carry ng gold, as though Providence
had deliberately taken hand in the
work.
An object lesson is presented in an
instance of last August, when an
eastern company picked up gold prop
erty near Telluride for S500,000, and
this same property is now paying
monthly dividends of from $685. to
$4,000.
In truth the revolution in Colorado
Is almost too wonderful for descrip-
ton. It is not remarkable that the OPP
probrious term OF ''goldbuR" is becom-
ing a Joke and that the light of faith
shines from the faces of the people
Exchange.