The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-27

| We are now at work clearing ground
preparatory to the erection of buildings
Estimates for the buildings, machni-
cry, ETC., are now being prepared. and
We expect to let the contract for the
former in a few days. We will put in
a plant of two 100-horse power boilers,
and an air compressor and in time,
when the tunnel is In far enough, an
electric plant for operating the cars.
THE enterprise will be on large
scale in every respect. The tunnel
will be ten feet wide by nine feet high
and will have a double track tramway
operated by electricity, and a water
course two feet square in the bottom
The buildings will comprise one build
ing for the boilers, compressor, black
smith shop, etc. 130x40 feet, an office,
stables, tool house and whatever other
buildings may be found necessary.
THE MONEY READY.
''The money necessary for the initia-
ton Of the enterprise has been raised
and work will be pushed as rapidly as
| men and means can accomplish the
work We expect to have the drills
pounding in 80 days and there will be
no unnecessary delay of work from its
| inception TO the close, which we antic-
| ipate will be in about two years The
! cost Of the tunnel completed will not be
| less than 100000 There is no ques-
| ton of the success of this project Its
| Importance alone is sufficient guar
antee of success.
Il consider IL the most important, as
well as one of the greatest mining op-
| erations ever undertaken in Colorado,
| Considering the charcter of the mining
properties which the tunnel will pene-
| trate, ii is hardly possible to estimate
the advantage that it will be to the op-
orators or the amount of wealth that
it will aid in developing, which under
the ordinary conditions of mining from
the surface, might never see the light
| save at an enormous expense. For al
most the entire distance the tunnel will
pass through ground that is already
known to be of phenomenal richness,
and its construction will increase the
output to an extent that is now impos-
sible to compute, assuming of course
that the veins hold their own to the
level of the tunnel.
81 wish here to express my obliga-
tons to Messrs. Moffat, Cheeseman.
and the other gentlemen who are asso-
ciated in the enterprise. Without their
aid my efforts would have been fruit
less. Mr.. Moffat has already disting-
uished himself by his successful efforts
TO develop the mining resources of the
state, and this scheme will be one
Of the greatest illustrations Of his lib
erality in the promotion of our chief
industry
Naturally, I presented the scheme
to none but my personal friends, and
not "a single gentleman TO whom IT was
offered failed to join it.
The company will be Incorporated
as soon as possible, and mean time
there will be no time lost in putting the
project into active life"
FABULOUS TALES
Denver, Dec. 26-The report from Al
buquerque, published exclusively in the
News yesterday, to the effect that a
syndicate had secured a lease on the
Carisso mountains from the Navajo
Indians for mining purposes, was not
generally credited in mining circles here
Should it prove to be true, however |
it is not expected that there will be !
any rush to the new district until af
ter il has been proven to be a mining !
country. The locality in question lies |
just south of the southwestern corner |
Of Colorado. partly in Arizona and part |!
ly in New Mexico. 1t can be reached |
from the San Juan river or from Gal /
lup on the Atlantic and Pacific railroad |
For years. in fact, since the early SET
Element of the country by the Span |
lards, there have been legends to the |
effect that somewhere in these noun
tanis, known only to the Navajoes
existed mines of gold and silver of fab
ulous wealth. The Navajoes have
guarded the secret well, If the mines
really exist, and though many an ad-
venturous prospector has entered the
country in search of the mines nothing
mo no, /
reports have ever come back, and many
a prospector has failed to return.
PREVIOUS EXCITEMENT.
The last excitement over this local.
ty was about four years ago when a
number Of prospectors braved the In
dams and entered the reservation. The
Indians drove them out, some of the
losing their lives. After
that attempt, the war department or
dered General McCook to make an ex-
animation of the district for the DUR
pose of determining whether or not the
mineral really existed. General Nc
Cook, accompanied by a detachment of
soldiers and several prominent govern
ment biologists made a careful survey
)f the Carlisle mountains, and on their
return General McCook reported that
ne found no indications of mineral and |
[ was his opinion that the fabulous
wealth stories were all imaginary.
Notwithstanding Gen. McCook's re-
bort, there are plenty of miners and |
who still believe that there
ire good mines to be had in this local
ty by intelligent prospecting. One of ,
he principal foundations for this be- :
ief is the fact that all around this sec
ion are good paying mines, especially !
orth and south of IL. Prospectors :
rgue that the country in question is
irectly in line with the great CoIora-
o mineral belt that leaves the state d,
through the San Juan country and that :
he same mineral belt or zone is found :.
gain on the south of the reservation. !
Vie additional fact is pointed to. that "
Or years the Navajoe Indians have al Z
-ays seemed 10 have large guam titles :
silver. which they manufactured in s.
D all kinds Of articles and among the 6,
sEends, Is one 10 the effect that a par II
Y or prospectors working their wav -
trough the reserva ton some years ago | q
ere flred upon by the Indians, and | j.
ley We're astonished TO discover that -
ne bullets fired at them were made OF
ure silver.
FROM COCHITI.
At Cochiti. just south of the reserva- -
on. there are many old prospectors
no have been in the reservation. and -
ain. 70 have found veins of mineral | A
hich promised unusually we'll. and (
eces Of float containing both gold and
liver. have been exhibited and claimed r
have been found in the Carisso noun | -
ins. Many have implicit confidence
all OF these stories. nOtvithStand- 4
= the report OF General Mc{-ook's ex-