Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-09-28

oDtCf0t Repentance W dtC OEttts
HoPEwELL, N. M, September 81 =
| Another instance to record IN which q
sstenderfoot" has struck it immensely
rich. j. X. Patterson halls from Du-
range, Colorado, and although a citi-
zen of that great mining state, knew
little or nothing about mining or
mineral, when some months ago, lie
undertook to drive a tunnel into the
mountain west of town where the
quarizite and porphyry contact makes
the presence of pay mineral almost a
surety upon reaching depth. He has
quietly forged his way in single handed
and alone ninety feet and has cut
through a solid body Of quartz thirty
two feet wide. Now, the point to this
story IS that Mr.. Patterson was not
aware he was driving through pay
mineral and threw away many hundred
dollars'worth of the precious stuff over
the dump, before his attention was
called to the situation. To-day he
sent samples vf the huge ledge away to
be assayed. Manager N. T Hall. OF the
..Good Hope'' tunnel adj lining the new
strike, says the ore is similar to that OF
the "Cinnabar' and .Freeport" mines
which are also on the contact line. As
stated in a former letter the contact Is
located for q distance of seven miles
and the rich pres on that line first
brought public attention prominently
to the great possibilities of the camp.
1t was animated in my last letter
that the Duluth party would take hold
in great shape, and they have done so
sooner than could be anticipated.
After executing papers with VIM. Peet
and DR.. Eldridge involving their eleven
claims, p. H. Martin returned to Duluth
to organize the company. j. l.. Nc
Donalds, his associate, remains here
and will begin work on some OF the
properties tomorrow. The company
will be a strong corporation, one OF
the members being a millionaire.
Messrs. Peet and Eldridge are to be
congratulated in securing unlimited
means to develop their promising pro-
perties.
Mr.. Martin being a successful, prac-
tical mining man. your correspondent
secured his views about this district,
for publication in THE OPTIC. He
writes:
II am frank to say that after a thor
ough examination of the different prop
critics, having visited all properties de-
veloped, or rather partially so, that
there is very little practical work done.
All that has been done is mainly in the
way of assessment work, but even that
has demonstrated that Camp Hope
we'll, although as yet in it's infancy,
has large bodies of gold and silver ores
Of great richness. And permit me to add
that il Camp Hopewell were situated
in the state Of Colorado or Minnesota,
Cripple Creek would not be sin it, and
| should not be surprised to see a great
big boom in this district in the neal fu-
ture.n
Your correspondent has not had time
to visit the "Little Mary mine, where
Superintendent Erb opened up a good
showing Of free gold a few days ago,
but will do so before writing you again.
Work is being pushed on the mine.
There are few men who mine for the
love Of it., but Dan O'Leary is one of
the few. He holds interests in some
Of the best mines in the camp and
works two of the properties in person.
Mr.. O'Leary is a native Of Frederick,
Md, and has brought q liberal educa-
ton to bear on the science Of mining.
He is theoretical at every turn, but in
variably reduces his theories to prac-
tice. He says it has taken him two
years to study the camp. His ready
elucidation OF every feature character
istic of the different formations aston
ishes even an old Inner in the mineral
wilds Of the Rockies. II is said he
would sooner 60 around the road to
elucidate q theory than to make o
cross-cut. Well, theories are all right,
so long as they pan out successfully,
and they afford ~pleasurable reelection
for the imaginative mind. Mr..
O'Leary's uncle, w. F. Hoffman, OF
Baltimore, Md, who has been visiting
him for a couple Of months, leaves for
home tomorrow. laden down with a
choice selection Of gold specimens that
will surely excite the envy Of the gold
bugs Of the city Of monuments.
The Lyons party OF Ration fishermen
and their families, who have been do
ing the Rio Brazos and other streams
for about three months, broke up here
Mr.. Lyons returned to the
Brazos to await tho feast of San Ger
onimo at Tses on the 30th Inst.
Superintendent J. M. Bennett, of
the s.Red JaokeI' property, is on the
sick list, butin q few days Will resurus
operations % that bonanza. The "Red