New-York tribune., 1896-01-20
THE CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT.
SOME PROMINENT MEN INTERESTED IN THE
REGION NOW IN THIS CITY.

REGION NOW IN THIS CITY.
Three prominert mining men from Colorado who
are identified with the Cripple Creek district nave
been IN the city for some days attending 10 bus-
ness I'm connection with the mines. They are DaViu
n Mofratt president OF the First National BANK
OF Denver. formerly president OF the Denver ana
Rio Grande Railroad: Eben Smith. who Is associ-
,ted with Mr. Moffatt in business. and William E.
Johnston president of the Florence and cripple
Creek Railroad All three OF these men are COM
petent TO talk about the Cripple Creek mines, as
they are closely In touch with them, ana MT
Smith Is looked upon as one of the best mining ex-
rer,s IN the West They do not talk wildly o.
make pryo,echnic claims for the district Mr.
Smith said in speaking of Cripple Creek;
.Drbe Cripple Cree: BOOM if it is a boom, started
from, a small beginning. Prospectors reported
valuable finds and said that gold was to DC had IN
o ,,,rc quantities. This attracted miners. and they
nocked TO the new fields. and naturally tnere was
n great deal OF talk Capitalists did not view the
situation with any degree OF frendness They
,oole, unon II as a mining and railroad boom. and
hold off Mr. Mofratt and myself looked over the
c,ound and were satisfied that there was some
merit In the country. and accordingly purchaseu
location That Is the spot where the victor mihe
row stands. OF course. in new Held there Is al
u.ovs confusion Fields overlap each other and
o,oi,rs are disputed The first straggiers into a
mining crnp are not the best class. When the true
,ohrees of the field became known lot OF dis
,r,,ntlei miners from other sections came In and
made n lot of trouble. The great strike followed
nn,c, caused the loss OF thousands of dollars and
paralyzed almos: every industry in the State
"In order to settle this strike 1t was necessary to
have an understanding with the strikers A meet
ING was called and held in the Equitable Building
!, D.,vcr Governor Waite was present. as well as
Nr ,Jonatt President Jereres OF the Denver and
Eio Grande Railroad; Senator Wocott and Mr.
Vail his partner John j. Hegeman. and Others
u,era nresent Governor Waite surprised that meet
ing nv declaring himself TO be the accredited agent
of the strikers He eventually showed documents
which were the proper credentials. The result was
. ,orferepce and the strike settled upon
h,sis Of higher wages and shorter hours for the
men. go
.rhe railroad facilities being rapidly increased.
and that il great help to the district. IL enables
miners to take out more and a lower grade or ore
This is a benefit in another way. as 1t gives work
,o more men. The taken out monthly amounts
TO about OOO tons, and probably one-half OF Il Is
treated in local stamp mills The ore nets the ship
pers from SO 70, to rDne & creek io camp is sixty niles
by tho railroad from Colorado Springs. In tne oid
days The ore had TO be- hauled @ py leans a. ia heaEy
taken to the smelling works. ana there was a
charge for smelling tnar @ WAS ,on rStesSey hsS es
The shipper Just about $50, outside OF the cost OF
mining SO you can see ha tns iowep Vow & grades w OF oe
roads ard the facilities for taking out ore are con-
STA being improved. he rdllrOduS Wnen UrSt
NM into operation did little business but the
country was opened up they increased greatly until
to-day the two roads do tremendous business in
proportion to their mileage There seems to be no
iet-up to the ore. Already a depth OF 800 feet has
been reached and there seems TO be no loss in the
value of ore Experts say that II will hold out not
only In value but quantity, and that 1t can be
mined as far as machinery can work IT. The camp
l. only about seven miles .ong and from two to
four miles wide The country all around Is being
oyerrun with prospectors.
Colorado people taking more interest in the
mines than people in the East do. More money Is
coming from abroad for investment in these mines
than is coming from this country. So far the high
grade ore has been miller most. but there Is a
vast quantity of earth there that WILL II properly
treated net the shipper from 81 20 ton TO M4 3d.
This ore Is being thrown out as useless. We have
purcha sed some of IT and are now treating H.
think that the Grippe Creek mines are as worthy OF
consideration as the South African mines-perhaps
more so-for they have produced better-payins ore
while perhaps not so much OF IT, .
MIR Mofratt said that he did not think that there there
was any temporary boom He said that OF course
there had been wild talk about the region. ana per-
hans always would be wildcats and salted mines.
hui that every one must examine carefully Tor
himself and buy accordingly. He dld NOT nave
anv Suggestions TO make about Cripple Creek. None
of the members OF the party had anything TO say
about their visit to the city otheT thah IL was
simply a business Visit'