Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-04-10
COIN MINING IN THE WEST.

pccOmo discouraged ny tno ihto un-
pleasantness OF 1893, Colorado has re-
turned to the occupation OF her early
youth. To what extent the conditions
OF the precious metal mining industry
OF the region has been altered, may be
measured from the fact that the pro-
duciion OF gold in 1892 was worth
So, 800, 900; that Of the year just
ended is placed at $i5, 000, 900. The
silver yield was 26, $50, 900 ounces in
1922, and has declined to about 20,-
900, 900 in 1895.
The story of the past four years
illustrates In a graphic way the vicis-
situdes of mining. Two new mining
camps came into prominence toward
the close of 1892-Cripple Creek and
Creole; the former yielded gold, the
latter silver. At that time, silver min
ing was in fashion and everything
favored Creede, while Cripple Creek
was overlooked and neglected. The
following June came the news Of the
closing of the Indian mlnts. The sill
yer industry seemed wiped out in a
day. The miners flocked to Cripple
Creek, and what at first seemed an un-
certain discovery, developed into q
gold field OF the first magnitude.
Since then Colorado has wrested from
California the honor of being the
leading gold-produeing state in the
union.
At first, there were some strange and
absurd stories in the newspapers in re.
gard to the Colorado mines, and it
was said that silver mines had been
turned into gold producers as If by en-
chantment. There were, indeed, some
rare instances, as in the case of the
"Amethyst" mine, at Creole, and the
"Guston," on Red mountain, where
the lower workings of silver mines
have encountered ore carrying a pro-
portion of gold larger than that char
acterizing the yield of the upper lev
els, but such q phenomenon is not
common.
The fact is, all the mining regions OF
Colorado produce both the precious
metals, except Aspen, which hitherto
has been prolific of silver, but mig
of gold. But even here a prom
ising beginning in gold has been made.
In other sections Of the state where
gold occurs more literally associated
with silver, the depreciation of the one
metal and the appreciation of the
other, the encouragement given to the
of the former and the en-
thusiasm called forth in the search tor
the latter, have resulted in a dwindllng
of the number Of silver mines and an
in the operation of gold
mines.
Mr.. Richard reminds all concerned
that the deposits are not inexhaustible,
but that the average life of a mine can
be measured on the fingers of one
hand and therefore any region to nam
tain its output must be sustained by
fresh discoveries to keep pace with the
exhaustion which creeps upon old pro-
ducers. 4
On the other hand, the vitality has
been considerably transferred to the
'earch for gold, and everything, fash
on and fact alike, favors that industry
It the present time. Old and new
nInes areibeing e%nergetically worked
Creek commands the atten-
ion of the country; 10 truth, so en-
husiastic is the interest in this spot
hat the idea is conveyed that Colorado
) a territory with but n mining dis.
riot, while, in fact, the mining region
distributed over a territory of 280
quare miles.
1t is confined to vein mining; the
.lluvium of hygone days has been ex-
austed. The science of geology is
aking a hand in the work, and the
evelopment Of certain processes has
AIKEN the place of The old crude meth
DIS. Mining activity, however, is but
, keeping with the activity of the
mes. "The expansion of the arts and
manufacturers" says Mr.. Richard,
requires to an increasing degree the
SO of metals. Modern civilization
dvances Oh iron rails and is gilded
'itb the gold torn by man from the
n rLnooo of Tho ,ndorrro~l1 - IL