Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-09-03
THE HoPEwELL MINES.
Our Correspondent on the Ground
Sends Over Some Newsy Notes
From the Gold Camp.
To the Edftor of the Optic.

To the Editor of the Optic.
HopEwELL, N. M, August 28th.-
just as Hopewell mining district has
reached a healthy stage Of develop,
ment In the line OF supplying a fair
share Of the yellow stuff for our east
ern brothers. who insist on having that
kid Of money, comes the astounding
announcement that a New York al
chemist has finally succeeded In con-
verting silver into gold, at the ratio OF
one n OF silver TO three-quarters OF
an ounce OF gold. If DR.. Emmens and
his distinguished syndicate Of inventors
have really discovered such a wonder.
full process, they have knocked the
wind out of Bryan's sail and relieved
Mckinley OF many bothersome and un-
popular explanations. Silver would
thereby remonetize Itself and the greed
OF the gold bug ought to be a~ppeased.
But 1t Is to be feared that the battle
will have to be fought out on the old
lines, and looking at it from this ele-
walton Of two miles above the sea, sill
yer and protection appear to be the
watch words most closely associated
With the interests Of the toiling masses
10 New Mexico.
Hopewell is getting ready for a long
siege Of winter work. So far, apart
from the big mines, little else has been
done, this season, than prospecting
for leads and testing them
by surface work. As In every
other promising camp, the profess
sicnal claim locator has been abroad
here to a lively extent and the edge Is
not yet off his Ratchet, but this
should not keep out anyone looking
for a mine, as there is plenty of invit-
ing ground where a little pluck and
muscle will bring rich leads to the sur
face. In fact, some OF the very best
prospects in the district have been dis
covered beneath the grass and wash
without scarcely an indication to 20
by, except the general course Of the
leads. The wash is not SO deep, how
ever. as is generally supposed by those
who have not visited the district.
) Several small mining deals have
been consummated since my last letter
to The OPTIC, all Of which mean 0 q
siderable development work and indi-
Gates that Hopewell will be a stirring
camp, the coming winter.
Work on the Iron Mountain tunnel
will start in full blast, next Monday.
Superintendent John }. Pace has let O
contract for a substantial building and
bunk house to be put up at once at ths
mines. These will be the first build.
ipgs on the company's town site, and
Iron Mountain City will begin to assume
importance as a resident portion of the
district. Robert Shrum and Isaac
VIM, both well known in Las Vegas,
will have charge of the working shifts.
Mr.. and Mrs. Pace and little daughter
arrived, Tuesday, and are temporarily
located in the old town until their new
residence is completed. They brought
furniture and supplies with them from
Las Vegas and are now prepared to
furnish excellent hotel accommodations
TO any old friends or new ones visiting
the camp.
E. l.. Brinegar, Robert Shrum, A. A.
Myers, Peter Olsen and George Hay
ward came in, overland, from Las We
gas, yesterday. Mr.. Rrinegar started
work on some Of his claims, this morn
ing. Messrs. Myers and Hayward
have also donned their working clothes
and were engaged in %placering, this
afternoon.
Charles Berry and his partner have
discovered rich placer ground IN Deer
Trail gulch and are taking out dirt,
some OF which runs twenty cents to the
pan. Several nice cts, some OF
them weighing from 90 to IS, were
washed out n the Eureka gulch
placers, a few days ago.
Tom j. Holmes and James Sher-
wood will leave for Las Vegas, to-mor-
row morning. They have secured
some good property for their company
and have completed and recorded five
assessments.
M. j. Miller, representing a Phila-
deIphia syndicate, is here in charge of
a party Of prospectors and a large out
fit. He is well pleased with the forma-
tions and mineral showing, and is Sc
curing ground to 60 to work with vim.
James Murray and his partner are
opening up some rich claims in the
bromide section.
j. M. Bonnet, the oldest settler in
the camp. is rapidly pushing work on
the "Red jacket" tunnel. MIR. Bon
nett owns several Of the rich claims Of
the camp.
Your correspondent has been slow
in getting around to form the acquain-
lance Of the miners in sslhe BASIN" but
will visit that interesting section before
writing again.
Messrs. Hall and Ballinger do not
lose an hour in rushing the "Good
Hope" tunnel to completion, and then
look out for rich developments as this
work will intercept the contact at q
lower level than yet attempted.
LEADVILLE.